WORDS SWIMMING UPSTREAM

Our second reading of the season was an hour of power with two
wonderful poets, Marie Ponsot and Shanna Compton.
Marie read the poem below and was nice enough to let
us post it on our li'l ol' website!
She said it's about the President. She's so cool.

Opinion Is Not Observation

When lions scream I shrink and try
head-tilted distractions. I devise
witty games until what wit supplies
shocks my vanity. My wincing eyes
un-lion the screamer as I rise
and see that what vanoty disgusied
meows domestic and recognized:
a sick cat, not lion but lionized—
a coward (like me) quite small (my size).

This was one of Shanna's poems from the evening.
Her rapid fire delivery kicked our butts and blew us away.

We've Secretly Replaced Your Blank

your vodka your aisle seat your pillow
your in-flight your reading light your ice rings

with overhead with occupied with Nicole and
with Lake Erie with Lake Michigan with sailboats

your key card your press pass your doorman
your hotel your motel your cab ride

with plane drunk and dance drunk and drunk dials
with Daphne and Jonah and Marion

your bad ear your good eye your blogged mind
your mai tai your pencils your boxed books

with mouthwash with business cards with sticky tabs
with grocery lists with phone bills with Tom Hop

your dial-up your panel room your dance hall
your coffee cups your lipstick with Meghan

with deep-dish with notebook with swizzle
with carefree with surcharge with whistle

your haircuts your molé your escalators
your hot links your centos, sestinas

with Joshua with Vincent with Jordan
with iPods with bookbags with kisses

your rivered hills your widowshades your seatbelt sign
your laptop your headrest your turbulence

with damp towels with toothbrush with beer steins
with all the emotional animals

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