I've been away too long...

Just signed back on and realized I haven't posted anything on here since APRIL- ridiculous, I know.  There is a good reason, though- I've been taking a whole lot of classes at CBU trying to get my certification for administrative leadership.  So between teaching full time, attending classes, doing research, and writing papers, I have had next to zero time for writing, let alone blogging.  The good news?  It's a fast-track program, and I should be done by Christmas, if I can keep up the pace. 

Once I finally get some time, I have plans to start work on a new collection- poems will be upcoming, as well as some new photography to put up on my shutterfly page that's been sitting around on my hard drive too long.  So stay with me!  I'll try to be a bit more consistent with this blog stuff.

Great Plate

Drink your ales, hoist your sails. 

Ride the wind, and think of me. 

-Jeremy Riley

Words to Live By

Chalk it up.

Not enough thought for talk.

Another gem for my splendid collection.

One more round of platitudes

for my life at that table over there-

we can drink those empty calories

until we are simple enough

to sing pointless songs

and smile without a reason.

It’s hard enough to find one mantra to live by.

One championed cause to tout

standards high and dizzy like sun-fumes,

banners bright and burning like polluted lakes.

In the temple of my sins

I throw

these pretty stones at cut-glass windows

hurl curses at my captors,

I ignore the open door.

Excuses

Work stress and holidays,
been moving to a new place,
no excuses, no two ways,
time to fill this blank space...

I've been nominated!

Just a quick post to let my loyal readers (all 5 if you) know- I've been nominated as 1 of 5 finalists for the Naked Girls Reading Literary Honors Prize! 

http://tinyurl.com/lxubztn

What's better than having your work judged as an honorary finalist by an organization with great literary taste? Having your work judged as an honorary finalist by an organization with great literary taste... that happens to be comprised of beautiful women that read their authors' work on-stage in the buff! 

All kidding aside, this is a great organization that  promotes literature and performance art in a totally fun and unique way. I've been following for a while, and it's an honor to be accepted as one of the 5 finalists. Wish me luck!

Telling Time 4

The orange spot of dawn,

first incandescent flashlight circle,

sneaks past blinds and curtains

each morning

striking the wall

a little more to the right

a little more away from the darkened fish tank

and its oblivious silver-colored sparks.

Summer ends.  Fall comes on

a little more to the right each morning

before changing from orange to white,

before sliding to the floor

where my cat

can lie in fascination of the dust flecks

and skin cells

that float

suddenly exposed.

Telling Time 3

Maybe it's just what the radio keeps telling me is "low-T", but I can remember times with girlfriends when I couldn't wait to go shopping on the off chance that I'd get to go into a Victoria's Secret with them. Today I go into these places with my wife, and the perfume, the emaciated models that look like teenagers, the thumping music... It's all so false, and its only goal is to sell me something. I just have to wait outside. I'd rather hit the cookie stand, or wait in the parking lot and watch the distant lightning.