Meditations on And Then 18

Meditations on And Then Volume 18Cover Shelley Havenin formation

awareness

gathers

clustering

touching

taking

in each

knowing

only

not yet

complete

p. 1 Kenyatta Prisoner No. 74A3701

the chainthat binds usinextricablytogethercannot be seen

and is not feltexcept for

the yearningstretching

creating spaceout of no whereto enclose

imaginedfire

in reflections

p. 2 Kenyatta

not separatenot equalintermingled

desire revealsthe Unknown One

p. 3 Safiye Bandele

follow your nose

overwhelming

busy-being

ol-factory

life-product

swamps sweet reason

not only one's own

but all, mingling

wafted together

and reason learns

it is not there

to command

but only

to serve

intense

sense

of being

alive

p.5 Ana Lopez-Betancourt

all in the details

in the smoke

the love

in straightening seams

the love

care worn grace

keeping her grip

on the sail

of fancy

dressed for

the dance

to the end

p.7 Fostina Dixon-Kilgoe

without revelation

seeing is the gift

that blinds

p.8 Lea Diaz

in the beginning:word

vision seedwithout being

potential without power

needingthe dreamer

to nourishwith magic

word into world

of her own making

p.9 Kundalini Nicholson-Walker

the true coin

you mint

discovering

your own self

is the gift

that can't

be taken

from you

self trust

the essential good

wanting to know

even more

keeps running

for life

p.10 Lennox Rafael

the answer

my friend

is

the body knows

no matter

how many times

thrown away

returning

true

ascendantresurrected

in the throb

which is

incessant

reminded

that innocence

is unconditional

and can never

be lost

only mislaid

p.12 Roger Santivanez

being

taken

for a ride

past the point

of no return

and releasedp.13 Hae Sol Songthe refuge:

water-bed-scape

idyll image

transient peace

even in surrender

turbulent troubles

pierce repose

in the dream

this world's

pressures

intrude

and so we

arise

for another

day

p.14 Howard Pflanzer

everything we know

is metaphor

the body

politics

poetry

the medium

of communion

solidarity

the possibility

of being

more than ourselves

as ourselves

p. 15 Julia Palfidisplaying

evidence

to the contrary

man

stands

nonetheless

asserting

the right

to be sad

p.16 Marianella Medrano

forgotten

horror

does not rest

homeless

dancers

infiltrate

imagined

pool

from which

they have

been cleansed

p. 17 John Reidunpunctuated

life flows

ceaselessly

rising

falling

memory

striving

to hold

waves

as its own

storyp. 18 -1 Zaadia Coloncreation's labor

not unbound

wills

not escape

but structure

all with all

complex edifice

expelled

stretching

the membrane

of expansion

as

poised balance

til dying mother

of a billion worlds'

silent insistent

recall

draws in

her works

calling them home

in mutual embrace

encircling

vortex

hurtling

towards

destined

conception

beyond being

p. 18 -2 Myrna Nieves

raise hands in praise

the human project

is in good hands:

physician,

eyes closed,

attention

undimmed

by sight,

palpates

quicksilver hands

blazing guitar:

Manitas de Plata

hand in hand

"More than 1,000

join Muslim 'ring of peace'

outside Oslo synagogue"

applausible future

p. 19 Laya Firestone Seghinaked to

all

the pain

she sings

freedom

fearless

life

free from

supports

she flies

as she falls

into

a space

beyond

your

wildest

dreams

p. 21 Tanya Torrespump

of life

before

the quest

the urge

bearing being

into the

only nowp. 22 -1 Milton Polsky and Warren Wyss

co-labors' offspring

a bouncy play thing

novel poem

happy omen

from pen,

a toy

and then,

enjoy

p. 22 -2 Eli Cohen

Coney Island

my homeland

between

Neptune

and Mermaid

then the long block

past the old

trolley line

to Surf

from there

just a little further

up ramp

onto the boardwalk

turn right

to Shatzkin's knishes

turn left

past the Half Moon hotel

(already a home

for aged Jews)

and onto Coney,

reappearing

every summer,

eternal carnival

dream factory

that delivered

spectacle

you live

with a million others

or

not the ramp

step down

onto the cool

often damp

sand

striped with sun

streaming

between the

shadow-casting

boards above

there, the mystery

of Coney

couples making out

bold but shy

as if they found

a secret place

for passion

that did not need

the sun

to burn

at the very back

under the boardwalk

concessions

hidden places

that I loved

retreats

from heat

and hunger

stands for

the beach crowd

that's where

I first

ate pizza

Neapolitan

ten cent

rectangles

if you were lucky

and the young man

serving you

was in a good mood

you got a corner

with crust

on two side

those were

the days

p. 22 -3 Donald Levlet us

celebrate

bad

attitude,

embrace our

rejection

"not like us"

uninvited

the business

barging in

where you

don't belong

the price

becoming

the insider

without

the comfort

always

at the edge

the precipice

even at home

even in Israel

black humor

our salvep. 23 -1 Vincent Giangrecoare you one

of us?

guileless

mission

do you need

to know us?

we, the medium,

are our message

we are

for you

to be human

is to melt

face to face

losing boundaries

into the

common stew

we are

a mongrel lot

Jews are human

p. 23 -2 Alicia Cintrongod bless you,

Kalylahp. 24 David Neiditchneeding

a name

defining danger

to quell

nameless dread

enter

natural suspects

those

wronged

by those

like us

that which

we fix

our fear to,

our apartners

a living system

tormented

tormentor

reciprocating

objects

orbiting

each other

respectful

only at a distance

but when impinging

spinning

in rage

fantasy

and vengeance

and so it goes

with race,

our construct

framing perception

distortion

misimpression

then

fresh injury

to self and other

p. 25 Marlene NadleIke knows

he's liked,

Nixon nix

neither man

started rich

grace and disgrace

perfect match

Ike leavens the dough

Dick raises the cash

Neither man has Jack's aplomb

Ike seems dumb

And Dick has plumbers

p. 26 Luis Benitezsea

scape -

beyond

bonds

of being

life force

becomes

wavesp. 27 George Malaverage propelled

camouflage legions

lesions

in desert sands

strange oasis

blood attractors

bring 'em on

and on

and on

p. 28 Lia Gladstonevain mission

dubious achievement

sowing discontent

but

dangerous

subversive

dreams

come natural

rising weeds

breaking the ground

profligate of life

regenerative

power that needs

to move

unbottled being

cracking

whatever the order

our own story

two hundred fifty

years of slavery

and then

another hundred fifty

policed

kept out

and still

dignity

the measure

of worth

engenders

the push

one by one

and together

because

once there's

a chance

to be as good

as can be

imagined

the genie

uncorked

will find

a way

out

and all

our genius

will connect

will help

find a path

for the dance

to proceed

p. 30 Mitchel Cohen

History of Western Civilization

war

the mission

an end

in itself

accomplished

p. 31 Bernard Tuchman

delusions of stability

balanced

on

tip

of

a

b

a

y

o

net

p. 31 G. F. Phillipsa real relationship

reliably attached

meeting needs

of the other

each knowing

what to expect,

matter of fact,

without judgment

no leash

no control

free flying

they flock

around him

man the provider

center of attraction

and you alone

by yourself

watch

and wonder

p. 32 Amberin my shtetl

Communist Jewish

Coney Island

pumpkins a threat

American as apple pie

directed against us

Halloween assault

trick or treat

wide soft chalk

red white and blue

to slash across

new fall jacket

leering pumpkins

candles inside

expressing fire

directed against us

by Richard Nixon

channeling

Whittaker Chambers'

Pumpkin Papers

only later in life

fear repressed

by time

I learned to love

pumpkin piep. 32 Ralph Pessahthere is no point

to beautyit is the only pointp. 33 Margaret Yardnot a simple task:

transcendence

by the unacknowledged

victim

unseen

unwitnessed

invalid

collateral damage

the doer of deeds

always justified,

serving

a higher purpose

having no regrets

not responsible

for outcomes

no crime

no amnesty needed

and yet profoundly lost,

the trust

that makes life possible

and you, a refugee,

one among many,

in need

of a sanctuary

where borders

are not closed

where openness

is not weakness

and new connection

knits again

life's fabric

we need

each other's

otherness

there is

no higher purpose

than respect

p. 34 -1 Johannah Segersflung

wildly out

of bounds

hopscotching

vagabonding

this great land

strangely

not frightening

dad's

great escape

with us

too short

not to remember

it allp. 34 -2 George Spencernearing

the finish line

still a beginner

p. 35 Larry Simonberg

give us this day

our daily news

lifeline pulse

in fleeting lights

fame or infamy

ephemeral

only news

itself

is

constant

as

contest

and we

are alive

placing

our bets

on history,

As It Happensp. 36 Nat-Lee Saxenianlistening as

the hunger

gnaws

consumer is

consumedp. 37 Nadina LaSpinaoffering the help

he needs

to give

the stranger,sensing rebuff,turns hostile

p. 38 -1 Michael Kranish

it's all in the rules

Canasta

a gracious

class order

meld within rank

a place for jokers

and other wild cards

seasoning the meld,

never dominating

1950

Canasta new

party game

for the young

choose your partner

and your strategy

aging well

the game goes on

through

appointed rounds

of life

knowing

what to do

discovering

new tricks

getting better

over time

and then

dismissed

by the children

now with lives

of their own

like aging hippies'

transcendent dreams

out

of the

picture

long

full

glory

hair

cut

fallen

swept

awayp. 38 - 2 Dyske Suematsupurity

beyond

grasp

the end

of play

offers

nothing

to appreciate

art is

journey's

path

the way

longing

discovers

what it is

seeking

to grasp

another

aspect

only to

realize

the end

is not

in sightp. 38 -3 Laura Costasnot apart

not with

home free

and you

stranded

shorebound

listening

for echoes

of echoes

p. 39 Johanna G. Martinezreaching

The object

is not

something

above

who we are.To be human

is heroic enough

to go with

sympathy

into this world

in resonance

and sometimes

at the edge of

life force in motion

always seeking

the path

of joy

p. 40 Sofia Angelina Marrerodrawn

by your

attentive

hand

cow

looks

astonished

p. 42-1 Neil Silberblattclosely focused

on what's next

and nearby

set in our place,

we need to be stirred

turn on the novel,

tune to the news

medium message:

not hot and not cool

Goldilocks' porridge

does not disturb us

it's not my problem

my plate is full.p. 42- 2 Ralph Nazareth

what's in a name?

owning imagination

price of one's soul

to die for

authorityto rulethe heart

of billions

it's your storyyour continuity

your terms ofpeace

your cut ofspace time piep. 43 Barbara Ann Gardner

Africacannot beturned aside

it callsinsistently

see mewhile I amas I am

mirrorsshininginto you

illuminatingdon't knowsyou neversuspected

reflections'kaleidoscopeturnyour life

cascadinginto worldsmore realthan your own

and moretransient

propsaskew asyour worldinvades

offeringsolutionsdissolvingcomplex fabricthat is the wealthof humanity

into extractableexportables

raw materialsfor aninterchangeablefuture p. 45 Daney Forbes

like money,sciencegrows its powerby aping God

self-renewingeternity,lifeeverlasting

from whichit drawsits tribute

fromtribulationsof beingsdrowningin the storm

livingdyingrealmomentary

compelledby need

contractinga debtbeyondunderstanding

in gratitudefor moment'sgrace

eternal submission

p. 46 Millie Niss1Lordcreatorof warsourceof rulemasterbeyondreasondestroyerof doubtfill uswith yourimageyour wordour convictionin your ritescommunionmagnifiedas one bodywe areyour hostour armsembodyyour willconsumedin pursuitof yourcausewebecomeourselvesin actionfreedomour servicefulfillmentfor lifeeverlasting2in faithmenmust dojustcrimehorrorshamevengeancevalorheedless sacrificeglorythat youmay beunrivaledin yourpowerand we besecuredin your embrace3secretlyknowing andneedingnot to knoweven victorsare scathedin your name(moralwoundscannotbe named)4rut onlydeepensretracingbeatenpathhardeningclosing selfto deadenpainand on from thereto greater injury5soul on firesoul on iceraging withina greateremergencyafter the painburning lightpassionfor ourselves,our commonbeingand whatmight beremorse,finally knowingthe lossthat is oursto redeemignitescontagiousloveto reclaimGod's worldp. 47 Martha DeedKnowing

it's timeto start

what remainsforever

unfinished

is betterthan hope,

the choiceis notin danger.

Makingmeaning

(joy of life)

itselfthe end.

And westillleftin life

receivewhat we must:

the unbearablegift,

tanglewe sharebeyond being,

to passthrough usand on

becausetrustis all

that matters.

p. 49 Sophie Neiditch

at the end of the daystill standing

togetheras always

of a seedimpelledsky bound

reachingfor light

each seekingits own way up

alike anddistinct

markedfrom within

like all of usp. 50 Robert S. Holzman, M.D.

beingourselves

(richlycomplex andcontradictory)

revealed

even toourselves

onlyas we live

in the don't know

inventingnew dialogueto tiltthe balance

those words,that look

to turnthe storytowardsour intent.

who we arein the moment

the sum ofwhat we knowandwhat we can't know.

for the daunted seekereasier to seeabstractlywithoutconnection

clear definitions

one thingat a time

searchingthe worldfor clean borders

resolvableproblems

do what we can count

write off the rest.

Butthe suffererand the healer'snever ending quest

living as themselvesin the everlastingdon't know

is tounderstand

merging

emergingin resonance with

whole beingin distress

p. 53 Dr. Janice O. BennettI can breathebut barelypulled inwardspirit bruisednot crushedto get bynarrow spaceallowed to passbut notto breathedeeplynot to takemore airthan necessaryjust enoughnot to chokebecauseI am notthe exceptionI live withinthe ruleI am therewatching it alland soare youwho knowmy namebut do not speaktake no issuewith makerof rulesdefiningyour spaceyour realitydenying memy nameme, whose nameyou do knowp. 54 Carol Jochnowitz

tellingthe story

foretellsthe lesson

add complexityspinand the wheelof fortuneand misfortune

stopswith manymessages

no clear order

and stillwe seeand feeland needto respond

not intimatenot knowing

and yet

they also servewho only standand wait

and say"my friend"p. 55 Jim Storyart does not exist

without

attentive

observant

receivers

willing to be

undone

blinds(selfchosendeflections)

open

resistance down

And Then

art comes in

unfoldinglayeringbending

remixingfirmamentever

changing

setting for

fixed star

never before

noticed

placing uswherewe didn't know

we needto be

p. 56Rona D. Schenkerman

1

in whose nameholy murderis done

victim ofyour ownconsumerfraud

you boughtyour salesmen'sg-dspiel

you know,One Truthsaves all

the restbe damned

and nowyou wantyour good nameback

lots of luck

2

we who startfrom zero

tryingour damnedestjust to get along

don't expectparadise

(except ourTrue Unbelievers,who, like your crew,express theirkiller geneswith pride)

3

we whoare comingto believewe need you

share yourdisappointment

we cannot askof youwhat youhave promisedand failedto deliver:

to save usfrom ourselves

we feel your pain

p. 57Kika Stayerman

sunseducerof life

what waitsbelow foryour signto embrace

pure needgentle impulse

that which mustbe coaxedto become

more thanyou can knowbound byyour own powerneedy of worshipand alone

your true giftdesiremaker of rightto breathe

awakeningpartnersto be

called forthfrom a sleepwithoutturbulence

to breathebecausethey are stirred

beggars oncebegotten

whose purposeis no longeryours to use

but are gratefulas you shine

p. 58 Nancy Ross

this is nota bad dreambecauseI cannotwake from it

but like a dreamits logicpiercedby loss undealthandswithoutchanceto play

execrableinexorableforced debts and the dreamto awakenin a statein whichI amprepared

to teach

the next class

And Then 18 p. 58Louise Rader

afterdiagnosis

trialby ordeal

on altaran offering

own bodyaltered

and whatare weoffered?

not lifeeverlasting

but,with luck,

anotherhelpingof now

and oursto guess

what allis worthp. 59 Stephanie HartChristmas

Rockefeller Center

The Tree

sixty years ago

a child's

joyous memory

first threads

crisscrossing

the loom

and it's wonderful

each year

a different tree

but The Tree

remains the same

imagined

fabric

informed

by new

lain threads

renewed as

magical tapestry

ending each year

wish fulfilled:

ever greater wonder

through chaos

disappointment

and fresh love

The Tree

of innocence

shimmering glory

draws forth

witness

to envision

impossibilities

made real

wills spirit's

resilience

resisting acid

analysis

defyingdeconstruction's

malice

the fabric

of life

enriching

as it unfolds

becomes

you

p. 60 Etnairis Ribera

watching the motionof livesother thanyour own

all so clearand loudenoughso you can't hear

the windgoing through youcarry you awaywithout intentof your ownor evenof itthe winditself drivenby pressurefrom behindwhereit can't seebut knowsit mustfleeor beswallowed

p. 61 Margaret Cooper

dim fortressbuttressedby soulsstaffingdesksbearingintolerable day by day

longingfor fogairuncontainableover river mist

at rest and in motionbarely visibleboats knowingsomehowtheir way

p. 62 -1 Rozanne Seelen

before

firstborn

marked

and taken

First of Adar

plague

of

darkness

hold fast

in time

of fear

touch

is all

we need

to feel

p. 62-2 Erika Medina

better thanI know myself

youshow memy feelings

like they havea shape

whatI mean

like I'ma person

recognized

like no oneever

given methat much

and youcan show me

to bea better person

like I want to be

someonewho you love

like I love you

p. 63 Frank Murphylistenlike thatattentiveto fluxspaceheld openunfilledbetweenself-announcingdensitiesbeingnot busybearingwitnessdissolvesmembraneholdingeachtogetheras selfagainstthe otherand inthat dyingfreeingcherished onefrom gripof possessionintothe fluxp. 64 Rosalie Calabrese

theNew York City dream

when City madnesstoo much to bear

calls forthcravingto breathe

close to nature

a getaway

anotherplace to beourselves

troubles aside

and then

someone else'sdream ended

for sale: upstate,a house

our dreamcome true

wehadour house

appearingmagically

last housebefore the woods

(Soon after, the woods were soldand we ownedthe old housebefore the development.)

Our house

was inhabited

not by ghostsbut squirrels

some in the atticonedown the chimney

which we discoveredas we pulled intothe driveway

one window shadeswinging

Summoningcourageas in a dream

we enteredto findevery window framegnawed

evidencingan heroicfearsomestrugglein quest ofsquirrelfreedom.

We calledJack Russellour handymanwhose adin the Pennysaverhad said:

"Your the boss.I'm the horse."

Jack set traps,but the squirrel

was never found.

He told usit must have escaped.

Jack said

(as he always said)

The problem is

you dont live here.

We loved our houselike an oldinfirm relative,

who, in later life,

we had adopted. After sixteen yearswe sold our dreamhouse.

an adventurewith many misses

which we still miss

p. 64-1 Robert Roth

there is nocomfortto be hadin beingcomforted

onlya wearygrudgingduty

to comfortthe comforter

assureit reallyis OK

how are youdoing?

fine!

I lie

seekingrest

wherethere is

no peace

p. 64 -2 Danielle Roth

in those deliciouscrepestaste her love

made for you

your delighther pleasure

that's howlove works

she could tellby how you werethat it worked

taste isa living memory

only rememberthe tasteof that sweet love

and you will knowdeep inside

more goodnesswill be therefor you

no doubtlove is real

you cantaste it

p. 64-3, 65-1 photographer unknown, Bill Cafonetwo picturesmore thansixty yearsapartspirits notapartin the beginningeyes engagedoutside picture'sframetowardsanotherpresencefixingthe momentin a posethe opening motifproud to be attractive,

appealing and entrancedand thenjointly and apartthe play unfoldswe rejointhe scenein act four(it is along play)the same beingsfully themselveseyesengagedlooking deeplyand with pleasureintothe presenceof each other

p. 65-2 Carletta Joy Walkershe didn't slip awayno retreatthe siege lastedlonger than any warKato, wily warriorcheated deathagain and againuntil the last

not conservativeshe burned lifeand watched with delightthe curling smokeof life consumedrise and fillthe room withmischief and mystery

she knew a thing or twoand could notbrake that expressfrom hurling forwardinto the nighton a mission,it's headlight neededto illuminatethe art of living

and that she didin paymentmore than fullto her devotees

attendantplayersspinning with herin her wild yarn,a tale beyond belief

and much more fun

p. 66 Jens Magnussen

prodigal thoughtspilling seedsnew born

onto barrenfieldsnot in ourdream

but onlywhat welive through

and stillpour forthcontent

undeterredby consequence

like everyone

expellingby-product

and in thatfertilewaste

producethe worldp. 68 Rosemary Drescherinperfecttrustat theendof theearthonesmallstepand thenanotherIwalkthe pathof myparentscarefulnot to strayinto eternityp. 69 Farishta Raminbecause

it is

irrepressible

space opens

not consumed by fire

not smashed by fist

but the echo

of our need

an arch

we can

conceive

(once we see

we are not

alone)

within whose

canopy

under

standing

we find

ourselves

forming place

which cannot

be taken

from us

because

it is not place

at all

but spirit

the space

mind-will

constructs

ample

grounds

for life

to play

to live

without

permission

life worth

the pain

life worth

dying for

p. 72 Mali Obomsawineven now

when

pieces

fall away

despite

your will,

each day

a trial,

not all

is loss

more story

yet to tell

if anyone

is there

to listenp. 73 Jenne Vath

swimming againstthe river of time

traces of Rachelsand Sarahsand Josephsand even Samsons

my own familytransportedfrom Polandto British Isles

and then againwashing ontothese shores

names reappearingpeopling anew

generationswithout memory

unrelatedrelated

each swimmingin their time

holding ontoa name

p. 74 George Jochnowitz

we, objectsof your pranks

playthingsin yoursport of gods

buttsof your jokes

ourimpotenceyour merriment

grievance isour legacy

in our weaknessenemies abound

exposed,we knowwe lack

and sowe fight

contestingtitleto our soul

and ifwe feargodsrun amok

we simulateyourpower play

settingsightson ourselves

fight onfor unity

one willone godin human form

and focus ire

to killshameat its source

self or otherit doesn't matterwhich

p. 75-1 George B. Pitts, Jr.if I die

before

I wake

life

and

world

go on

your gift:continuity

holdingtogether

the threadto pull usthrough

this day

this night

keep us spinning

unaware

hurtling

through

space

we stand on solid ground.We must have

illusions

we can

believe inour realm

only real

between

forces

beyond control.Within it

we widen circle

of play

and live.

for this

magic trick,

your gift,

praisep. 75-2 Oliver Ogulnick

how goodto bewhereelephantsare commonplace

andbeing youis surprisingp. 76 Mike Wagnerit's not like this dream

a one day wonder

just popped up

got caught

ending

the inning

no, this kid's dream

was always ready

in the dugout

waiting to be called

even when other

kids dreams

struck out

shaken awake,

dreams lost

in the glare

of days'

compulsions

to take care

of business

Mike's kept on

swinging

waiting for play

to resume

and then

a break

in the glare

the call comesone fine

bleak

Vermont day

off the bench

onto the field

it's time toPlay Ball !

p. 77 Jonathan Mindell

And Then

Appeared

The Lord

To Tell

The Truth

To Answer All

the panel's

questions

Who is like You,

mighty One!

And who can be

compared to You,

for the sake

of His Name

the panel votedp. 78 Delilah Soler

Self Damnation

attunes ascent

across-along

the fretted rack

screws tighten

stretching

Pain taut

but true

skin tight

spirit sail

caught unaware

in breath's wisp

updraft

Rises

Resurrection Bound

and

released.p. 79 Jerome Levkovstretching

twisting

being-space

not a pose

but life stance

curl's enclosure

enforcing

separation

yet

in the stretching

longing

drawn towardsthe past

well of possibilities

from whence

we spring,

perhaps to

spring again

p. 80 Lourdes Cintronprisoner of choice

freedom's hostage

what you need

is not offered

those cute cat

videos

your friends

spread virally

on Facebook

do not satisfy

you need

real cats

living with you

in real time

with lives

of their own

free from choice

pursuing

and catching

their object:

each other

and you

adore themp. 81 Charles PittsImmortalLove and Powertwo faced godpassing througheachnot-so-other'spresence.Unresolved,power of lovelove of powermixed messengercalling usfrom towerof babelcreativeconfusionthe onetrue waywild varietyonly naturalAnd ThenPower's playto checkmate'sthreatto order,instillsfearof fantasycontractsligamentsrulingfrom withinasviolentself loathingLove'sslow softlubricantresponding,slipsknot'sconstrictionloosing gripof Powerover Loveand inreposthard controlPower'slastdefenseto stop earthquaking,it must beflattenednone the less,Love'swaves

uncontrollableroll on

p. 82 Regine Dhoquois-Cohenliving in the comfort zone

not belonging

a sniff test

deeper than racism

anti-semitism

and all other

phobias

we know ourselves

by whom we exclude

by who isn't.

who doesn't,

how we know it,

and show it

learn from

jokes

proof

they're funny

if you're one of us,solidarity forever

you're

Jewish?

but you're not

like them

you're normal

like us

are you not?p. 84-1 George Spencermy Coney Island

homeland

of outsiders

welcoming

intrusive guests

suckers all

out for a good time

at any cost

til pockets

emptied

barkers

hawking

sensation

overload

active bodies

at the center

of attraction

and we

of immigrant strivers

marking ascent

the background

chorus

a mile from

the midway

cheering on

what we

could hardly believe

we with

outside dreams

college

and the world

inheritors

of the New Deal

we partakingtepidly of

life in an

amusement park

we knew

what not

to eat

did not go

on roller coasters

on a full stomach

enjoying

the ride

secure

in our

detached way

in it

not of it

love at

a critical distance

we who cannot be

mesmerized

do not

get taken in

easily

wise too soon

seeing the trick

missing the magic

to this day

regretting

our good sense

p. 84-2 Anonymousname

droppings

crack

open

fertility

rightsp. 85 The Sticker Dudegames

do not play

they suck dreams

spit them out

war weary

wrecks

and you

the joker

as always

the win

almost

in your

hand

reconstruct

your house

of cards

p. 86 Anonymousunmet needs

safely

behind bars

unloved

and unloving

must escape

emotional

prison

this is

not a crime

placing

being

in

another's

hands

not a fault

trust

betrayed,ill use

by one

you trusted

a choice

that failed

pain tells

us

don't do THIS

again

but exactly THIS

never happens

twice

pain itself

is dumb suffering

you have power

to feel good

about why

you make

your choices

no matter what

the outcome

your pain has meaning,lessons to learn

the question is:

What are

your questions?

p. 87 Zaira

always there

vital systems

very old

beneath

our notice

because

they work

p. 88-1 Art Gatti

and thenwe all converged,

not rememberingwhat we forgot,

when everythingbecame known

by everybody

instantly

and likedp. 88-2 Howard PflanzerIt depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is. If the "is" means is and never has been, that is not--- that is one thing.

If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement.-- President William Jefferson Clintonp. 89 Fredy RoncallaIt is

the turn

of poets

that makes

the generation

audience

entangled,

pieces

connecting

poets

themselves

first audience

the bed

of love

calling

voices

to chorale

ambitious

to evoke

unheard

melodies.

We

consume

our poets

and must

have more

rooting poetry

into being

fashioning humanity

out of that bounty

(not a fashion

to be coveted

and followed)

gifts

we must

assemble

for ourselves

as

meaning.

No great

poet,

no matter

the gift,

can do

the job

of poetry:

transgressive

reach

only a tide

pulls

each small

incursion

crossing

against

the rule

defiling

barren

institutes

of convention

whose order

absorbs

as it

kills

only

perhaps

to crack

the seed,

and thus

itself,

renewing

landscape

to refresh

humanity.

Poetry

must swarm

life

whelming up

and over

and over again

each time dying

as it

sinks in

becoming

the us

we had

not yet

known

ourselves

to be.p. 90 Vincent J. Tomeo

how uncivilized

to share

the earth

with beasts

who shit

unlike

ourselvesp. 91 Peg ReillyUneeda biscuit?no moreNabisco'sdarksatanicfactoryre-purposedartisanalChelsea Marketwhere theHigh Lineends.Consciouslywe throngFat Witch Bakery'sbrownie ovensour destination.In Good TasteWe Trustp. 92-1 Joel Shatzky

In the spirit of Courses for the Studentrepreneur, from a piece I wrote after the 1994 election "Modest Proposals for the New(t)Age":

Why should the poor be prohibited from selling their children or their body parts, as people already do in many poor countries? This would provide income to the poor and productive services to their buyers at no expense to taxpayers.

The list can go on and on. The market system is the natural way by which the stronger capitalize on their advantage over the weaker. At first it may seem crazy to treat people like excludable and disposable things, but once the bonds of human solidarity have been dissolved by the acid imperatives of a profit-maximizing market, you'll soon find there is no logical limit to the pain that you're willing to have other people experience for your benefit. We all buy cheap third-world products without a lot of thought about the conditions under which those goods were produced. But when it gets closer to home, subjective (human) values may kick in. For example, some still believe that less human suffering is a good worth paying for. They lost the election.

As for marketing babies for food, it's already been proposed by Swift.

p. 92-2 Anonymoushttp://maps.google.com shows 10 marriage counselors on West 86th St.(no marriage can survive that much choice)93-1 Albert Paul Thomas Waughno joke

the homeless

a people

born of malice

it was the 1980s

when dispossession

became public policy

for my generation

(itself too young

to remember

Hoovervilles)

homelessness

hardly existed

here in the U.S.

sure

always a few

George in the Village

"sketch for a dollar"

near Smiler's

Moondog around

Rockefeller Center

a poet

and always

the Bowery

now trendy

p. 93-2Marvin W. Schwartz

from dust to dust

kicked up and outfrom its own home

dustfugitivetempest tossed

seeking surceasefrom flighta happy landing

a placeunused to agitationto settlein peace

to resideto formnew attachments

refuge

welcome

93-3 Robert Roth

always some joker

not partof the scheme.

Power,frustrated,

turnsnasty.

p. 94-1 Samaris Ayalawhole beans

rattle

in a bagbut Latin coffee

from bodega

vacuum packed

like a brick

knocks youin the head

awakep. 94-2 Ronna Wineberg

there is no trouble

in America

the land is large

its people

not pre-occupied

by urban stress

loving Gods

natural

order

they will

defend

it

no

joke

p. 95 Milo Shepherdsonan accounting

three days:8 4 18

8 3 +1

clues

we

(who are not

you)can only

guess

p. 96 Anthony Thomas De La Puente as she

listenedlistenas

she knew

you to bebe

open

to be

filled

the spirit

the listening

we sharelives

onward

p. 97 Pat Koleser because life

is possible

it wantsto be

splitting

the rock

to grow

by still

waters

all it needs

it has

the beauty

of its being

it offers

for free

p. 98-1 Sohnya Sayres managingthe lives

of others

thats where

the money is

life force

extracted

discreetly

bestowing

honorsor not

wielding

the club

whatever

gets to job

donep. 98-2 Jefferson Guillaume

the name of the game

is who makes the rules

joining a force

you can't controlmakes you a tool

there goes your essence

but keeping that essence

a journey of change

beyond fixed ideas

of who you are

change is loss

but also choice

the game you can winis change with respect

plenty of room for

what you must keep

you share it with othersand you take on

what they must keep too

honor the past

is the task of the future

what that means,ours to discover

live and let live

a hard path

but truep. 98-3 Gene Brownnot Jews like us

what does it mean

to be a Jew?

here

in America

on the slippery

slope

towards

homogeneity

to live on

how separate?

how engaged?

how to hold

your ground?

Jackson Heights

Williamsburg

just a few miles

and centuries

apart

one family

two cultures

each

to the other

strange

who the better

carrier

of the message

through

the generations?

what is the law?

what is its spirit?

afraid

of each

other's

questions

leading to

unacceptable

answers

each a danger

sharing

gut feeling:

it's bad

for

the Jews

p. 99 Ann Yarmaland then

from our

entwined love

one stays

embodied in

another day

passion to let in

and express

compressed

but not lost

slowly painfully

gathering

anew

to receive

and

give light

p. 100 Eleni Begetis AnastosTerror shock

ground

gives way

clutch

for fix

beyond

grasp

held by

nothing

hard rush

a momentprolonged.And thenstartled alertsudden death

dream

a wake up call

to life.Or else,the thing

itself.p. 101 Jaycee Ray Greer Not in the beginning,

but very close,wild dogs

domesticated men.Noticing their ferocity

and prowess,

but also certain deficits

in which dogs excelled,like smell,

and the ability

to work together

as a pack,

Coopers

canine ancestors

came around the campfire

and made a deal.Lets team up in the hunt.

You can plot, and trade.

Rely on us to find, follow, and kill.

And well treat you like

Masters.

Men, having their egos stroked,

readily complied.

Economic surplus

and hierarchy

followed naturally.

And, to this day,

slavish obedience,

the deal

of dogsis what makes

Rule

possible.p. 102-1 Oliver Ogulnick the class

will now walk

the class

will now write

the class

will now play

the class

will behave

as toldPlay as

ordered

is not much

fun.

Which is why

they cant order:

the class

will now have fun

and your mind

is still your own

p. 102-2 Catherine Ednie perfect mango

perfectly peeled

cut, served and

in minds

tongue,

tastedbefore wielding

the knife

hacking away

at messy reality

p. 103 Ros Lipps as told to Carol Jochnowitz

driven by parents

needy for a

Star

to light

their way

imagining

her future

fulfilling

their own

disappointed

and hurt bythe child

who was

failing them,thwarting

their dreams

dreams

for her own

good.Shedriven out

by impotent

rage

plotting, escaping,seeking asylum in a free new world

bold young heroine

of her own novel

inspired, perhaps,by immigrant tales

not long in the past.And thenthe end

freedom

failed

hauled back

to the life

she chose

to fleeher life

impregnated

by guilt and fear

still damned

more than

seventy

years later.Strong Family Values.collateral damagep. 105-1 Walter O. Beaton skin against skinkiss

p. 105-2 Jack Robbins

a bald-faced lie

when

none-of-your-fucking-business

would have been enough

p. 105-3 Marvin W. Schwartz

bravery

suicide

honored

with glory

parents

finally

proud

of their

sonp. 106 Cynthia Harting craft itself

subject

our nature

to create

dream

truth

fashioned into formexpressed

as art

p. 107 Heon Oh

simple our order

obey

without question

bearing great sacrifice

strengthening will

primary color tells who is the enemy

red is the colorwere sworn to destroy

we who are greenstand assured of our victory

one day will come

no matter the cost

this is our time

hard life

and glorious

later remembered

best days

of our livesp. 108 Laura Liben

lossfruit of love

yours

needsembracing

fresh born

criesto heed

nourishedwith memories

painful the joy

strengthenedresilient

withstandingbeside you

supportingforthcoming

your wisdom

so sing it

mourning'sblessings

giftbeyondtimep. 109-1 George Snedeker

there is

no happy

endpoint

to be had

in the grip

of not having

reality

too thin

sucking

breath away

why wonder

you ask yourself

and yet

without

a point

breath still

insists

listen

a new kitten

in the house

making

troublep. 109-2 Marvin W. Schwartz black humor laughs

last

p. 109-3 Laura Costas rash to judgment

p. 110-1 Ian Vollmerreading your message

in And Then

she responded positivelyp. 110-2 Michael Szpakowski

this package is X rated

p. 111 Pat Kranish

Seduced by

the senses

calling me

forward

unmoored

from my

berthing

I roam far

beyond

to bright worlds

unknown to me

richer

than

promises

bounty

unboundedmine

for the taking.Havingto have

reachingto get.Choices

attachments

holdingis rooting.

The price

never counted:out of sight

out of mind.Gone arethe sorrows

and joys

of the loving. Possessedby my quest

abandoned

alone

onlymy longing

remembersmy losing.Who could

have known

each moment

a choice?This fable

repeating

in lives

through

the ages:

Misunderstanding.the source

of regret.Ours not

to blame

for the

pain

caused

and suffered.To live with

and learn fromthe most we can do.p. 112 Nvea Castro

thank you for living it

telling it vividly

courage contagious

encourages all

each has a path

a way to exposethe joy

from within

awaiting release

joy freedbecomes us

a gift

we must share

circles

embraceas our lives

intertwinep. 115 Marcia Singer

end of the day

birds final call

soaring to catch

last of the light

fish in the dark

hidden from notice

fear abating

safely bathep. 116 Carletta Joy Walker

imagic you

in your shoessteps to do no minding

out of sync

blues shoe

stops beat

in sinks

refrain we

is all that

we be

times three

Inside Back Cover Marvin W. Schwartz

his horsenot young

resembles

the man

Back Cover Shelley Haven

in completion

corrugated

but unbroken

life textures

background

sustaining

all content