______For George Oppen A stranger peeked in Plath’s and Dickinson’s windows late at night, and thought, “Man, these are lassie rooms,” and laughed alone. Yes, a woman’s room is a girly room, and I hope men know that the intelligent prostitute will excite a man, a whore not a girl reaching for... Continue Reading →
Simple Clarity
_____For Jean Donnelly Oh, Jean, it’s okay If you do it beautifully, My name’s rhyme Nothing else should Clarify so simple The pen’s condensation A long draught The ink’s condescension A first draft The end product ___begins logic Who creates I know ______I shall meet— The scholars—and The daffodils— At night the... Continue Reading →
An Excerpt from A Son’s Loyalties – The Park (Chapter Four)
This is an excerpt from a novel I'm working on. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks and have a great weekend. Heads turn when they see Kao’s dark blue car. He parks near two makeshift volleyball courts, where a mixture of Southeast Asians are playing. Most of them are Mien and Hmong and a few... Continue Reading →
If you read one thing today… Time and Again by Breece D’J Pancake
"...I think I am getting too old to do this anymore. I wish I could rest and watch my hogs get old and die. When the last one is close to dying, I will feed him his best meal and leave the gate open. But that will most likely not happen, because I know this... Continue Reading →
Migrant Burden
Migraine headache ___a migrant backache ______from father to son. An American daughter-in-law _____our burden together. Donna wears her emotions on a flushed pale face washed with ivory cream ___what she brings to the table white rice _________mother taught her to wash and steam. Her father and brother wonder why I never finished business... Continue Reading →
If you read one thing today… The Soul of Barbecue is Being Reimagined in Charleston by Danny Chau
"Barbecue is a process of coaxing out secrets; barbecue is a romance. It requires patience and commitment, which over time reveal patterns and rhythms. A brisket will dance for you when it feels like it — and only when it feels like it. Its undulations are a sign that conditions are exactly right. That it’s done. In... Continue Reading →
For an Old Lover
I can see your gaze on the horizon, steady, not like mine as I drive alone glancing at everything ____________________that measures how far I am from home. The number on the trip odometer is a fraction, nominal in the permanent measurement, scant but significant, vital to the equation’s precision, it itself a testament, _________________as... Continue Reading →
City Lights
.....in the city’s perfect emanation of light -Carolyn Forche Traffic light _____spotlights __________the hungry man on the corner _____holding a cup for change. Christmas lights _____bring out his high cheekbones _____ragged pants over thin thighs __________eating into themselves. Red light district _____nonexistent __________in fishnet stockings _____and black leather miniskirt. Street... Continue Reading →
How I Became… A Springsteen Fan
It was the summer of 1998 and I was back home from college. One of my good friends, Phil, was back as well from the Army. This already starts off sounding like a Springsteen song. We had a Marine friend, Ian, who lived up in Sacramento about two hours north of us. Ian said he... Continue Reading →
The Star
This star burns _____so far and invisible __________to our eyes. Her colors masked _____by distance, wavered __________in the journey. Through the lens, _____the mascara’s imprint; __________a Polaroid dried of rainwater.
Mister Saechao 