As you’re all aware by now, we are in the thick of the 2013 Word Fest and this poet is making it a point to attend at least one event every day for the entire week. Not only that, but at these events I will be scribbling poetry (as so many of us often do) and posting it here for you to read. Think of it as a totally biased, unedited, play by play recap of the week’s happenings, as they occur, updated daily. Please send all questions, comments, criticisms or hate/love mail to sundiataemi@yahoo.com. Enjoy.
Word Fest 2013 4/13/13…Word Fest Kickoff & Up The River Launch Party
It’s a big kick off kick ass party
at one of our usual spots
backroom at McGeary’s.
Launch party
poetry boats that float
Up the River.
Launched
into a week of readings
snide side remarks
forced laughs and
real ones.
We are so often uncomfortable,
but here, doing this
we all seem to be in our own skin.
3 poets in
and we already have
coyotes
bumble bees
rivers
retirement homes
flight and death
Persona Poems
how do you do characters?
Time and time again
hit the same voice
familiar gesticulation
and articulation
The same way
over and over
on a mic
in front of a room
of half listeners
spinsters
sprinters and marathon runners
sons and mothers
Poets all…or most.
screamers and dreamers
alls nothings and in betweeners.
WHERE THE FUCK
IS OUR WAITRESS??
This place is packed
but that’s no excuse
for the lack of service.
She is pretty
hungover
Her tips hanging in the balance.
A break at the bar
to catch the end of The Masters.
One can only listen
to so much mediocre poetry
and those of us that are in this festival
for the long haul
would do well to pace ourselves.
We know it may go
over time
extra holes
a playoff
to see who gets
to wear a green jacket
even though most of us
prefer the company of those
who don’t judge based on clothing.
Page 129
A flat mountain
is just a plateau
A mixtape that doesn’t play
is just the white noise
to which we fall asleep
behind the wheel
A cake baked to perfection
with the most
fucked up frosting
(and it wasn’t even semen)
Sometimes we go
for the easy joke
when it presents itself
other times we hold out
striving for perfection
that impeccable timing
that precise moment
when the stars align
like they were dependent on your life
and not the other way around.
Cheers.
“A break at the bar
to catch the end of The Masters.
One can only listen
to so much mediocre poetry”
Gee, thanks… and Samuel Claiborne got slammed for saying something similar a few years ago…