because of Twitter...

So I'm tweeting over at heyjessicabates, and because of that wonderful social networking tool, fellow writer Evelyn (who tweets, too) saw some of my postcard poems and commented on them. I asked for her address in a DM through Twitter, and now I'm sending her a brand-spankin' new postcard poem especially for her.


Evelyn keeps a great blog and is involved in many poem-a-day challenges. Check her out!


[Poets, tweet with the hashtag #poettalk everyday or #poettues on Tuesdays!]

I'll post Evelyn's postcard when I'm sure she's already received it. :)

Postcard Poetry: Day 24

Translation: 

Establishing Boundaries

The Saad sisters liked to

wander too far from home.

Their mother grabbed

a piece of pink sidewalk

chalk and drew a wide circle,

which encompassed the whole

block. She told them that

if they left the circle

without her, things would

fall apart. Buildings would

crumble into the sea. This,

she said, is the edge of

the universe. /

_____

I used the Saad sisters, very dear family friends, as inspiration! :)

Postcard Poetry: Day 23

Translation:

Today don't let others

choose. Stop being nice. Tell

me what you want on your

pizza; tombstone. What movie

will you watch? Will you cry

out in pain and passion?

Step out from behind the

masses, choose a door that

excites your insides. Go forth

proudly and joyfully alone. /

_____

sketch

I bought a new sketchbook. Yay! This is the first sketch.

Postcard Poetry: Day 22

I'm back on the wagon. Many apologies for not keeping up with the challenge, but I'm going to finish it now! Yay!

Translation:
_____

Here we are, squirrel, face
to face, separated only by
the glass of my window.
Squirrel, girl/girl, squirrel:
our titles even mimic
each other. We aren't so
different, you and I. Your
small hands swaddling food,
my apple in hand, staring
back. It's not so hard, he tells
me. Just climb, dig, grip,
eat, and run. That's life. /

delay

World, if anyone's looking for postcard poems, they are on the way. I've had some things going on, but poetry month participants, I apologize for the delay. Better late than never, no?

coming soooooooon

Postcard Poetry: Day 21

Translation:

_____

With Vodka

This morning I wanted to add

vodka to my cereal, but 

didn't. An hour later, 

helping customers find plate

settings for twelve, I wished

I had drank the vodka.

One woman who couldn't find

her coupon (but was in a

"giant rush") said I looked

calm in the face of adversity.

I calmly told her to go to

hell, and walked right out.

That didn't happen, but it

could have, with vodka. /

_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 20

Gotten a tad behind. But I'm trucking on. Enjoy!

Translation:
_____

Lunch Love

I never thought I'd enjoy
packing lunches. While
preparing your sandwich I
think of you at work, pausing
one reverent moment to chew,
smiling at the hot sauce
surprise. I slice pineapple,
wash grapes, sprinkle nuts
and craisins over fresh
lettuce. I love feeding you,
fuel for your body from
these two hands. /
_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 19

Translation:
_____

Snapshot.

A man & wife with a baby
in tow asked me to take
their picture on the sidewalk.
I framed them perfectly
in the camera's eye, magenta
flowers shining pink/purple
light on their faces. "One
more?" they say, so I turn
the camera to take a vertical
shot. They say "ooh." I tell
them I love perspective, squat
down to capture their lovely
shadows lengthening. /
_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 18

Translation:
_____

Watercolor, like me

Watercolor is lovely because
it's imperfect. A brush-full
of crimson paint bleeds on
wet paper, seeps to bended
corners, the art of gravity.
You will not last forever,
watercolor. Rain makes your
colors cry, sun exposure
fades your once-vibrant hues.
Your paper will be eaten with
tears and holes. You will join me,
my body, in the dirt. The
beauty is that together we lived. /
_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 17

Translation:
_____

On today's walk I see

A girl in a Dodgers hat
lighting up a cigarette
while riding a bike.
Two sisters hold hands
while watching a neighbor
struggle up her front
steps. Squirrel crossing the
road looks like a bouncing
brown ribbon dancer. My
lunchtime beer served in a
tall wine glass, "Brown
Sugar" on the jukebox. /
_____

jb

-- Project is more than halfway over. Time is flying, y'all.

Postcard Poetry: Day 16

Translation:
_____

Full

I cannot stop collecting jars.
An emptied salsa jar holds
my unworn necklaces.
I bought tequila in a cobalt
bottle, drank it quickly and
gave it a home in my
kitchen window. An empty
relish jar now holds string,
wine corks, mismatched
buttons. I find things empty
and I fill them up. Bamboo
growing in an old peanut can. /
_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 15

Translation:

_____

Once when I was drunk at

a family court charity

event, a judge asked me

my favorite animal. I say

tiger. What is my second fav-

orite? Monkey. He tells me

I am the first animal, my

ideal lover the second. 

One Cuba Libre later he taps

me on the shoulder, reveals

a banana. No thank you,

I say, fangs glinting. Hiss.

Too much potassium, not

enough blood. /

_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 14

Okay, I'm behind/ahead. I was ahead, and now I'm behind my ahead, so I'm basically on track. I'm posting one this morning (that I wrote and mailed yesterday), and I will do my best to post another one today. I will definitely write and send one, but I'm just getting behind on the actual posting it to you. (Therefore, one could argue that I'm not behind at all!) So, here's Day 14.

Translation:
_____

Turmeric, Magic

You are brown/orange
and hypnotic. I want
to sprinkle you into
soup and drip you down
my throat. I want to
cake you over my skin
like clay while I glow
golden under a blood-
red gown. Stain
my smooth arms & legs,
forehead, wide open palms.
_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 13

Lucky day thirteen! Day 13 was actually yesterday, but I didn't post it. So today you'll get two. Day 13 now, and day 14 later in the day. For now, enjoy 13. :)

Translation: 

_____

Tell me a story:

of when you

were young. Even one day

younger will do -- a story 

of you from yesterday. 

How did you walk; what

did you eat; what shirt

were you wearing; how

many times did you smile?

Did you learn a new word,

name or face? Did you touch 

your toes; did you brush your

hair or a lover's hand? Let's

not forget the story of ourselves. /

_____

Note: Day 13 essentially got two poems, since the front of the postcard has a very simple ode poem on the front. Here's the translation of that, if you can't read it...

Ode

To sleeping in late. / To fun. / To pineapples.

To old, soft sweatshirts. / To lips that kiss. / To

mistakes. / To different views. / To garlic. / To

fuzzy socks. / To pens. / To you.

To drinking tequila. / 2 the

strength of hands. / To 

purple. / To my love. / 

To breasts. / To life. / To the 

new car-smell. / To the new baby

smell. / To books and book-

cases. / To dirt. / 

To: ______________.

Postcard Poetry: Day 12

Translation:
_____

Miami Skyline

Neon sky at sunset, you
brought all of us to life.
Fluorescent pinks cling
to unsuspecting buildings.
Glass skyscrapers reflect
the glittering city below.
My friends and I share
stories, pulse together.
Cabernet guzzles tinting
our teeth a lovely purple,
to match the clouds. /
_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 11

Translation:
_____

Once in a Blue Muse

You bring me a bowl of blueberries
and dark chocolate. This
is what sweetness tastes like.
I dream of lying in a darkened
cemetery, bare arms & legs
on cool concrete slabs,
hand gripping the
handle of an axe -- fear.
My sister and I pretend to be
mermaids in blue water, under
blue sky. Oh blue, you take
many forms -- ripe, icy, supple,
clear. /

_____

Note: I received a postcard with the title "Once in a Blue Muse", which inspired this poem. I will start posting the postcards I received soon. So far I have received four lovely postcards! I have to say this project is getting much more rewarding the longer it goes on, and it really helps to be getting poems in the mail. Thanks to all for reading, too; it is really most appreciated. :) Happy Friday!

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 10

Translation:

_____

Overheard Conversations on a Solo Lunch

-- I talked to Brad about how 

    all this technology is ruining

    our relationship. -- 

-- She didn't like my religion.

   -- Which is...?

-- Atheist. 

   -- So what do you worship?

       Darwin?

-- No. Nothing.

-- Who invented the atom bomb?

   -- The Nazis?

-- Let's get tea.

-- My palak paneer is cold. 

_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 9

Hi all. Not sure if anyone noticed except CAS, but I didn't post a postcard yesterday! No worries, I did write a poem, take pics and mail it, but the posting on the blog did not happen then. So today you get 9 and 10. What a treat! Here goes:

Translation:

_____

Dirty

Cockroaches -- if you see one,

there are likely thousands 

more in the dark spaces

between your walls. Hundreds

of crunchy, invincible insects

now haunt my sleep; I imagine

six bugs crawling inside

the pair of jeans on the

floor. Something runs along 

my leg in bed -- I scream

"cockroach!" -- but it is only

my pillowcase unraveling.

_____

jb

Postcard Poetry: Day 8

Translation:

_____

I crossed paths with

a jagged glass vase, blood

seeped through to my skin's 

surface, instinctually the 

bleeding thumb went to 

my mouth. I calm myself

by licking my own
wounds. A cat -- I purr
to my red, dripping thumb.
Hours later, a tiny red x
marks the spot of the jag-
ged glass. My skin, a treasure
map, my body, the earth. /
_____

And now, after dropping the postcard in the mail, I say, oh, "instintually" is not a word; I meant "instinctively". Oh well. I really did work 8 hours of manual labor today, cutting myself deeply once and not so deeply several other times. Luckily I'm too tired to badger myself about my mistake. Sorry, recipient, for the bad grammar! :)

jb