Category: No Time for Poetry but Exactly What Is

Finding Treasures

In my basement I come across a thick file “Maggie Rose Murphy” is on the folder It bulges Poems & postcards & letters galore From throughout the 1980s Your scientific acumen Has long been respected…

Safety First

Royesha told me Since her brother’s come back from Iraq He’s been having nightmares At family gatherings, parties He always positions himself in the far corner in the biggest room To be able to see…

Aspiration

20 years old She was in the Adult Learning Academy To brush up on reading, writing, and math skills I offered feedback and encouragement on her writing After graduating from the ALA She wanted to…

Guest Speaker

You came to class to tell your story As you surely had done many times elsewhere How you became a serious Muslim While at a West Coast Jesuit university I’d heard many stories about you From…

Words Not Hearable in the US Mainstream

Obama challenged Raúl Castro on Cuba’s human rights record And though Fidel is renowned for his loquacity, Raúl himself could have gone on for hours to Obama— Elaborating on the fact of a million U.S….

If You Dare

Dear Bella Levenshteyn Here’s an assignment YOU’LL NEVER FOLLOW THROUGH ON— 1. Select five of your dearest friends; 2. ask each to email or text you five of your most wonderful traits; 3. give them…

Simple But Hard

Don’t start thinking of Gross Anatomy beginning in 5 months Just be here now Don’t get depressed by the upcoming summer convention spectacles Just be here now Don’t panic because of everything that has to…