Vista sisters fighting ends in arrest
One spit at officer who responded with mace
Catherine Cranston 1 p.m., June 27
Vocation of the Chair
It longs to be one
who holds you, keeps you
from falling, its curved legs
shapely as a bride.
The chair that would be saint,
martyr, acolyte. Your little
sins of omission and false pride
cannot sway it — the chair believes
in you. It grows taller in the dark.
Soon it will fill the room,
its cushion of praise all you need
in the crude and faithless light.
Taking Care of Futurism
Oh Futurism, I want to take
your pulse and listen
to your heartbeat
with an atomic stethoscope of love!
I’m tired of the past
with its ashcanned regret.
In the World of Tomorrow
you are New Year’s Eve,
even if it’s only November.
Your hi-def fingers tousle my hair.
Let’s hijack the next open mind
that floats by on a sound waved air car,
hide under blankets with our socks on,
dine on dee vee dee dinners.
There are no eggplants of yesteryear
and today’s only an hourglass
away from last week.
I don’t want a goldfish or a ferret, only you.
I’ll be your Clara Barton if you’ll be
my Louis Pasteur. We can play
doctor all night, x-ray the interior
of the human heart. Find the darkness
behind what passes for history.
You see, you are making me all poetic.
Laurel Ann Bogen is the author of ten books of poetry and short fiction. For several years she was literary curator at the L.A. County Museum of Art and since 1990 has been an instructor of poetry and performance for the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. Well known for her lively readings, Bogen has been the recipient of a Curtis Zahn Poetry Prize and two Academy of American Poets awards. “Vocation of the Chair” is from Washing a Language published by Red Hen Press. “Taking Care of Futurism” originally appeared in Spot Literary Magazine. The poems are reprinted by permission. The author’s photo is by Richard Beban.
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Comments
nan shartel July 18, 2010 @ 11:09 a.m.
what a clever quick minded and eclectic poetess...she's both comfortably enconched at life's table and delicious as a main course or dessert
i tell ya ...i like this woman!!!
pass more of her or some like her please.......
MsGrant July 18, 2010 @ 1:59 p.m.
Her poems remind me of you, nan!!
Grasca July 18, 2010 @ 2:09 p.m.
Goldfish and ferrets are an interesting combination.
nan shartel July 18, 2010 @ 8:29 p.m.
why thank u Grantie...i thought so 2 when i read it...hahahahaha
I’ll be your Clara Barton if you’ll be
my Louis Pasteur. We can play
doctor all night, x-ray the interior
of the human heart. Find the darkness
behind what passes for history.
You see, you are making me all poetic.
especially this part
nan shartel July 18, 2010 @ 8:31 p.m.
this line is immensely clever
Let’s hijack the next open mind
nan shartel July 18, 2010 @ 8:33 p.m.
"eggplants of yesteryear" is 2 Grasca
laurelann50 July 18, 2010 @ 10:19 p.m.
Hello....
This is Laurel Ann Bogen, the author of the aforementioned poem. Thank you very much for the comments. I had thought to just read them and not make my presence known but since you enjoy the Futurism piece particularly, I thought I should let you know that the last line of the poem is missing (my fault) -- instead of ending "you see you are making me all poetic" there is another line following after:
"dearest, you are the future of the future."
Thanx for enjoying my work.
Laurel Ann Bogen
Founder July 19, 2010 @ 8:17 a.m.
Poetical Desire
Great to read what you Poets see;
your written words have inspired me.
I'm eager for a new vision,
that's not on the television.
I find it is easy to say,
when expressed another way;
for me, life rushes onward now
no matter, what others allow.
Try as I may, to control my day,
Life has it's say and keeps me at bay!
So today I begin anew
and focus on the sky so blue,
it's like being in a very big zoo,
just one of a very large herd,
instead of being a free bird.
nan shartel July 19, 2010 @ 8:30 a.m.
why Laurel thx so much for joining our poetry circle...yes we did enjoy ur poems and kudos to the Reader for posting them...and posting poetry in general
and if u'd like the opinion of an amateur i'd say the poem "taking care of the future" has substantial legs without the last line
i hope the READER will post more of ur poetry
they have a light hearted frivolous wordplay quality that's simply charming
once again thx for dropping by
nan shartel July 19, 2010 @ 8:32 a.m.
hi founder...we'll be by soon to cast out our net and rhyme with u
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