Poetry


• ArchiTecTural inDIGESTion - Hal Bogotch
• Have you seen my son? - Landi
• I’m goin’ to Needles - C.V. Beck
• who are we - Hillary Kaye
• Wake up Venice! - Stephen Longfellow Fiske
• i believe... - Anon
• I Am - Vessy Mink

ArchiTecTural inDIGESTion

By Hal Bogotch

I will not bow to Bauhaus

On house of cards foundation
I will not fold

When box kites collide with alder bungalows
I will not take a dive

Rise to extravagant heights
take great panes of unstained glass
I will not shatter

Opium den drywall tortured visions
I will not waver

Erect curiosity to scale
vinyl-walled monstrosity for sale
I will blink

Overblown real estate in heavy times
I will not subscribe

Inspired by postal escalators
Jimmy crack corn cob pipe dream sheetrock
I will not cave

When drab monolith meets hoary mansion
meet porcupine penthouse
meets silicone buttressed gable

I take my plans off the table.

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HAVE YOU SEEN MY SON?

by Landi

I am looking for my son, have you seen him?

Yes my baby boy now a man, married, a father of two sons living in Utah.

Yes, the one with the sparkle in his eyes, beautiful curly hair always laughing, friendly , hard working, kind and affectionate.

Right he is very talented, a perfectionist in his job.

You do know him? Have you seen him? When was the last time?

It’s been a few years since I lost him and I am miss him so much.

I just have his pictures and memories of the good times we had together.

He and I, spend weekends together before he was married watching videos all day, eating popcorn or he would cook for us. He loves to cook and is good at it.

He showed you his art work really? Yes, he has a gift to be an artist he is also is a great mechanic, self-taught.

I wonder where he went? How long he’ll be gone? Why he left?

You heard right he became a successful roofing contractor and a very good one at that. That was the last time you saw him? It was for me too.

I thought I saw him once this man looked just like him but after speaking with him I knew it wasn’t him. There was no sparkle in his eyes, didn’t smile, laugh and appeared to be angry and impatient. He tried to convince me he was my son. But he was only a vessel of my sons body empty of his spirit. I walked away wiping my tears for it wasn’t him and I wanted him to be so much.

I’m still looking for my baby son now a man, have you seen him?

------------

I’m goin’ to Needles
& open a noodle place
and raise poodles
won’t need a boodle
keep your oodles
don’t need it

–C. V. Beck

-----------

who are we
who dance
and sing
and know not
why and
have not wings.

–Hillary Kaye

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Wake up Venice!

by Stephen Longfellow Fiske

Wake up Venice!
Look what’s happening!
Venice is being evicted!
Affordable housing is being torn down,
replaced by the advancing march of condo developers
Bulldozers crush walls
Memories and rich histories ground into ruin
Families and seniors are displaced
Corporate greed runs amok over human need
Venice, once a bastion of affordable housing,
is becoming Marina-ized
The free spirit of Venice,
the artistic, poetic and diverse character
of this unique outpost by the sea
is becoming sanitized
by the prospect of gated communities
and high-priced exclusivity
Is this what we want?
Do we have any voice at all?
The developers grab the city by the tail
and swing the yelping mongrel around
to the tune of their investment dollars
The victimized,
those who have lived at the heart and essence of Venice
are marginalized,
thrown out, no longer able to afford to live here
Where do they go?
Away?
And slowly but surely as the community is dismantled
the soul of Venice dies
Is this what we want?
Do we have any voice at all?
Wake up Venice!
We must stand in the conviction to stop the eviction!
Draw the line now!
Draw the line here, at Lincoln Place.
Join the vigil and the coming actions to save Lincoln Place,
to save Venice.

----------

Hi,
I would like to submit this poem, if printed please withhold my name.
I see so many poems that are negative, and yes unfortunately there is alot to be upset about, but I thought it would be nice to have a positive angle as well.

i believe...
i can plant beauty
i can plant love
& watch it grow.
like the sun gives life to the delicate seed
that blooms into a beautiful creation.
i am creating love & beauty wherever i go,
thanks to you.
thanks to the love i feel i’m a part of,
i see it spreading & enveloping all around me
it’s a part of you & a part of me
it’s dancing between us & flowing out.
like the sea tastes the salt, i can taste what i’ve always seen
it’s here, it’s now
love sailing around the world.

love sailing around the world
in every heart, in every mind
love that’s mine to give
reaching out to every one in need
it flows into every pore & empty space
every lonely soul, flowing back again
to embrace the next ONE
until every heart is filled with joy &
every tear replaced with a smile.
this is my dream
and it’s coming true
thanks to you.

i believe again
thanks to You

-----------

I Am

I am worthy
I am woman
I am strong
I am certain
I am free
I’m a tree
Growing branches
Of Infinity.

–Vessy Mink

Posted: Wed - March 1, 2006 at 05:41 AM          


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