It's This Way I stand in the advancing light, my hands hungry, the world beautiful. My eyes can't get enough of the trees— they're so hopeful, so green. A sunny road runs through the mulberries, I'm at the window of the prison infirmary. I can't smell the medicines— carnations must be blooming nearby. It's this way: being captured is beside the point, the point is not to surrender.

"My eyes can't get enough of trees, they're so hopeful, so green..."
—Nazim Hikmet, tr. by Randy Blasing & Mutlu Konuk

#poem #poems #poetry

she stopped small talk. she made her mouth wide. that small pursed polite pause was for another life. she had outgrown it and she couldn’t go back. and that was why she hated going to things like this where the talk was set on the small intent to not shatter the glass elephants around the room (with their jagged tusks). do not reveal or ask too much. we do not love here. we do not live here. we just make new deals consistent with our old one with the devil never to feel. we keep it neat. the loud yes and the belly laugh are for the street. we gave it up to shave the new growth from our lives from around our ears from behind our eyes. we slave it up to show how worthy we are, we are saving up for a freedom we will be unfit for when we get there. we have reined in our hair. the least you can do is swallow your mouth.

@alexispauline.bsky.social spill: scenes of black feminist fugitivity page 96

I’ve always had intense, vivid and usually lucid dreams. I’ve realized scrolling before bed, or falling asleep to a video, makes me forget them. What’s worse is I think I’m addicted to these nondreaming nights. Even though it feels like losing a huge part of me. Lol. And how are your nights going?

In order for me to write poetry that isn't political, I must listen to the birds and in order to hear the birds the warplanes must be silent.

"In order to hear the birds—the warplanes must be silent."
—Marwan Makhoul

#poem #poems #poetry

For agenda users / people who structure their time, have you found an agenda or time organizing system that you feel works well for you?
Had a system that worked for me but it’s not working anymore. Looking to hear what others do, for inspo!

So queer! Tender! Perfect! :’)

This is very silly, but one thing I love about being a poet is developing what I call "poetry brain."

Which, to me, is training myself, over several years, to make wonder a practice, to be curious about language, and to notice my body in the world.

CBC’s Front Burner interviewed author David Bergen on his decision to boycott the #GillerPrize.
I encourage all of us in the #book industry to listen.
www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-p...