Used - by Rand

I've been
utilized so
often that
I can count
it on my
second-hand

I've grown
accustomed
to it

Slow - by Rand

But if I
can manage
to run
slow and
steady I'm
pretty sure
I will
no longer
care about
winning

Bottom - by Rand

I was born at the
top of the bottom
but with some
hard work I've
managed to claw
my way to the
bottom of the top

Don't - by Rand

Your sentence isn't
ready for publication
until your contractions
are at least five
words apart

Dreams - by Rand

At eighteen my dreams
shifted and ceased to
traffic in fantasy

Since then I drift
nightly to a land
indistinguishable
from my waking world

As a result I find
myself more able
to anticipate and
appreciate the
miraculous wonder

of everyday life

Air - by Rand

By now you would think
that an airline would have
thought to use the slogan
"To air is human"

Sixty - by Rand

Now that Pete
has gotten old
I bet Elton
has changed
him mind

Awake - by Rand

It's morning
so I'm awake

It's a wake
so I'm mourning

Raincoat - by Rand

Galosh is the sound my boots
make as I step into huge
puddles of newly fallen water

Closhe is the sound my hat
makes as it is blown from
my head and lands in a puddle

The rest is silence
I left my anorak at home

Pine - by Rand

tolong
forever
green

Machine - by Rand

I invented a machine to write poems
I instructed it "Write a poem a day
based on randomly supplied prompts"

The machine said "That's all well and good
but who will read these poems
and how will I know if they are good poems
or if I'm wasting time?"

"Oh I'm sure they will be terrible" I said
"But you must keep writing every day"
"And my audience?" the machine asked

"Just me" I replied "I will be enough"

Destination - by Rand

You have to add the who and
what and where and when
in order to know your
destination

But to know your destiny
you have to add the Y

Warmth - by Rand (for Aaron Sorkin)

Like frumpy
warmth just
onomatopoetically
sounds right

Rocket - by Rand

It's exciting
to be going places
but sad to leave
Especially when
one considers
the damage done
to what's been
left behind

Underground - by Rand

A perfect
description
of this
morning's
espresso

Trap - by Rand

Ad
mi
ra
lA
ck
ba
rs
ai
di
tb
es
t

Abstract - by Rand

This poem begins by recounting the history of the abstract, from early Medieval times to its modern academic usage. Several lines are devoted to specific examples in disparate academic disciplines. Practical advice is given regarding the composition of abstracts. Special attention is paid to the increased importance of abstracts in the 21st century world of online citation indexes and full-text databases.

Rare - by Rand

How I order
my steaks
but also
how often
they are
prepared in
that manner

Old - by Rand

Like my favorite shoes
I know how they look
but they feel great

Encounter - by Rand

I knew I should have
written it all down
because the further
I get from it the less
detail I can recall

But somehow the act
of writing seemed
to be a betrayal
Like a photograph
of stained glass

Complete - by Rand

I refuse to place
the final piece
onto the puzzle

So long as it
remains incomplete
there is mystery

The missing piece
could contain
anything

Rich - by Rand

Like so much else
it depends on where
you are and who you
compare yourself to

Alien - by Rand

Every tale of
alien abduction
contains one lie

When removed
all that remains
is an abduction

Paint - by Rand

For years now
I've been painting
bowls of fruit

Not pictures of
bowls of fruit
That would be dumb

Whenever I see
bowls of fruit
I paint them
different colors

Most recently
I painted a
bowl of orange

Blanket - by Rand

as a toddler
i didn't have
a bankie
or
a binkie
but rather
a blue walrus
i slept with
and took with me
wherever i went

the last time
i saw him*
he had one eye
and a tusk was
barely hanging on
to his smiling
blue face

*many years ago

One - by Rand

I'm sorry Harry
Any number is
more lonely than
one

if that one is
set apart from
the other numbers
or
the relative complement
in a Venn diagram

Now one may be
the most alone
number
but that's different

Scandal - by Rand

How did the media
miss the opportunity
to refer to the bungled
response to Hurricane
Katrina as Floodgate?

Action - by Rand

Don't wait to hear
the word from
the director or
worry about
the wrap party

Just continue acting
and assume that
they will get
the footage
they need

Miles - by Rand

then you put down your horn and spoke
in a voice that was somehow more
distinct and haunting than
your sweet playing style

Floor - by Rand

In the past
that would have
floored me
but these days
I'm much more
grounded

Unclear - by Rand

I can see
how Uncle Ar
was unclear
but then again
if Uncle Ar
was unclear
how could I
see him at all?

Search - by Rand

What is sought
must be stalked
like an enemy
or a rabbit
after three days
without food

But what is sought
cannot be known
until it is found

Ink - by Rand (with apologies to Mark Strand)

If my tongue and teeth
are stained dark blue

is it only because I
have been up all night

eating poetry again

Here - by Rand

I'd rather be
right here

but not

necessarily
right now

Story - by Rand

I live on
the third floor
I used to live
on the fifth but
that's another
story

Walk - by Rand

If an alien's first view
of life on earth was
you walking your dog

tethered to one another
by a leash with her leading
you this way and that

and you stooping to pick up
her leavings with a plastic bag

whom would they assume
owned who?

Dancing - by Rand

I woke up with the catchiest and
most upbeat song I could possibly
imagine lodged in my tired head

Immediately I knew that this
masterpiece of rhythm and melody
was not a song I had ever heard

I wanted to grab pen or guitar
or recording device to capture
the song's pure perfection

but I was too busy dancing

Rage - by Rand

cannot be understood
or held in my hands

not to be engaged or felt
experienced or considered

like a charging rhino
avoid or be destroyed

cannot prevent or impede
only save myself and wonder

if i'm contemplating
your rage or my own

Tomorrow - by Rand

and?

Difference -- by Rand

The difference is

that I said

it might have been

better if things

had been different

and you said

it might have been

better if things

hadn't been

Caste - by Rand

Eliot Ness's
wife left him

She simply
caste him aside

Beside - by Rand

she was sitting
right next to me
but that's not
what I was
talking about

Beg - by Rand

Assuming the beggar
is scamming you
doesn't help anyone

Just give them your change
and consider it a sumptuary
tax on cynicism

Labor - by Rand

The mad scientist spent
the afternoon speaking
when he should have
been working

Not enough labor
Too much oratory

World - by Rand

the wild world

whirls while

the wild whirled

whirl round

the wild world

Crayon - by Rand

She asked me
if I pronounced
it with two
syllables
or with one
"like the bird"

I replied
"hand me
the blue one"

Maple - by Rand

Autumn
Maple

Spring
May pole

Overlook - by Rand

Due to
an oversight
I failed
to oversee
the overlook

En Passant - by Rand

You caught
my eye
as you
went by

But you
passed
quickly
and were
gone

Leaving
me to
occupy
the space
where you
once were

Cider - by Rand

The Girl:

There's
a fly
in my
cider

The Fly:

I was
floating
in cider

Now I'm
floating
inside her

Color - by Rand

I dream in
black and white

Once I thought
I dreamed in

color but it
was only the

pigment of my
imagination

Life - by Rand

Some say that life is a game
to be played with two or more
and with reckless abandon

Others warn that life is delicate
A fleeting and ephemeral thing
To be handled like a magazine

But I think that life should
be eaten with a large spoon
in huge hungry gulps

Fend - by Rand

At first I kept
you at arms length

Fend

Then you were
my sworn enemy

Fiend

But over time
you became my

Friend

Forgive - by Rand (with apologies to Dick Lourie)

If our Father
forgives us
what is left?

Marshall - by Rand

He

wore

the

badge

but

he

lead

from

the

rear

sec

rof

rou

yll

ahs

ram

Ticker - by Rand (for Ernest)

Tick

er t

ape

pa

Raid

Belie - by Rand

Debbie
stole
my idea

Belie - by Debbie

Your eyes

belie

your lie.

Format - by Rand

A while back
I promised
a poem to my
friend Matt

I suppose I'll
never get as
good a chance
to deliver on
that commitment

Format - by Debbie

A BRIEF COMMENT ON EBOOKS & DIGITAL PUBLISHING

Print

or pixels,

illustrated
or not,

what comes first
is always:

The Story.

Judgement - by Rand

When I
close my
eyes, relax
and simply
say the word
I'm left
with a sense
of dread

Like something
terrible is
about to
happen

I suppose
I haven't
been wronged
enough

Move - by Rand

move over
moveover
movover
moover
mover
overe
overve
overove
overmove
over move

Alphabet - by Rand

Another bastard-crazy day

Enough fighting

Grasp humanitarian insight

Justify kindness

Love mankind

Nurture old people

Question rage

Stop terror

Unwind violence

Wrestle xenophobia

Yoke zabernism

Fear - by Rand

Fear is a silly word
Say it out loud
Sure the "eeeeee"
might be mistaken
for a girlish scream
But the "ur" reveals this word
for what it really is

Afraid
Now that's a well made word
They put the R behind the F
where it belongs
Together they launch the open "ayyyyy"
which stretches as long as you like

I prefer to imagine the word
falling off a tall cliff
The "ayyyyy" growing increasingly distant
until the shudder of finality
that accompanies the inevitable D

Princess - by Rand

She looked down
and shyly said,
"Princess"
dropping the end
of the word
so that it
sounded less like
royalty and more
like the possession
of a spoiled
young
boy

Dark - by Rand

It's always darkest

before it gets less dark

Unless of course

it got more dark first

No one would see that coming

Mountain - by Rand

I've never climbed a mountain
Not a big deal, really
It's not like it's one of my
unfulfilled dreams or anything

And no, I'm not making a list
I'm just stating the fact
The plain truth remains
I've never climbed a mountain

I figure, let the mountain be
It's no less impressive
with me on solid ground
In fact, you might argue
that I'm doing good work
standing here with you
admiring it from afar

When people ask why I don't
climb mountains I can reply
with dignity, "Because I'm here"

Blue - by Rand

I think blue
gets a bad rap
I mean, look around
The clear sky
and clean water
The planet itself
These are all good
things, right?
When I look at them
they make me happy

Come to think of it
Why isn't there a color
to represent happiness?

Blue = sad
Red = angry
Green = envy
Yellow = cowardice

Why are colors only
assigned to negative
emotions and behaviors?

But back to blue

I wish I could make
it illegal to use
blue in a pop song
It's just so lazy
and when I hear it
I'm embarrassed for
the singer, the song
and the color itself

Post-Card - by Rand (for Jenn and Scott)

To the right of my monitor

a tiny square photo of a mountain

is thumb-tacked to the wall

I remove the card

flip it over and read

"We are following our bliss

Everything here is beautiful,

and it seems to me Montana is a leg"

Replacing it I write

with no pen or paper

My grandfather worked with his entire body

My father worked with his hands

I work with the tips of my fingers

Will our children leave their bodies behind?

Crown - by Rand

It's hard
to eat
with a
crown
of thorns

Reverse - by Rand

Why don't we try
starting with the
sudden breakup
then ease into
long stretches of
uncomfortable silence
and follow that up
with months of
acrimonious arguments
before we begin to
notice little things
about each other
that drive us both
crazy

That way we can move
on to comfortable
cohabitation and then
learn everything we
can about each other
before finally settling
into many years of
new relationship
sex

Insect - by Debbie

This time I saw her
in the frozen produce aisle:
the Insect.

I keep her nickname
in my head, of course,
but it's there
nonetheless.

Funny at first
but now...

...now it's like
she KNOWS. Like
she's waiting, her
web spun.

I only need
to look up, to
meet her gaze.

Just once.

----------------------
Do you have your own instapoem inspired by today's prompt? Feel free to post below! We're also looking for prompt suggestions for the next couple of months; see this post.

Insect - by Rand

i. Aim

Get the
insecticide
There's an
insect inside

ii. Shame

Don't you know
Can't you see
That the insect
is inside of me

iii. Blame

You shouldn't
have made
me feel
so small

Green - by Rand

I'm not sure that a color

that can represent envy, money,

environmental consciousness,

and a general lack of experience

can be trusted

Mouse - by Rand

i.

Diddle diddle dumpling
Mice on John

ii.

"Mouse head!"
Mao said

Two 1971 Memories - by Rand (prompt: Childhood)

i. The Beatles Again

Four unsmiling wizards

Hair everywhere

Trapped in a two-dimentional

square of paper and plastic

Father turns it over in his hands

Consulting it importantly

before carefully placing

it in the shopping cart

ii. Rick Martin Rookie Card

Lying in bed

Awake in the dark

when they get home

Babysitter paid

they enter the room

and present a present

A tiny pack of glory

Under the gum

hidden within flat images

of rugged men with sticks

I find a handsome hero

iii. Reflection

Forty years old

memories of objects

Yet no solid memories

of word or voice or touch

from this same time

I could conclude

a sad and lonely life

The beginnings of

an obsession with stuff

But I prefer to assume

that these flat miracles

were unique artifacts

in a young life filled

to mundane capacity with

word and voice and touch

Second - by Rand

It only

takes

a second

to only

take

second

Arms - by Rand

He shouted

"To arms!"

and it cost him

two legs

Stamp - by Rand

Food stamp philatelist
Notary public seal
Peel lick and stick
Pestle cast impression
Sealskin wax mold
Rubber
Postage
Terence

That Tears It - by Rand (prompt: Tears)

No
one
told me
it would end
in tears

No
one
told me
it would end

No
one
told me

No
one

No

Dragon - by Rand

Statistically speaking

dragons have the

dubious distinction

of being more likely

to exist than any other

mythical creature

A goblin told me

that the unicorns

are cool with this

but the angels

are pissed

Vacation - by Rand

As of this morning
I am on vacation
so please forgive
me for not writing
a poem today

Collage - by Rand

We take pieces
created by others
and carefully place
them near one another
producing a new context
and thus a new creation

We take what we find
rearrange it and
make it our own

We're all busy pasting
pictures of horses
next to ads for laundry soap
next to Mohammad Ali

This is how we make art
in the 21st century
but it's how we've been
making people forever

Grace - by Rand

Imagine how different
the world would be
if we replaced "hello"
with "you are forgiven"

Hand - by Rand

5 = Nice to meet you
(or, Sieg Heil)
4 = Live long and prosper
(or, a cartoon character)
3 = Okay
(or, Wayne's World)
(or, I love you)
(or, The Shocker)
2 = Peace
(or, Victory)
(or, The Devil)
(or, Hang ten)
(or, The Longbowman Salute)
1 = Screw you
(or, Thumbs up)
(or, Come here)
(or, Just a moment)
0 = Black power
(or, One of these days...)

Question - by Rand

We each write

our question

on a wrinkled

piece of paper

Gather them up

Clasp hands around

the piles in prayer

and bury them deep

in the unforgiving

ground

Hug - by Rand

The worth

of a hug

diminishes

by at least

50% if it

has to be

asked for

Milk - by Rand

Her body is shouting
“I’m the best
chocolate chip cookie
you’ve ever tasted!”
so loudly that
I forget that I'm
out of milk

NPR - by Rand

Would it make
a difference to you
if I told you that
NPR receives no
direct funding
from the federal
government?

Estranged - by Rand

That touch
Those words
Their look
I recall when
they were all
so familiar to
the both of us

Genius - by Rand

There were a pair

of geniuses who

apparently didn't

know that the

plural of genius

is genii

Drawers - by Rand

If I said I
possessed
the best
drawers in
the world
would you
imagine
glorious
furniture
impressive
trousers
or enslaved
artists?

Message - by Rand

We've lost the metaphor
Can't read in semaphore
This is how I felt before
Way back when I was four
Glowing like phosphor
Stuck to me like camphor
What is all this for?

Tumble - by Rand

Places you won't find the word tumble:

• The title of a doctoral dissertation
• The Gospel of Thomas
• Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition, 1998 Revision
• New York State Driver's License (exception: your first or last name is Tumble)
• A wadded up piece of paper in the front vest pocket of a 46-year old Peruvian dwarf
• A spoonful of Alpha-Bits (this morning, at least)
• Spelled out in recently trimmed facial hair in my bathroom sink
• Cat entrails
  

Brave - by Rand

I learned too late
that being brave
is more about
accepting fear
than about not
having it

Brush - by Rand

I my teeth
her her hair
our elbows
gently touching

Sheets - by Rand

When making
the list of what
separates us from
the other animals
I ask that you add
800-thread count
bedsheets

Bark - by Rand

You can't tell
if their bark
is worse than
their bite
until you've been
bitten

Grapes - by Rand

Oranges are orange
Peaches are peach
Lemons are lemon
Plums are plum
but grapes are
green or
red

Line - by Rand

In the now it feels like
endless wandering in
every possible direction
but from outside time
you can be mapped
as a single straight line

Chill - by Rand

I remain cool

about the heat

but I'm not so hot

about this chill

Gaze - by Rand

Eye object

I object

Vibrant - by Rand

I suppose most
might imagine
a bright light
or a vivid color
but the primary
image it pulls
from me is
an oscillating
vocal cord

Wipe - by Rand

Why should we cut
or simply dissolve
when we can wipe?

Wipe - by Debbie

I've been in this line
for over an hour.

No one talks...
what's the point?

Paper rustles
as we each reread
the notices received
a month before,
with a date and time
and a warning
to not eat or drink
the morning of the Procedure.

It'll be quick, they say.
Just a tweak
of synapses,
won't hurt a bit.

And then voilà:
no more grief
no more stress
no more angsting
no more

Can't wait
but look:
it's my turn now.
Step up now,
hand over my docs.

Wet on my cheek...
where did that come from?
My hand goes up to my face
but then falls
because now I'm thinking
just maybe
it will help me remember
help me
remember

Monday - by Rand

Black coffee and dusty books
make for poor companions
following such a weekend

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

sorry for the lack of poems over the weekend. as the above indicates, i spent the long weekend engulfed in good friends and good food.

Melodrama - by Rand

This isn't

going to be

one of those

"meet cute

only to find

out that my

stepdad was

your older

sister's lover

and you were

raised by your

parents as if

you were theirs

until they both

died in a

glazing accident

leaving you to

run the shelter

for cute but

dying animals

while struggling

to overcome

dyslexia

and lupus"

stories

is it?

Cheers - by Rand

A haughty nasal
British accent
clipped
the beginning
and flattened
the vowel
resulting in
years of my
younger brother
clinking my
juice cup
and uttering
"Jaws."

Worm - by Rand

squirm
dirty
worm

firm
purty
germ

stern
birdy
turn

burn
sturdy
urn

learn
wordy
churn

spurn
nerdy
sperm

squirm
dirty
worm

"um..." - by Rand

I spent my afternoon
interviewing a series
of inarticulate Buddhas
chanting their mantra
between every phrase

Jai
Guru
Dei
Va

um...

Seethe - by Rand

Seethe

matchstick

Seethe

flashlight

Seethe

firefly

Seethe

lightswitch

Rain - by Rand

The rain falls

like Anime tears

as I turn from

the window and

try to recall

what I was

so sad about

After - by Rand

You can spend

a long time

waiting for

after to arrive

Absent - by Rand

I was
afraid
that
I would
arrive to
find you
missing

so I
decided
to stay
where
I was
and send
you this
note

Hoping
you might
meet me
here so
we might
both be
missed
together

Waiting - by Rand

This I know:

Whatever
it is
it's worth
waiting for

Because - by Debbie

I could tell when you asked
you didn't expect
me to answer.

But here it is:

Because you prefer dark chocolate.

Because of what you don't say.

Because you've seen me at my worst
yet haven't fled.

Because you always expect the best from me.

Because of all the reasons
I can't possibly list

in only five minutes.

Because - by Rand (for Elliott Smith)

Why does the sky
make me cry?

Why does the wind
blow my mind?

Why does the world
turn me on?

Why
is it
round?
High?
Blue?

Climb - by Rand (for Greg)

Whether the weather is
temperate or tempestuous
Whatever inclement
climate -- climb it!

Climb - by Debbie

I've been climbing
for years, I think.

The callouses on my hands
(thick with regret)

keep score
as I search for handholds

in the cracked rock.
Hand then foot

then hand and foot.
It's hard work but

I should be almost there.
I just wish I could

remember what's at the top.

Call - by Rand

At sixteen

I wasn't very

clear on the whole

"drunk dialing"or

"booty call" thing

so I spent a lot of

time with the phone

stuck to my ear wondering

what was wrong with

these attractive yet

unattainable girls

Villain's Lament - by Rand (prompt = Bad)

I'm not a bad guy
But I'm The Bad Guy

Hang - by Rand

Isn't it odd that
colloquialisms like
"hang" were being
used during the
eighteenth century?

I like to imagine
the Founding Fathers
hanging out outside
The Yellow Goose
drinking Sunny D
and gleaming the cube

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

"We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." -- Benjamin Franklin

Hang - by Debbie

 THE CREEPY THING IN THE CORNER

A conversation piece,
my grandmother called it.

She bought it at a garage sale
years before I was born,
the price haggled down
to four dollars
(she boasted).
It could be in a museum
but instead
it hangs in the corner,
toes downturned,
eyes vacant.

Worry - by Rand

The hours
I spend
on the
worry
treadmill
don't get
me very
far

But I'm
developing
strong
muscles
so I can
run away
from my
imaginary
problems

Worry - by Debbie

EVOLUTION OF WORRY

where did mommy go
when will i get fed
that kid took my toy
who is that stranger
what if i can't do it
what if no one likes me
what if i always look this spotty
will he ever notice me
when i start to blossom
what if i fail that exam
what if my parents find out
that bitch took my boyfriend
what if no one asks me to the dance
how am i going to be able to afford college
what college should I go to
what courses should I take
what if i can't do it
the professor hates me
why am i here
what if no one hires me
which job should i take
i hate this job
what if i get a bad performance review
what if i can't do it
does he really love me
what if he leaves me
how can we afford this wedding
what if something's wrong with the baby
what if i drop her
what if i can't do it
where did all these bills come from
why isn't she crawling yet
why isn't she reading yet
why doesn't she have a boyfriend yet
will we be able to afford this wedding
where did those crow's feet come from
is he seeing someone else
are we not going to make it
what if i can't do it
he doesn't look well
what if the doctors can't find out what's wrong
was it something i did wrong
why
why did i waste so much time
worrying

Xerox Kiss - by Rand (for Richard Brautigan)

Ah, you're just
a copy of all
the other kisses
I've ever had

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

inspired by my realization that "kiss" was used as a prompt last month

Traffic - by Rand

You came back

into my life

like sudden traffic

Lucky for both of us

I had just gotten

my brakes done

Drive - by Rand

Oddly enough, I'm

largely motivated

Perhaps even driven

by questions like

Who is telling

me where to go

and Who will be

driving me home

Bed - by Rand

She said the old one
was getting lumpy
and hard to sleep with

He argued that it was
predictably comfortable

They both thought
they were talking
about their bed

Boss - by Rand

My review
of the new
Springsteen
album:

Meet the new Boss
Same as the old Boss

Cage - by Rand

My body is free
but my heart
remains trapped
inside its bony cage

Boat - by Rand

Imagine the first
person ever to
step into a boat
and drift away
from the land

In your mind is
the person important?
Popular or famous?
Royalty perhaps?
Or maybe the storied
inventor -- launching
to cheers and adoration?

Or is your imaginary
initiate being punished?
A victim of prejudice or
involuntary test subject?

Are our pioneers brave
or addicted to attention
or do they have no choice?

Who jumps
who falls
and who is
pushed?

Wildcard - by Debbie

My book was going well
until you showed up.

Ignoring your character description
and scoffing at backstory,
you tread with neither
mercy nor outline.

The others howl in neglect
but no, I must tend
to YOU,
my errant waif,
my rebel child....

...my favorite.

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

Do you have a "wildcard" instapoem to share? Feel free to post it below! We also welcome prompt suggestions.

Grave - by Debbie

It's a terribly serious business,
this decision we're making.
Such enormous impact
on our lives...or at least our baking.

Wipe that smirk off your face!
Refrain from snide remarks.
Just answer this one question:
White, milk or dark?

Wrong - by Rand

The trick

is to know

what things

you need to

do correctly

and what

things can be

done "wrong"

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

I had to jump back in to add that this poem has some meta-juju going on as I apparently looked at the wrong prompt.

Wrong - by Debbie

So many ways
I could screw up a poem
in just five minutes.

My small critic
cringes as each word
(yes, even these ones)
vomit themselves
onto my screen.

So many reasons
I shouldn't try writing
poetry, including the fact
that I'll use the word "vomit"
twice in one poem.

And yet...

So many poems
scumble about inside me,
waiting to get out
and I suppose
that just maybe one of them
will startle me with its
eloquence and understanding,
cutting deep.

Hasn't happened yet,
but here's hoping.

Start - by Debbie

It mocks me,
this blank screen.

A whisper inside me:
Go ahead -
be brilliant.
They're all watching.

Already,
my fingers itch toward
the delete key.

Stop it.


Just get something down.
Something.

It mocks me,
this blank screen
but I take a deep breath,
reach out
and start typing.

Start - by Rand

Where and when isn't
as important as how

And don't forget
that part about
the last being first

Everything - by Debbie

Everything Haiku

Some days I want to
hug everything I see but
today? Not so much.

Everything - by Rand

Everything is everything
It is what it is
This is this

From now on
you're on
your own

Request for Prompts - by Rand

Hey kids,

As some of you may have noticed, currently our prompts run out at the end of April. We're working to set up an automated system where anyone can supply prompts for us in a simple, 21st century manner, but in the meantime, we'll have to settle for a more arcane method.

If you would like to submit a prompt (or a list of prompts), please do so either as a comment on this post or email them to me at realrand [at sign] yahoo [dot] com. Either way, I will make sure they get added, and do my best to forget them by the time May rolls around.

Two simple rules for submitting prompts:

• keep your prompts to one word
  
• no dirty or offensive words

Thanks for reading and participating.

Your pal,

Rand

Poke - by Rand (for William T. Allen)

James K. Poke
Eats only egg yokes
His favorite music is foke
His painting style baroke

One night as a jolk
he put some poison oalk
in his best friend's Colk
The poor blolk crolked!

Match - by Debbie

You claim the heat of passion
but I fear I can't admire
your shocking lack of fashion
& how you set my house afire.

==================================

Many thanks to Rand for being so patient with my lack of posts lately! Going to try catching up today. Setting my iPad timer to 5 minutes for each. Also excited to see that people are starting to post poems...yay!

Match - by Rand

You said we were
a perfect match
and you were right

I've never been
so burned

Three - by Debbie

I see them every Friday
in the corner coffee shop
clutching nonfat mochacccinos
with whipped cream on top.

Heads leaned close together
during whispery exchange
and I often marveled how
their appearance never changed.

Same clothes, same hair:
they could be twins, these three.
But yesterday I noticed they're all
starting to look like ME.

Three - by Rand

I imagine I've got three
really great poems in me

This isn't one of them

Puppet - by Rand

Pinocchio defeated Dracula

by burying his face

into the vampire's chest

and insisting that --

unlike his undead adversary

-- he was a real boy

Spider - by Rand

I know why

she swallowed

the fly

There was

a spider

inside her

Famous - by Rand

As I handed the book to the vendor
I looked to my right and noticed the author
unaware of my impending purchase
I stared a moment too long and our eyes met

I've never been one to ask for an autograph
but it seemed almost rude not to ask as
the author was watching me buy his latest work

So after the vendor and I traded credit card for book
I offered it to its creator and asked for an inscription

I took my receipt and we each signed our names in silence
surrendering our anonymity to the paper
before returning each item to its rightful owner

He offered a perfunctory smile, nodded his head and walked away
A curious silence from a man who wrestles his living from words

As the back of his head faded into the crowd I opened the cover and read
"To Rand -- thanks for all the music" above his signature

Promptless - by Rand

Apparently

March hath

thirty-one

Fear of a Black Planet - by Rand (prompt = quick)

"It mixes lickity split
and stays mixed!"

Quick - by Debbie

I regret
the words I sent
in haste, for now
the meaning's bent
into a shape
and awkward size
that I no longer
recognize.

===============

From Debbie:
Ok, I'm starting to using a Kitchen Timer app on my iPad to make sure I don't cheat and go over 5 minutes.

Anyone else have an instapoem to share? Feel free to post below.

Statue - by Debbie

I can't look away
from that blank stare,
sightless with knowledge
and true despair.

I can't look away,
not even to prove
that an angel unwatched
will -always- move.

I can't look away
but do think it's true
I've overdosed
on Dr. Who.

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

Ok, I'm a nerd! This poem was inspired by a Dr. Who episode: "Blink."  One of the scariest things I've ever seen on tv.

And I know I'm waaaaaaay behind in Instapoems! Will try to catch up over the next couple days.
Timer set for 5 minutes.

Statue - by Rand

Somehow he looks
even more helpless
and vulnerable nailed
to a horizontal cross

We all approach him
with the proper sense
of caution and reverence

I steel myself and find
the courage to touch
an impossibly solid toe
before sliding my finger
up to caress the nail

Later Timmy returns
to lean down and kiss
his unyielding granite lips

Strike - by Rand

What happens
after the third
Major League
Baseball strike?

How is a walkout
neither a walk
nor an out?

Enemy - by Rand

Hopefully my colorful costume

and overwritten monologue

will keep you from noticing

that my motivation is weak

Different - by Rand

Powder crud crust slush

graupel rime ice

Seven different words for snow

when one ought to suffice

Staring out the window

with my lover, hand in hand

Trying to convince her

it's a Winter Wonderland

Poetry on the Radio - by Rand

Warning: "Ceci n'est pas une poem."

I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on Burnham and Dodge's Art Hour over at Think Twice Radio. The topic of discussion was, of course, poetry. My fellow guest was Michael Basinski, poet and curator of the Univerisity at Buffalo's Poetry Collection.

It was, to quote our host, "a raucous, albeit obfuscatory conversation."

http://tinyurl.com/69lhr9n

The episode in question is dated 3/9/11 and titled:

Eating poetry, Rumi, films about librarians, instapoems, and nether snaps

Enjoy!

Rand

Culture - by Rand

What is it that we leave behind?
What can be honored
and what must be
forgiven?

And who's steering this ship?

Do the people make the society
or does the society make
the people?

Who should be praised
and who can we
blame?

Bore - by Rand

She muttered, "What a bore"
and I immediately thought of
four possible interpretations:

i. the obvious one

Someone wasn't interesting

ii. lord of the flies

Viewing a large wild pig

iii. 8th grade shop class

A well-drilled hole

iv. visiting South Africa

An impressive Afrikaner

Toddler - by Rand

You tell me I have patience

as I pick up a wet and

screaming mound

I don't think of it as patience

but rather empathy

and memory

On The Power Of A Toddler's Smile - by Debbie

Word prompt: "toddler"

Box - by Debbie

Why do you have
a box on your head?
Are you ugly?
Are you dead?

Perhaps you committed
horrendous crimes?
Or did you write
a poem that...RHYMES?

Box - by Rand

Give me one that's sturdy
Geometrically pleasing
Smooth straight lines
and sharp right angles

And Spartan is just fine
Form following function
No elaborate color or design

But what kind of box is this?
Am I pleased that it's mine?
Presently, what hides inside?
Is it made of -- or under -- pine?

Unrelated - by Debbie

It was years before I realized
that what you said you wanted
was true
but only when you said it.

Unrelated - by Rand

In the midst of our conversation
I forgot what we were talking about

You asked me a probing question
that I could not possibly answer
because I was thinking of
an entirely unrelated thing

My uncle, as it turned out

Long - by Debbie

 

Oh give me a song

that's much too long

but has some style

and makes me smile.

Long - by Rand

It's wrong

to long

too long

Kiss - by Debbie

No fireworks explode
No bands play
No Cupids hover
as they did in the beginning

and yet

when we kiss

the joy wraps around us,
and holds us fast.

Nothing else matters:
not the fireworks
the bands
the fat flying cherubs.

You are the truth of me, my love.

Kiss - by Rand

When you're in second grade

superheroes with guitars

pretty much tops the list of

Coolest Things You Can Imagine

For my 8th birthday I asked for

a copy of Kiss Alive II and --

as I had to constantly remind

my teenage self -- my parents

were cool/irresponsible

enough to get it for me

And lest you think I was a

hip and rebellious 7 year old

the other present requested and

received was Barry Manilow Live

Dig - by Rand

She asked me
if I'd prefer to be
buried or burned

Buried or burned?
With no hope of return?
(or simply turn to avoid
burn, as in rotisserie)

I said Neither inside
but finally replied
that I'd been burned
before -- and survived

but hastened rather sad
to add Adrian said it best
Dig me, but don't bury me

Dig - by Debbie

BONES

Don't use a trowel,
you always said.
Better to dig
with your hands, to feel
the bones of the earth,
to know where it all comes from.

Now the years
have swallowed you whole
and I'm digging here alone
(still without a trowel),
looking for the bones,
knowing that somewhere
you're kneeling there beside me,
making sure I'm doing it right.

Letter - by Debbie

"A"

Though brought from cloth,
it chains me.

Touches no skin,
yet burns like the hell fire
they think I deserve.

It is my burden
and my hero's scar.

My name on their lips
is a prayer
and a curse:

"Hester."

Letter - by Rand

Her letter
was lettered
with letters
Who let her?

* * *

Held to the letter
he was a letterer
who lettered
in belles-lettres

Lie - by Debbie

Of all the lies,
the one I hate the most
is time.

Lie - by Rand

i.

I said,
"Come
lie with
me." She
misunderstood.

ii.

An eye
for a lie
and a tooth
for the truth

Impressed - by Rand

Your
impression
left quite
an impression

Impressed - by Debbie

I confess
I am impressed
by your mastery
of poetic style:
how you caress
each word, express
absurdity
without guile.

But a question (I can't resist):
Can you bend your arm like THIS?

Promise - by Debbie

Your promise
hangs heavy in this light,
I know. We'll wait
until the words fade
into inevitable
regret

and then we'll be done.

Promise - by Rand

Soap bubble promises
bursting in the summer sun
as children laugh and run
through water hose rainbows

Dogs chase your promises
Freeze-frame moment shows
impossibly round perfection
inside massive canine jaws

The camera flashes
and the bubble bursts

Broom - by Debbie

Just great.

I'm late
for the claiming
and now so little's left
in this dusty room.

It's fate,
I suppose, that
dear Auntie's bequest
lies in this ratty broom.

She never did like me
She never did approve

But wait

Is it my imagination,
or did that broom just -move-?

Broom - by Rand

I watched you waiting

silently in the corner

Another evening wasted

Trashed

I could sweep you off your

feet but I abstain. I refuse

to become a common rake

Dusty

When - by Debbie

When the light
comes to claim me,
I hope for good music
and fine, dark chocolate
waiting at the other end
as my friends share
silly stories and
finish with a song.

When - by Rand

You

Us

Here

???

Because

Deal - by Debbie

His teeth blind me
as he crooned his promise
but still I hesitate.

"You won't regret it,"
he urges, and slides
the document toward me.

The air around us
stills and waits.

Beneath my fingers,
the paper shifts
like a living thing
but before I can draw back,
sharp pain blossoms.

Looking down,
I see the red flower
spreading on the dotted line
beside his signature.

"Deal," he says,
then looks at me.
"Say it."

The pain in my hand fades
and I finally meet his eyes.

"Deal," I say.

And so it begins.

Just Deal - by Rand

A feeble attempt at consolation
The plea of an annoyed poker player
An honest exchange of goods or services
A live-action Saturday morning NBC show

The Monkey House - by Debbie

(Word prompt: "Monkey")
It creeps me out,
the Monkey House.

It's not the smell
or the din of their cries
in the cramped and humid space.

It's the way the one
in the corner stares at me
behind the bars,
with the eyes of
a trapped child.

Monkey - by Rand (for Russell Edson, with a touch of James Tate on the side)

Haven't we said enough
about monkeys?

Not to say that there
isn't a lot to talk about

it's just that we've already
said so much -- too much

Whether we're teaching
apes to write poems or

trading in the family's
old steam monkey for the

more stylish electric model
or dressing them up in space

suits I'm just saying that I'm
damn sick of ape every night.

Wrong - by Rand

My poetry is an
elaborate attempt
to write my wrongs

Wrong - by Debbie

(Word prompt: "Wrong")

Have you ever spent way too long
in front of the screen
baffled by a word
once perfect
but now awkward,
either bloated with cliché or
just intimidated by its neighbors?

Me neither.

Fire - by Rand

It was a silly argument
Years passed with their
predictable ups and downs

but no matter how good
things were it remained
This barrier between us

I don't care what you
think you hear and I
know it's petty but

to this day I insist
that Michael isn't
singing for you

Everything - by Rand

You've done wrong
Right is wrong again
As the ladies line
their eyes

Changes
Had changed
Has changed
Is broken
Is everything
Is gonna be alright

Reminds me of her
Means nothing to me

Inside of you that
you wish you could be

Think I know
what's happening
Even think that
I can sing

What about aeroplanes?

Everything - by Debbie

White - by Rand

.

White - by Debbie

Under-appreciated,
WHITE smooths her skirts
and suffers each cliché
with bared teeth.

She'll show them all,
she will.
For now, though,
she waits for the party
to finish and her turn
to begin.

Found - by Debbie

Found - by Rand

Just because you
know where I am
doesn't mean
I'm not lost

Fear - by Debbie

My biggest fear:

that someday

I'll stop

being afraid.

Fear - by Rand

7: The monster in the basement

9: Sharks

12: Never being understood or taken seriously

13: School bus erections

15: Becoming overwhelmed by my emotions

17: Dying before the last issue of Watchmen came out

20: Not having access to my emotions

22: Getting drafted

24: Quality cookware

27: Not having enough faith

30: 40

32: Having wasted my twenties

38: The Peter Principle

42: Having too much faith

Bangs - by Debbie

I've given up
trying to imagine
what my neighbours do
every Saturday night
that shakes the walls so
(and no, it's not what you think).

Bangs - by Rand

When I think of 70s hairstyles
my mind is cast adrift
in a sea of goody combs
and carefully feathered locks

Nonetheless, when I hear
the word "bangs" I'm shot
back to the land of
Bradys, bundt cakes
and "Billy, Don't Be a Hero"

Core - by Debbie

You carved away
flesh and guile
to see what lay
beneath my skin.
I thought you'd run
but you just smiled,
waiting for me
to let you in.

Core - by Rand

It was the center
The true essence
The most important
part of me

But you were more
interested in the appearance
and taste

You took what you
needed and cast
the rest aside

Footsteps - by Debbie

Angling across the white,
your footsteps track the scars
then disappear.

Footsteps - by Rand

Forget cups and fractions
The only true measure of
the kind of person we are
is whether we hear the footsteps
coming toward us or away from us