Jason Crane

Jason Crane was born in Lenox, Massachusetts and lives in New York City. He’s a broadcaster, podcaster and writer. He’s a father. And he rides a bicycle.

Jason’s first collection of poems, Unexpected Sunlight (FootHills Publishing, 2010), is now available. His work has been published in Blue Collar Review, qarrtsiluni , Meat For Tea, State of Emergency: Chicago Poets Address The Gulf Crisis, and Poets For Living Waters.

Jason Crane

POEM: monkey mind

monkey mind “Matt, this is Chris.” “Chris, this is Danni. With an ‘i.’” “Danni, this is Nicole.” “I think we met at the book club.” “David, this is Stacy.” “Hi, these are my parents. They’re in         from Sweden.” “We’re here for 20 days.” “C.C., there are no eggs over there.” “Someone go tell C.C. that […]

POEM: summer squash and ginger

From Buddha In The Modern World (Ongoing Photo Essay) summer squash and ginger on the cushion noticing the breath waiting for the same bubble to rise to the surface of the still water it breaks open scenting the air with summer squash and ginger sends ripples across the pond it comes as sure as moonrise […]

Jason Crane

POEM: fatherhood

fatherhood the phone just isn’t enough too many frequencies are lost between the vocal chords and the inner ear cast by satellites and towers into the atmosphere or outer space bloodless plastic against the ear is no substitute for a small warm palm wrapped up in my fingers or a kamikaze jump with a feral […]

Lorine Niedecker

POEM: for Lorine Niedecker

for Lorine Niedecker I imagine you at a card table on a screened-in porch vinyl tablecloth with a bright flower pattern glowing in the afternoon light of a Wisconsin spring you’re holding a sheaf of carefully typed poems harvested from years of unvoiced imaginings your hands shake slightly second ring catching the light in front […]

POEM: Naruto Ramen, Brooklyn

Naruto Ramen, Brooklyn where the cooks speak a mixture of Japanese and Spanish “Irashaimase!” they call as people come in off 5th Ave hang their coats and backpacks on the wall hooks those who know sit at the bar because the bar is a sacred place where devotion is paid to the sprout, the noodle, […]

Jason Crane

POEM: The Entire Sweep Of Human History…

The Entire Sweep Of Human History, Reduced For Easy Consumption To One Tiny Facet Of Evolutionary Biology, Made Easily Digestible By The Removal Of Context And Detail, Served In A White Clam Sauce Over Linguine Noodles, With A Glass Of Red Wine, All For $17.50 this is the story of trillions of sperm and the […]

Jason Crane

POEM: like

like garlic and Earth Balance over warm rotini the key changes in Stevie’s “Summer Soft” flowers on the window sill (our window sill) Roland Orzabal’s guitar solo on             ”Everybody Wants To Rule The World” miso ramen with white pepper and sprouts             eaten at the bar where everyone is sweating sembe and a cold bottle of […]

Jason Crane

POEM: Cape Town

Cape Town singing Cape Town into Brooklyn through a pair of speakers made in China music written in the Berkshires by a madhouse veteran of the solo circuit green tea in the last surviving mug from the latest in a long line of relocations the new room has an altar in it which would surprise […]

Jason Crane

POEM: Orion on Prospect Avenue

Orion on Prospect Avenue sharp sword dangling from his belt swinging back and forth above the Chinese grocery the Middle Eastern restaurants the yarn shop with its scarves-to-be I’m walking up the hill wondering just how far away those stars are I know they’re not even near one another Orion is a picture people made […]

Jason Crane

POEM: expenses

Listen to this poem using the player above. / / / expenses $1.00 for the three congueros           on the D train           black men with beautiful braids           down their backs           too meticulous to be dreadlocks $5.00 for queso made from yeast           bought from a friendly former hippie           in a Bushwick bar           where a bomb would have […]

New page — “Recorded Readings”

I’ve done quite a few poetry readings over the past year, several of which have been recorded. I finally got around to putting them all together on one page — Recorded Readings. You can also access this page from the navigation menu on the…

Jason Crane

POEM: cotton candy

Listen to this poem using the player above. / / / cotton candy God was on the G train today disguised as an Ecuadorian man in his 40s He was selling cotton candy dozens of bags of it like palm leaves stapled to the top of a long stick it’s a thankless job, being God […]