Category: Uncategorized

RELATIONSHIP Poem: LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY, by Tim O’Connell

In the pages of my childhood,
Hiawatha stalked his prey
On the shores of Gitche Gumee
Long ago and far away.

In the pages of your childhood,
Sleeping Beauty kissed her prince.
You were charming when I met you.
You’ve been my princess ever since.

Take my hand and walk beside me.
Take my heart and make it whole.
Fill my life with deeper meaning.
Take my body. Take my soul.

Be my wife and have my babies.
I’ll be your husband and keep you safe.
And we will build a loving family,
And from our love we will draw strength.

And when the storms sweep across the prairies
Or when the lightning’s striking near,
I’ll hold you close and say I love you
And do my best to calm your fears.

And we’ll find joy in simple pleasures,
And some day when we’re old and gray,
We will share a million memories
Of long ago and far away.

DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE Poem: REWATCHING GILMORE GIRLS SUMMER 2023, by Elaina Smith

I exclusively date men like Christopher from Gilmore Girls –
Men who pop in and out of my life at their leisure,
Like he did so many times to Lorelai.
I always got so pissed at her for postponing her joy
For a man who can’t get his shit together.
But now, I get where she’s coming from.

I hate that I’m waiting for the people who hurt me
To pull up on a motorcycle outside the grocery store
And tell me to take my shirt off.
I’d get arrested, but I’d do it
If it meant I successful
In getting your attention.

And maybe Chris and Lore should’ve ended up together.
Sometimes, I wonder if the writers got it wrong.
Maybe his startup should’ve taken off
And he should’ve been the husband and father
Those girls really deserved.
But maybe I’m just projecting…

Because who am I kidding?
My version of Chris will come over tonight.
That car will be in the driveway at 3 am.
His boots will be next to the fireplace at 3:05.
He’ll never have it together,
But he’ll always have me.

Relationship Poem: ODE TO LOVE, by Jamie Venezia

Think of me as you would the sky
So open and free and boundless
Think of the shallow color of my perfection
And the complex rainbow of my tremors
And the flashes of lightening
You can not yet control

Think of me as you would the sky
And forget I am there most every day
But worship me in poetry when you can
Knowing I will always be with you
If you never think of me in a rotation
Or if I come up in every conversation

Think of me as you would the sky
And realize that when my clouds roll in
They will roll right out, as a child’s marbles
So temporary in their conception
And the salty rain of my tears
Will end in a glorious pallet of colors

Think of me as you would the sky
And know I am present if you are here
Or decide to fly to Paris, France
The sky is ride or die, and will never decide
That there is a trek that cannot be made
Or that an adventure should not be known

Think of me as you would the sky
And know that I am known to all
But special only to you
And that my vastness is not contained
For only your viewing pleasure
And never once ask for it to be that way

Think of me as you would the sky
And as I become harder to see come night
Do not think I will not come back
To greet you with the rising sun
And never doubt my devotion to you
When I am out of plain view

Think of me as you would the sky
And do not simply fall in love with my light
But love my darkness and uncertainty
And every imperfection you can know
For if you fall out of love at night
You were never in love with me at all

Think of me as you would the sky
And I will think of you as the world
And accept the task of lighting every day
And sparkling every night
Never once letting you walk alone
My task is loving you with every color

Think of me as you would the sky
And my wildest dreams will come true
Help ground me and I will help you fly
And this shall by our love story told
For love is never truly love
If it is not grand, unconditional, and bold

Poetry Reading by Laila Jones

performed by Val Cole

Poem by Laila Jones

with her tears, she bathed you.
hurt aside, she tightened your ties,
and made you love the mirror.
no clocks in her home, your keys in the door told time.
5am laughed at her every weekend.

a lesson learned for you both,
but the true teacher is her.
now the language of love is your native tongue,
you tighten your ties, I taste only truth on your lips.
without her hurt, would you be this way?

I have fallen for the woman who made you,
I am eager to please her, so lie down.

– the ex-perience

POETRY Reading: MY TREE TRUNK, by CLS Sandoval

Read Poem:

When the boy sits on the tree’s stump at the end of the Giving Tree, I used to think it was sad
because they had both lived their lives and been used up. Then, I grew into a woman and
became a mother. I have despised my trunk, abused my trunk, expected it to stay 16 or 20. But,
just as the trunk of real trees grow stronger and more sturdy as they add rings, so I expanded with
age, strength, and wisdom. I have become a waif no more. I am willing to give my daughter
anything she needs; my apples, my leaves, my branches, even my trunk. But now, as I read Shel
Silverstein’s story to her, and watch the boy haul off what is left of the tree’s body, I pray my
daughter would never demand that I be reduced to a stump, just so that she might sail away.

LOVE Poem: IN MY BABY’S ARMS, by Sam Hendrian

Come,
Let us go through the motions of love,
Let us kiss, let us say you-know-what.

I’ll hold you
While you sing
“In My Baby’s Arms”
And I’ll believe I’m your baby.

Come,
Let us share spaghetti and meatballs,
Let us ride one noodle to each other’s lips.

I’ll mold you
While I sing
“Moonlight Serenade”
And you’ll believe I’m truly serenading.

Maybe if we waited longer
We wouldn’t have to pretend,
We wouldn’t know that the end
Was waiting just around the bend.

We could go through the motions,
Except they wouldn’t be motions,
They would be love itself.

I could hold you
While you sing
“In My Baby’s Arms”
And you wouldn’t have to believe because you’d know.

You’d scold me for molding you
Beyond what you are;
“Moonlight Serenade”
Could trade strings for guitar.

But we didn’t wait,
We rushed right out of the gate,
Except now we hesitate
To decide whether we were too early or too late

Oh-oh-oh-oh what a dream
To imagine I was in my baby’s arms.