City of Blinding Lights

more ties being cut as the jay-oh-bee continues to get used to life without me. about a year and a half back, i was really going for this other job here in the city. went through three interviews and it finally boiled down to me and someone else. of course the someone else got the job which was a let down but it really gave me a new appreciation for what i do.

most days, i feel like a glorified furniture mover or a real articulate baby sitter around here. now i am seeing the look on peoples face when i tell me that i am at t-minus 20 days before i bounce from here and its a welcome look of appreciation and “damn, we are going to miss you” ok, not everybody feels like that just the people who i like ;-)

this monday is the anniversary show at 13 and, for all i know, this could be my last spotlight moment at “louderARTS:the reading series” *new name. dont ask*
it should be mad fun. i think ima do about b-boys. its relatively short which means i can take my sweet ass time delivering it. me thinks i will seriously memorize it in the next few days which means i get to bust out the pen and paper and write that shit down till i can see it in my sleep. yes, in the course of memorizing poems i have lullabyed mahself to sleep with them and had them greet me in the morning.

boy, i sure did leap from my work to 13 in an awkward leap. uhmm, lets do it again

it sure was fun being in the audience at tuesdays acentos show. i spent the first half of the show in the farthest edge of el teatro bouncing between listening (lemme say that i am really diggin where gabriel huallanca is going with his work and would sure love to be around to hear more of his poems) and clowning (“and away WE go!” you have to say it in the bugs bunny looney tunes voice) but mostly just chilling. nice thing about anniversary shows– seein old friends. its even better when you can actually talk to them for more than two seconds.

next leap.

im gonna be on WBAI wednesday morning with eliel lucero. i think this may be eliel’s first time on live radio so that should prove to be fun. based on the run down of the show, i may just go with the same set i dropped at acentos.
– Paying the Toll
– Anything to Declare?
– Ode to Mario Moreno Reyes
the last one being a new piece i wrote about an hour before the event. this piece is lending itself to sonnet form so ima go down that road as i edit it down.

more leaps as i have to finish the funding request i’ve spent most of the day workin on. so i leave you with this…

City of Blinding Lights

The more you see the less you know
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then than I do now

Neon heart dayglo eyes
A city lit by fireflies
They’re advertising in the skies
For people like us

And I miss you when you’re not around
I’m getting ready to leave the ground….

Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Don’t look before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph
Flash bulbs purple irises
The camera can’t see

I’ve seen you walk unafraid
I’ve seen you in the clothes you made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?

And I miss you when you’re not around
I’m getting ready to leave the ground

Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Time… time
Won’t leave me as I am
But time won’t take the boy out of this man

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

The more you know the less you feel
Some pray for others steal
Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel… luckily

Lyrics- Bono
Music- U2

Perspective

in an homage of sorts (translation: blatant rip off) to the new Point of View ads from HSB Banks and to re-examine the difference between “labels” and “titles” in my literary world. i will be posting a series of comparative pics of different poets and how they are viewed. feel free to agree or disgree with the point of view, i would love to hear your thoughts.

PERSPECTIVE: PABLO NERUDA


Political Activist

Romantic Poet

Romantic Poet

Political Activist

paparazzi literati

IMG_1763ask and ye shall receive. not long after i post about the website i get some pics from peter dressel for the site. nice!

a few weeks back we all got together for a group shot/promo pics/shenanigans. after some back and forth, we were told to show up at a gorgeous sexy loft (uhhmm- where have i heard that phrase before? ding!) at the ungodly time of 10am on a sunday morning. sweet hey-zeus of the goya food section! amazingly enough, just about everyone showed up on time. not so amazing when you factor in that pete is THE photog of the new york city poetry scene and is part alchemist with a twist of plastic surgeon– he makes all of us look that good!

as you can tell when you look through these pics; i had a damn good time. ah yeah, the inside joke bell is ringing loud and clear through all these photos.

here is a sample and you find the rest here. off to califas…

IMG_1902 IMG_1601 IMG_1520