(the elevator)

the elevator:
the only place the "code"
allows her to speak to me

A Rework of an Earlier Haiku

I think I like this one better:

first sniff:
got makeup on the
pages of my new book

First version:

got makeup on the
pages of my new book while
trying to smell it

(Christmas cat)

Christmas cat –
bedside greeting
begins with a pounce

Open Mic Night

Tonight I plan to participate in Landmark Booksellers' open mic poetry night, hosted by Victoria Clausi.

(prescription to beat)

prescription to beat
the blues: increase
daily musical intake

And Then There Were Five

Last week my friend Sam shared the goings-on of his recent winter jog and asked me to write a haiku about it. So far, I have five versions. Do you have a favorite?

++++++++++++++++++++

December jog
railroad crossing
eleven turkey vultures

++++++++++++++++++++

11 turkey vultures
1 deer
death = dinner

++++++++++++++++++++

1 deer's fall
is
11 turkey vultures' ball

++++++++++++++++++++

December dinner --
Eleven turkey vultures
dine on deer.

++++++++++++++++++++

fresh venison
feast for
feisty vultures

++++++++++++++++++++

(sampling of the city)

sampling of the city:
snaking post office line
10 days before Christmas

(still dreaming of Sep-)

(after discovering my dislike of Corona)

still dreaming of Sep-
tember – root beer instead of
ice cold Coronas

(dreaming of September)

dreaming of September --
ice cold Coronas on the
screened-in porch

(said a prayer for the)

said a prayer for the
accident victims, thankful to be
on the other side of the median

(Locomotive-like sounds)

Locomotive-like sounds
coming from the apartment upstairs --
Here's hoping it's the washing machine.

A Full Canvas

Unlike most compositions, newspaper blackout poems are created from a full canvas (rather than a blank canvas, page or screen). The goal is to "discover" a poem within the existing article(s) and eliminate all the unnecessary words with a marker (or graphic design tool). The articles above constitute the full canvas with which Austin Kleon's November contestants began.

Saucer Eyes

This is the "newspaper blackout" poem that Austin Kleon selected as one of three runner-ups last month. I will be awarded a free copy of Kleon's forthcoming book. Best of all, my poem will be published alongside his in the HarperCollins release, due out next September! I've included the text below for easy reading.

Saucer Eyes

Puzzling sauce

should be removed

from the table.

Anxiety lies

in her eyes.