Original Poems I

(The following poem is a Where I Am From poem)

"I Know Where I've Been"

I am from laptop computers,
from Apple and micro-bites.
I am from the that house four feet from the road
(loud, dangerous, grungy smell of gravel)
I am from the lilies, the tall green grass.

I am from TV Tuesdays and grand stature,
from Bill and Harlow.
I am from the lets-not-talk-but-yell
and the procrastinators,
from the stop fighting with your siblings
and go clean your room.
I am from the son, father and the holy spirit.
Amen.

I am from Belleview and Ireland,
pasta with rich meat sauce and french toast.
From the nickels my grandfather pulled out of my ear,
the squeals we would make in relation to his magic,
and the intelligence of such a great man.
I am from the memory bins,
lying deep within my drawer
underneath my television, laptop, and micro-bites.

(The following poem is a concrete poem)

"Bounce"

Bounce!

In the air, 10 feet high

I say “bounce!” as high as you can

Swift, strong arms thrust the rubber ball

To the ground, and the ball just does as it was told

The ball always does and always will do what it is told

The schedule never fluctuates; it is unyielding, even obdurate

There is not a thing the ball can change about the day or itself

You bounce I say, and all the rubber knows how to do is blindly

Respond with how high? To the sky to the moon, I will go the

 Distance for you, I am yours for I have been taught to do not

 A thing but bounce endlessly till you grow terribly tired of

Me and my outside grows worn, I am yours with no choice

Or say so I might as well be happy to be somebodies,

To feel warmth in ones’ hand you say bounce

 And as planned I happily say

How High?

(The following poem is a Stream of Consciousness)

"I was JUST singing, and look where I've gotten"

I was just singing

Singing what a beautiful thing, expression through sound

Sounds, oh so many sounds flooding my head

Head, my head, is cluttered

Cluttered like the 10ft-by-10ft room in which I reside

Reside, residence, we all have our place

Places fill the earth some with good-and others bad-intentions

Intentions, everyone has them, but we can never decipher what they are

Are you? Who? Me? Who am I?

I’d say I like you but then I’d be bluffing

Bluffing, such a funny word, reminds me of Fluff

Fluff and peanut butter was my lunch every day in Pre-K

Pre-K the odd things all the kiddies did there, surprise!

Surprise! And Happy Birthday, hope you liked your gift

Gift? For me? Oh you shouldn’t have

Have to? I have to? I’d rather have lice

Lice, nasty little buggers

Buggers rhymes with huggers

Huggers gotta love em’, they are always bringing a positive attitude

Attitude I have that a lot

A lot of time I have not, I must go

Go must I, Bye!

Bye! Now

Now Bye

Bye.