July is National Poetry Month!

From A Hot Apartment: Heatwave July '06

No one else seems to quite get this;
no one else is quiet like this.

I think I quite like you, because
I'm quiet like you.

Right now the world
is not quite quiet; it's still,
which is not quite the same.

Alone in my room,
on this sweaty morning,
I understood everything
perfectly for a while.

Which isn't to say
I was an expert on the minutiae;
I only understood that there IS
an everything; I think it's
the hum of my fan
that makes my head so quiet
so I can think everything at once.

I'm not quite saying what I mean;
I think I'll go be quiet a while longer.

What?! Oh, yeah, June. June is National Poetry Month!

And here is an excerpt (in media res) from a longer poem I am workin on. It's called Man In Steam.

like the old joke:
outstanding in his stream,
only this farmer only farms
produce that's already farmed,
outing genocide detectives
and getting the elected elected,
which reminds me of a joke:

Don't Mind If I MayPoWriMo!

Poem For Kim & Trevor

My fortune is in my family;
I have a treasure chest
full of aunts and cousins;
it's called Texas.

Aunt Kim and Trevor,
you are an army of fun,
you are my circus
and my afternoon trip
to the beach.

You are always around
up here, even when
you're down there.

Visit the Shafer Store!

For Shafer Hats, Shafer Reversible Vests, Shafer Polo Shirts, and a Shafer Wine Opener!

http://www.shafervineyards.com/store.html

Donna 'n Shafer Zoo Project etceterizes!

The Youngest Iguana

The youngest iguana
is sitting on a rock
in the sun today; today
he’ll sit in the sun
slowly turning into a rock,
and this rock will make
one more turn
around the sun today.

We’re all sitting
on this rock today
made all out of iguanas,
and we are the youngest
iguanas of all;
our skin does not yet
look like rock at all.
The sun shines patronly.

MayPoWriMo in action!

Monitoring My Arctic Heart

Your consequences -- you are
consequential; you are sequential
and diligent, my Arctic heart.

You are way up there;
when you tilt toward the sun
you melt, and as you move
away you freeze again.

I'll make sure to collect
your data; it means
something, my Arctic heart.

May is National Poetry Month!

Geek With Me

Geek with me;
whether you'd like
to just geek out
or actually be a geek
is up to you, both
are acceptable here.

Sometimes I geek out
and am a geek
at the same time;
it's a good way to find out
who your real friends are.

Rachel Shukert Plays Are Not To Be Missed

So don't miss this one:

BLOODY MARY: A Comedy of Tragic Proportions

written by Rachel Shukert
directed by Stephen Brackett
produced by Cormac Bluestone, Ian Unterman
and Third Man Productions

WHERE:
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center
107 Suffolk Street
J, M, F, Z Trains to Delancey St.

Opening Night
April 28th @ 8pm

Runs Wednesday through Sunday @ 8pm
April 28th to May 13th

Ticket price: $18
Tickets available online at www.smarttix.com or (212) 868-4444

Check out Bloody Mary at www.myspace.com/BloodyMarytheplay for teaser!

&

30 two-line NaPoWriMo poems by John & I.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 30th PM (sniff!)

Good Night April

Good night, April;
National Poetry Month
will begin again
tomorrow morning
in spite of
whatever institution exists
to police these matters.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 30th AM

Good Your Morning, Good Morning Mine

Take a look around: good
abounds this morning. No
street hassle can't be
unknotted by sleep.

Everyone's forgotten
except for the principal players
and me.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 29th PM

Good Night Side Dishes

Blue cheese
coleslaw, creamed
corn casserole,
black bean
salad, crock pot
macaroni, and
the aptly-nicknamed
wiener stew.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 29th AM

Good Morning What?

Good morning where am I,
good morning what's going on,
good morning fine questions
both of you, good morning
Lucas, good morning Stella.

What're we gonna do
this morning? What're
we gonna do what're we
gonna do what're we
gonna do? I hope it's fun!

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 28th PM

Good Night Boots, Shoes, and Sandals

All lined up
in a row:
boots, shoes,
sandals wait
at attention
for their
marching orders.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 28th AM

Some Breakfasts I've Had

Catfish for breakfast
is not unheard of
in certain circles,
and we've been
known to do
a 10AM steak
or two. Once I had
a nacho breakfast,
horrifying the French
girlfriend. But
it was Sunday,
and, Hell, there was
football on.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 27th PM

Good Night Honkytonk

When I close my eyes tonight
I will be in a Texas bar; it will be
night here, and it will be night
there; when I go to sleep
I will be glad to be there,
but, after a night of smoky
clinking glassware and pool,
when I wake up I will be glad
to be back here.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 27th AM

Good Morning Elise

Good morning, Elise, your note
revived me this morning.

On a spring Sunday morning
so full of flowers,

one can still feel a bit washed out
in the morning.

So when, this morning,
I poked my head into my inbox

and found your note
this morning,

it really made my morning.
You’re my yellow tulip

of a cousin; happy April,
Elise, I’ll see you
some summer morning.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 26th PM

Good Night Wednesday

No matter where the middle of your week
falls, you'll be glad to see Wednesday,
the day of Wodan. Odin's weeks
run on a nine-day cycle, which is why
he has either no time or all the time
for our mortal seven-day runs.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 26th AM

Good Morning Tito

Good morning Tito (the plant,
not the person,) I've got plans
for you this weekend. Tito
(the person, not the plant)
will take me to the outdoor store
this weekend; I'll get new soil
for you, and we'll do something
about the yellow tips of your leaves.

NaPoWriMo: Shafer April 25th PM

Seasons We Have Weathered

The weather comes out for every season,
and we are out in the weather
for some of every season.

The only time the weather gets to me
is when I let it; the weather isn't out to get me;
sometimes, though, I think I'm out to get myself.

And I have to go out to get myself things.
Some of these things are important to me;
all things are equally unimportant to the weather.