Opening Words
|
|
Greetings ezine lovers. Here is the second
issue of the ezine. Poems of an alternative nature and theme is the
guideline for this endeavour. Enjoy reading. As always, submissions
are welcomed.
New Works
Charlotte Mair
Ben Ohmart
Travis Ray Cole
Fergus McGuighan
These works come from Charlotte Mair
Syringes
blood-filled, lost hope
Empty
viles of self-indulged poison
I've
seen it all
Guitar
case overflowing
with
elastic banded greenbacks
Bowls
of China white
to
cap stolen hearts
I've
seen it all
Pleading
sick beggars of the night
rap....rapping
at 2 AM
I've
seen it all
Axes
crashing doors
overdosing
addicts convulsing
Sad
to say....I've seen it all
and
great friends passing
to
the one
....who
stole them all
Lady
in White
Poem 2
Ahh Life
When
life becomes the Springer Show
guess
it's time to turn the channel
on
that little square box
....meditate
voice
your opinion within
....gather
waste
no time
running
down lost highways
that's
where you lost your way
to
begin with
*look
into the light
And
when
you see the Jones'
standing
at the gates
....and
you will
Know
that
all
the tea in you know where
won't
buy peace from you know who
and
that grande old house
might
as well be a shack
for
it creaks and moans
and
leaks and groans
of
distasteful
self-indulged
poison
and
that Lotus
is
nothing but ol' tin lizzy
putt
- putten down the streets
of
.....greed
and want
Ben Ohmant sent some of his
dialogue poems. Here's this issue's. Plus, read his bio.
Amen.
Today. I
want
to do something I've never done
before.
I want
everyone
here.
To give their own views on
God.
What He means to them.
The
thanks, the crosses, the whys, and
the
lessons.
We
take
from the Bible
because it
has
been set down.
But long before
us.
Is it relevant?
Is
it
truthful?
What is myth and what
isn't?
But apart from that. The
stories
of struggles.
Individual
freedoms
won.
Glory given to God.
Is it time to write a New Book?
I
think
we could start now.
Sandra.
What?
If you could start.
Oh. Um. I don't know. What..?
Your personal feelings for God. What you
expected
and didn't get. The strengths
he
gives you.
Anything?
Sometimes I'm
going
50 on this street with 30 mile signs. I'm
praying
to GOD I don't get
Thank you, Sandra. Michael?
Well
You know that I had
a
child a while back. But I didn't know who
the
mother was.
I got this card. She
said
she was my daughter. I believe it.
Well
the
proof is in the handwriting. You can
tell
blood by the way a person
I'm not sure
But.
I figured. And I found out.
I went and lifted some fingerprints. I know
a
guy in government. And of course
with the
postmark,
it narrows it down. I prayed.
I
wanted
to find her. I mean a daughter!
My
very
own. But I
didn't have a Whole lot
to
work with. I slept with so many women last
All right, Michael.
But
I had faith!
Yes. I had faith. Just
because
you maybe don't agree with my lifestyle.
We pray to the same God. It isn't the God
that
gets you through the big things.
Thank you.
He's
shown enough to say that He really doesn't Care
about
the
Thank you, Michael!
What?
You said
But it's the small things.
The
day to day. You find yourself smelling the
grass.
Perhaps there Is a reason. He lets you get
through
the really Tough plagues and locusts and
floods
and floods. But then you're given the
earth
back and what? You
thank for the little
things.
The
Damon? How did
God,
you're old ways! At least
I'm not doing
things
out of the Bible. What a raunch. At least
I'm
not sleeping with guys like old Robert here.
Robert?
Are you sleeping
with
men?
Well
not
sleeping exactly
Thank you, Robert. I think
Reverend?
Yes, Jill.
I just wanted to write my own chapter. You
might
say.
I'm not sure if this means
anything.
You talk about relevance. But my
son
was on one of those independent music record
clubs.
He liked the stuff that was loud and I
kept
having to tell him to turn the music down, and
this
was on his earphones. I'm serious. I didn't know
what
to do. I took him
to the specialist. And
the
insurance doesn't pay. Just when you Anyway.
I didn't know what to do. He needed
a
special
treatment. I have the name written down here.
Basically, it was a transplant of tissues. I took to
writing
to communicate in the hospital
because
he
couldn't hear me anymore and the bandages
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
But. But
it was then he
started
giving me these looks. And I went to the
doctor.
They communicated. My son learned sign
language.
And he told the doctor. Those looks
were
because he couldn't read my writing. My
writing!
I was ignorant! And my son was ashamed.
I prayed to God.
I did. And I prayed to
God.
I went back to school. I found the faith to
do
it. Get
my high school degree.
That's really lovely.
I got my high school degree.
What a marvel. You Found the faith. You
Yes. And I was sexually assaulted on campus.
Ah.
And
the thing was
I found I really liked
it.
I wasn't Asking for it
but I found
a
new way of sexual plea
Yes, that's good.
Now I'm praying.
I don't have the money
for
all this leather..
"dialogue poems are a way of creating an image thru only talk, not description. just something i thought of doing, and it's a lot of fun. freeing too. here's a short bio to use."
BEN OHMART,
a PA based poet, playwright and composer, has written for the stage, television
and film. Most recent stage works include Ooglesnort Part II, a Pythonesque
revue; Caliban, an absurdist reinterpretation of Shakespeare's The Tempest;
Daughters of Rage, a ballet based on Garcia Lorca's play, The House
of Bernarda Alba and commissioned by the Dance Department at Florida State
University; Henry, an opera about William Rufus, William the Conqueror's
son; Two Panic Plays, a translation and adaptation of two plays by Fernando
Arrabal, performed at Syracuse Stage After Hours; and The Friendship Play,
commissioned by the Groves International Committee on Friendship and the
Family. The Tell-Tale Heart, an opera based on the Edgar Alan Poe short
story, was commissioned by WFSU television and scores for Stonewall: Old
Blue Light and Jesse: The Jesse James Musical were commissioned by Theatre
West Virginia and the University of Mississippi, respectively. A finalist
in America's Best Comedy Script competition, Ben is a professional "gag"
writer with several published and performed routines to his credit, as
well as many poems and stories published in journals across the country.
His translations in collaboration with John Franceschina of the plays of
the Marquis de Sade are published by Hollowbrook, and his musical adaptation
of The Jungle Book was recently toured by Syracuse Stage. He is currently
writing films, and his plays were be performed in Canada, Minnesota, Indiana
and Australia last year. He has also written commercials for the Albany
Symphony Orchestra, Times Union newspaper, National Interagency Fire Center
(Dept. of Interior), and just finished a treatment for a GE commercial.
New Works
A new poet brings these works for you to read:
by
Travis Ray Cole
I wanna bite the apple,I wanna kill the snake
I wanna skin him alive for heavens sake
I wanna bite the apple,spit out the seed
cause the lord knows I'm the demon seed
in revelations or on page one
when he comes calling the deed is done
I wanna eat the apple,I got the hunger and need
for the taste of Eve the morning brings
I wanna bite the apple,kill the snake
take all the blame,it's not her mistake
==================================================
The Game
by
Travis Ray Cole
I lead and die,retreat
next turn sacrafice exceeds
beyond the limit of need
one more time your move
don't try to why would you cheat and lose
next is a forced turn
no dice your off your feet
time runs out it seems
clock takes its lonely turn
opens the board filled with war
rules and church of life theme
mind win trip scheme
I think we win to lose
not ever knowing the price of dues
I dream of your next move
keeping score by death once more
knowing what the other side holds
not greener and there is no gold
the many pieces that don't fit the puzzle
not thinking we lose each other
so left is the ghost of knight the dying mustang ride
and as many queens as death warrants
a pawn that don't want to be a number anymore
leaving only the colors of hurt
never living in check anymore
do you wanna play some more
the black widow no viel
slides across the crossroads
no devil to take my name
Another new poet, Fergus McGuighan, brings this:
Voyeur eyes
As
we sit in the coffee bar,
my
eyes wander and I begin
to
meditate on the shape
your
t-shirt makes over the curves
of
your body.
Then
I notice
the
hint of cleavage
showing
just above
the
cut of the same shirt.
I'm
afraid I wasn't paying much attention
to
what you were saying,
but
your body had my
undivided
attention.
I've been checking out the music that is avaible to us on the internet.
There's some rather interesting bands out there, that you may want to listen
to. One band I've been interested in listening to is the group:
"Scratching Post".
Lead singer- Nicole Hughes, in action
Here's one of their songs: Keep Looking My Way , its in mp3 format. Have a listen and let me know what you think.
Thanks to all who sent in works, without your effort, this effort doesn't exist.\
As always, all works are copyright by the various authors. don't steal. ©1999. This ezine is produced by Paul, on my home computer. "Avant Garde Times" is a quarterly poetry ezine, at leasts that's my plan. Keep sending the work, and I'll print it.
email submissions to: avantgarde@angelfire.com