An Invitation

I recently was extended an invitation by L.K. Thayer to be a guest squeeze over at her Poetry Juice Bar.  If ever a place was filled with creative juices, this is it. Be sure to stop by and check out the inspiring photos by V.C. Ferry, incredible poetry and lyrics by L.K. Thayer, and the guest squeeze spots by visiting poets. You won’t be disappointed. I was really nervous about writing a poem for someone else’s blog – so that’s what I wrote about. Let me know what you think.

SLOW ROAD

i felt a deep panic, like before an academic test
or waking from a dream of being naked in a crowd
that it was silly didn’t calm me, uneasiness remained
distractions with a purpose, this could be the solution

out came a very old file, papers dingy and faded
i began to read, line by line, faster then, page by page
sentimental words of youth, deeply colored clichés
the pee-chee folder was supposed to lend authenticity
serious words don’t belong in flowery notebooks
somehow sporty figures on fields of orange fell short

then i noticed it, up in the corner, looking bold
first initial, last name, was it in times new roman?
onion skinned paper as transparent as the attempts
i looked you up, in a sphere unknown to us then
the about you told me more than i could have guessed
there it was “poetry was a quick road to starvation”
somehow the print more credible, script faded, flimsy
empty praises for rigid writing, clandestine coffee hours

i know now that all the paper held was desire, no skill
passionate youth, misguided by youthful instructors
with curls that fell over banal brown eyes of seduction
arms that reached from behind to jot notes on my paper
begging me, let go, let loose, be free, show me all of you
a young girl, naive, fresh, too lacking in experience for poetry

now i rehash trite thoughts that led me to yellowing paper
letting youthful trepidation fall from shoulders like a red dress
daring myself to believe that words might feed our unclad souls
on slow roads captivating men with dark hair will never travel