Noir Santa Claus
Trail of Tears
Visiting family.
My eight-year-old nephew
and I both studying
the Choctaw.
the pursuit of happiness
thoughts of suicide make me happy
nice to know there's a way out
even if I don't take that exit route just yet
glad to know it's there
I Dreamed Goth Shaun Cassidy Saved Me From All the Sexists and Rapists
I dreamed goth Shaun Cassidy saved me from all the sexists and rapists.
But it was only a dream…only a dream…
Two Poems: She Said; He Said
She said, “Why are you wasting your time?”
As if all there was to it
was making a good deal.
Closing the deal.
Completing the con.
Finding New Ways to Create | Body Passages Series: Poetry and Dance Collaborations
From conversations with the collaborators and curators, especially Jeanette (Jae) Green, Sara Maslanka, and Natasha Mijares, I was able to gain more insights into the interconnectedness of poetry and dance and the collaborative, creative process.
The Best Book About Suicide I Ever Read
Being suicidal is part of my personality. I’ve written funny suicide poems and more serious suicide poems… oh, what the hell, they’re always funny to me, unless they’re not. Really, just writing it down makes it manageable and puts it in perspective. Makes me realize my worldview is so full of doom and gloom, it’s actually funny. Like an emo or goth who is actually a clown.
Love Curse — Part VII
I’M GLAD THAT CHANDELIER FELL ON ME. Ironically, for someone named Hope, I sure didn't have any—hope, that is. I had a cynical vision of my future with hubby Phillip.
I’m a Fool for You, Baby
We love as much, as well
as we are able, imperfect,
broken, yet doing
the best that we can,
which isn’t very good
at all.
I Hate You Because I Love You
Living with you is constant emotional pain.
I can't tell if you're passive-aggressive or stupid or both.
I Fall in Love with Difficult People
I fall in love with difficult people.
I can't help it. Anyone who is easily
angered, easily bothered, quick to fight,
quick to hold a grudge, I find
utterly fascinating, charming.
I Want Someone to See What is Good in Me
Some say we are all sinners
I don’t believe in sin
Don’t believe in God either
But Laawwdd I know I’m not perfect
though I try to be
every day as I struggle to get out of bed
make my way
get through the day
On Aggressive Countering: NPR, Kessler, and Challenging the Garbage
Often I’m reminded of this quote from Yeats’ “The Second Coming”: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst/ Are full of passionate intensity.”
The smart people will ponder and contemplate and collect information and second guess themselves and hold their tongues while the stupid people dominate the public conversation.
Freedom and Truth
I'd rather be truthful than cheerful.
I'd rather have a monkey on my back than be one
Voting Feels Like Date Rape
“You should have known he was a liar and a manipulator.
How stupid are you?
Can’t you tell a liar and a manipulator and a charmer
when you see one?”
Too Much Fun
Passed out early this morning
with a stranger's (new friend's?)
cum on my face,
after drinking too much whiskey,
talking too much,
staying out until
the wee hours of the morning.
Know Your Rights
It’s a free country, right? It’s a free country, right?
I can do whatever I want, be whatever I want,
say whatever I want, shoot whomever I want,
live wherever I want, die however I want.
It’s a free country, right? It’s a free country, right?
Chicago Pride
The 49th annual Chicago Pride Parade is tomorrow, Sunday, June 24. The parade starts at noon at Broadway and Montrose. The international theme is "REMEMBER the PAST, CREATE the FUTURE.”
Dad
You called me "rebel with a cause.”
#MyChicagoBookstore Adventures on Independent Bookstore Day, Part 3
I swear I do not binge-shop all the time. But in a sense it’s a good thing, because it means I found a lot of books that were interesting to me. It’s good to be interested in something. Also, they have super good deals and discounts at Open Books. And their sales support their literacy programs.
...that the act of taking photos of yourself is the height of vapid stupidity and unchecked vanity. I wanna see a picture someone else took of you looking like a fresh bag of shit. Then I can know who you are.