icedfire

A few poems that I feel confident enough in to share with you all...comments, feedback, and criticism is always welcome, but I do ask that you be at least civil about it.

In this haze of green and gray you stand clad in gentle teardrops shifting softly in a soughing breeze, and delicate coats of gold. In this forest grove you lay a faceless martyr to rest. For what have you bartered with his blood? Did you fetch a bargain with memories and loves that now may never be? A silenced voice cannot sing against the violent night, can only whisper of the light, muted by the veil of right, of duty, need, and war. The dusky rose of memory you lay will fade, withe

The man commands the corner with an ill-fitting countenance through a frayed and filthy overcoat, blessed with dirt or maybe dried blood between dilated bloodshot eyes, proselytizing empty bottles from last night’s sermons. Exuding Jesus and whiskey his voice rings through a matted beard, church bells calling all ye faithful to look aside and hurry past. Across the street, drag queens stand backlit by flickering neon staining glass, huddling around

Sitting on the November balcony with fireflies at our lips, we listen to winter return. Leaves shuffle like Tarot cards but keep secrets to themselves. I can feel your battered cheek throbbing against my shoulder, your fissured lip the only color given to the night. My hand comforts the curve of your hip but there is no warmth, only these embers flickering and cold. We are marionettes, directed by a cruel general to entwine ourselves togethe

i’ve whittled these words into impatient mouths who scamper and cavort about me. they thirst and drink my frustration, hunger and stipple my fingers with red tattoos like rashes. and then, refreshed, they speak in form of verse with metaphor; and the tide recedes... not yet! I call to the smug Moon, but she does not cater to the likes of me. desperate, I try to take back my words as they do. as they do I let my veins with th

The sidewalk glitters reflecting amber in patterns shifting with each breath, each inhalation. Civilizations rise and fall in the shifting diamond light at my feet, in wonder and tragedy. The air around me a blade, suspended precluding movement, but it is worth the risk to exhale and write a shadowed epic on the ground. I am precarious, alone, a gossamer storyline crafted by a fickle pen. If this cigarette break is my anticlimax then let me d

Seven years ago I punched a mirror when I saw your face, leering in place of my own. As I watched the quicksilver coursing down the wall, I wondered how near the thud of wood was to the dislocating creak of jaw – or perhaps the thump of your custom-made cowboy boots, black leather inlaid with red rattlesnake scales, as they dropped your legs into your polished oak box. Combine the three: the creak of its lid, the thump of nails driven home, the thu

A reflective, semi-autobiographical short essay.

There’s something disturbing about the fake grass they use at a graveside funeral. Its color is unnaturally bright, reminding me of Easter mornings and lime jello. A happy color, when you think about it. I guess that’s why it bothers me; it’s like trying to force happiness where there should be none. Funerals are supposed to be depressing, with people crying and comforting each other. I can’t cry for this man and I can’t force myself to feel sad for his death, and judging by the faces of almost

Extremist? Creigh Deeds ran away screaming from any progressive position for the past two months. I doubt he'd have won had he not, but he'd have been much closer than 18 points. Some of the down ballot races may have been closer as well. Still, when a party (Democrat, Republican, or...Conservative) chooses a bad candidate, bad things will happen to it.

Drunken angry sex is the best kind!

What part of the Midwest are you in, Mark? It's pretty brutal here in the Twin Cities, but not quite as bad as farther south.

I am suggesting that your most "sacred held beliefs" are media and pop culture inspired drivel. Slap! Snap out of it. What you have bought into wholeheartedly is collectivism. My generation bleed to stop it and you punks elected it. If you think the economy is bad now, what till you get a load of triple digit inflation and the taxes that are coming despite Obama's promises to the contrary. All I ask is that you hold Obama to the same standard that you held Bush. When his lies start to surface, call him a liar with the same piss and vinigar that you called Bush. As for expecting more, Life sucks, wear a f-ing helmet. You might actually experience a modicum of success in convincing people to reconsider their "sacred held beliefs" by arguing on the merits of what you believe in, rather than recycling Hannity/O'Reilly bromides and automatically dismissing the political "other" as utter idiots. Like the majority of self-professed liberals who actively consider their political beliefs (not, as you say, "buy in wholeheartedly"), I am quite aware that Obama does not fart perfume or sh*t rainbows. As for holding Obama to the same standard as I do Bush? I do try, though I must admit that it's rather more difficult given that Obama does not have an eight-year record of ideological rigidity, intellectual disinterest, and the demonization of various subcultures in America for political gain. If he screws up...when he screws up, as I believe he did with FISA...I will react accordingly. Until then I will give the man a chance to prove himself, not hover like a starving harpy waiting gleefully for the chance to say the four most futile words in the English language: "I told you so!" I'm disengaging from this thread...if I wanted vitriol such as this, I'd go annoy some of the DailyKos trolls or have a quick conversation over at The Corner. It's perfectly possible to discuss and debate things based on issues, but I'm not optimistic that I'll get the chance to here. Rob

No offense, but I don't believe you could have written this (particularly the beginning passage) any more condescendingly than this. It makes it very hard to consider the rationales behind your arguments...or to find them, given the veneer of supercilious sarcasm. I can respectfully disagree with someone who has a different political ideology than I do, but not when he addresses me or the things I believe in so dismissively. Frankly, I expect more from you Rob

Go Devils Go! Also, Zach Parise

Don't y'all get the wrong impression...there are at least a few people who grew up in Jersey who can fill a tank! Sadly, all we had to do was pump gas for others... Rob

Been busy with work. Never graduate, life after college sucks

About a year and a half too late to the party, but meh. Taken a week ago after I got the ears pierced.

This is a balancing act that Senator Obama must consider carefully in the months leading up to the Democratic National Convention. On one hand, Jim Webb is as close to a guaranteed Democratic pickup in the Senate as you can get. On the other hand, unless the Democrats can get to 60 seats in November, increasing the Senate majority isn't worth a whole lot if they don't win the White House as well. I share your admiration and enthusiasm for Webb, but I don't believe that his very strong appeal in Virginia translates well nationally -- outside of the political junkies and activists, he is not very well known outside of VA. I think Obama's VP pick will largely come down to how quickly the Democratic party base settles down and unifies behind him. While I have a hard time seeing him offering Clinton the VP slot (and I also have a hard time seeing her accept it), if large numbers of her supporters remain on the fence I think he'll pick Governor Sebelius. She's popular in a red state, she's great at working across the party aisle, and she's strong on women's rights. I think she does better across the board than Gov. Napolitano of Arizona or Sen. McCaskill of Missouri when it comes to both trying to unify the party and challenging traditional Republican territory, although Missouri's a pretty tempting battleground state as well. The problem there is, how do you replace McCaskill in the Senate? If Hillary Clinton is able to motivate her base, and more importantly if Obama is able to inspire them to join him, then there are many more possibilities. Two choices that spring to mind immediately for me would be Governor Rendell in Pennsylvania (a strong Hillary supporter who is popular with working class voters) and Senator "this is bull****, this is malarkey" Biden. As much as I like him, I don't know if Bill Richardson adds enough to the ticket to be chosen...but then again, he could make it much easier to flip Colorado, New Mexico, and maybe Nevada. An interesting dark horse candidate would be Governor Strickland in Ohio...it looks next to impossible for the Republicans to win the election this year without holding on to Ohio (it's going to take a couple more months of bad polls before I believe that Michigan is in danger of flipping). In addition, Strickland was another prominent Hillary supporter. I don't know how popular he is in Ohio, or if his choice would make the Democratic chances there any stronger...but the more the Republicans are forced to spend in Ohio, the less they will have to defend states like IA, VA, CO, NM, NV...maybe even NC and ND. Then again, it's only the first week in June...in a couple of weeks, who knows what the picture will look like? Rob

Glad to hear it's working out, and that it didn't turn into anything more serious. I've never really had any fights with curbs, but I was in a pretty bad accident last October...I still get a bit panicky when I'm in a car on the highway. I think the only way to really become a safe and smart driver is through making mistakes and getting scared half to death from time to time...glad to hear that you weren't in any physical danger, man. Rob

I'm so terrified of children now.

If he's as interested in you as it seems, he might be going through a case of cold feet...especially seeing as how it's you he's interested in

The hardest lessons to learn are those you have to learn yourself; however, these are the lessons that will stay with you the longest. One should never have to change the way he acts to please other people, only to please himself. The consequence of this independence is that each of us must accept responsibility for effect we have on those around us, and must find the balance between accomodating personal desires and pleasing the people closest to us. It's how we all grow as individuals, and it sounds like you've realized this within yourself and within the context of friendship. I'm proud of you, and impressed. Rob

Does Central Jersey count as cow country? I have three syllables in circling as well Then again, I also have two and a half syllables for "intermittent" (if I *had* to try and describe how I say that, it would be "inr-mih'n'"...basically, no hard T sound, the last syllable is pretty much dropped, and the traditional first two are just a big slur. Ah, Jersey.) Rob

Thanks Kitty, it's been bothering that I couldn't remember his name.