New Year's Poem

Before the ball falls, I will

finish the last poem, clear clutter,
fold pigs into blankets, roll cheese logs,
find the sheet music to Auld Lang Syne
bite my lip, chop almonds, hang clothes,
empty hampers, trash cans, superstitions
clamoring to be met with everything new,
though all I can think of is you, and then,
not this bleak year to come, my birthday.

I’ll never get the house clean by five pm
much less midnight, I should have started
after Christmas, should’ve said yes, left
that night when plowed snow blocked
all the parking spaces, black sky
quilted with lights, you against the angled car
to apologize, we'd wait for some sort of magic
on nights like that, tonight, here’s another

year gone and to come making do, holding
memories like a chalice to my bloody lip,
I am dizzy with awareness, with regret,
a child who doesn’t gets what she wants
because she never asks, chopping onions,
for help, chopping, chopping, rolling, humming,
I will close my eye to better remember, wish
away the kiss at midnight, that sad song.

Plans for next year

Write more, talk less, get a book manuscript together!

I'm pretty impressed with Lulu.com, the books from Reb Livingstom uses it for her books (Here's the The Bedside Guide to No Tell Motel - Second Floor- in which I have a poem. thank you)

And go to New York City January 31st to read poetry at the Cornelia Street Cafe!

And remember, The Fat Lady Sings one more time at art6, 6 east broad, January 12th at 8pm. $10 a person.

poems from other places

here's some interesting poems by John Ashbery.

Here's mine:


Proof

Finger tip to mosquito bite, rub
the itch away, now there, rub,
now there, now there, a flash
of something else not right, not
bound by strange secrets that hide
behind chairs, sit very very still,
mouse-like, sibilance skitters
up the door jam while shadows mark
the wall between photographs of us
as we once were. Would you lie
to make the story more believable?

Of course you would, you always have.

2008- coming soon with poetry

I have this weird and sudden feeling of well-being- as if I am somehow assured all will be taken care of, as if next year will prosperous and wonderful.

As if all my poems will be simply BRILLIANT!!!

Yours, too!

The I Prov Holiday Special and The Fat Lady Sings (again)

Friday night at 10pm- An old-fashioned Holiday Special in the style of Perry Como, Andy Williams, and all those other guys in sweaters-

All- Music, All Parody, All Improv!

Richmond's (heck, Virginia's, no-the East Coast's, yeah, that's it!) only all music- all the time Comedy Improv group I Prov is performing for your pleasure!

Call ComedySportz for reservations- 266-YESS- do it NOW!

and on Sunday December 16th at Grace Church Episcopal in Goochland-

The Fat Lady Sings (again)

2955 River Road West (Goochland)

Potluck at 5:15, program begins at 6:00

followed by a festive sing-along!

All are welcome!

Wait til you hear the song!!

You'll love it!!

A true Richmond Christmas Carol! (with a nod to Meredith Willson)

jack and jen in the morning 8am 103.7

Everybody will be talking about it!

Then come to ComedySportz at 10pm Friday December 14th and see the I Prov Christmas Special- I've heard Al Gore is coming to sing a green song for us! Reservations HERE

Seats are going fast- this is a hot show for a cold night!!

I-Prov on the Radio!!

Be the first on your block to hear "The Richmond Christmas Song" tomorrow morning on the radio!!

It starts at 8:10 on The Mix 103.7 with Jack and Jen in the morning, the main song will play about 8:30- we'll be interviewed and make up songs on the spot!

Some of the members of I-Prov, the musical improv players from ComedySportz, went over today to make a recording. All the suggestions came from regular listeners from email and phonecalls- we didn't use them all- but we got a lot into a short parody.

It's poetry and music!

The perfect gift- tickets to art after hours at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

VMFA Ticket Desk or by phone at 340.1405
Tickets to all seven events are $60 (members $54) Single tickets are $10.
poetry readings at 6:30 and 7:00pm

January 10th Patrick Vickers
January 17th Stephen Kovach
January 24 Tarifa Faizullah
January 31 Angela Vogel
February 7 Catherine MacDonald
February 14 Michael Keller
February 21 Darren Morris