Monthly Meter: May 2012

fellowship/publication submissions: 7 fellowship/publication acceptances: 0 fellowship/publication rejections: 1 books: 0 Secret Shame:  See "books"  above. Mantra of the Moment: Action reveals priorities. --Mahatma Ghandi

Yeah, I Said It

For real: I did.  And some folks thought it was worth printing. I hope you think it's worth reading; check it out here: ITCH, a literary magazine out of South Africa, published two poems in its ≠ issue. "Algebra" and "How Today Will Look When It's History 14 September 1977" are from my manuscript Marrow [...]

Goodbyes, or, this poem-like thing I wrote one day

Last night after every asana, my instructor chided, "Let it go; that pose is over and you will not return to it again."  She kept reminding us to exist in the present moment--if one pose didn't turn out like we wanted, that didn't mean it should affect the pose we were currently attempting.  It's a [...]

Monthly Meter: April 2012

fellowship/publication submissions: 3 fellowship/publication acceptances: 0 fellowship/publication rejections: 3ish (semi-finalist for 1) books: 0 Secret Shame: Puberty's angst and awkwardness refuses to leave me alone.  Pretend not to notice--that's what I do. And trail mix with white chocolate chips. Mantra of the Moment: Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient [...]

Monthly Meter: March 2012

fellowship/publication submissions: 4 fellowship/publication acceptances:0 fellowship/publication rejections: 1 books: me and Nina  Monica A. Hand Secret Shame: I really might, well probably would, for a Klondike bar.  Ice cream is definitely one of my weaknesses. Mantra of the Moment: "Even those who appear fearless are afraid and just live fully anyway." (Antoinette Brim in an [...]

Ash, a post for Trayvon Martin

Friday was a blog-in for 17 year old Trayvon Martin, shot and killed by his neighborhood watch captain. I'm late to the party because I've struggled to find words.  For years. For too many boys. This time the name is Trayvon. Trayvon was returning from the local convenience store to his father's gated community with [...]

Monthly Meter: February 2012

fellowship/publication submissions: 10 fellowship/publication acceptances: 1 fellowship/publication rejections: 1 books: 3 Teeth Aracelis Girmay Blood Dazzler Patricia Smith Like Trees, Walking Ravi Howard Secret Shame: Running nightmares.  Seriously.  I have them.  Why can't I be faster with killer abs?  Because I like white chocolate chips, ice cream, and sleep--the latter of which I cannot seem [...]

Monthly Meter: January 2012

It's ba-yack!  The Monthly Meter returns this year.  It might be better named my accountability log; my Dar-get-on-the-stick statistics.  Because that's really what all these numbers and records are about.  Follow me on the journey.  Or walk beside me.  Well, run with me--I'm picking up the pace!  Come back every month to see how goes [...]

The Last Supper

THE LAST SUPPER, 21 SEPTEMBER 2011 appears in  Tidal Basin Review Spring 2012 (pages 40-41) Read or download full issue HERE. THE LAST SUPPER, 21 SEPTEMBER 2011 I. Some days I’m wishing for a date to come and some days I’m not wishing for a date.  Now that it’s here, I’m willing to accept it, you know. [...]

Conversations that happen in my head v.1

"I think inspiration is given too much credit. It can only do so much—never any of the heavy lifting that’s required when crafting a poem. Inspiration is a lazy architect who gives you a blueprint with only the front door drawn, then snoozes on a hammock while you build the entire house."            (David Hernandez) Aww [...]