michaeljarmer

#161: I’m Worried About Flo

I’m worried about Flo the Progressive Girl. Sometimes her eyes are all goofy and weird, huge, like those people in Margaret Keane’s paintings, the painter whose husband was trying the whole time to claim that his wife’s paintings were his own, and she must have been in cahoots with him because that’s what everybody thought andContinue reading “#161: I’m Worried About Flo”

#160: About These Things There Can Be No Question

It’s April 20 and I know some things. It’s not my birthday. I know that for sure. No question. It was hot today, eighty-five degrees, clear sky and my bicycle ride home was uneventful. I know a hawk from a handsaw. I gave up my prep period today to sign exit paperwork for the ELDContinue reading “#160: About These Things There Can Be No Question”

#159: Listening, Drinking, Watching

(a landay/ghazal hybrid) Last night–I stay up late listening: new records spin in the dark and there’s bourbon to sip. A police car pulls in across the street, lights ablaze, I leave my headphones on and watch. I cannot tell what is happening but there is no indication of violence here so I continue listening, watching as theContinue reading “#159: Listening, Drinking, Watching”

#158: Shopping for Records on the Anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride

On the 240th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride, I ride to Music Millennium for Record Store Day. I wait in line for an hour to get inside and while I wait I see a former student of mine whose friend (just along for the journey) is offered $100 by some dude with an ankle injury toContinue reading “#158: Shopping for Records on the Anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride”

#157: A Spectacular Cat Gif

Pretend, for a moment, this poem is a spectacular cat gif, and you like it. You like it very much. You like your liking it, and you share or reblog, perhaps you’ll even tweet, instagram, or vine; you’ll repost in every imaginable format and your friends will follow and follow, like and like, to theContinue reading “#157: A Spectacular Cat Gif”

#156: The Desire to Write a Terzanelle

The desire to write a terzanelle runs smack dab up against too much shit to do as well. I don’t want to feel incensed, about constantly fighting time, running smack dab up against the incessant daily grind and all of my complaining about constantly fighting time. The afternoon is waning and pretty soon it will be darkContinue reading “#156: The Desire to Write a Terzanelle”

#155: The Poet Addresses His Poem in Crayon on a Napkin at a Restaurant

Poem, why the firetruck are you written on this napkin? You think you can just show up any old place? Have you no self-respect? What will people say, your lines and stanzas just hanging out like this in the open air? You’re disgusting.

#154: A Dialogue?

Student: This class sucks. It’s boring. All we do in here is read and write and talk. And I have no idea why I’m failing. I can’t find my pencil. Could I borrow a piece of paper? When can we watch a movie? Oh my god, I just got a text and I have toContinue reading “#154: A Dialogue?”

#153: My Son Loves Cows

My Son Loves Cows He used to love hamburgers, but now he loves cows and is experiencing his first serious moral dilemma in his 9 years on Earth. The last time we fired up the grill he wept through the whole meal. You don’t have to eat it, son; on this occasion we WILL makeContinue reading “#153: My Son Loves Cows”

#152: Gertrude Stein on the Beach

Writing, and doing something like research for the new novel, I spend the weekend with Gertrude Stein at the Sylvia Beach Hotel. My character had been there before me, learns that Stein was against the question mark on principle, enjoyed a view as long as her back was turned against it, wrote a novel, called it anContinue reading “#152: Gertrude Stein on the Beach”