rainy friday morning with the same disappointment of opening my paycheck to find that my pay rate remains the same—over a month since I asked for a raise and my boss agreed. he did not say how much, or when. you just kind of assume it’ll be during your lifetime, you know? halfway through I mentioned it to him – bringing it up as haphazardly as possible, “are you still working on it?”—and all he said was “yeah.”
thanks a fucking lot, dude. I’m busting my ass keeping this place afloat for you, and you can’t even do right by me, even be straight with me? I may turn green today and start shaking the room to pieces. if so, I’ll make sure to take pictures.
. . .
I take pains
tell stories
like in
comic strip panes
move fast
in direction
speak in a
“you have
a call
on line 2”
voice
well put together
maintained composure
trusted
warm
my list goes on
decade by decade
going through
motions
making my
own waves
impressing upon
people
how fully capable
I am
closing out a day
counting out
the cash register drawer
selling another bonsai
tree at White Flint
and sometimes going
behind the partition
to lay down
on the floor for a nap
hands under my head
as a pillow
the tape plays
lessons on Russian
I repeat the words
embed them
into memory
hopefully I’ll get
to actually use them
Spanish will
be fun too
. . .
Boston too cold in the winter, you have my sweetheart for a few days — treat her with spring/summer compassion, return her to me gently so we can pick up just where we left off. it would be boring and miserable without her. not all Roanokes can be like you. but don’t get a fat head about it. you have your limitations like others. we did not in fact move here with any delusions that this is a thriving metropolis hustling and bustling along like a Philadelphia or even a Baltimore. my grandmother always said, “Roanoke is not a one-horse town. it’s really building up.” but what do grandmother’s know about how cities attract a younger generation?
. . .
I’m becoming a comic junkie. all week long I’ve had my heart set on pay day, going to comic shop and picking up a few TPBs. last night I slept in and skipped the poetry reading. when I woke up, I read a few issues of the amazing Transmetropolitan. now I’m looking forward to Grant Morrison’s new book, WE3. Here’s a discription from the Vertigo website:
The Incredible Journey meets The Terminator in WE3 — a heartbreaking animal adventure like no other. The eagerly awaited reunion of the white-hot team of Grant Morrison (JLA, New X-Men) and Frank Quitely (THE AUTHORITY, New X-Men), WE3 is their most ambitious collaboration yet — their own unique attempt to create a ‘Western manga’ — in a wild adventure that readers of any age can enjoy. They’re the ultimate cyborg assassins; armed with missiles, poison gas, state-of-the-art computer technology and unbreakable exo-skeletons. The government has spent millions to fuse the firepower of a battalion with the nervous systems of a dog named Bandit, a cat named Tinker, and a rabbit named Pirate. As part of a program to replace human soldiers with expendable animals, the U.S. government has transformed three ordinary pets into the ultimate killing machines. But now, those three animals have seized the chance to make a last, desperate run for ‘Home’. A run that will turn into a breathless hunt to the death against the might of the entire military/industrial complex. Prepare for adrenaline rushes and flowing tears as the world’s deadliest, most misunderstood animals make a spectacular, unforgettable bid for freedom!
I’m totally swept away in this stuff. imagine writing like that, collaborating with other artists and piecing together such an intense visual project like that… so many things to look forward to this summer!
BGKPOETRY.COM 