The Hard Way
Highlights from My Love Life
My first high school steady
was a computer geek.
I read sci-fi novels
and corrected his college essay.
We tried bondage and anal.
I'm lucky his interest in me
wasn't confined to the cranial.
crazy trails to you
Cabin Fever Blues
Staying inside
Itchy skin
Don't feel like watching the news
Don't feel like love
More trouble than it's worth
Haven't shaved my legs in a month
Cause really who gives a fuck
S&M Santa Claus
I Don't Wanna Be Right
If loving you is wrong…
I’m dirty in a way no shower can ever wash off
Reflections on My Year as a Windy City Empire Duchess
So I became Empress Kate’s Duchess for Empire 15 of the Imperial City Court of the Prairie State Empire, or Windy City Empire for short.
My Best Drinking Buddies Have Joined AA
My best drinking buddies have joined AA,
given up the bottle, sobered up, gotten on the wagon
without falling off.
searching for something better, searching for somewhere to belong
They run away to escape a life in which it was beaten into them that they were nothing, less than nothing, and then they are taken in by the streets, where the last of their humanity is ripped from them.
Tutoring Chicago’s Got Talent, or Hey Kids, Let’s Put on a Show at The Store
Tutoring Chicago’s Got Talent is a variety show featuring volunteer tutors and their friends performing music, comedy, poetry, and more. Current and potential volunteers and supporters will have a chance to socialize while enjoying the show. Donations and proceeds from raffle ticket sales will go to benefit Tutoring Chicago.
Windy City Empire Singer-Songwriter Night at The Store in Chicago
I Don’t Forgive and I Don’t Forget
First time
I give benefit of the doubt
The News and My Feelings
I know the news is not about my feelings.
Not Easy
It’s not easy for someone like me to be happy
Always second guessing every decision
Finding something to criticize in every situation
I know others don’t find everything crappy
No irony when they state their mission
But to me their words sound sappy
…
Heat of Summer
jailbait skating
rebel looking
for a cause
new ways to be
illegal seducing
sweat from thighs…
An Essay about James Joyce’s Leopold Bloom for Bloomsday
In honor of Bloomsday on June 16, I’ve dug out the paper I wrote in high school about Leopold Bloom, the main character in James Joyce’s Ulysses.
The Zen of Death Cleaning | Part 2
I stayed in the house by myself. I don’t mind being by myself for long periods of time. I didn’t wear makeup or a bra, since no one would see me. I could have walked outside, but there’s nowhere to walk to, no Walgreens or Starbucks or friendly neighborhood bar with local bands playing or an open mic night. I’m eating through the frozen food in the freezer, Stouffer’s, Trader Joe’s, etc. and drinking the booze, and thank goodness there’s some good booze.
The Many Shoes of Marty Smith
I remember her,
when we were very little,
walking so fast,
my sister and I
struggling
to keep up,
in those high heels,
clicking on the sidewalk,
not waiting for traffic lights,
leaving us far behind,
trying to catch up.
She could dance
in high heels,
even The Charleston.
Bender
More and more I understand wanting to go on a bender
Get away from it all
Away from all the stuff that needs to be dealt with
All the petty, mundane, routine, inconvenient,
never-ending, time-consuming minutia of daily life
Monkeys Typing
spanking my monkey
monkeys typing
the natives are restless
and they've got a lot to say
How do you want to be defined? By one action? By some opinion that could evolve? By a mistake, regrettable only with hindsight? Or by the sum of your parts? Okay, do that for other people. Start the trend.