Wednesday, June 29, 2011

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

Monday, June 27, 2011

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.

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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

Saturday, June 25, 2011

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

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Mouse - by Rand

i.

Diddle diddle dumpling
Mice on John

ii.

"Mouse head!"
Mao said

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

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

Friday, June 17, 2011

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Stamp - by Rand

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

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

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

Saturday, June 11, 2011

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

Friday, June 10, 2011

Vacation - by Rand

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

Thursday, June 9, 2011

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

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Grace - by Rand

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

Monday, June 6, 2011

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...)

Sunday, June 5, 2011

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

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Hug - by Rand

The worth
of a hug
diminishes
by at least
50% if it
has to be
asked for

Friday, June 3, 2011

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

Thursday, June 2, 2011

NPR - by Rand

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