Mono
The opening scene from “Now You’re the Enemy,” one of the most beautiful books of poetry I’ve read. Written by James Allen Hall.
Mercy Me
Scene from Roger Reeves’s “King Me,” which won the Whiting Award for poetry. The last line reminds me of the crowds of airport mouths agape below the televised twirl, twirl, twirl of Irma’s bright red skirt. Keep going. Keep going. Anywhere but here.
Moving for Love
I don’t usually post twice in a day, but the lines in Ada Limón’s poem above are so beautiful and it is raining so hard that I couldn’t bear to witness alone.
Landfall
I realize the picture above is bad. It was taken on a flight at the exact moment the pilot warned of turbulence from Hurricane Harvey, passengers and plane already shaking. The storm about to hit Texas at a place called Corpus Christi, which is the name of a real town in the physical world. So […]
Even Worse
Out takes from Morgan Parker’s “There Are More Beautiful Things than Beyoncé”
One Art
This week’s “Economist” magazine includes a review of a new biography on one of America’s greatest poets ever: Elizabeth Bishop. Highlighted above is one of my favorite Bishop quotes, from her poem “One Art”: “The art of losing isn’t hard to master; so many things feel filled with the intent to be lost that their […]
Yellow Tomatoes
I once thought I could know anything The death knowledge of the Buddha The clarifying call of Gabriel Former lives and abetting suns That enthrall worlds more able than mine I too never doubted my time supply To be the daughter to the dying father Who buries without the blow of love […]
Home Poem
I came home tonight from a long trip and, once in bed, picked up the first book I found to land my mind. It turned out to be Philip Larkin’s “Collected Poems,” which I’ve barely rustled. The stunning excerpt above is from his poem “Coming” and made me feel like I’d come home.
Difficult by Design
Geoffrey Hill, renowned British poet, died last week and was memorialized by today’s “New York Times.” Although I’ve never read a single poem written by Hill and do not support intentionally obscure verse, I do think Mr. Hill makes a very good point above. Difficult is as difficult does.
El viaje de Borja
Tomorrow is May 20th. A day I’ve been dreading because it is the last day to pre-order my book mid-life. Since pre-sales determine how many books will be published, tomorrow matters. If any of you out there had any intention whatsoever of purchasing my book of poems, I would truly appreciate it if you did […]
The Sun Coast
“The Sun Coast,” a poem from my forthcoming book of poems entitled mid-life, now available for purchase via Finishing Line Press. The pre-sale period ends in just three days, so grab your copy soon, such as right this minute!
Domingo 20 / Sunday 20
This poem is from my book “Entre domingo y domingo” published in 2014. My new book of poems mid-life is currently in its pre-sale period, which ends in just five days. Tick, tick, tick. To order, please click here.
Casualty
From my book “Reverse Commute.” Happy weekend everyone!
Núcleo familiar
On this, the eleventh night of the countdown to the end of my book’s pre-sale period, I am offering up a poem about the pressure of family. To order mid-life please click here. All proceeds go to the publishing house, but the street cred will be mine. Ha!
Sunblock
If I ever were to bake a cake it would be for you, and I’d color in the icing like spreading sunblock on your face. I like to get you while you sleep— the best is in a car— so I can butter every toe and beneath your pillow feet. Underneath your feet […]
Poetry Party
At the top floor of the gorgeous Bacardi Building in Midtown Miami about to indulge in food, drinks and the spoken word. What a stunning end to National Poetry Month. Nicely done O’ Miami Poetry Festival!
Baby
You are A long time Coming Now All time is Your time My time is Yours since Before But your Time is Not mine It is yours I get to Watch it Feel how You are not In me But you were There you Grew Into a paw Of blood And time It felt good […]
Special Thanks to Red Savina Review
I wanted to send a special shout out to New Mexico’s Red Savina Review and to its co-founding editor Wendy Gist for sharing the publication of my book, mid-life, with their readers. Wendy is a remarkable writer whose book Moods of the Dream Fog is available for purchase via Finishing Line Press. To purchase “mid-life,” please click […]
April in O’ Miami
April is great-weather-month in Miami, and great weather, of course, leads to lyrical thought. The more so because it happens to be National Poetry Month, and Miamians do it big thanks to the O’ Miami Poetry Festival. Launched in 2011, the Festival has grown into a month-long celebration of written, spoken, silent, illustrated, enacted, projected, submerged, hidden, […]
Limbs
Scene taken from my chapbookbook “Reverse Commute,” published by Silver Birch Press. Behind, the Sedona skyline.