Posted in Writing, tagged COVID, modern poetry, Poetry, vaccine on 10 Jun 2021| 9 Comments »
It is not a needle.
It is not a syringe
It is a key
that fits my front door
but now that I have it
will I use it?
Am I ready
to leave my distanced redoubt?
Is my unmasked heart prepared
to trust those I meet?
I cannot say
but the key turns
the dust-dry tumblers
the bolt withdraws
the door creaks open
I squint at the sun
of a different year
smell the aromas
of an unmapped summer
hear the surf noise
of my lifeblood’s anticipation
and I step outside
Posted in Creativity, tagged friendship, modern poetry, Poetry, righteous on 13 May 2021| Leave a Comment »
In the space
Between their words
They stand
Wondering
How they arrived
At this hollow space
Where neither
Can see the other
Where friendship
Rimed with hoar
No longer warms
Both captive
To their own
Righteousness
k
Posted in Writing, tagged #amwriting, modern poetry, Poetry, short fiction, vignettes, Writing on 11 Mar 2021| 3 Comments »
Fingers deep in waking earth
clearing ferns from wintry somnolence
Their feathered, spiked, serrate fronds
release spores in ochre clouds
Raindrops drum my hat brim
enthusiastic paradiddles of spring
Hands set blade to swordleaf
trimming old stems and rusted detritus
From the center I lift accreted duff
revealing curls, verdant and sleepy
Nestled in that fiddlehead crown
is the confidence of rebirth
Hope is spring’s eternal gift
a promise of life
and all it contains
Posted in Politics, Writing, tagged acab, binary thinking, critical thinking, Poetry, prejudice on 11 Feb 2021| Leave a Comment »
I do not believe
. . . that all cops are bastards
. . . that all pharmacists want us sick
. . . that all lawyers are heartless
. . . that all Republicans are stupid
. . . that all Democrats are socialists
. . . that all conservatives are evil
. . . that all progressives are anarchists
. . . that all Blacks are criminals
. . . that all Whites are racists
. . . that all Arabs are terrorists
. . . that all Hispanics are gangsters
. . . that all men are pigs
. . . that all women are bitches
The world is greyer than this
Much, much greyer than this
On these points
And a million other ways
Thinking so
Denies
Everything
Posted in Culture, Writing, tagged Poetry, RBG, SCOTUS, SQL on 24 Sep 2020| Leave a Comment »
SELECT Intelligence, Knowledge_of_Law, Dignity, Determination AS GRIT, Strength AS RESOLVE, Empathy, Insight FROM SCOTUS_Requirements INNER JOIN Virtues LEFT JOIN Womens_Rights LEFT JOIN Equal_Treatment WHERE Moniker = 'Notorious' AND Initials = 'RGB';
*Yes, yes, I know this isn’t strict SQL.
Poetic license and all.
Posted in Creativity, Writing, tagged creative writing, modern poetry, Poetry, vignettes on 04 Dec 2019| 3 Comments »
Today
I celebrate an age
I never thought I’d see
and reflect on those moments
when my river’s course
was shifted from its banks
by
arrivals
departures
separations
reunions
by decisions
to love
to hate
to forgive
to survive
Today,
I am the sum of
every decision
every event
every question
every answer
But that sum is fluid
affected by even
the smallest breeze
the least drop of rain
For even now
as these words pass
before your eyes
you join me
in my story
and change
the tally
of my life
Posted in Writing, tagged caravan, creative writing, immigration, modern poetry, Poetry, short story, vignettes on 13 Aug 2019| 4 Comments »
August, without a doubt, is my least favorite month. It’s when the garden starts to pant and parch, spiders build massive obstacle courses in the yard, fruit goes from unripe green to fuzzy grey within minutes, and wildfire smoke descends to choke our skies, our lungs, our eyes.
And this August, it’s also when a “great” idea for a bit of topical poetry falls totally flat. (more…)
Kurt R.A. Giambastiani 