WAR

111 WAR 0101 OF 101011 NUMBERS 10


1000101010110100101010111101010110
01 TECHNOLOGY 010101010011000100
111011001011101 THE COMPUTER 1010
1100010010010101010110000101010100
10100101001001 WAR 001010011010101
010011010010 IS 1001010010010010101
101010100110101010001 NOT 010110101
1101001001 A 01001010101 GAME 10101
01001010101010001011010100101010010
01101110 WHAT IF 000010111001010011
010 ONE 010010101101011000 LINE 1011
10 IS 011010010001001 THE 11001100100
1010 TOTAL 01001010100111001 SUM 01
100100100100 ??? 1101011010001011011
101011010010 HOW 011001110100101001
1001110101010010010101001 MANY 010
10 HAVE 100110100 TO 11001010100101
01 DIE 0100 DIE 100101 DIE 00011 DIE 01
1 DIE 101011 DIE 110110010 FOR 111010
01101 ONE 11010010011101001101 SIDE
00000101011101010 TO BE 11010011010
110100 DECLARED 101010100101010110
011 THE 010011010101010 WINNER 010
1010010100100001011101011100111010
010 WAR 10111 WAR 00101 WAR 01010
010011010010 LOSE 00100100100101011
110 LOSE 010101010001 LOSE 10110101
1101001 LOSE 1001010101 LOSE 010101
001000010101 LOST 11101011101001010

Short Vacation over

A long weekend in northern Michigan has ended but part of my mind is still up there. Sigh...

Props to Cause & Effect Magazine

I got a nice surprise in the mailbox today, my contributer copy of Cause & Effect Magazine #10, August 2008.

It's a nice little gem with a lot of great poetry and fiction contained within its pages from twenty or so writers. I am honored to get my poem, "The Plagiarist" included in this edition. Big thanks to the editors Ben, Jack, and Denis for including me.




















There's a link to the C & E website off to the right side on this homepage. Go visit and support the small presses!

It's always great to see your work in print, very exciting every time!! Smiles!!

Peace and love!

Publication news

I got the author's Proof from Neon Magazine this week to read and prove correct prior to it being sent to the printers next week. It will be published in September and contains two of mine. Exciting stuff, the mag looks great, a lot of great poems by some terrific poets. I can't wait to get my contributer's copy.

Other then that, not much luck on the submission front. Five rejections in a row right now. I have written a few new poems but things have been a bit slow on that front.

Take care friends.

Peace and love!

Issue 13 The Orange Room Review

Yesterday, I got a note from Corey and Rachael, the editors of The Orange Room Review that issue 13 was published. One of my poems was on board.

Issue 13 here

My poem, The Search

Thanks again Cory and Rachael for including me!

Peace and love!

Today is a wilted flower

I am but the shadow of it...

Poetry Submission News

On the poetry front concerning my submissions for publication, I received several responses in the last week or so. Expected rejections from three mags, ones with very low (less then 1%) acceptance stats (according to Duotrope) including one from Beloit Poetry Journal , my fifth fine rejection from them over the years. I will continue to try these tougher markets and maybe someday, I can write something they will like... smiles! I enjoy a good challenge!

One bit of great news, Krishan Coupland, editor of Neon Magazine responded back and accepted two of my poems for their Issue 17 dropping this fall. It's a print journal based in the UK and I am very honored to be part of it. Thanks Neon and Krishan!

I also sent my finished Chapbook manuscript titled "Mice Verses Man" out last week, entering an Open Chapbook Contest at a publisher. This was my first try to get it published. The submission deadline has now passed and I am not sure when they will announce the winner, several months probably. The winner gets a nice 4-digit cash prize but they also publish the top ten finalists. I am sure there will be plenty of competition (hundreds of entries) and it will be tough to make the finals. It was a lot of work to put it all together but it was a great learning experience for me and who knows, maybe I will get lucky? This is a small part of my goal in poetry for this year. My resolution on January 1st was to work hard on my poetry all year and by December 31st, have a full volume poetry manuscript ready to submit for publication.

Cheers for reading friends! I hope you are all having a great weekend!!

We are going to my Godmother's 70th birthday party today. It should be a blast and I am excited to see the whole extended family and all our close lifelong friends that we don't see too often since we moved to the "east side" of town.

Peace and love!

Drink With Pablo

Drink With Pablo


Pablo, tonight I can read the saddest lines,
drunk on fickle curves, her skirt had hit the floor
running to ruining, the eye she said, vision complete.

Sentence the lint to cling, a nylon atrocity,
up the inside of her thigh to the cotton liner
white as virginity’s clean sheet, breathless.

In the light on the sill, moon up is here,
a spider simply squats, possibly pondering
the unraveling of her long web, fly full

not the morning before, no teeth to chew,
she craves the suckling, to place the spear inside.
Cunning cat stalks wasps, until retribution moment

when pink nose reddens, a kitty flop
like an epileptic fit, a lover’s tussle.
Less curious and lacking aggressiveness

are the light paw prints the next morning,
back hidden, corner crotched, happy to just watch
wasps find their place to paper away some sex.

Drink up. Friend. Tomorrow there will be more,
your verse is like spirits that read to me;
sad poem taken like my life, one swallow at a time.

My July MiPO has arrived

Arriving almost two weeks sooner then promised from the website I purchased it at, my copy of the July MiPOesias magazine was in my mailbox today. Nicole Mauro graces the cover. What a great photo! Congrats Nicole!



















I am so impressed with the high quality of this journal, both physically (the layout, the quality of the printing and paper) and the content. There are so many good poems and short stories, and even a few recipes in it. I am honored to be included with all these talented writers. I would recommend to submit your poetry here. The editor Didi Menendez is soooo creative. Thanks!



















I think if one where to buy this magazine, you would not be disappointed. Go for it!!

Look here.


Smiles!

Happy Day Poem Acceptances

Today, a stressball bummer day at work. You could cut the tension in the office with a knife...ugg, but I get home, mow the lawn, cook dinner for the kids and I and open my email to find a couple surprises.

I was on a streak of three submission rejections in a row over the past three or so weeks but today made up for that!

First, the Orange Room Review alerted me that my poem "The Search" will be part of their August 2008 magazine. The editors sent a great note that made me smile. THANKS a lot Corey and Rachael!!

The Orange Room Review.

Then, another really cool note from the editor of Madswirl Magazine telling me that three of my poems have been accepted and actually were published today
on this page

and "The Spin" is featured on their Poetry Forum Page today
on 7-9-08

Many thanks to the editor Johnny for making my day!
He wrote me the coolest encouraging personal note.

Big smiles today!

One Dollar

The Ones That Matter


End of the week, Saturday, cloudy, cool, but dry
as I load the first of our possessions
in the back of my little blue truck.
There, face down, lying flat in the street
a one dollar bill. Happy prosperity!

Twenty five loads later, two streets over
two streets back, it’s all moved;
the content of our lives on this day.
It was time to say goodbye, son and daughter
with me, a one way trip to our new place.

I had donated all my furniture and things
one year ago, when I married the women.
We came to her house, a happy blend at first
turned to mental repossession near the end
for them. We reconstructed their space first,
set up beds, fill dressers, arrange belongings.
They are pleased to each have their own room.

The rest of the house is empty. I didn’t have much,
one wood chair, three pots, some mismatched silverware
and dishes, my music collection, a full bookshelf,
and no bed. My children safe, warm, fed, and rich
with love until my last day. The house will fill;
for now a single dollar in a frame, hung on the wall.





2oo6

Mia - She's Back

Tonight is a good night! Our beloved house cat Mia, slid the back screen door open enough to escape on Sunday morning, three days ago. She's been missing since. Thank goodness, about two hours ago, a neighbor who saw one of the signs I had hung up around the neighborhood called me and said a cat matching her description has been hanging around their house for a couple days. It was Mia!!!! She's doing well, besides her collar being missing, nothing seems to be wrong with her.

What a F'ing relief!! The kids and I were all sick here with grief. We have had her for 13 years. Thanks to my friends who gave words of support and prayed for her safe return. We appreciated that!

Wooowhooo!!! Party time!

Remorse (poem)

Lay
Down on
Green spears.
The earth yearns
With evolved layers
To grow upon the length
Of fear to drain liquid forms
If only to serve its own survival.
Seep slow from my memory,
The softening of the sky
Pulls rain clouds down
Until roots grasp
On the purest
Words we
Say.

MiPOesias Magazine July 2008

A little self promotion...

Yesterday, the July 2008 edition of MiPO was published included is one of my poems along with 101 pages total of poetry, a few short stories, and also some recipes.

My poem "Fluff" is on page 39 and my photo and bio appears on page 38.

Thanks so much to the editor Didi Menendez for including me! I have read some of the work in it and it's a great read so far.

Check it out here
There's a free downloadable PDF copy of MiPOesias or very soon it says one can purchase a hard copy from Amazon.com. I will be supporting this publishing company by buying a copy or two. It's well worth the money!

For other information concerning MiPO and Didi, you can find the MiPOesias blog here.

Rock Hard

Allege


wanting soft
feels damn hard
for a certain stone
grazed glacier smooth
balanced on the edge
of the river rage
the ascent forever ended
moist anticipation
theneverendingtumble

Feather On The River

Click on photo to enlarge...

Spider Poem

The Twist



The breeze breath
inside bubble burst
dissipates
only on release
of her sharp touch.

Prospects of love
through shaft extravagant,
vascular’s dim lit drop
into gravity’s moist keep,
web-tied and twisted.

Black widow meal
consumed by feel
succulently,
suck relentlessly,
such a rent was he.

Boston Literary Mag - Summer 2008

Today, the Summer 2008 edition of Boston Literary Magazine dropped with one of my poems on board.

Read "The Lake Has Not Changed" here

Thanks to the editors for including me!

Smiles!

Poem Revision - revising our poetry

I guess I am not sure how many have read the Forest Poem below. If you have, you may notice that it has changed a couple times already since first posted. Over the next week or two I will continue to revise it in an attempt to improve it (haha, maybe it will go the other way?) I don't plan on this piece being the killer of all killer poems, I know it won't, is not meant to be, but I hope to bring it to a level that provides a breath of inspiration while also being an interesting read. We'll see?

I love revision!! I almost always revise my poems at least a few times and hardly ever write (share) improv pieces. Maybe an exception is when I write Haiku. I will sometimes leave an instant haiku to a friend in a blog or email as my little piece of poem candy, usually written on the spot in response to the things I am reading/replying to. I find the revision process facinating. Sometimes, when things are right in our head, a poet can go outside of his or her mind and really look at a piece as a reader might. This is a difficult task, to disconnect one's self from our own poem but it is crutial to success in revision. I always try to get that first draft on paper in my journal, encompassing all the thoughts and/or using the notes I have written prior to starting, then build from there at a later date after the piece breathes a bit. Instant revision is not a real good thing normally either in my opinion.

Receiving rejections is a good thing sometimes. Yes, it may bruise the poet's ego maybe, but it should also serve as a motivation to potentially look at a piece deeper and revise it for improvement for the next round of submissions.

The poem below has had at least 10 revisions so far (and it still stinks...lol) and I probably spent about 8 hours with it total. I wrote it in 2006 originally.

My record for hours worked on one single poem is 125 hours. This was over a 1.5 year period total. I am still shopping it around, trying to find it a home. It's an experimental piece, 13 lines long and so far, I have received 3 fine rejections. Smiles!

I think I average about 5 hours per "finished" poem. I wonder how much time others spend? (promp)

Oh well, keep writing and reading poetry!!! and of course... revising.

Forest Poem

In The Forest A Clearing


One day after the release,
I find myself lost
in the woods, alone
among spring sprouts

poking their heads up
through compacted debris
from the dead season passed
on the forest floor.

They sway and waft
curiously in the breeze
as if trying to take a look
at me ambling by:

an outsider, in this world.

I squat low, turn my back
to a stump, blackened
from fire long ago,
ease my weight and rest.

Everything became clear.
The entire forest suddenly quiet,
every tree, branch, leaf, bud
still, motionless, settled, silent,

like a freeze had returned.
The only noise, my heartbeat,
heartfelt, pulse-rise each beat
and I realized at that moment,

eyes open, I can see
that I was alive and free
to choose the direction
of the next step I will take.