Passengers gathered around the edge of the ship to watch it depart. Prepared for eight days in the chilly, windy, grey. He found himself a high spot where he could overlook nearly the entire ship.
The weather didn't have him looking forward to this leg of the journey. A few other people gathered on his perch. The Captain's bridge was just below them. All the railings were white and cold to hold onto.
He kept thinking about the woman with the broken arm and black eye.
Around her neck she had a scarf made of green and yellow and white. It seemed to depict plant matter of some kind, like palms or olive branches. The thin layers of the scarf wrapped around her. It gave her a disheveled but cozy appearance. Her id badge barely peaked out from under all that fabric.
The dozen or so people on the perch watched in meditative silence as the gates to the ship were lifted and the engines started to hum. Slowly, the ship parted from the dock.
She had a cast on her right arm and the right side of her face was scratched and bruised. He tried not to stare.
As the boat picked up speed, it started to get cold. People slowly left the perch to find warmth inside.
He tried to imagine what happened to her, or what she might be called.
He suddenly felt homesick.
Monday, April 24, 2017
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
the rocks and water and moss
standing - arms stretched out and down
like wings about to embrace a gust of wind -
feet shoulder width apart for stability
on the flatten rocks of a jetty - wet from fog -
as the sun begins to rise above the trees -
lined up like soldiers ready to charge the sea -
waiting to feel something or hear something -
anything - that proves there is more
than rocks and water and moss, but knowing
that there does not need to be anything more -
the rocks and water and moss are amazing.
like wings about to embrace a gust of wind -
feet shoulder width apart for stability
on the flatten rocks of a jetty - wet from fog -
as the sun begins to rise above the trees -
lined up like soldiers ready to charge the sea -
waiting to feel something or hear something -
anything - that proves there is more
than rocks and water and moss, but knowing
that there does not need to be anything more -
the rocks and water and moss are amazing.
compliment
the best compliment
you can get
is a quiet one
something as soft
as a cat curling up
on your lap
or as temporary
as a half smile
meant only for you
you can get
is a quiet one
something as soft
as a cat curling up
on your lap
or as temporary
as a half smile
meant only for you
a cabin in the living room
there are three cats
who occupy a house
with two humans
on a little street
with eighteen houses
near a cranberry bog
and one of these cats
has a little cardboard cabin
of which he is
the sole occupant
and this cabin sits
in the living room
of the house on the street
near the bog in the town
and inside the cabin
he plays with a toy
shaped like a carrot
filled with herbs
that make him happy
to be in his cabin alone
who occupy a house
with two humans
on a little street
with eighteen houses
near a cranberry bog
and one of these cats
has a little cardboard cabin
of which he is
the sole occupant
and this cabin sits
in the living room
of the house on the street
near the bog in the town
and inside the cabin
he plays with a toy
shaped like a carrot
filled with herbs
that make him happy
to be in his cabin alone
Saturday, April 15, 2017
the gosnold scenario
the general sent us
there were reports of pineapples
and palm fronds growing in
and rumors of suspicious glistening
puddles after heavy rain
so we came here to take a look
asking around we discovered
the locals have been harvesting
the foreign produce and selling it
at import prices to local markets
the colors in the puddles
after heavy rain have yet
to been harnessed for wealth
when asked about the puddles
half will tell you they exist
while the other half will deny
the reality of such fantasies
as if reality itself were at stake
we got no where with our investigation
until the scientists got samples
of the unusual fruits and grasses
and we stayed for the rain ourselves
afterwhich half of us saw the
glistening colors, and half of us
denied it completely
there were reports of pineapples
and palm fronds growing in
and rumors of suspicious glistening
puddles after heavy rain
so we came here to take a look
asking around we discovered
the locals have been harvesting
the foreign produce and selling it
at import prices to local markets
the colors in the puddles
after heavy rain have yet
to been harnessed for wealth
when asked about the puddles
half will tell you they exist
while the other half will deny
the reality of such fantasies
as if reality itself were at stake
we got no where with our investigation
until the scientists got samples
of the unusual fruits and grasses
and we stayed for the rain ourselves
afterwhich half of us saw the
glistening colors, and half of us
denied it completely
Friday, April 14, 2017
first dibs
i'd give you first dibs
on the rare stuff, though
a clandestine transaction -
an exchange between foes -
not of each other, but one
mutual malevolence -
the overlord of emotions -
the suppressive force -
a culture of manipulation
with deep, dug out layers
of deals and arrangements
between people who have nothing
to lose or gain in the clutch
of a fast spinning reality -
sharing stuff for things
and dibs and props, though
on the rare stuff, though
a clandestine transaction -
an exchange between foes -
not of each other, but one
mutual malevolence -
the overlord of emotions -
the suppressive force -
a culture of manipulation
with deep, dug out layers
of deals and arrangements
between people who have nothing
to lose or gain in the clutch
of a fast spinning reality -
sharing stuff for things
and dibs and props, though
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
dead land and no king
disgust stuck
to the roof of your mouth
the sickening churning
chum curdling in your guts
forming gross pain
starvation of the already
strained land we pluck
and pick dry until it bleeds
covered in patches and
quick fixes we give it nothing
to give back but
timid attempts at poison
eking out of surfaces
not designed to function
as weapons against
those who attempt
and fail to create then
to crate the creature
from the keeper without a
cage to escape the clutches
of jaws and claws
of a starving pride
to the roof of your mouth
the sickening churning
chum curdling in your guts
forming gross pain
starvation of the already
strained land we pluck
and pick dry until it bleeds
covered in patches and
quick fixes we give it nothing
to give back but
timid attempts at poison
eking out of surfaces
not designed to function
as weapons against
those who attempt
and fail to create then
to crate the creature
from the keeper without a
cage to escape the clutches
of jaws and claws
of a starving pride
Monday, April 10, 2017
about everything
1.
step ahead one small pace after another one pacing the tempers of those around pacing slowly in a line so long there's no end to be seen while waiting to be filed like prepackaged produce on a ship headed for promise that smells a lot like dirt and oxidation of metals mined by those who went before to dig holes in the ground for dreams to be poured over with concrete and plaster and wood and memories of the places left behind.
2.
regret.
3.
panic sets in when a message goes without reply to for too long and without excuses so what to say to make it okay when it's still okay with the original sender but the delayed replier doesn't want the wrong message unspoken to go understood so the reply is "I love you" even though it doesn't make sense to do so then and there but it happened and it's out now.
4.
anxiety.
5.
drink dirty water to ease the horror and tangles of threads of pain in the gut in the center of the dessert laden with purple flowers poison to many but beautiful to all at the lip of every cactus beckoning to be touched and tasted to leave a victim at its trunk so it can drink the blood like a spider through its needles to survive as a human animal tries to survive too with a nearly empty jug and no sense of direction.
6.
peace.
side by side project
take a deep deep breath and breathe with me in and out until our heartbeats match as we lie with cheeks touching staring up at the sky watching clouds whisper past and pretend to pay attention to the shapes when all either of us can think about is one another.
Sunday, April 09, 2017
let's call him Doug
a damp day, downtow
a dumpy dodge truck pulls up
to the drive up window
of a dunkin donuts and
asks his dog what he wants:
two dozen donuts to share
with this guy and some dame
down the road.
a dumpy dodge truck pulls up
to the drive up window
of a dunkin donuts and
asks his dog what he wants:
two dozen donuts to share
with this guy and some dame
down the road.
Saturday, April 08, 2017
flipped
it's not about how long it takes to make
twenty four perfect pancakes
you're worth it.
it's not about how uncertain i am
of the color brown
when it comes to butter.
it's not about how heavy or large
the finished thing is
and how it barely fits in the fridge.
it's about how quickly you can finish it
in comparison.
twenty four perfect pancakes
you're worth it.
it's not about how uncertain i am
of the color brown
when it comes to butter.
it's not about how heavy or large
the finished thing is
and how it barely fits in the fridge.
it's about how quickly you can finish it
in comparison.
what do we do now?
1.
you try to inhale -
take in the lingering scent
and understand how -
inhale again, breath more
and absorb -
how could she do this
to you - to us -
2.
exhale and count to ten.
let go of the tension
and just forgive him.
or leave. just leave.
let him figure it out.
let him be by himself.
just leave, or forgive?
you try to inhale -
take in the lingering scent
and understand how -
inhale again, breath more
and absorb -
how could she do this
to you - to us -
2.
exhale and count to ten.
let go of the tension
and just forgive him.
or leave. just leave.
let him figure it out.
let him be by himself.
just leave, or forgive?
Tuesday, April 04, 2017
Flappy had the Missing Pieces
i suppose the most obscure fact i know
is who the muffin is and how many
huckleberries there are in each one.
or that one phrase in Norwegian, i know that too.
is who the muffin is and how many
huckleberries there are in each one.
or that one phrase in Norwegian, i know that too.
agent
we underwent an engagement
an arrangement of intransigent consent
an arrangement of intransigent consent
bent against the garment of better
judgment, adherent to the absent deterrent
tormented by the antidote to enlightenment
by the high percent of dissonant immunity
by the high percent of dissonant immunity
misspent gentrification on burnt butter
and inclement sugar addiction, the human trap
and inclement sugar addiction, the human trap
factors in the intelligence of sentiment
organized by pigment and taste
according to incident alignment against
populist movements and condemned
counter-movements, perpetuated by
the affluent and incumbent appointment
Monday, April 03, 2017
Dear Benjamin Franklin
you left the ocean for the sky --
and how do you think
the Navy felt about your exit?
or the vegetarians for that matter?
and how do you think
the Navy felt about your exit?
or the vegetarians for that matter?
Sunday, April 02, 2017
an ode to overkill
overkill
thick overkill
with chains on
you can hear him
approaching from down the street
he is coming over
to visit you
even though
you
told him
with emphatic finality
to leave you alone
for the rest of forever
because you didn't
want to
be
his superhero
boyfriend after all
that happened when he
met that spider fellow and
took off without you
from the party
at ironman's
mansion
thick overkill
with chains on
you can hear him
approaching from down the street
he is coming over
to visit you
even though
you
told him
with emphatic finality
to leave you alone
for the rest of forever
because you didn't
want to
be
his superhero
boyfriend after all
that happened when he
met that spider fellow and
took off without you
from the party
at ironman's
mansion
Saturday, April 01, 2017
no time for ideas and bones
as they approach the horizon, stumbling
they make their way like animals but less noisy
if you can imagine it, like silence you can hear
then there's no time to come up with a solution
except to lay horizontal, and we do it,
we stunted the soldiers' approach
flat like insects under deiseal engine wheels
but not a single bone to break in these bodies
they make their way like animals but less noisy
if you can imagine it, like silence you can hear
then there's no time to come up with a solution
except to lay horizontal, and we do it,
we stunted the soldiers' approach
flat like insects under deiseal engine wheels
but not a single bone to break in these bodies
National Poetry Month 2017
hi all,
i will be attempting to follow these 30 writing prompts for National Poetry Month (NaPoMo) 2017:
http://www.agodon.com/uploads/2/9/4/3/2943768/writing_prompts_by_kelli_russell_agodon.pdf
i will be attempting to follow these 30 writing prompts for National Poetry Month (NaPoMo) 2017:
http://www.agodon.com/uploads/2/9/4/3/2943768/writing_prompts_by_kelli_russell_agodon.pdf
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
a normal poem about love
this is a normal poem about love,
about a two people who see each other
for the first time and from the first time
it's perfect for a moment
until one unknowingly profanes the perfect illusion
that the other has devised in great detail
without evidence or corroboration
from the actual person whose eyes they met.
and from the first time in that first moment
they successfully create an alternate reality
populated by a pod person for their own pleasure
dedicated to the way they prefer to be touched.
the language of love is never made of words
until someone writes a poem just like this one
and ruins it for everyone.
about a two people who see each other
for the first time and from the first time
it's perfect for a moment
until one unknowingly profanes the perfect illusion
that the other has devised in great detail
without evidence or corroboration
from the actual person whose eyes they met.
and from the first time in that first moment
they successfully create an alternate reality
populated by a pod person for their own pleasure
dedicated to the way they prefer to be touched.
the language of love is never made of words
until someone writes a poem just like this one
and ruins it for everyone.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
a whale for the almighty
has a whale ever been trapped
in the carcass of a volcano?
an atoll in the middle of the pacific?
or does it depend on the reef
and the dunes and the way the sun
shines off the surface of the solar panels
that speckle the beaches
and modest rooftop of the
Tokelau town hall? and would it
take all the people there to get the whale
back out to sea safely if it had
been trapped in the first place? and would
there be enough time for the whale
to survive, swimming past the sharks
hidden in the surrounding shallows
as they wait for fishermen to leave
and the remaining fish to settle back
into tight schools for better hunting?
or is all of this irrelevant
because a whale knows better
than to get stuck anywhere at all
unless it planns to make such a sacrifice
in order to keep mystery and science alive?
in the carcass of a volcano?
an atoll in the middle of the pacific?
or does it depend on the reef
and the dunes and the way the sun
shines off the surface of the solar panels
that speckle the beaches
and modest rooftop of the
Tokelau town hall? and would it
take all the people there to get the whale
back out to sea safely if it had
been trapped in the first place? and would
there be enough time for the whale
to survive, swimming past the sharks
hidden in the surrounding shallows
as they wait for fishermen to leave
and the remaining fish to settle back
into tight schools for better hunting?
or is all of this irrelevant
because a whale knows better
than to get stuck anywhere at all
unless it planns to make such a sacrifice
in order to keep mystery and science alive?
Wednesday, March 01, 2017
The Lincoln Macomber
it takes just one turnip
pulled up by a bored fella
under a clear sky
in south eastern Massachusetts
one turnip deformed
by a rock in the soil
looking an awful lot
like the 16th president
to set the imagination of a fella
ablaze with fantasies
about a Kentucky turnip
fighting for the freedom
of turnips everywhere,
and unifying the great
turnip nation.
pulled up by a bored fella
under a clear sky
in south eastern Massachusetts
one turnip deformed
by a rock in the soil
looking an awful lot
like the 16th president
to set the imagination of a fella
ablaze with fantasies
about a Kentucky turnip
fighting for the freedom
of turnips everywhere,
and unifying the great
turnip nation.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Population
bustle. now there's a word.
bustle. in the square. in the leaves.
constant bustle. bustlement.
bus-t-le. busetele. bustling beetle.
beetlement. so it's easy to get lost.
lost in the bustle of the city.
the city state with a curious
lack of pigeons. and women.
weaving. winging. pecking.
protecting and bustling.
well manicured. but a weevil.
a little beetle. can get lost
in the bustle. the city bustle.
and dodge the eyes of bishops
caring for the olive trees.
an olive weevil. a bustling.
a leaf eating. a stealth agent.
in a city with a population
this small. but with this many
bustling visitors.
a weevil gets away with a lot.
a lot of leaves. bustle from tree to tree.
a weevil in vatican city.
bustle. in the square. in the leaves.
constant bustle. bustlement.
bus-t-le. busetele. bustling beetle.
beetlement. so it's easy to get lost.
lost in the bustle of the city.
the city state with a curious
lack of pigeons. and women.
weaving. winging. pecking.
protecting and bustling.
well manicured. but a weevil.
a little beetle. can get lost
in the bustle. the city bustle.
and dodge the eyes of bishops
caring for the olive trees.
an olive weevil. a bustling.
a leaf eating. a stealth agent.
in a city with a population
this small. but with this many
bustling visitors.
a weevil gets away with a lot.
a lot of leaves. bustle from tree to tree.
a weevil in vatican city.
Tuesday, February 07, 2017
new standard
does anyone else feel this tired? all the time.
does anyone else feel tired even when they are dreaming? deep in sleep, my persona is too tired to jump off the building, so she just falls.
does anyone else feel too tired to take care of themselves, because we're trying to take care of ourselves. our civil rights being pressed like apples into cheap cider.
does anyone else feel this tired? so far and deep that we feel it in our organs and bones, but the fever is not caused by a virus.
does anyone else feel this tired? and yet unstoppable?
does anyone else feel this new standard of living, this new drive, this new guilt for not having felt this way before?
does anyone else feel tired even when they are dreaming? deep in sleep, my persona is too tired to jump off the building, so she just falls.
does anyone else feel too tired to take care of themselves, because we're trying to take care of ourselves. our civil rights being pressed like apples into cheap cider.
does anyone else feel this tired? so far and deep that we feel it in our organs and bones, but the fever is not caused by a virus.
does anyone else feel this tired? and yet unstoppable?
does anyone else feel this new standard of living, this new drive, this new guilt for not having felt this way before?
Sunday, January 01, 2017
Katy's Top FOURTEEN Films of 2016
Yeah, I know these sorts of lists are meant to be top 10 or 20 or some more conventional (yet still, let's be honest, arbitrary) quantity. The fact is, though, of the 47 or so movies I got to see at the cinema this year, there are 14 which I consider noteworthy, and would recommend you see if you have not yet.
Presented in nearly the order I saw them, here are my top 14 films of 2016.
THE VVITCH
It would be very easy to draw parallels between what the oldest daughter in this film goes through to, say, a lesbian girl coming out to her family even today. In alienating the girl from her family, the film throws shade on every member of the family; from screeching twins who may or may not be possessed to the questionable behavior of the father to save his family from complete damnation.
For me, the film gave me the space and time to question every character. I lingered in their reality for long enough to think myself in circles. By virtue of all this space, the film builds tension in tandem with distrust. I found myself questioning every character (including the livestock), and continuing to be anxious for and surprised by the answers.
You're going to need a dark room, the darker the better. You're going to need it to be very quiet. Turn your phone off for 90 minutes. Engaging fully with this film is how it should be seen. I had the fortune of a very quiet audience in attendance while viewing this film while friends of mine have not had the same pleasure, and the difference in experiences seems to make or break the film.
THE FINEST HOURS
EDDIE THE EAGLE
I don't remember the real Eddie's performance. I was just a bit too young to appreciate anything other than The Muppets at the time. Even if you don't know who Eddie is, this charming biopic is still valuable on many levels. First of them being the adorable, clever, talented Mr. Taron Egerton. Taron instantly makes Eddie sympathetic despite the insanity of the character's actions. From the very beginning, you're rooting for Eddie.
Eddie's mother also endeared me to Eddie himself. She is presented as a gracious, proud, strong, encouraging, loving woman who works as hard as she can to help Eddie out from under the discouragement from his father. I love her as much as I love Eddie in this film.
And as far as story-telling goes... this movie hits every beat. I laughed, I clenched my teeth in fear, I cried tears of joy.
There isn't a whole lot more for me to say other than GO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's a triumphant tale in a new world where triumph will come in many shapes and forms. Eddie may have been a one-Olympic wonder, but his efforts reshaped the sport of ski jumping and the definition of victory.
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
Goddamn was John Goodman great in this film (sorry for the terrible angle in the pic, John!).
There are a lot of spoilers that could come out of a review of this film, but part of what I loved about it was that I knew so little for certain about the universe in which this film is set. I had a lot of ideas... it does have Cloverfield in the title. Remember Cloverfield? That shaky-cam kaiju flick? So I go to see this movie that I know is set in a bunker from the trailers, and I *think* is set in a world where monsters are real. I don't know when it is set compared to it's fellow film (not sure if it is a prequel or sequel or simultaneous-el or alternate reality-el). I don't know who these people are or why they act the way they do.
Here is what I do know... they are all in a bad situation. Some worse than others. They are all questionable characters based on their actions (although we follow the thinking and discoveries of Michelle, I still can't figure out why she left Rocket Raccoon at the start of the film).
This film pits the bad-bunker-buddies against the fear of the unknown quality of the world above. Is it worse to be trapped underground with a mentally-unstable, overpowering, and potentially murderous man as a companion or be torn apart by the radioactive climate and giant monsters that *might* roam above ground? Do you fight the certain threat, or risk the uncertain one?
Either choice, it's a scary one. And a scary film. And an exciting film. And a lot better than that other Cloverfield movie.
GREEN ROOM
I hear a lot of people, specifically fans of the horror film genre, complain that there is a lack of originality or that "they" only make remakes these days or whatever other bogus mumbo-jumbo. Sorry, friends, but you cannot complain to me about nothing new hitting the screens if you haven't been paying enough attention to seek out horror films put out by studios like A24 and Annapurna. Both are mid-sized studios who are distributing quality films with quality casts. And these are exactly the studios fans of genre films should be seeking out and supporting. Don't complain to me, movie goer, if you think the only movies being made these days are by Marvel Studios. It doesn't take a whole heap of effort to open your fandango app every once in a while and see what's playing and who funded it. Even on film-remote Cape Cod, we have multiple cinema options. We didn't get to see Lobster or Swiss Army man this year, but we did get The VVITCH and Green Room on the big screen.
Okay, enough fan-bashing... this movie is hardcore. This movie is scary. This movie is gory. This movie is believable. These characters are tough as nails. These characters cry. These characters are not easy to predict who lives and who dies... or at least, hard to predict in which order they die.
Nod to Patrick Stewart's super understated evil in this film. And damnit, Anton is such a great talent. I already miss him so much. Maybe the actual greatest loss alongside Bowie this year. He had so much going on, so many performances in him... so much potential lost to a seriously freaky accident.
I also LOVE when a story teller is brave enough not to give everything away. I LOVE the very end of this movie so much. It ends on a simultaneous pay-off and sting. So good.
KEANU
In an attempt not to get too hyperbolic in my praise of this movie... WHY ISN'T THIS AT LEAST AS POPULAR AS HAMILTON!?
This is a movie about a GANGSTER KITTEN.
Gangster.
Kitten.
You read it right. A. Gangster. KITTEN.
Great qualities of the film: lots of love for George Michael. No supernatural bs (I do not count that one scene as supernatural, it was a vision). No talking animals (yeah, you can make a film about a gangster goddamn kitten without making it talk other than meowing). John Wick quality gun shoot outs.
Also... IT IS A MOVIE ABOUT A GANGSTER KITTEN!
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
It didn't make my list because of the cg rock (which was genuinely awful). It didn't make my list because of the plot. It didn't make my list because of Kevin Hart. It didn't make my list because of Dwayne Johnson.
This film made my list because Kevin Hart AND Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are comedic soulmates. Thank goodness they finally found each other and are making movies together now and forever.
These two have magical chemistry. Just looking at this picture of them makes me smile.
I adore them. I will see any movie they make together.
THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR
The Purge Election Year came out at a time in American politics when I was able to laugh at satirical content. Now... and this might sound dramatic, but it feels a bit too real. A film franchise built on economic inequality as its central protagonist to the world in which it takes place, is too true in a real world where one of the wealthiest cabinets in American history is now only 20 days away from taking office and taking control.
The NFFA - the New Founding Fathers of America - are a bunch of wealthy, old, white farts who make bank on the damages done during the annual purge. They are too powerful for the rules to apply to them. They are too wealthy to suffer. Their power manifests in a few poignant ways throughout the film. One key point I thought was particularly telling was that the shop owner featured in the film can't afford the sudden and extortionate spike in his purge insurance that comes just days before the purge. The rich get richer, right? Right. Up until the point that the underground bad-asses come for their asses!
Aside from political commentary, the film also has some fantastic scares, creative designs (rock on costume and prop departments!), and some really likable characters who develop throughout the story.
GHOSTBUSTERS
I loved this movie. I need to watch it as many times as I have seen the other two Ghostbusters. I love Kate McKinnon. I love that Ecto is now a hearse (seems wildly appropriate for a ghost busting vehicle). I love that they kept the logo. I love that little girls and boys now have a team of badass women to look up to. I love that the film plays with all conventions by casting a hunk of beautiful man-meat in the secretary role (although to be fair, Janine was never as brainless as Kevin). I love that almost the entire cast of Other Space made appearances in the film. I LOVE the scene with Kristin Wiig's Erin is being dragged out of a fancy restaurant screaming and crying at the Mayor. I love Kate McKinnon. I love what Paul Feig does for Melissa McCarthy on a performance level. This and Spy were so much fun and so sweet.
The cg was stylized and mesmerizing in 3d. The gags were fun, funny, and charming. I don't have anything deep or complicated to state here. I don't have any complaints other than how jarring some of the cameos were (but I kind of expected that to be honest). I just enjoyed it. And girl power! Am I right?
STAR TREK BEYOND
I really like the entire new series of Star Trek films, with and without Benedict Cumberbatch. I love Bones played by Keith Urban. I love Spock played by Zachary Quinto. I love Kirk played by Chris Pine. I love Uhura played by Zoe Saldana. I love Chekov played by Anton Yelchin. I love Sulu played by John Cho. I love Scotty played by Simon Pegg. I love it all.
And in this flick, I really love the female lead, Jaylah. She's compelling, beautiful, strong, clever and independent.
My overall opinion of this film is in keeping with my opinion of the other two. It is fun, colorful (visually and contextually), action-packed, pretty, very pretty, and smart. While I don't expect a high emotional reaction to films like this one, I do expect to be entertained. And I was.
Plus, the film created the space for a stupendously cliché moment, and basically gave the audience the bird for even thinking it would do such a thing. I loved that. Idris Elba was also, by the way, great in this!
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
Laika did it again, folks. From the masters behind Box Trolls, ParaNorman, and Coraline, comes Kubo and the Two Strings. The stop motion animation is beautiful and captivating. Laika continue to break new grounds in animation. The story is sweet, heroic, complex, and compelling. The MUSIC is phenomenal!
Here I am going to go again and tell you... if you are one of those folks who claims that nothing new and original is being made... go buy a pair of Nike shoes or go buy this movie on bluray or do both. (Nike foot some of Laika studios' costs for their films. Pun intended!)
Kubo is a new fairy tale. A NEW one. And it's beautiful!
DON'T BREATHE
Trapped in a house with a blind karate wizard master man, bitter and angry about what other people have done to him, is a bad place to be. But, it is a great premise for a film. Especially if, like me, you get claustrophobic.
Beyond the premise, the film delivers motivation for each character believable enough to have created the situation of the film. The scars got me. The tension got me. The desperation and hopelessness of the situation was felt.
My favorite part of this film was how evenly matched the main woman and the blind man were matched. She was smart, but desperate. Good scary movie if you want to be scared. And in my opinion, making someone feel scared for as long a duration as this film did a great work.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Here is another film for me wherein the characters are what endears me to it. Oh, the human/wizardy characters AND the animal ones. The beasts were indeed fantastic.
The non-heroic male figures, the somewhat diddling but proactive and vibrant female figures, the complex and distant figure of the wizard president lady, the awkward and suppressed children, they all fit into each other's story lines like weirdly shaped jigsaw puzzle pieces. Rowling knows how to write a story, no doubt about it.
My favorite part of this film is the contrast between it (where and when it is set as well as the encapsulated story) and the Harry Potter films. Most significantly, the wizards of old timey New York are much more overtly isolationist, while the Hogwarts adults work strongly against their own racism for the benefit of the children - especially those with part or all muggle parents. Racism and discrimination is still a convention of the wizard world in both films. In Fantastic Beasts, our muggle or Nomage is the affable baker, Kolwaski. He doesn't voluntarily entangle himself in the world of wizards so much as he is sort of smuggled into it by Newt (who I genuinely think needs and wants another outside friend to give him courage and perhaps even show him how to "normally" react to certain things, because I think Newt doesn't conform to social norms on all levels). Kolwaski is loved by all - in and out of the film's reality - and his story is probably the most beautiful and emotional of all the characters in the film. His role as the outsider is even more powerful than that of Harry or Hermione who both come from a different place than most of the other characters in Harry Potter, because Kolwaski ultimately, even though he is desperately in love with a wizard lady, decides not to become part of the wizard world. I feel that this choice is not out of fear or cowardice, but out of bravery. For Kolwaski, he has the option to let his wizard friends take care of him, astound him, and protect him, or he can face the world head on and make his own way. Newt undermines Kolwaski's strength of character at the end, but I believe that Kolwaski was prepared to grit his way to success if he had to. I believe that although he would not remember what he'd experienced, he knew more about his true character from the experience and had faith enough himself to carry on through his own world of struggle and make his dream of owning a bakery come true. That, to me, is what Fantastic Beasts is all about, I guess. I hadn't thought as deeply about it as this until just now... need to go re-watch this film soooooon. Also, I think I just made this my favorite Harry Potter franchise film...
MOANA
She might still have the insanely big eyes of a bratz doll, but aesthetically, Moana as a character design, takes Disney a huge step in the right direction towards all-body-type-inclusive. The film still suffers from the all-female-characters-faces-are-the-same while all-men-have-weird-and-interesting-shaped-heads problem... why is that!? It's almost like we hold women, all women, to a uniform standard of beauty, even when we are consciously trying to do the opposite.
That being said, Moana's character/personality/role is progressive. She's in line to become chief. Heck yeah! And at no point does the film make any excuse for it. It just is how it is. She isn't perfect, she isn't flawless, she can't do it all alone, but she tries, and that's awesome. Aladdin was nothing without the genie, so I have no complaints about Moana enlisting the begrudging assistance of a demi-god.
This film also made my list because, well, I am still a bit high on Lin-Manual Miranda, so...
Oh yeah, and, the tattoos on Maui are fun and a great little story device: how to say a lot without saying anything.
Actress of the Year: Amy Adams
Batman vs Superman, Arrival, and Nocturnal Animals
I felt compelled, after seeing Arrival and Nocturnal Animals, to include a top/favorite actress in my list of favorite films of 2016. Amy Adams is incredible, but you knew that already. She was the second best thing about Batman Vs Superman (second to Wonder Woman, of course), and she was the centerpiece for both Arrival and Nocturnal Animals both aesthetically and narratively.
Actor of the Year: Mads Mikkelsen
Doctor Strange and Rogue One
Because I decided to chose an actress of the year, I thought I should even things out with a bit of Mads Mikklesen. Like Amy, he was my favorite part of several films this year that weren't over-all good enough to make my list. Namely, Mads rocked the most stellar eye-make up this side of the galaxy in Doctor Strange, and he played an epic role in the new Star Wars movie. His death in that film was the most compelling part of Rogue One for me - possibly because Felicity Jones as Jyn made me actually care about him as a person and not just a plot point.
Finally, to give some context to my list, here are all the films I saw in the Theatre in 2016 (in the wrong order, but whatever):
Presented in nearly the order I saw them, here are my top 14 films of 2016.
THE VVITCH
This is a quiet film. There are lengthy shots of the wind blowing through the trees. The place it takes you is the confines of this family juxtaposed against the massive undiscovered world beyond the tree line. The era it takes you to is simple, punctuated by the chaos and rage of fear and suffering.It would be very easy to draw parallels between what the oldest daughter in this film goes through to, say, a lesbian girl coming out to her family even today. In alienating the girl from her family, the film throws shade on every member of the family; from screeching twins who may or may not be possessed to the questionable behavior of the father to save his family from complete damnation.
For me, the film gave me the space and time to question every character. I lingered in their reality for long enough to think myself in circles. By virtue of all this space, the film builds tension in tandem with distrust. I found myself questioning every character (including the livestock), and continuing to be anxious for and surprised by the answers.
You're going to need a dark room, the darker the better. You're going to need it to be very quiet. Turn your phone off for 90 minutes. Engaging fully with this film is how it should be seen. I had the fortune of a very quiet audience in attendance while viewing this film while friends of mine have not had the same pleasure, and the difference in experiences seems to make or break the film.
THE FINEST HOURS
"In tha coast gAud they say ya gatta go out. They don't say ya gatta come back." -Bernie WebbAh
Reason one for my affection for this film: Chris Pine, you darling man, your accent was... astonishing. I love how much your performance made Ryan laugh. The trailers alone for this film endeared me to it thanks to the litany of goofy voices.
Accents aside though... let me tell you why I like this movie so much: The crew of the SS Pendleton. While the movie is split pretty evenly between Bernie Webber's plot at the Coast Guard station and the back half of an oil tanker, it was the crew of the back half of the oil tanker that I found most compelling, dramatic, and interesting. The oil-slicked, brawny crew is composed of a wide-range of complex personalities. Cassie Afleck's character is emotional married to the Pendleton. The chef is outwardly jovial for the benefit of his staff while inside cowering like a sheep. The boy that the captain can't understand when he speaks is smart and careful even when he's frightened. Everyone cast as a member of this crew clearly took time to round out their character and the relationships between them all come through in their half of the film. Ah, all while rushing around in greasy water, might I add. This is great writing, great direction, great acting, all working hard together to make me care for these men stuck at sea in the back half of an oil tanker.
I don't remember the real Eddie's performance. I was just a bit too young to appreciate anything other than The Muppets at the time. Even if you don't know who Eddie is, this charming biopic is still valuable on many levels. First of them being the adorable, clever, talented Mr. Taron Egerton. Taron instantly makes Eddie sympathetic despite the insanity of the character's actions. From the very beginning, you're rooting for Eddie.
Eddie's mother also endeared me to Eddie himself. She is presented as a gracious, proud, strong, encouraging, loving woman who works as hard as she can to help Eddie out from under the discouragement from his father. I love her as much as I love Eddie in this film.
And as far as story-telling goes... this movie hits every beat. I laughed, I clenched my teeth in fear, I cried tears of joy.
There isn't a whole lot more for me to say other than GO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's a triumphant tale in a new world where triumph will come in many shapes and forms. Eddie may have been a one-Olympic wonder, but his efforts reshaped the sport of ski jumping and the definition of victory.
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
Goddamn was John Goodman great in this film (sorry for the terrible angle in the pic, John!).
There are a lot of spoilers that could come out of a review of this film, but part of what I loved about it was that I knew so little for certain about the universe in which this film is set. I had a lot of ideas... it does have Cloverfield in the title. Remember Cloverfield? That shaky-cam kaiju flick? So I go to see this movie that I know is set in a bunker from the trailers, and I *think* is set in a world where monsters are real. I don't know when it is set compared to it's fellow film (not sure if it is a prequel or sequel or simultaneous-el or alternate reality-el). I don't know who these people are or why they act the way they do.
Here is what I do know... they are all in a bad situation. Some worse than others. They are all questionable characters based on their actions (although we follow the thinking and discoveries of Michelle, I still can't figure out why she left Rocket Raccoon at the start of the film).
This film pits the bad-bunker-buddies against the fear of the unknown quality of the world above. Is it worse to be trapped underground with a mentally-unstable, overpowering, and potentially murderous man as a companion or be torn apart by the radioactive climate and giant monsters that *might* roam above ground? Do you fight the certain threat, or risk the uncertain one?
Either choice, it's a scary one. And a scary film. And an exciting film. And a lot better than that other Cloverfield movie.
GREEN ROOM
I hear a lot of people, specifically fans of the horror film genre, complain that there is a lack of originality or that "they" only make remakes these days or whatever other bogus mumbo-jumbo. Sorry, friends, but you cannot complain to me about nothing new hitting the screens if you haven't been paying enough attention to seek out horror films put out by studios like A24 and Annapurna. Both are mid-sized studios who are distributing quality films with quality casts. And these are exactly the studios fans of genre films should be seeking out and supporting. Don't complain to me, movie goer, if you think the only movies being made these days are by Marvel Studios. It doesn't take a whole heap of effort to open your fandango app every once in a while and see what's playing and who funded it. Even on film-remote Cape Cod, we have multiple cinema options. We didn't get to see Lobster or Swiss Army man this year, but we did get The VVITCH and Green Room on the big screen.
Okay, enough fan-bashing... this movie is hardcore. This movie is scary. This movie is gory. This movie is believable. These characters are tough as nails. These characters cry. These characters are not easy to predict who lives and who dies... or at least, hard to predict in which order they die.
Nod to Patrick Stewart's super understated evil in this film. And damnit, Anton is such a great talent. I already miss him so much. Maybe the actual greatest loss alongside Bowie this year. He had so much going on, so many performances in him... so much potential lost to a seriously freaky accident.
I also LOVE when a story teller is brave enough not to give everything away. I LOVE the very end of this movie so much. It ends on a simultaneous pay-off and sting. So good.
KEANU
In an attempt not to get too hyperbolic in my praise of this movie... WHY ISN'T THIS AT LEAST AS POPULAR AS HAMILTON!?
This is a movie about a GANGSTER KITTEN.
Gangster.
Kitten.
You read it right. A. Gangster. KITTEN.
Great qualities of the film: lots of love for George Michael. No supernatural bs (I do not count that one scene as supernatural, it was a vision). No talking animals (yeah, you can make a film about a gangster goddamn kitten without making it talk other than meowing). John Wick quality gun shoot outs.
Also... IT IS A MOVIE ABOUT A GANGSTER KITTEN!
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
It didn't make my list because of the cg rock (which was genuinely awful). It didn't make my list because of the plot. It didn't make my list because of Kevin Hart. It didn't make my list because of Dwayne Johnson.
This film made my list because Kevin Hart AND Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are comedic soulmates. Thank goodness they finally found each other and are making movies together now and forever.
These two have magical chemistry. Just looking at this picture of them makes me smile.
I adore them. I will see any movie they make together.
THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR
The Purge Election Year came out at a time in American politics when I was able to laugh at satirical content. Now... and this might sound dramatic, but it feels a bit too real. A film franchise built on economic inequality as its central protagonist to the world in which it takes place, is too true in a real world where one of the wealthiest cabinets in American history is now only 20 days away from taking office and taking control.
The NFFA - the New Founding Fathers of America - are a bunch of wealthy, old, white farts who make bank on the damages done during the annual purge. They are too powerful for the rules to apply to them. They are too wealthy to suffer. Their power manifests in a few poignant ways throughout the film. One key point I thought was particularly telling was that the shop owner featured in the film can't afford the sudden and extortionate spike in his purge insurance that comes just days before the purge. The rich get richer, right? Right. Up until the point that the underground bad-asses come for their asses!
Aside from political commentary, the film also has some fantastic scares, creative designs (rock on costume and prop departments!), and some really likable characters who develop throughout the story.
GHOSTBUSTERS
I loved this movie. I need to watch it as many times as I have seen the other two Ghostbusters. I love Kate McKinnon. I love that Ecto is now a hearse (seems wildly appropriate for a ghost busting vehicle). I love that they kept the logo. I love that little girls and boys now have a team of badass women to look up to. I love that the film plays with all conventions by casting a hunk of beautiful man-meat in the secretary role (although to be fair, Janine was never as brainless as Kevin). I love that almost the entire cast of Other Space made appearances in the film. I LOVE the scene with Kristin Wiig's Erin is being dragged out of a fancy restaurant screaming and crying at the Mayor. I love Kate McKinnon. I love what Paul Feig does for Melissa McCarthy on a performance level. This and Spy were so much fun and so sweet.
The cg was stylized and mesmerizing in 3d. The gags were fun, funny, and charming. I don't have anything deep or complicated to state here. I don't have any complaints other than how jarring some of the cameos were (but I kind of expected that to be honest). I just enjoyed it. And girl power! Am I right?
STAR TREK BEYOND
I really like the entire new series of Star Trek films, with and without Benedict Cumberbatch. I love Bones played by Keith Urban. I love Spock played by Zachary Quinto. I love Kirk played by Chris Pine. I love Uhura played by Zoe Saldana. I love Chekov played by Anton Yelchin. I love Sulu played by John Cho. I love Scotty played by Simon Pegg. I love it all.
And in this flick, I really love the female lead, Jaylah. She's compelling, beautiful, strong, clever and independent.
My overall opinion of this film is in keeping with my opinion of the other two. It is fun, colorful (visually and contextually), action-packed, pretty, very pretty, and smart. While I don't expect a high emotional reaction to films like this one, I do expect to be entertained. And I was.
Plus, the film created the space for a stupendously cliché moment, and basically gave the audience the bird for even thinking it would do such a thing. I loved that. Idris Elba was also, by the way, great in this!
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
Laika did it again, folks. From the masters behind Box Trolls, ParaNorman, and Coraline, comes Kubo and the Two Strings. The stop motion animation is beautiful and captivating. Laika continue to break new grounds in animation. The story is sweet, heroic, complex, and compelling. The MUSIC is phenomenal!
Here I am going to go again and tell you... if you are one of those folks who claims that nothing new and original is being made... go buy a pair of Nike shoes or go buy this movie on bluray or do both. (Nike foot some of Laika studios' costs for their films. Pun intended!)
Kubo is a new fairy tale. A NEW one. And it's beautiful!
DON'T BREATHE
Trapped in a house with a blind karate wizard master man, bitter and angry about what other people have done to him, is a bad place to be. But, it is a great premise for a film. Especially if, like me, you get claustrophobic.
Beyond the premise, the film delivers motivation for each character believable enough to have created the situation of the film. The scars got me. The tension got me. The desperation and hopelessness of the situation was felt.
My favorite part of this film was how evenly matched the main woman and the blind man were matched. She was smart, but desperate. Good scary movie if you want to be scared. And in my opinion, making someone feel scared for as long a duration as this film did a great work.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Here is another film for me wherein the characters are what endears me to it. Oh, the human/wizardy characters AND the animal ones. The beasts were indeed fantastic.
The non-heroic male figures, the somewhat diddling but proactive and vibrant female figures, the complex and distant figure of the wizard president lady, the awkward and suppressed children, they all fit into each other's story lines like weirdly shaped jigsaw puzzle pieces. Rowling knows how to write a story, no doubt about it.
My favorite part of this film is the contrast between it (where and when it is set as well as the encapsulated story) and the Harry Potter films. Most significantly, the wizards of old timey New York are much more overtly isolationist, while the Hogwarts adults work strongly against their own racism for the benefit of the children - especially those with part or all muggle parents. Racism and discrimination is still a convention of the wizard world in both films. In Fantastic Beasts, our muggle or Nomage is the affable baker, Kolwaski. He doesn't voluntarily entangle himself in the world of wizards so much as he is sort of smuggled into it by Newt (who I genuinely think needs and wants another outside friend to give him courage and perhaps even show him how to "normally" react to certain things, because I think Newt doesn't conform to social norms on all levels). Kolwaski is loved by all - in and out of the film's reality - and his story is probably the most beautiful and emotional of all the characters in the film. His role as the outsider is even more powerful than that of Harry or Hermione who both come from a different place than most of the other characters in Harry Potter, because Kolwaski ultimately, even though he is desperately in love with a wizard lady, decides not to become part of the wizard world. I feel that this choice is not out of fear or cowardice, but out of bravery. For Kolwaski, he has the option to let his wizard friends take care of him, astound him, and protect him, or he can face the world head on and make his own way. Newt undermines Kolwaski's strength of character at the end, but I believe that Kolwaski was prepared to grit his way to success if he had to. I believe that although he would not remember what he'd experienced, he knew more about his true character from the experience and had faith enough himself to carry on through his own world of struggle and make his dream of owning a bakery come true. That, to me, is what Fantastic Beasts is all about, I guess. I hadn't thought as deeply about it as this until just now... need to go re-watch this film soooooon. Also, I think I just made this my favorite Harry Potter franchise film...
MOANA
She might still have the insanely big eyes of a bratz doll, but aesthetically, Moana as a character design, takes Disney a huge step in the right direction towards all-body-type-inclusive. The film still suffers from the all-female-characters-faces-are-the-same while all-men-have-weird-and-interesting-shaped-heads problem... why is that!? It's almost like we hold women, all women, to a uniform standard of beauty, even when we are consciously trying to do the opposite.
That being said, Moana's character/personality/role is progressive. She's in line to become chief. Heck yeah! And at no point does the film make any excuse for it. It just is how it is. She isn't perfect, she isn't flawless, she can't do it all alone, but she tries, and that's awesome. Aladdin was nothing without the genie, so I have no complaints about Moana enlisting the begrudging assistance of a demi-god.
This film also made my list because, well, I am still a bit high on Lin-Manual Miranda, so...
Oh yeah, and, the tattoos on Maui are fun and a great little story device: how to say a lot without saying anything.
Actress of the Year: Amy Adams
Batman vs Superman, Arrival, and Nocturnal Animals
I felt compelled, after seeing Arrival and Nocturnal Animals, to include a top/favorite actress in my list of favorite films of 2016. Amy Adams is incredible, but you knew that already. She was the second best thing about Batman Vs Superman (second to Wonder Woman, of course), and she was the centerpiece for both Arrival and Nocturnal Animals both aesthetically and narratively.
Actor of the Year: Mads Mikkelsen
Doctor Strange and Rogue One
Because I decided to chose an actress of the year, I thought I should even things out with a bit of Mads Mikklesen. Like Amy, he was my favorite part of several films this year that weren't over-all good enough to make my list. Namely, Mads rocked the most stellar eye-make up this side of the galaxy in Doctor Strange, and he played an epic role in the new Star Wars movie. His death in that film was the most compelling part of Rogue One for me - possibly because Felicity Jones as Jyn made me actually care about him as a person and not just a plot point.
Finally, to give some context to my list, here are all the films I saw in the Theatre in 2016 (in the wrong order, but whatever):
- The Witch
- The Finest Hours
- Hail, Caesar!
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
- Deadpool
- Zootopia
- Zoolander 2
- Eddie the Eagle
- Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
- 10 Cloverfield Lane
- Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Hardcore Henry
- Captain America: Civil War
- Barbershop: The Next Cut
- Green Room
- The Jungle Book
- Keanu
- X-Men: Apocalypse
- The Nice Guys
- Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
- Me Before You
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
- The Conjuring 2
- Central Intelligence
- The BFG
- The Purge: Election Year
- Ghostbusters
- Star Trek Beyond
- Sausage Party
- Kubo and the Two Strings
- Don't Breathe
- Morgan
- Blair Witch
- The Magnificent Seven
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
- The Accountant
- Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
- Doctor Strange
- Arrival
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Moana
- Allied
- Nocturnal Animals
- Lights Out
- Rogue One
- Assassin's Creed
- imp man 3
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Fog
after the fog cleared
they found and empty school bus
in a cranberry bog
a woman wrapped in a shrub
found three unlit cigarettes
though she'd only dropped two
and a small dog got the upper hand
on the neighborhood bully
the dalmation from number 8.
it was a dense fog.
they found and empty school bus
in a cranberry bog
a woman wrapped in a shrub
found three unlit cigarettes
though she'd only dropped two
and a small dog got the upper hand
on the neighborhood bully
the dalmation from number 8.
it was a dense fog.
Thursday, December 08, 2016
lean into gratitude
lean into gratitude is an expression gifted to many by the late Kathleen Burkhalter. if you knew Kathleen, you likely already understand the value of the phrase. for those of you in the world who missed her, she was the most genuinely accepting person i have ever known. she opened her arms, her home, and her heart to everyone.
i miss her. i cannot imagine how severely her dear husband, David, and her six beautiful children - Mercy, JM, Ana-Maria, Seraphina, Kiko, and Rosie - must miss her every moment. but, i feel so grateful that i had a chance to tell Kathleen just how powerful her message was for me. i miss her, but i feel grateful for her. i lean into gratitude.
it gives me strength.
lean into gratitude has a similar meaning to the phrase "look on the bright side". but what happens when you lean instead of just look?
to look means to picture, to imagine, to watch from afar.
to lean means to acknowledge, to accept, and to use positivity for support.
it gives me so much strength. it forces me to know what i am grateful for instead of simply imagine. for me, it makes gratitude and positivity real. it makes gratitude and positivity something i can use to take action.
like a sail leaning against the wind.
lean into gratitude also offers a delicate balance. to lean, not to fall, not to engulf, but to lean. to hold yourself up with the help of gratitude. this powerful phrase allows me to stand and be strong with support of my thankfulness.
perhaps someone else could articulate the phrase's meaning better, but i offer this as an explanation of how i have felt for the last month, and an explanation of how i have coped with much over the last month without collapsing, as hard as it has been.
i miss her. i cannot imagine how severely her dear husband, David, and her six beautiful children - Mercy, JM, Ana-Maria, Seraphina, Kiko, and Rosie - must miss her every moment. but, i feel so grateful that i had a chance to tell Kathleen just how powerful her message was for me. i miss her, but i feel grateful for her. i lean into gratitude.
it gives me strength.
lean into gratitude has a similar meaning to the phrase "look on the bright side". but what happens when you lean instead of just look?
to look means to picture, to imagine, to watch from afar.
to lean means to acknowledge, to accept, and to use positivity for support.
it gives me so much strength. it forces me to know what i am grateful for instead of simply imagine. for me, it makes gratitude and positivity real. it makes gratitude and positivity something i can use to take action.
like a sail leaning against the wind.
lean into gratitude also offers a delicate balance. to lean, not to fall, not to engulf, but to lean. to hold yourself up with the help of gratitude. this powerful phrase allows me to stand and be strong with support of my thankfulness.
perhaps someone else could articulate the phrase's meaning better, but i offer this as an explanation of how i have felt for the last month, and an explanation of how i have coped with much over the last month without collapsing, as hard as it has been.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Nathan
I have this friend. I know for a fact that he considers me a friend.
His name is Nathan, but his friends call him Nate.
His grandmother invented Oreos. They are a secret family recipe, you see.
Even though I have known Nate for a while, I don't know where he lives. No one else seems to know, either.
Sometimes he goes to Maine. Thinking about it now, I am not sure where in Maine he goes.
He goes there to speak to animals.
Nate speaks to people the way they speak to him. Short, quiet sentences or long, excited sentences. He can make any type of sentence.
He is an old, wise wizard in his youth. Nathan the Wizard.
it has been 18 days since leonard cohen died.
His name is Nathan, but his friends call him Nate.
His grandmother invented Oreos. They are a secret family recipe, you see.
Even though I have known Nate for a while, I don't know where he lives. No one else seems to know, either.
Sometimes he goes to Maine. Thinking about it now, I am not sure where in Maine he goes.
He goes there to speak to animals.
Nate speaks to people the way they speak to him. Short, quiet sentences or long, excited sentences. He can make any type of sentence.
He is an old, wise wizard in his youth. Nathan the Wizard.
it has been 18 days since leonard cohen died.
Friday, November 11, 2016
2 minutes
for 2 minutes every morning
i let my toothbrush do the work
let the bristles vibrate the plaque
off my tea stained teeth
and i think about cleaning
the grim off the door
about one foot off the ground
where the cats rub their cheeks
and i think about whether
i should have responded to that
facebook post about abortion laws
or if should have let it be
and i think about your voice
and how much more i like
the words on the page
and how guilty i feel about that
and i think about all the extra calories
that i should have said no to the day before
and then my tooth brush stops
the built in 2 minute timer is up
and those three teeth
that i mindlessly held my brush to
are really clean.
it has been 1 day since Leonard Cohen died. i think i will be okay.
i let my toothbrush do the work
let the bristles vibrate the plaque
off my tea stained teeth
and i think about cleaning
the grim off the door
about one foot off the ground
where the cats rub their cheeks
and i think about whether
i should have responded to that
facebook post about abortion laws
or if should have let it be
and i think about your voice
and how much more i like
the words on the page
and how guilty i feel about that
and i think about all the extra calories
that i should have said no to the day before
and then my tooth brush stops
the built in 2 minute timer is up
and those three teeth
that i mindlessly held my brush to
are really clean.
it has been 1 day since Leonard Cohen died. i think i will be okay.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
day zero
the lights are going out
clink. clink.
i don't know how to make them stop
clink.
clink.
today, Leonard Cohen died.
clink. clink.
i don't know how to make them stop
clink.
clink.
today, Leonard Cohen died.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
pri(s)m
the way the cat sees it
the fractured light
is an erratic and chaotic
intruder through which
irradiation is only achieved
through diligent and aggressive attack
to yield the desired dispersion
of the light creatures.
strange though it might seem
that the efforts by the cat
, no matter how fierce,
take exactly the same amount of time
as it takes the sun to move
from ground to sky and back again.
the fractured light
is an erratic and chaotic
intruder through which
irradiation is only achieved
through diligent and aggressive attack
to yield the desired dispersion
of the light creatures.
strange though it might seem
that the efforts by the cat
, no matter how fierce,
take exactly the same amount of time
as it takes the sun to move
from ground to sky and back again.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
interesting things you can do with sandwiches
a poem for MeeSherr
there are many things you can do
with sandwiches, but
there are only so many things
exclusively interesting
interesting without being gross
or childish or contrary
pure interesting is a talent
a special skill, honed
by those with love for the craft
and dedication to their work.
it may seem interesting
to put a sandwich under your bed
but most beds harbor dust
and fuzzy carpet
this is gross.
would you eat a furry sandwich?
it may seem interesting
to cut off the crusts and carve
your sandwich into fun shapes
like dinosaurs or hearts
but children do this to their food;
therefore, it lacks the exclusive allure
of being interesting simply
by being interesting.
it may seem interesting
to put chips in your sandwich
and it does taste great if your chips
are delicious and they go
with the flavor of your sandwich
but how many people have to do it
before it is no longer that interesting?
it may seem interesting
to substitute your bread with other foods
like lettuce or waffles
depending on your diet,
but we have seen this done
by large food chains now,
and so the interest is disappearing.
so how can one be truly interesting
and do interesting things with a sandwich?
perhaps the most interesting thing
one can do with a sandwich
is be completely normal with it.
there are many things you can do
with sandwiches, but
there are only so many things
exclusively interesting
interesting without being gross
or childish or contrary
pure interesting is a talent
a special skill, honed
by those with love for the craft
and dedication to their work.
it may seem interesting
to put a sandwich under your bed
but most beds harbor dust
and fuzzy carpet
this is gross.
would you eat a furry sandwich?
it may seem interesting
to cut off the crusts and carve
your sandwich into fun shapes
like dinosaurs or hearts
but children do this to their food;
therefore, it lacks the exclusive allure
of being interesting simply
by being interesting.
it may seem interesting
to put chips in your sandwich
and it does taste great if your chips
are delicious and they go
with the flavor of your sandwich
but how many people have to do it
before it is no longer that interesting?
it may seem interesting
to substitute your bread with other foods
like lettuce or waffles
depending on your diet,
but we have seen this done
by large food chains now,
and so the interest is disappearing.
so how can one be truly interesting
and do interesting things with a sandwich?
perhaps the most interesting thing
one can do with a sandwich
is be completely normal with it.
her story
sitting down outside drinking something
hot from a paper cup
an old woman
skin like chocolate bark
except for pink fingertips
and white scar tissue
in the shape of a clover
under her right eye
you want to know what happened
curiosity tingles, motivates
you ask nicely
what happened to her
she doesn't look at you
she gets up
she walks away
like she never saw you
...
shrug it off. she's old.
maybe she's def?
hot from a paper cup
an old woman
skin like chocolate bark
except for pink fingertips
and white scar tissue
in the shape of a clover
under her right eye
you want to know what happened
curiosity tingles, motivates
you ask nicely
what happened to her
she doesn't look at you
she gets up
she walks away
like she never saw you
...
shrug it off. she's old.
maybe she's def?
Monday, September 05, 2016
how they met
they could have grown up together
and shared a short walk to the bus stop each morning
until he learned to drive and honked his horn
when he passed her, to make her jump every morning
until she started anticipating it with a middle finger
and a forgiving smile.
but there are many ways they could have met...
they could have gotten trapped in the same
broken elevator, or under the same awning
during a torrential rain.
they could have passed each other
for hundreds of days on the street
smiling each time, maybe wishing each other
a happy holidays or a sheepish wave
until one day he gives her a carnation
that he stole from the open front shop
around the corner.
they could have tried to adopt the same dog
or reached for the same jug of milk.
and shared a short walk to the bus stop each morning
until he learned to drive and honked his horn
when he passed her, to make her jump every morning
until she started anticipating it with a middle finger
and a forgiving smile.
but there are many ways they could have met...
they could have gotten trapped in the same
broken elevator, or under the same awning
during a torrential rain.
they could have passed each other
for hundreds of days on the street
smiling each time, maybe wishing each other
a happy holidays or a sheepish wave
until one day he gives her a carnation
that he stole from the open front shop
around the corner.
they could have tried to adopt the same dog
or reached for the same jug of milk.
Monday, August 29, 2016
Saturday, July 09, 2016
at the stern
leant over the rails
at the stern
of the passenger vessel
bound for an unbound land
lush with hope and rich
with the stentch of opportunity
there she was
hair wafting in tandum
with the windsocks
admiring the wake of the ship
the back of her dress
constantly threatening
to reveal some flesh
unintended for peeping passenger
the girl at the stern
is the only one thinking
about the world left behind
at the stern
of the passenger vessel
bound for an unbound land
lush with hope and rich
with the stentch of opportunity
there she was
hair wafting in tandum
with the windsocks
admiring the wake of the ship
the back of her dress
constantly threatening
to reveal some flesh
unintended for peeping passenger
the girl at the stern
is the only one thinking
about the world left behind
Monday, June 06, 2016
stinger
I am stuck on an impossible idea
which is typical, at least for me
and not just an idea of impossible measure
but a mud-caked wreck of an impossible concept
lovers of O'Hara will appreciate the risk
of ending up in a knot of an unpunctuated triptych
it simply cannot happen
it cannot be formed into something you see
in a world where you are the most possible
the impossible flutters around you like a bee in heat
and it never lands.
Wednesday, June 01, 2016
the mark
hard to hide it from some. those who know you already, those who think they do.
when all of a sudden
you start treating someone
someone you just met
like you've never treated anyone
before.
hard to hide it. because they know you.
they know the mark.
when all of a sudden
you start treating someone
someone you just met
like you've never treated anyone
before.
hard to hide it. because they know you.
they know the mark.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
a planet with long views
IMPROMPTU #7
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
The Prompt
The Brazilian poet Manuel Bandeira created the cento “Anthology” (see below) using lines from his own poems, instead of employing the traditional method of cento-construction (in which you build a poem entirely out of lines from other people’s poems). Following his example, write a cento that is a self-portrait, or anthology of your life, utilizing lines and fragments from your own work.
Or, alternatively, create a “self-portrait” cento using lines and fragments from
- other people’s poems (the traditional method), or
- song lyrics, or
- prose (fiction and/or nonfiction)
The Poem
dan woke up
he is six years old
and he lives in a house with two cats
humans built the kitchen
bacon, eggs, mushrooms,
whipped cream, earl grey
she made them all
some elderly woman
every sunday afternoon at 5am
down the road ben woke up
to find his kitchen in a cloud of bread flour
Muriel and Beatrice created this great blizzard
they called it a donut shop
outside, three teenagers pulled beets
from the garden
they dreamt of opening a tapas bar
and calling it Norman's
a curious neighborhood
from the cats' perspectives
but the raccoons paid no attention.
Saturday, April 09, 2016
Greater
IMPOMPTU #5
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
The Prompt
Ok, here’s the prompt: pick a song that you find dynamic. Track its moves. Try to replicate that movement with a poem.
The Process
Sarah's awesome prompt is... well, very involved. I am taking a baby step towards the goal, by taking a song's lyrics and replacing them. I asked my husband to pick a song. He chose "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" by Weezer.... I am translated part of the song.
The Poem
Greater
I fit to keep it neat like I just won't dance
But soon you'll be stitching in a signature
We're like a team with a magical dream
I howl like a wolf when You fill the moon
You get the moon and I get the ground
We've had the plot to take on the world
We've taken this all the way
and Curse on them for trying to take us down
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
The Prompt
Ok, here’s the prompt: pick a song that you find dynamic. Track its moves. Try to replicate that movement with a poem.
The Process
Sarah's awesome prompt is... well, very involved. I am taking a baby step towards the goal, by taking a song's lyrics and replacing them. I asked my husband to pick a song. He chose "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" by Weezer.... I am translated part of the song.
The Poem
Greater
I fit to keep it neat like I just won't dance
But soon you'll be stitching in a signature
We're like a team with a magical dream
I howl like a wolf when You fill the moon
You get the moon and I get the ground
We've had the plot to take on the world
We've taken this all the way
and Curse on them for trying to take us down
Thursday, April 07, 2016
retraction
IMPOMPTU #6
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
One of the Prompts9.
Write a prose poem of five sentences. The first sentence should include a pronoun ( not “I”) doing something that itself includes an image/object. The 2nd sentence should have a different pronoun doing something else with the same image/object. The 3rd sentence should be a statement about this image/object. For the 4th sentence, write a simile that is unrelated. In the 5th, use “I” and relate part of the simile to the original statement. I know this all sounds rather clinical, but here by way of example is one I wrote:
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
One of the Prompts9.
Write a prose poem of five sentences. The first sentence should include a pronoun ( not “I”) doing something that itself includes an image/object. The 2nd sentence should have a different pronoun doing something else with the same image/object. The 3rd sentence should be a statement about this image/object. For the 4th sentence, write a simile that is unrelated. In the 5th, use “I” and relate part of the simile to the original statement. I know this all sounds rather clinical, but here by way of example is one I wrote:
The Problem
A woman accidentally walks into the men’s room. A man deliberately walks into the women’s room. I don’t believe in dialectics but abide by them nonetheless. It is like a painting of someone sheathing a sword. The problem is it is also like a painting of someone unsheathing a sword.
The Poem
we retracted the comments about the fish. they took the fish back anyway. the fish was not what was asked for. it was like getting a futon instead of a table. I wouldn't know what to do with it, I already have a bed and a couch.
Tuesday, April 05, 2016
wonder market for monsters
IMPOMPTU #4
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
Prompt: WordBlocks
Words have multiple meanings. Meanings have multiple words. I think of wordblocks as a single-word stand-in to express multiple meanings, or an ambiguity of meanings. I use them in my writing all the time, and often generate them as a warm-up exercise before I write.
See Examples Given Here
so i made this thing....
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
Prompt: WordBlocks
Words have multiple meanings. Meanings have multiple words. I think of wordblocks as a single-word stand-in to express multiple meanings, or an ambiguity of meanings. I use them in my writing all the time, and often generate them as a warm-up exercise before I write.
- Write a word.
- Make a list of other words that are related to this word, in meaning or in spelling.
- Combine these words into one wordblock sharing letters. (See pictures for example)
- Keep rearranging, adding, or subtracting words until you have a wordblock you like aesthetically both visually, and linguistically. A wordblock rarely looks great on the first try. Wordblocks have vast potential both handwritten, and typeset either digitally or with moveable letterpress type.
- Your wordblock can stand alone as a one-word poem, or be placed in a sentence. Try stringing multiple word blocks together. The result is a sentence that provides multiple ways to navigate it.
so i made this thing....
Monday, April 04, 2016
L A N G U A G E
IMPOMPTU #3
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
Prompt
Stare at a word until the letters start to discorporate. You will find that letter cohesion, the letter glue that keeps letters stuck inside a word, is disrupted and dissolves. Fragments of letters will dislodge too. You are then free to visually interpret or document the life of letters outside their word existence as loosely or succinctly as possible.
L A N G U A G E
language
languish language language languish land squish land switch
i immediately heard the word language. and i immediately heard the limitations in it.
i only know how to say thank you in seven languages. there is so much more to learn.
learn language. learn limits.
and our learning has limits and our length has breath. and this too is in the language of things.
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
Prompt
Stare at a word until the letters start to discorporate. You will find that letter cohesion, the letter glue that keeps letters stuck inside a word, is disrupted and dissolves. Fragments of letters will dislodge too. You are then free to visually interpret or document the life of letters outside their word existence as loosely or succinctly as possible.
L A N G U A G E
language
languish language language languish land squish land switch
i immediately heard the word language. and i immediately heard the limitations in it.
i only know how to say thank you in seven languages. there is so much more to learn.
learn language. learn limits.
and our learning has limits and our length has breath. and this too is in the language of things.
Sunday, April 03, 2016
Letter from the Illuminati
IMPROMPTU #2
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
The Prompt
This prompt is modeled after that project. You can start with any piece of junk mail or advertising, or any legal document or bureaucratic form (it’s tax time!). Choose a few sentences. Remove the nouns. Replace them with:
Note
My husband and I just renewed a particular policy. Can you guess what kind of policy from the poem? ....
LETTER FROM THE ILLUMINATI
With respect to the Majority,
You may claim that abandonment benefits loss.
You may call your local House.
But you have Selected.
So now you have Reflected?
You cause Volcanic Eruptions to Damage us?
To expect your best is your business.
Only your obligation is our priority.
And you will Pay your Share
when we pay for the glass roof and hidden rot.
This was made clear upon signing. You have already
Paid in Full.
Your obligation and Your risk, these are our Delight.
We know You will renew your policy.
Thank you.
The Trampoline Dog of Law
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
The Prompt
This prompt is modeled after that project. You can start with any piece of junk mail or advertising, or any legal document or bureaucratic form (it’s tax time!). Choose a few sentences. Remove the nouns. Replace them with:
- words from a poem you’ve abandoned
- words from one or more poems you love (by anyone, yourself included)
- any other source that works
Note
My husband and I just renewed a particular policy. Can you guess what kind of policy from the poem? ....
With respect to the Majority,
You may claim that abandonment benefits loss.
You may call your local House.
But you have Selected.
So now you have Reflected?
You cause Volcanic Eruptions to Damage us?
To expect your best is your business.
Only your obligation is our priority.
And you will Pay your Share
when we pay for the glass roof and hidden rot.
This was made clear upon signing. You have already
Paid in Full.
Your obligation and Your risk, these are our Delight.
We know You will renew your policy.
Thank you.
The Trampoline Dog of Law
Friday, April 01, 2016
--REFORMERS--
IMPROMPTU #1
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
the prompt:
with the Found Poetry Review for National Poetry Month
the prompt:
the pages:
the remainders:
work done is by master. eleven were in on the government. according to the mechanic undergoing storm assembling. complete steam undergoing repairs and work and work and two and thirty-two repairs machinery. found all the coal approximately. making consumption. all used for the power. at the three men, one man, each man acting. were during making the consumption total water. to which chargeable. consumption, adjustment, attention, the end. adjustment, the attention, which the government of the occasion of country. enough has to end in view, the three big indicated in this. and need is this and need as now the whole is necessary as to quick unhealthy. healthy if the interests changes are going change. country government will be through the community. some will be merely the methods. minds need and goods we keep. heads and these things in a little army. the task of everybody out by labor four asked the government the sum. press principle in the construction for construction for operation. for made in construction the dock state. France sailed from France the two other. the battleship and five peace of powers is remains until in and terms to second this determination to press the past will wagon. funds for operation a necessary expenditure for the country. line is as a remedy for the slow when the refund to consequence expiration of the resolution without excuse is urged to present aid. to secure government, government between a necessary and improving condition based on that than any to know wagon and government. bad and by during stormy November. cleared in the week.
the poem:
work done well is by a master.
eleven were in on the government. according to the mechanic --
which is undergoing stormproof assembling.
complete. reformers steam ahead. undergoing repairs
and work and work and work and work and two and thirty-two repairs --
machinery work. or so they found all the coal --
approximately.
making consumption for government. all used for the power.
at the three men, one man, each man acting.
as if power were working.
were making the consumption total.
to which the men are chargeable.
consumption, adjustment, attention, --
the end. adjustment, the attention,
unto which the government --
of the occasion of country
is enough and has the end in view.
the three big indications in this.
is this and need --
as now the whole is necessary
as to quick unhealthy.
healthy if the interests of men
change and are going to change for good.
country government will be through the community.
some men will be merely become the methods.
government minds need --
and goods men keep.
heads and these things --
as in a little army -- these are the tasks of everybody --
out by labor.
four asked the government
the sum. press principle --
in the construction for construction
for operation. for made in construction --
the dock state of France
sailed from France to the two others.
the battleship and five peace of powers
remains until --
in and of terms to second this determination
to press the past will of men like a wagon.
funds for operation are a necessary expenditure --
for the country. line is as a remedy --
for the slow when the refund to consequence expiration --
of the resolution without excuse
is urged to present aid.
to secure government,
government between a necessary and improving --
condition
based on that which more than any
to know the will of men as if by wagon --
and government.
bad and by doing so during a stormy November.
but cleared in the week.
the notes:
upon lifitng the text, i inserted my own punctuation, namely the period. in the manifestation of the text as a poem, words were added to benefit the narrative, and breaks were added to benefit the breath. as this is my first erasure piece, and outside my comfort zone, as it were, i brought the content into familiarity via couplets, of which i am very comfortable.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
crow
i watched a crow
move in a spiral
from the outside
of the cul-du-sac
to the center where
it spun in place
before burring its beak
in discarded candy
that had been buried
under snow
since Halloween.
move in a spiral
from the outside
of the cul-du-sac
to the center where
it spun in place
before burring its beak
in discarded candy
that had been buried
under snow
since Halloween.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
surely
molded to a dress, to a belief,
to an event, and to a legacy.
from the outside, a statue
of perfection, but on the inside
surely
butterflies flutter out of control
however fueled by certain conviction
in a vow, she would not waiver.
because her vow lasts longer
than a moment.
to an event, and to a legacy.
from the outside, a statue
of perfection, but on the inside
surely
butterflies flutter out of control
however fueled by certain conviction
in a vow, she would not waiver.
because her vow lasts longer
than a moment.
revolution
once around
all the gears are in motion
lubricated against grinding
so the sound of creation
is cool. you can hear the hum.
once again
the gears are getting older.
with every revolution
they lose some of their iron
and the teeth don't fit as neatly together.
once around again
the pieces don't fit well enough
to justify them any more
so they are replaced by new,
younger pieces.
and the revolutions begin anew. repeating themselves. around. and around again.
all the gears are in motion
lubricated against grinding
so the sound of creation
is cool. you can hear the hum.
once again
the gears are getting older.
with every revolution
they lose some of their iron
and the teeth don't fit as neatly together.
once around again
the pieces don't fit well enough
to justify them any more
so they are replaced by new,
younger pieces.
and the revolutions begin anew. repeating themselves. around. and around again.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Monday, December 07, 2015
heart rate rounder
fit to the flow
fix to the follow up
lips up
close
closer
heart rate running
rampant
risk of failure
rumbling in your chest
churn
churning
don't take your time
speed up
stretch
the lips
until they touch
heart
beat
met
fix to the follow up
lips up
close
closer
heart rate running
rampant
risk of failure
rumbling in your chest
churn
churning
don't take your time
speed up
stretch
the lips
until they touch
heart
beat
met
Monday, October 19, 2015
on Los Angeles
kale and avocado crazy;
it's in the ice cream,
on every plate;
and all the cats here
work for the cops.
it's in the ice cream,
on every plate;
and all the cats here
work for the cops.
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