07

In the year 2007 I resolve to: Slap stupid people in the head. Get your resolution here.

survey

WHAT'S YOUR MIDDLE NAME?
Diane, but if you call me that...i'll have to cut you.

WHAT COLOR UNDERWEAR ARE YOU WEARING NOW?
salmon...not pink that's girly

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
the sounds of silence

WHAT ARE THE LAST TWO DIGITS IN YOUR PHONE
NUMBER?
35

what was the last thing you ate?
grilled cheese with tomato yummm


if you were a crayon what color would you be?
purple

HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW?
fucked up and foggy

who was the last person you talked to on the
phone?
Rochelle...don't ask

the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
nothing?

FAVORITE TYPE OF FOOD?
usually there's cheese involved unless it's dessert the there's whipped cream involved unless it's sex then there could be whipped cream or cheese involved...that's gross just threw that in to make myself giggle...it worked

do you drink?
you buying?

What's your favorite drink?
coffee unless i'm out and about then there is beer or long island iced tea

ever so drunk you don't remember what you did?
yes, don't ask, i don't remember


hair color?
black and brownish...a little grey cause i'm old

eye color?
brown

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
not yet, but i have a check up soon, so that could change

FAVORITE HOLIDAY?
the one where christmas trees don't tear up your car

favorite month?
may, my birthday month where i party allllllllll month long

have you ever cried for no reason?
in the middle of it right now, thanks for the distraction

WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
my super ex girlfriend with my ex girlfriend....ironic no... fucking demonic and masochistic

FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
my birthday...tells me that i'm here

are you too shy to ask someone out?
sometimes, but not usually

if you could say something to someone right now..... what would it be?
stop...this hurts

hugs or kisses?
hugs....kisses lie

chocolate or vanilla?
i like both

what books are you reading right now?
nothing exciting, books i assigned my middle school class
things not seen and star girl not terribly exciting...i told you

piercing?
just the ears

Fun and Good Times

last night was fun!!
friends, friends and family.....kwanzaa......
cleo's sweet potato cheese cake
oh my damn it was some good with or without whipped cream
chocolate fondu
cranium....didn't know my humming skills were not up for the challenge
stacie, karen, melissa, kathy, tana
two exes and a missed op in the house
my kids having fun
turning heidi's hands purple
slightly tense vibe
the rum helps
house is a mess
going to go work in my classroom now
release some pentupness

Tonight

TONIGHT@ CLITERATI!!!!
Hasan Davis my brother extrodinaire!
8pm at The Spot next door to Tower Two
Be There or you'll be sad!

stay home

must not leave the house again today
i have never seen a person get hit by a car
that was my christmas present about 2pm
i scream and slam my breaks like i was the one who hit him
dialing 911 watching the person who hit this guy almost drive away
myself and the three other motorist who stopped in their tracks yelling at him to fucking stop and shouting locations to 911 operators
i want to believe that if it was the middle of the night
no cars on the road
that he would have stopped
checked on this poor man
i want to believe that people care
and that he is one of those people.....
or would he have gone about his day
like he didn't impact someones world
they moved the man
his head was in the street
feet resting on the sidewalk
he almost made it across
when i saw blood i got no closer
i just kept saying i don't think you should move him
he was dazed, bloody and talking when i drove away
i could hear the ambulance in the distance
i looked the driver in the eyes before i pulled away
if he hadn't had an audience
if no one else had stopped
he would have driven away
his eyes told me so

Merry Christmas already

so, i remember why i don't do the holidays
aside from the attack of the would be killer Christmas tree of 2001
the expression of joy flying at me
ripping a gaping hole in my car but leaving a smattering of tinsel
to complete that holy shit intensity that overtakes you when your life flashes before your eyes Saturn emblem flying skyward
defensive driving rocks!
for two days i've been forced to leave my home to do odd tidings here and there for family
no i don't mind sitting in highway traffic for hours on end
no i don't
so today i had to go to wal-mart
not particularly because i want to be in any store
especially that one
in the pre countdown shopping nightmare that is this season
3 items
all i have are three items
i learned that 10 items or less means nothing
15 or less means even less
but i also learned that if you work at wal-mart
get off work
decide to shop with the rest of us fools
that there is a secret express line for you
that you can roll up with your 32 items( i counted)
in the 10 items or less line
pull up on the wrong side like you're in England or something
look like you are supposed to be there
take over the cashiers register
commandeer the little wand thingy
ring up your shit
never making eye contact with the customers you've usurped
only offering a sidelong glance as that one
dreaded (in more ways than one)
customer in the dyked out jacket
pirate head scarf
t shirt emblazon with the smiley face
with duct tape over its mouth
with the caption
silence is golden,
duct tape is silver
who is in fact counting out your order
loudly
to the tune of some jingle that has left my brain
cause clearly counting as well as good manners have eluded you
i comment that i think all wal-mart employees should benefit from the
secret express lane and i am going to suggest it to the managers
black people blush and turn colors
i wished her a merry whatever
don't tell me i'm not just dripping
with sentiments of merry fucking Christmas

kunundrum

today is global orgasm day??
gonna need some help to celebrate properly....call me

tongue tied

damn 1 minute poem
i will be victorious
wait till the next slam

a haiku for the one minute poem

so, tell me if this has ever happened to you.
you are walking down the street.
you hear some one coming up behind you saying," hey, hey you. I know you!"
you turn in the direction of the approaching voice, no recollection.
i have no poker face...at all.
"i knew it was you," she says.
still no recollection, but i smile cause she's smiling.
"we are friends."
my expression doesn't change much because i still have no fucking idea who she is and my metal rolodex is spinning to the point of dizzy.
then she says, " i recognize your hair from my space."
seems my hair is more popular than i.
well i have put lots of new trinkets in so it is quite dashing.
ya gotta love my space.

Mr. stripey gone from this world

as we find ourselves gathered
on this beautiful day in December
to say goodbye to our aquatic friend Mr. Stripey.
he was a good fish, no he was a great fish.
his living space was always clean.
he was always polite in the mornings without coffee unlike many of us.
he never called anyone names but kept a smile on his face.
we now will say goodbye to mister stripey.
i go to flush him.
a scream.
it's dark in the toilet!
how do you know i ask?
cause?
that's not an answer, have you ever been flushed in the toilet.
nooooo. many voices.
i imagine it to be liberating like the final roller coaster ride your life.
i'm scared to ride roller coasters so the toilet will be scary.
somehow i've proved her point. don't fuck with first grade logic....no...don't do it.
so they build a fishy coffin.
the dig a fishy grave.
a student presides over the grave side ceremony.
it's very cute, sweet and twisted at the same time.
we watch them pretend to cry, holding on to one another. one kid pretends to faint.
mr. stripey will be missed for about 5 minutes only remembered before the next fishy funeral.
we average about three a year.



Today!!!!!

gary's getting a bad rap.
the first and second grade have accused
gary the snail of killing mr. stripey the gold fish.
i told them snails are decomposers not killers and assured them that gary wouldn't have eaten mr. stripey's eye if he had not been dead.
morning gross out...sorry.
gary the snail's reputation has been soiled.
he may need representation before this scandal is over.
poor gary!!!

Art Amok Slam 1-2-3-4

7 Stages & ART AMOK! SLAM
present a 4-round slam
of 1, 2, 3 & 4 minute original sonnets, limericks, stories, poems
based on the Individual World Poetry Slam format!

Saturday, 12/16
sign up at 8.30, slam at 9pm
slots typically fill up fast
(max. 12 poets)
$5, free to slam
Location: 7 Stages Mainstage
Come and watch some of the Southeast's premiere voices in performance poetry
as the 2007 Art Amok Slam Team comes to life.
Or, even better, come out to Slam. $50 cash prize.
7 Stages Theatre
1105 Euclid Ave. Atlanta, GA 30307
404-523-7647 (box office)
http://www.7stages.org/

folks

so, during music class i ducked out to get some lunch
i have a looooooong day today.
i stop in at a bp to get gas and there is a man there going off on the cashier.
he is shouting at the man because the water at the store is to expensive.
he's shouting things like,"this is the same water they sell at home depot and lowes and it's cheaper there!" then he makes a comment about folks from the middle east under his breath just loud enough for me to hear it.
i have been crunchy for several weeks.
for those of you not hip to the theresanary book of internal definitions, crunchy is a state of irritation that doesn't differentiate or discriminate which means pretty much anything can flip my switch.
this comment flipped my switch. so after sizing him up I clear my throat loudly
cause he's holding up the fucking line and he says to me..excuse you,
my eyebrow shoots into my hairline. i clear my throat again and say," if you would like cheaper water sold to you buy americans then take your not so happy ass down the street to lowes, you are holding up the line. either buy the fucking water or leave and please feel free in the future not to excuse me. you need to apologize for your slur!"
"i'm not slurring my words, you trying to say i'm drunk."
"would explain the need for water, but no. i'm talking about your racial slur, which might be taken as racism. you buying the water or not cause i'd like to pay for my gas and get the hell out of here."
he bought the water and glared at me.
cheap ass. i am not offended by the prices of water, water should be free so the fact that it's not offends me.
in crunchy mode i am unaffected by idiots, assholes and dumb-shits. and a dumb-shit and an idiot have lots in common, but they are different.

The Sugar Babies

These are two of the cutie sugar babies!!!

and then there were three

so yesterday was the beginning of reality math, always marked by the births of the sugar babies.
10 students 11 sugar babies, yes one lucky student had twins. there was a 20 minutes of complaining and whining....
"i don't want a boy."
"i don't want a girl."
"i'm going to dress him like a girl anyway cause i want a girl!"
i can see the issues growing. the had a day to decorate their child.
and one of my not so creative sweeties made his baby boy a diaper. he was working so hard. when he got through he proudly displayed the finished garment modeled by his sugar baby. before i could comment,ms. shakur piped in with, " why is your baby wearing a thong? ms. theresa that right there, that's child abuse or pornography or something. he must be getting his designs from r kelly's version of baby gap. that's wrong, ms theresa!"
i had to excuse myself to the ladies room so my laughter wouldn't stifle creativity but damn that girl has a wicked sense of humor.....i'd like to think i had something to do with that......(tear on cheek pride moment).
only two took headers off the tops of desks.
one required a band-aid.
the babies are weighed after the 14 day experiment and the one closest to 5lbs wins points.
they all start with 100 points.
they can gain or lose points based on care. children left unattended for too long will be kidnapped cause shit happens and sometimes it happens to you, the ransom 75 points. i already have the ransome notes.

and it just so happens that the llama had her foal, colt, spawn what the hell are their babies called? i will look it up..... CRIA. a baby llama is called a cria. i have never heard of this..don't lie neither have you. see i told you they want my arms and now there are three of them stalking me......

Thanksgiving?

how do you have a police shoot-out with a 92 years old woman?
how do you kick down the door of a 92 year old woman at 2 am in a drug infested neighborhood looking for a dealer who doesn't have that address?
happy fucking thanksgiving..this woman lived a long time, was a law abiding citizen. her house was riddled with bullets. the police have been shooting a lot of women lately. wtf

lighter note?
so we are having thanksgiving dinner.
3 hours late cause the little popping thing didn't pop on the damn turkey.
i think the damn thing was trying to put up some kind of fight.
no sides that had to be baked were prepared.
my sister...who said to me "I'll cook the mac and cheese this year."
went to the store after it had been run through and could not secure the vital ingredient..VELVEETA.
we ate fucking Kroger brand mac and cheese. wrong, i told her she was going to thanksgiving hell, for her troubles.
it is wrong for mac and cheese to have the consistency of rice crispy treats....wrong, i say!
the kids are getting rowdy.
they are hungry and i am in a coma on the couch. yelling occasionally "no the popping thing isn't broken. no the bird is not done if the popping thing doesn't pop! no, i will not go ask the neighbor who is entertaining at least 20 people if you can put the cornbread in her oven."
did i mention the kids are getting rowdy?
to soothe the children, while the popping thing popped and the bird too large for our group was heaved out of the oven. my mother spun the ancient thanksgiving tale of the "Spider-man Food", you know...the legend of cranberry sauce! yes, she did. told them how Spidey wasn't right unless he ate this special food. that he had to make sure he got it at thanksgiving because that was the time of year that it was served in abundance. that the reason it is red, is cause it is one of Spider-man's favorite foods. " Like ketchup?" Jamal asked."Like Ketchup." my mother beamed.
you have never seen the amount of cranberry sauce consumed.
it was so wrong.
all i could think was the carpet will be colorful later thanks to Spider Man the Patron Saint of Thanksgiving.
when i left no one had thrown up, but the energy of all that cranberry sauce and the cream-cheese pound cake, pineapple upside down cake, sweet, sweet potato pie and the mounds of whipped cream was very evident.
I am so glad my son didn't hear the Spider-man tale.
this kid who routinely sleeps in a spidey costume three years too small( i tried to throw it away twice and he always busts me). but if he asks for any one of the three cranberry sauce cans that have been sitting on the top shelf in the kitchen cabinet for now on three years, I'll know that one of my sister's little spidey disciples, spilled the goods and shared the traditional story of the Cranberry Sauce!

Workin it out

Last night was a HIT!
What a great night. It went a little long but it was very nice.
I gotta work on this hosting thing.
I can be pretty clever but sometimes my clever on the spot
is just twisted at best. I feel silly practicing hosting.
I stood in the mirror last night, after a few beers, and tried to introduce people better.It would help if i had some history. Knew their work or, something.
People seemed to not notice that I sucked at it so it's all good.

It also helped me curb some of my anger. Not all of it. Last night instead of dreaming of killing the woman who grabbed at my son. I only hurt her. The important thing here is that my fantasy violence is not so scary...For now, that is. She touch my boy again and I don't know what I'll do. I just know it will be bad.

So tonight in the next phase of the Charis 32 Birthday bash there is Burlesque at Sister's. Yes, I will be there and I think I have my courage coming back so I am considering doing a burlesque act. Since the depression has set in, I have lost weight and it has redistributed itself somehow. So there are angles of me I don't recognize and if someone were only paying half attention, they could totally mistake me for fine even sexy! I shall test that theory tonight, before the alcohol sets in where then everyone is fine or sexy, or some intoxicated equivalent.

But before then I have to crash Cold Soup Dinner Theater. My mom is performing blues songs and some comedy. My mom is pretty funny except sometimes when she tries to tell a joke. I can't sing but I am going to sing a song with her tonight.
This depression thing has me so wrung out. I have this incredible loneliness even when surrounded by people and I'm doing some really great things, I am afraid that I'm missing a lot too. Because I am so in my head sometimes, pile on the pre-menopause...I'm feeling pretty fucking unstable.

This blog is all over the place..so we have been studying Greek mythology and I have re-stumbled over one of my favorite goddesses. This is who I think I would be and if I were to take a serious stage name other than my own it would be this. I think she may be my next tattoo in a smallish version.

Nemesis

is the goddess of divine justice and vengeance. Her anger is directed toward human transgression of the natural, right order of things and of the arrogance causing it. Nemesis pursues the insolent and the wicked with inflexible vengeance.

That's where I am right now. People lie and I want to smite them on the spot. There are other smite-able offenses but that's the big one in this moment. I talk to people and I feel myself scanning for lies...it's bad. not going to do that tonight. Going to let my hair down, relax, and allow myself to be the charming, sexy motherfucker, I used to be before liars invaded my space, and twisted my perceptions.
In other words..I'm going to have some fucking fun for a change!!

Sandwich Day

As an educator, I feel it is my duty to pass on information that could potentially shape the minds of the young and old. I am a font of useless information and I insist on sharing it with everyone.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY!!!

John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, was a gambler. One night he didn’t want to leave the gaming tables even to eat, so he ordered his servants to quickly bring him some meat between slices of bread. That way, he would still have one hand free to play while he filled his stomach. He was a genius. Yes, he had a problem but where would Subway be without him.

So, in my class today we are playing cards and munching on cold cuts. I'm teaching them how to trash talk and take beating like a man, woman, or child! I start each thrashing with " do you need to make out a will, or call you next of kin or a hug? Do you need a hug?" Then i whip them in gin rummy, war, uno and any other card game we got going on!!
Why am I such a cool ass teacher..........Cause I don't know any other way to be, baby!!

beyond pissed

i am barely keeping it together
my son's teacher is a freak
and she tried to remove my son from a class
because he disagreed with her and refused to go
you send his ass to the office
you can even come tell me and i'll send his ass to the office
but you do not put you fucking hands on my child
i have not slapped the shit out of her yet but it is around the bend
i don't know what's up with this week
people testing their boundaries with me
i am not in a good place emotionally
i am not in a great place mentally
and i am tired of being pushed up on
and not pushing back
and i am tired of resisting my inner bitch
so i'm not anymore
she's been dormant too long i think
it's time i let her out to play
tread carefully
she has been released

wishes

i wish i'd never met you
never allowed the walls carefully crafted
around myself to crumble in pieces at your feet
allowed myself to care
i wish i'd never met you

the years it took to rebuild me
the effort put in to righting myself
the years now default because i met you and
i wish i never had

how easy it would be
if the reasons for the failure
were mine
i didn't share my life's work
my friends my family
how easy it would be if we'd never met the woman
who could not pronounce the letter s
as we moked and miled at the wonder
and
i still wish i'd never met you
cause sharing the part of me
that i wanted you and only you to see
from a perspective of sharing
components not to be compartmentalized
into bullshit
but that is what it was
bullshit
and you knew it all along
and while i thought i was building a friendship
i was actually tearing it down and
i wish i'd never met you

never traveled state to state
when i thought you wanted to know me
not just date
cause that's so so much deeper

i traverse the distance and measure out the time
i divide and add then subtract
it all equals to this fact
i wish i'd never met you
then my old haunts wouldn't haunt me
my memories wouldn't be in print
my hope for a friendship i valued
would might
may
could still be in tact
i long for the day that you glared at me
i retreated
but dejected girl scout that i am
when the chance came to meet you again......
i wish i'd never met you
if we had never met
because maybe
maybe
you would have actually
gotten to meet
me
but instead
i met you

relocation - reconnection

well, it seems cliterati will have a new home
and as i embrace new ways to change
i believe it is a good thing
cleanse our lenses
new perspectives
these women are amazing
and the fact that they allow me to hang out with them
the cherry on top
**********************************************
in another type of relocation
i have endured some shit
a lot of shit over the years
some roses have grown from some of the shit
other heaps just stink to high heaven
i've learned that the old way i used to think
may not work in the current climate
i meet a lot of people and the majority of them are genuine
but the ones i meet and
i give them genuine up front points
are fucking nuts
it's ok
i'm getting a slightly better gauge on things these days
i have to keep my own rules clearer
not stray from the plan
under 30 .... bad
except in the case of someone who has to remain nameless
funny been running from that one for more than a minute
and honestly believe i'd have been
happier if i had stopped running
as i keep running into this one again and again
and almost always on the tail of something
really fucked happening to me or around me
the original folks i hung out with in the beginning of this ride
were the most fucking honest
i have learned that i cannot tolerate dishonesty
the knee jerk reaction to smack wells up
and if i'm not quick
my hand or tongue starts flying
and the
i gives not a shit
attitude i've worked really hard to reshape
comes back with a vengeance
so i know where my base is
and i will be recommitting myself to them

Black Girl Games

Growing up many a report card espoused on my academic prowess
Things like excellent reading skills
But seems board with the genres
Stellar speller, vocabulary years above her level
She does math differently but it comes out right
A gifted student
A talented child
Mature beyond her peers
But one comment loomed
Over me like storm clouds
Canceling recess
She doesn’t play well with others
Doesn’t interact with her female peers
She’s a bit of a tomboy
Not that everyday I didn’t play Hopscotch and Double Dutch
Till I could leap or jump to any rhythm
And throw stones with the accuracy of a politician
I played with the other little black girls
I just could never master black girl games
The under world of the play ground kingdoms

And I’m sure white girls have games
I imagine hair pulling and lots of scratching
But black girl games
Involve the taking of thing just because they can
I used to watch my cousins play the black girl game with their girlfriends
It fascinated me
My cousin would be all like
“He’s so fine; I’m going to make him mine”
Her friend, “please, he ain’t shit”
Next thing you know
Friend has absconded with the shit
And they never see it coming
Never watching the subtle signs
That blinked behind lying eyes
Those not hip to the black girl game open their mouths
And watch their dreams snatched by braded birds of prey
Repeatedly
Fascinating
Like watching an urban animal planet
Taking and twisting
Not cause they want it
Need it to survive
No just because you utter the words of want
And they don’t want you to have it
Boys
Not so much
The whole concept of the game was lost on them
Sometime I’d find myself
Impersonating Dear Abby
Boys would be like
You know Jimmy likes Sharon
I kind of like Sharon too
I’d say do you like having Jimmy as your friend
If you do don’t fuck with Sharon
They got it
I never had to witness classic fucking over with the boys
So I never developed the taste for black girl games
I have gotten sucked into a few
And clearly didn’t know the rules
I broke a few black girl noses
Chipped a few teeth
broke an arm, she jus tripped or something
tried to drown one in a toilet
the police stopped me right before they arrested me
Received and inflicted scars
That require stitches
Fucked up some minds so thoroughly
That the guilt will follow me to my next life
Pugilist with passion can’t play those types of games
So I’ve learned to walk away
Keeping my karma and integrity intact
Prison time and lawsuits at bay
Re educate my self on the signs
Then, go hang out with the boys

Cliterati Octoberfest

Cliterati Octoberfest
~Cliterati will be on the 3rd and 4th Thursdays
This month!!

Cliterati becomes 6 years old in October! To celebrate, we're accomodating 3 very special features Oct. 19th & Oct. 26th
doors at 8pm, open mic at 8.30 $5 donation for the features
Please welcome to The Tower II. 735 Ralph Mcgill Blvd

OCTOBER 19th
SONYA RENEE
Sonya Renee

is a National Poetry Slam Champ, Individual World Poetry Slam Finalist

Activist, Teacher, Mom "Sonya Renee speaks for people on the margins and she does it by her own damn bootstraps. I admire her smarts, her sass, her lungpower and her willpower......young poets should be steered in her direction, and you yourself should sit right down for a hot minute. Watch this woman. Listen to this person. Sonya Renee will win you over!"~Rives, National Poetry Slam Champion, HBO Def Poetry Jam Tour

"Sonya Renee is the REAL DEAL. RAW, ORIGINAL, SENSITIVE. So many of her poems tell my story and maybe yours too. SHE'S SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!"
~Gayle Danley, National Poet & Educator, 1994 National Individual Poetry Slam Champion, 2006 Young Audiences Artist of the Year

"She's a force of Nature on stage, often funny, and even when she's raging against injustice, there's always a wink in the corner of her eye.."
~Charles Ellik, Host and Curator of Berkeley Slam Norcal Poetry Organizer

AND
October 26th
The Coming Of Age Tour

The Coming of Age Tour, starring JT Bullock and Andi Cauth Oct. 26th Rolls into Cliterati! JT BULLOCK is a New Orleans native living in Birmingham, Alabama since 1998. His poetry runs the gauntlet from personal confessions to political protests. In his work as a spoken word artist, he experiments with the rhythmic styles of hip-hop, the brutal honesty of satirical comedy, and streams of consciousness found in surrealistic monologues. He is the author of one chapbook called Uncommon Days in Blues of Gray and a CD entitled I Can Sue Reality. In 2000, he joined the Birmingham Slam Team as an alternate at the Southern Fried Regionals in Americus, Georgia and has been rocking the mic ever since! Two years after his first competition, he came back to Southern Fried in Memphis as a member of Team Montevallo and scored a major victory as the ..1 team in the southeast. ANDI KAUTH began her career in Slam in 2004, when she was mentored by the creator of Slam himself, Marc Smith. Since then, she has gone on to become Slam Master of the Palatine Poetry Slam, Coach of the 2005 Palatine National Poetry Slam team, and a member of the 2006 Palatine NPS team. She mentors kids in the art of spoken word, and has also been invited into high school freshman English classes to help introduce writing and performance. She has been published twice in the Celebration of Young Poets poetry anthology and featured in The Viking Logue and The Daily Herald.


Related wordy events (click for samples & links):


Art Amok! will have an art party and poetry slam at 7 Stages Theatre in Little Five Points on October 21st, 9.30, Sonya Renee will have an encore feature performance.$5 or free to slam. The theme of the evening will be Artists, Angles and Madness to coincide with the 7 Stages production of Vincent & I.(Slam poems do not have to be on theme).See why Creative Loafing picked Art Amok as "Best Spoken Word" in Atlanta.

Charis Books & More, conveniently located in Little 5 Points hosts open poetry readings with fabulous author features on the first Friday of every month.

Java Monkey on Church Street, Decatur will kick off their slam poetry season Oct.8th at 8~get there early for your seat!
Visit sister sites www.artamok.org , www.7stages.org

Got more? E-mail cliterati@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting the Arts in the ATL!
http://www.cliterationline.com/

the pic things not working arrrrr!
i will figure it out.

Breathe

I keep forgetting to do that
breathe
it helps to do that every once in a while

last night was great
i was featured at a literary circle with jessica care moore as one of the young gifted and black poetic women of atlanta.
young.....that is some funny shit.
i'm not ancient..yet.....
the women have had very little exposure to performance poetry and had never heard of slam
they were very sweet and promised to come to a slam in the future
it was a nice night....i felt so young ...giggles....

i am on an emotional rollercoaster
it is soooooooooooo not fun
in a constant state of cloudy
i have to snap myself out of this
the grind begins wednesday and i am so excited
poetry and parties 2 parties 3 shows
if i don't have some fun
something is really wrong with me
i am also trying to arrange a second date
why is this scary to me now?

oh...i know why halloween is coming....
or it could be that i am a ginormous chicken shit
or it could be that i was hurt more than i realized
blindsided i think is more accurate
and the prospect of being hurt again scares me
but if i don't do something soon
i'll be stuck to wallowing in this hurt
time to do something
i need my mind back in full force
i don't like the wafting about
breathe

so i get a call
i make up an excuse
and now i'm thinking an opportunity missed
cause i'm a chicken shit
and sitting home alone feeling lonely
is so much fucking fun
so tired of feeling like this
going to go prune my feathers
for i am a CHICKEN SHIT

spin cycle

i'm feeling like myself and somebody else at the same time
like the washing machine that runs great until the spin cycle
then it gets unbalanced
makes wicked noises
shakes and sputter
yep
just like that
only harder to explain
without the button that points out my spin cycle

last night at Charis was great
and someone was trying to be there
so glad for the no show
not feeling very respectful right now
would have been a use/lose situation
the goddess knows how crazed i am right now
so feeling quite unattractive
i went the the local dive fun as shit bar in east atlanta
nothing makes you feel better
than being used as a pole for an unscripted pole dance
where the dancer is quite fucked up
there was a dip backwards and then a flip
thank god for the couch
she flipped over it
skirt flitting slightly over her head
she bobbed to her feet
and bounced backwards sitting
perfectly on the couch
well, except for the fact that her skirt was
still kind of up around her arm pits
so, driving isn't the only thing you shouldn't do drunk
i tried to catch her
but the idea of being skewed by three inch heels
didn't appeal to me in that moment
besides the couch aerobics probably sobered her up a taste
all though once she composed her self
she righted her skirt and bought another drink
i'm too old for the club scene
but it never ceases to amuse me

She's an Idiot!

did you know that if you read Harry Potter you are being indoctrinated into a religion whose practices are evil?
see and here i thought you were just reading a fucking book.
see now that i know that that's all it takes to be indoctrinated into anything
i think i'll read a book on treating medical maladies
so that i can be indoctrinated into the medical profession
i don't have to just play a doctor on TV
i can be one cause i read a fucking book...
ooooo, i could read a book on psychology..
be indoctrinated into that profession
and figure our why my ex is a nut
and it'll be true
all my diagnoses because i read a fucking book
that gave me the power to know all....
wait to be indoctrinated into a practice that practices......
it sounds so logical
reading is is way more fundamental than i thought it was...
i could read a book about space and
be indoctrinated into NASA fly the fucking space shuttle
cause you know, i read a book...
oooooo
i read the entire constitution once
does that mean that i've been indoctrinated into a political system that practices the random fucking over of a people
and could i then run for president...cause i read it
it's not a book but i'm sure its in a book
and we all know that all it takes is to read something and you could be indoctrinated

laura mallory has way to much fucking time on her hands
she wants to remove the Harry Potter books from the school libraries
i think maybe a better idea is that she remove them from her library and stop being stupid in public
she doesn't want macbeth, a mid summers night dream, or the wizard of oz removed
fucking hypocrite
she hasn't even read the fucking books
how can you have an informed opinion
if you youself is uninformed
thank goddess she's not a teacher
let's hurry up and close those minds kiddies
we would hate to have to be free thinkers
you can't ban some without banning them all
stupidity and closed mindedness really get my goat
baaaaah

Saul, Indigo Girls and Me!!!

The World Can't Wait - Drive Out the Bush Regime
October 5th A Day of Nationwide Mass Resistance

Join Atlanta on October 5th along with 175+ places in the country
www.worldcantwait.org
Atlanta contact:

Email: Atlanta@worldcantwait.org 866-370-5404
******************************************************
Plans in Atlanta: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5

Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta, Peachtree St. and Edgewood ( 1 block north of 5 points MARTA station)
12:00pm Ride of Resistance to Drive Out the Bush Regime.
Meet up at Woodruff Park, the ride starts at 12:30. A critical mass style bike ride of resistance to Drive Out the Bush Regime through the streets of Atlanta. Ride returns back to Woodruff Park by 2:00pm.

2:00 p.m. Meet up in Woodruff Park.
2:30 p.m. we will have a spirited march thru downtown Atlanta.
4:00 p.m. we will return to Woodruff Park for a rally, speakers, poets, music.
5:30 p.m. we will stretch out along Peachtree Street.

******************************************************
At the Rally:

**SAUL WILLIAMS**
Writer, actor and poet that has served as the archetype for a new generation of poets and spoken word artists. He has performed, toured and lectured across the world. www.saulwilliams.com

Statement from the Indigo Girls

Patrick Bray-Iraq Veterans Against the War

Theresa Davis- Georgia poet (THAT'S ME!)

Godchild- Hip-Hop

Patricia Roberts-mother of 1st Georgia Soldier to die in Iraq

Denise Thomas-*Co-Founder Georgia Military Families Speak Out

Dr. Kenneth L. Samuel- Pastor of Victory Baptist Church

Lillie Mae Stokes-Katrina survivor

DJ Tonic

Solongo Productions Inc.- inspirational music for the soul from New Orleans

And others.

*identification purposes only

Bring your school, congregation, co-workers, friends, relatives, signs, banners, costumes, drums, whistles, creativity, outrage, and a determined spirit that won't stop. There is a place for everyone in this movement. Together let's make October 5th the way and the day to Drive Out the Bush Regime. Think Big, the future is counting on us.

Happy dance

I am on a program with SAUL WILLIAMS!!!
I am so freakin' happy!!!!!!!!
Is is a sign???

i'm ready

last night was great!
i love Cleo and heard poetry i'd never heard of his.
i was sorry i had to leave early. the performance at the eye drum was awesome!
i got my first encore, so they got rock star poet.
the line " i want back ground singers, who put out but don't sing, cause this is poetry"
elicited cat calls of "i'll put out"
and yes i lost my shit for a minute
giggling fit had to regroup.
very receptive and friendly audience.
lot's of fun.
my new piece rewind.
what can i say i love it, and with the rewrites the feeling i wanted to express comes through more clearly than before. it's not about anger, but more about the idea of being stuck in your past. the difficulty in watching someone you care about, with so much to offer, not seeing what you see. whether afraid or unsure.
the feedback was incredible and i left a few friends in tears and a few who related.
lots of full body hugs that you feel in your toes.
it's great when you feel like someone gets it.
suffices to say when i giggled during rock star the entire audience laughing with me and shouting "rewind!"

i think myself is kicking back in.
finally, she was starting to get on my fucking nerves.
i'm ready to make this thing work for me.
any who want to share are welcome.
but be sure that you believe what you see.
believe what you hear.
that i love my friends with the thickness of molasses.
i finished my cd, and will be recording the new piece this weekend!
some excitingly, sad, interesting, confusing, and soul searching days are ahead...hope to see you there.

i didn't order that

How much SHIT.....?
Things I need to stop doing....

i need to stop pretending to listen to assholes. it only encourages them and we have all seen little assholes that become bigger.

i need to stop resisting the urge to slap people. Some people need to be slapped, repeatedly..as in over and over and over again.

i need to stop letting shit go cause some people are clueless to the fact that the bitch me is still in town. she's trying to fucking evolve and folks are pushing their fucking luck!

i need to remember i'm too pretty to go to jail.

let those who don't value me rot in a special place in hell.

i need to learn how to express my anger, stop being so repressed and shy.

yup...i need a drink!
and someone to help me work out some aggressions!

I was almost WONDER WOMAN!!!

Your results:
You are Iron Man

Iron Man 70% Wonder Woman 65% Superman 60% Spider-Man 60% Supergirl 55% Robin 55% Green Lantern 55% The Flash 50% Hulk 35% Catwoman 35% Batman 25%

Inventor. Businessman. Genius.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

questions

I guess this is how it's done you get out what you've been thinking and not saying........ I've answered a lot of questions over the last week, I've asked myself a lot. The answers rarely fit or make sense. These are the questions that i have only been able to answer with more questions. I fucking hate that.

what does it mean
to be in that moment
where a minute seem too long
the seconds drag out
ecstasy becomes agony
questions burn
like bridges
memory fades
gone forever
can't hold on to the thoughts that
think there way in
out stretched along time lines that lie
beyond your reach yet you still try to grab
to hold on
hold yourself together
what does it mean?

maybe the meaning is lost
or was never there
a cosmic joke
meant to send you into tailspins of relief and sorrow
helping to hold
to heal
having what's left disregarded
a backwards glance
a second thought
the final straw

what does it mean
to be rightand wrong at the same time
to be banished where colors don't mix
regardless of the way they compliment
to begin something so fragile
it could break
under subtle pressures
never implied
or applied
will yourself to have the strength
build what is broken

what does it mean
to do all you know
and have it not matter
no matter what you do
loathing by loving
crushing with every caress
killing with kisses
you hurt without having the power to heal
and yet
you do........
questions in the back of my mind
but what do they mean???

my kingdom for a minute to myself
1906 performance tonight at Eyedrum
Then the drag show!!!!!!!
see you there

learning curves

so yesterday was international talk like a pirate day
and my class young pirates in training
and went pillaging and plundering
big fun
we ended by going to support our favorite pirate
Captain Jack Sparrow
and i learned something new
we arrived to the movie early cause they wanted to spend booty at the arcade
i sat in the lobby and watched several people arrive in different cars
longish hugs
light snacks
all in all about 10 couples

so
we thought that we were the only ones in the theater
we were not
pirate's is a pretty fucking loud movie
but there are quiet times
where the soundsof oh baby sex in the movie theater was very pronounced
the panting and sighing
and other audible squishy sounds were almost funny
we started being obnoxiously loud talking back to the screen
with me interjecting
loudly
"are you guys having a fun field trip! middle schoolers are in the house!!"
so on and so on
pirates is three hours long
that's a lot of theater fucking
sowhat have we learned today students

that when you get older and you want to have an affair you should meet your lover in the movie theater and please watch for marauding middle schoolers

class dismissed

single again
not doing this anymore
don't like the way they end
don't like the way i end up feeling
i don't like any of it
you would think i'd learn
hopefully this time i have

another one bites the dust

Th LL Word a twisted tale

They watch me
Trying to anticipate my every move
Searching they seek me out
I keep a watchful eye
Watching them
As they watch me
Gracefully they saunter
Statuesque and regal
So lofty in their expression
They seem to know everything
In all their beauty they seem to be missing something
Their incessant stares look right through me
An almost jealous twinge in their eyes
I pretend not to notice their probing
Try to avoid direct eye contact
Their eyes so deep might capture me reveal a weakness they blink lush lashes
Quickly moving out of the frame of my classroom window
They make no sounds
But their miasmic stare
Keep me alert
I fear they want something from me
Something I am not willing to give
My concern and confusion
Leads me to a shaman woman who may be able to give me a clue
Unlock the mysteries of what they seek
and why they want it from me
She reads my feelings
Peers at my palms
Touches my aura
Nods
Takes a deep breath and begins to spin her tale
Long Ago
She begins her voice rising like smoke through the rafters
Long Ago
They were the chosen
They possessed beauty beyond compare
Their voices light and beautiful
notes on the breeze
They were among the gods favorites
invited to every event every affair
The chosen became bored with the constant praises from the gods
the prankster in them was awakened
They took to playing tricks on the gods
Moving scepters
adjusting constellations
The gods knew it was them their light laughter floating in the ethers
Then one day the chosen decided to steal the gods fire
They were caught when they awakened the gods with their laughter
So the gods punished them by taking away their voices
This however made them more stealthy they attempted to steal the fire again
In their haste they dropped the flames
In the river of dreams
And the gods became enraged
This time the punishment would be more severe
The gods took away their beautiful manes
Of dreadlocks adorned with jewels that shined
Replacing it with matted fur that covered their once beautiful bodies
Then the gods elongated their necks so they could only glimpse
the fires they’d never take again
Then to make sure that the fires were safe
the gods took away their arms
So when they look at you
my dear
Your shining locks they remember their fall from grace
And they do want something from you
Two thing in fact

She leans in and whispers
sending a shiver down my spine

The llamas
Watch you because they remember
And they want your arms
Never turn your back on them
and I won’t

therapy

i'm in a strange head these days
fogged over with doubt and neglect
i'm not taking care
and no ones taking care of me
feeling lack luster
and transparent
i don't think i'm happy
not really
not depressed per say
but who knows i could be
feeling out of sorts and out of control
people i thought i knew
forcing me to edit them in my life
not out of my life but in a different place
far away from me
very cool things are happening in some places
but in other places there's a pulling away
that i can't control
wanting to hear i love you
from those who have a choice in the matter
wanting to utter the words myself
holding my tongue for fear the phrase can't or won't be returned
my life has too many
tugs and pulls in different directions
and i like it for the most part
keeps me on my toes
besides
i've never been selfish
i'm the sleep deprived one who will do whatever, whenever
but i find my self wanting to be selfish
but resisting the urge to do it
it's not me
but i don't feel much like me lately
so maybe it's ok
feeling wounded and dazed
like the big hurt is waiting on the edges
tired and can't sleep
thoughtful
but i can't think
or maybe i can and i'm just not paying attention
and not making much sense
whew....free therapy rocks!

WTF

An evangelist who tried replicating Jesus' miracle of walking on water has reportedly drowned off the western coast of Africa. Pastor Franck Kabele, 35, told his congregation he could repeat the biblical miracle, and he attempted it from a beach in Gabon's capital of Libreville. "He told churchgoers he'd had a revelation that if he had enough faith, he could walk on water like Jesus," an eyewitness told the Glasgow Daily Record. "He took his congregation to the beach saying he would walk across the Komo estuary, which takes 20 minutes by boat. He walked into the water, which soon passed over his head and he never came back." The New Testament records the story of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee as he approached his disciples in a boat. "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea." (Matthew 14:25) As WND reported in April, a researcher at Florida State University believes he has a natural explanation for the account of Jesus' miraculous walk on the surface of water – ice.

DUH????!!!! No Ice off the western coast of AFRICA ....It's the tropics you know?

Wild Man Missed

steve irwin is dead and it makes me sad
the world is running out of charactersnot the kinds that make you cringe because their are being extradited from thailand for being a fucking scary human being
but the fun kindi missed an op to meet him or at least see him in person
but tomorrow my students and i will veg out learning about the animals in the world we will watch crocodile hunter the movie
as the very pissy llamas glare at me through my classroom window
i find myself wondering what steve might suggest
one of those fuckers tried to spit on me today
i'm sure he wouldn't have taunted them like i did
teasing them for not having arms
no doubt whatever advice would have been educational and fun

his personality reminds me of me a little bit mostly because

my students portrayed me as a crazy crocodile hunter type teacher several years ago
their point was how can a person be that excited about what they do all the time
i feel the need to hug an animalthe llamas are out cause they want my fucking arms
so a middle schooler will have to do

Poetry Slam - Art Amok - Atlanta

Here is my performance at nationals. the voice is rough!

Testing

back in cyberland
yeah!
my computer got zapped last Sunday
during the freakish storms and the very beautiful
but not so computer friendly lightning
i was putting off the new computer thing
it's been six years
i think my old computer was the official paper weight of Atlanta
not much power and thanks to my kids and their bad cyber habits had many issues
the computer will only run in safe mode
my hope is that i will be able to retrieve some of my files from it
but, it might be a wash
the only cool thing was that right before i left for Austin
i saved all my poetry on a CD
thank the goddess
i would have been depressed and pissed

so much has been happening it's still taking me some time to readjust and focus
i had a rock star poet summer that dumped me back into my motherly duties and my classroom
i have not been able to do any open mics and i can feel withdrawal setting in
getting mr. z
back into the school mode has been rough
dude, thinks he can stay up all night still
i've been trying to get him down by 8
but he is so smart
he knows that if he engages me in a cute conversation
he can buy himself another 30minutes
then all of a sudden he wants to take another bath
or he's scared of his room
or my breathing three rooms away is keeping him awake and it's not his fault because i am the one who's breathing to loud
six year old logic
ya gotta love it

my spoken schedule kicks back in next weekend
and i've gone a done it again
double booked
i gotta start writing shit down
before i start pissing folks off

so Friday it's the portfolio center with Collin Kelley
Saturday it's the java monkey invitational slam and black pride
Sunday my kids want to have a day....which means dinner no doubt and a movie and me out about 120 bucks
kids are expensive
i am waiting for some parent to get the idea to turn childhood expenses into a loan like a student loan so we can recoup some cash
i'm thinking if they just paid me back for the diapers alone
i could buy a new car or at least a car wash

i've got so much poetry banging around in my head and no time to sit and write
mom x3, teacher, daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend
i am stretched thin...........
it's funny when i think really think about all i do i get a little overwhelmed
but i gotta do it cause it's all mine and i am loving every aspect of life right now
so exhaustion, sleep deprivation, an psychotic episode here are there
are nothing compared to the love i get from my children, my students, my family, my friends and my sweetie
it's all good
i'm all good
and will get my shit together

Llama Alert

i watch them
they are strangely graceful
in their movements
not aware that i am watching them
they saunter and chew
ears perked
they still
i duck behind the building
my heart racing
i peek again
and come face to face with
the beast
i scream like a girl and run back into my class room
i don't know why the llamas freak me out
maybe its the bat like ears,
the giraffe like neck,
the camel feetthe chewing constantly
the noise they never make
it will be an interesting school year

Come Eat with me

Art Amok Charity Dinner
Monday, July 31, 5 p.m. until closing
Wahoo! A Decatur Grill,
1042 College Ave, Decatur.
404-373-3331
www.wahoogrilldecatur.com

Charitable dinner to benefit the Art Amok Poetry Slam Team. Tell your server you're dining for Art Amok, and 10% of your bill will be donated to our cause!

Summer Blurrrr

what a crazy summer!
i have been non stop since my birthday and ......... i think I like it!
keeps me young and virile.....and fucking exhausted.
i honestly don't think i know any other way to be.
the only thing i regret is that i haven't been able to make the Java Monkey.
i miss my fellow primates and the super octane coffee. i am hoping to get over there this week end, but who knows. this week has been slow thank the goddess! we performed at the Sentient Bean in Savannah last week end and it was awesome. there was a slam and i won. then there was the beach and the ocean and the rehearsing of group pieces. stacie, pho and i are having so much fun it should be illegal or at least have a legal limit assigned to it. i think overall the team has the same goals in mind
to have fun!
do our best!
bring it!
have fun!
if we manage to do more than that then we will call it gravy and sop it up with a biscuit...mmmm that's good eating! i think folks know that the gigging and rehearsing is keeping us pretty damn busy. so far there was Alabama, north Carolina, Savannah, south Carolina, add to that camp coca cola for me and it's been one road trip after another!
we have the Dallas slam before nationals and then i think for the first day of school i will be there in a poetry fog and quite tired. they may actually, not have homework the first week. nah, who am i kidding, i always give homework the first week....it's what i do. especially considering that i know for a fact that some of my students haven't cracked open a book all summer. my brain is bursting with poetry.
i really want to go hear poetry this week end, i have a show at the library then karaoke poetry Saturday night! be there!!!!!!!!

Random weirdness

it's here
that time in a relationship
where i fuck up
scripted or not here is the time when....shit happens
i am aware of it
i put the training wheels on my tongue
to make sure i'm careful with my words
i unlocked the door that covers my heart
left it cracked
heard it's sexy that way
i listened
i laughed
i was good
really good
then that feeling
not earth shattering
but different
like everything shifted
and i'm still the star in this
movie the relationship
but i am also black
you know what that means
i could be killed off at anytime and
left to appear in my relationship as a flashback
or a recent, not too distant memory
i should fire the director
i could save the day
i know i can hell i'm the star
i set this movie in motion
so, i'll flip the script
i'll fling open the door to my heart
i'll lose the damn training wheels
i'll be bad
really bad in that lick your lips
anticipation
kinda way
cause i'll be damned if i'll sit in the audience of my relationship
trying to spot my name
in the credits
as they speed by

DN fucking A

It still boggles my mind how someone who shares my DNA strand
could be so fucking stupid, self-centered, and have no sense of what a family is or does.
Family communicates even if it arrives in the form of raised voices or drunken carousing. Family looks you in the face knows your name and has your back on a good day on a bad day you may be on your own.
My family is not perfect.
If they were I would have to kill them in their sleep.
I don't want perfection.
I want to know that if I need you even if you're pissed you're going to be there.
That if you need me even if I'm pissed you know I'll be there.
That's what I have with my mother, sister and brothers.
My family now extended to the tune of 13 grandchildren, nieces and nephews all knowing that if they need, someone, if not all of us are there.
But that pesky strand didn't just come from my mother.
There was a bio-dad or sperm donor at some point.
Who's attributes seem to be lying, cheating, ignoring, and just fucking up as a principle.
If those genes ever kick in in my personality, take my ass out.
Anyway that seems appropriate don't run the risk of me infecting or affecting people in a way that's just wrong.
Assholism, is a disease with no cure, I refuse to be infected.
This rant.....
My grandmother, the one I'm named after, is almost pushing 80.
By chance my brother calls her to say, ....Hey!
Only to find out that his girlfriend ( bio-dads g-friend the one he had since before his wife died in December) answers the phone where it is learned that she's (grandma) been in the hospital, just released recently.
Does the bio-dad call any of the four children he fathered?............
Still waiting for the call.
She wants to know why we aren't there because she's sure out father called us.
I mean why wouldn't he?
I'm thinking he can't fucking remember that some of us were born,
he doesn't know any of his granchildren
and couldn't call his oldest granddaughter to congratulate her on graduating,
let alone come to her graduation,
but he can call me so that I can wish his crackhead step-son
congratulation on his early parole from prison.
I pray that fucked- up and assholism skips generations.

Karaoke Poetry This Friday

Karaoke Poetry This Friday

Yes, it's true, Theresa Davis has turned both poetry and karaoke on their heads! Always wanted to do a cover of an Alice Lovelace poem? How about a Johnny Cash song as a poem? Always wanted to perform Walt Whitman as a slam poem? Sylvia Plath? Pick from the magic assortment Theresa's compiled or contribute your own covers to the mix. Not someone who writes songs or poems, but can can act or ham it up? Here's your big chance!

Come join us Friday, June 30th, 8pm at Horizon's School.

http://www.horizonsschool.com/

Horizons School grounds, gym & theater

Between the Candler Park & Eastlake MARTA Stations

1900 DeKalb Avenue, NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30307

(404) 378-2219

A $5 cover goes to the Art Amok Slam Team "By the time we get to Texas" fund for the National Poetry Slam. Also, for future tour dates and events by the Art Amok! Slam Team, check www.artamok.org

OH RUSH

OH RUSHY WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?
Rush Limbaugh could see a deal with prosecutors in a long-running prescription fraud case collapse after authorities found a bottle of Viagra in his bag at Palm Beach International Airport. The prescription was not in his name.

Limbaugh was detained for more than three hours Monday at the airport after returning from a vacation in the Dominican Republic. Customs officials found the Viagra in his luggage but his name was not on the prescription, said Paul Miller, a spokesman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Limbaugh's doctor had prescribed the Viagra, but it was "labeled as being issued to the physician rather than Mr. Limbaugh for privacy purposes," Roy Black, Limbaugh's attorney, said in a statement.

WELL, IT'S NOT A SECRET ANYMORE NOW IS IT?
WHEN YOU HAVE VIAGRA ILLEGALLY,
DO YOU HAVE TO GIVE BACK THE ERECTIONS?

special k
i just had a scary moment.
i went to arby's for the fist time ever this weekend.
damn! that was the best damn sandwich i had had in a long time...
now it could have been hyped up from my altered state but it popped up in my dream so i'm thinking it was a really damn good sandwhich.
i just went to get the mail.
bills...
whatever and the dear occupant assorted sales paper thing.
i leaf through...then start searching frantically.
there are no fucking arby coupons!i start seaching all the places my kids drop the mail...
no coupons.
i see them all the time.
i've thrown countless away.
the only one i found expired in may and i experienced a kind of sadness.
then it occurred to me what i was doing.
all i can say...is now, the commercials make so much sense.

so imagine you are asleep.
and not just normal sleep, but deep real close to a coma sleep.
you hear your voice, faintly enough to ignore it,
then a little louder, then louder then a shove.
you open your eye to a finger not two inches from it and a small voice says,
" look at this mom, now this is a big boogger! look at it it's huge!"
i said, " woah" mostly cause it was so close to my eye then i said in my sugary momma voice," good one honey, now go throw it away, and no flicking.
"he says," man, i bet i could get a bigger one."
that's when it got into the gross.
Mama always said BOYS ARE DIFFERENT!
(thanks Stacie)
got to give props when you bite a poets line!

I spill

I spill
the words cascade
and fall at my feet
the word
it falls from my lips
landing
in a place so deep
it echoes
leaving me
confused
I thought
we thought
I thought
and I was wrong
the words came
so easy
now I want to take them back
but I can't
so
it lingers
it hangs in time
I suffocate wondering
what it all means.....
I don't know what it means
I want to take it all back
but, I can't
I spill

Put your Money where my Mouth is

Cliterati presents~ This Thursday Night 6/22/06 YOU & members of the Art Amok! Slam Team ! doors at 8, mic at 8.30, $5 Tower II 735 Ralph McGill Blvd.ATL Strong Drinks by Marvin ~In the summer swelter of August, 8 brave poets/coaches will head out to Dallas and then Austin,Texas for the National Poetry Slam, joining 80+ teams from around the country& the globe for a week of verses, workshops, and bardic jousts!What's so special about the Art Amok team?After months of grueling, open competition7/8ths the team are wordy wenches, battle axes & shrews who won't be tame!!!Your donation will help them make the treacherous, semi-mythic, journey .Spit words of fire with us! www.CliteratiOnline.comfor directions

bad boy, mad boy

my son was traumatized last week and it has taken him a few days to figure out what the fuck happened. he went to the dentist and was so happy until he had to get a crown. he came out very unhappy drooling blood and full of tears. last night he told me that he wants to be a police officer.? why i askedhis replyso i can arrest the dentist because i think he was trying to kill me and that's against the law. he should be in jail and i need to arrest him.got anger?

Art Not Fit For The White House

Art Not Fit for the White House7 Stages Theatre (little 5 points), Tuesday, June 13thDoors open @ 6:30pm, Show @ 7pmTickets: $10 per personAn evening of performance and visual art and Benefit for World Can't Wait - Drive Out the Bush RegimeAbout the Event:Metro-Atlanta musicians, poets, dancers, actors and artists will perform inspiring and charged monologues, poets will shout out their lyrical stanzas, musicians will sing songs of uncompromising spirit and dancers will dance to the beat of a very different drum to raise money for The World Can't Wait - Drive Out the Bush Regime movement. Through their art and creativity, artists will show their opposition to the Bush regime's dangerous trajectory, its crimes against humanity, and a vision that another world is possible. Performers include Isma'il ibn Conner, Theresa Davis, Kristie DeVille, Kodac Harrison, Alice Lovelace, Alka Roy, DJ Don Tonic, Lucky Stray, Rebecca Dutton, and many more.For more information about the growing World Can't Wait movement, Art Not Fit for the White House or to reserve tickets, contact us: atlantawcw_theater@yahoo.com, phone: 866.370.5404, website: www.worldcantwait.org.

the code

my brain was speeding so much yesterday
and my tweaked levels were off the fucking chart
so i decided to go and veg at the movies
can i just sayreading is fundamental
and any movie that is based on a book you should read the book first
the davinci code..the book was awesome
and the movie is Velveeta
not even gouda..the good cheese
they got the disturbing parts right had to close my eyes a couple times over the gore but still it was Velveeta
ronnie let me down a little bit
read
read
i am still racing mentally but i did manage to get some sleep
yeah sleep
i hadn't done that in a few days and i probably won't sleep tonight
poetry highs tend to make me restless
our all girl team is amazing
and i think we are ready
ready or not
here we come

The criminal mind!

i forget sometimes how big a bitch i can be when provoked.
so i have harranged the thief whitin an inch of his sanity. got my lawyer brother, cop ex brother and law and a host of others to aid me in this mission i like to call
" operation drive a thieving ass mother fucker insane in less than a week cause summer is hear and my boy needs his playstation"
so several threatning e-mails and some eluding to violence and the fact that i'm crazy when crossed this dumb ass responds to my email and i am going to post them


me:
what kind of idiot commits a crime with pictures of himself all over the internet? gave one to the cops, and several to my FRIENDS, they should know who they're looking for. don't you think? you sorta fucked up buddy. pissed off mom!

him, known from now on as the idiot:

first off dont even come at me lik that second i dont even no wat tha hell u are talkin about callin me a theft thrid of all how the hell can i steal something from ur house wen im way in west va. fourth of all my fuckin car doesnt even work but i will tell u wat if anyone in my family gets fuck wit belive i now how to handle it and how ever ur dauther was fuckin wit she needs to put it on them she might dont even no tha nigga and fromwat i heard and no she would would fuck any body


notice how he can't spell
classic thug

me:

tell it to the cops!
you lie like a felon!
you used my fucking card my card at a bp I went there showed your picture so i guess you got an evil fucking twin who looks like you, you fucking idiot. this is not about what you think about anything especially my daughter. is this what you teach that sweet kid you brought to my house. this is about fingerprints you fucking idiot you used my toilet dna. or is that too fucking complicated for you. you are a grown ass man, be a grown ass man not some low life who steals from 5 year olds ant teenagers. you fucked with my family. my family is big and we live in lithonia, decatur and we frequent run n shoots, and you need to learn what your mamma didn't teach you. i'm done you get what the fingerprints the stolen card and the photo id, brings to you. a real man....sorry I forgot who i wasn't talking to. and learn how to spell fro christ sakes!


notice how i misspelled for...i didn't want him to think i was above him

idiot:
watever folk my mother taught mealot before she died and she told medont fuckwit hoes but watever happeni guess ur daugther brought it on herself cause i told her i was leavin cause she had another nigga comin over but i guess wen i get back ill handle that problem

see how he almost admits to the crime, wants me to feel sorry for him then blames the victim

me:

so metro works in virginia interesting and funny when i had you tracked you we in the city limits silly computers what do they know i talked to my brother THE LAWYER and my brother in law THE COP you should be reminded that you are 22 my daughter is 17 it is against another law for you to be involved on any level with her if you come near her or my home ever again i will unleash the real dogs i'm not a child, and i already have people watching they are just waiting for the word to act keep lying to me and the word will be given My step brother THE EX CON is coming up for a visit this weekend, he'll be in town for a few weeks he likes to play ball too ya'll might run into each other oh wait that is if you're back

idiot:

you no wat we can be real i want come near her i dont want to i dont fuck wit people that cheat and lie about stupid shit thats wats this all comes down 2 but just to say i dont no y i do tha things i do but look folk u can get ur shit back i havent did anything wit it but im just trippin cause she lied to me its hard and u dont even no where im comin from my nig wen ur all by urself and have no one to turn to are live lifes fuck up dont let ur eyes fool u just cause i drove up in a car but its no even mine im as real as they come but i can be a pain if u no wat i mean but my folk came and got me cause of my livin habits such as bein on tha street havin no where to go or live u people call it homeless i call it survin but lik i saidu can have ur stuff wen i get back but please dont think im doin this cause im scared im just tiredof bullshit


he only thinks he's tired.
i've only just begun.
he admitted to taking and he's still lying because he used my check card. I want him to give me back my shit and go to jail
i can't spell check this thing cause the computer might explode

Friends

Some people throw this word around like water.
Especially in the world today.
Teenagers mostly who meet someone in the streets or thinks someone is cute and jump immediately to " That's my friend".
Bullshit.
Friends don't grow on trees, or drop from trees like fruit.
They are not found in malls or sagging and bagging in the Marta station.
Sure you can meet people and they evolve into friends but that evolution isn't instantaneous nor does it happens over night.
It happens over time.
But who has time in this quick fix society where we change friends like cell phone providers. Where new things are so readily available and friends have actually become a liability.
I have time.
Friends are very important to me.
They are paramount in my life and I would not last in this world without my friends.
Even the newest friends know that I am still learning them and gradually they will be allowed access into those parts of me touched by few.
I have tried to teach this to my children both the children I birthed and the ones I teach.
I failed.
My own thought this person was a friend.
He offered to help her by taking her to pay her cell phone bill.
He robbed her.
His name
Marcus "Slim"
His phone number 678 913-3580 ( dial *67 if you plan to call him and ask him questions like" what kind of stupid ass fuck up is he" becuse *67 will make your call private)
His Address 23 Bay Drive, Lithonia Ga.
I even have a photo:
Now here is where senior asshole kinda fucked up.
Before I got focused and pissed I only had a first name.
But because I am pissed and focused within 20 minutes I had his address and photos.
I understand that he could be crazy and if something happens you know where to go.
But like a dog with a bone I will shake this shit up till he fucking breaks or is in prison.
It takes a community to raise a child even a fucked up one. As a community we should help to eradicate the behavior of people like this.
He plays ball at run and shoot on Metropolitan Ave.
He has my bank card and has charged shit he also stole my 5 year old son's Play Station 2.
My child learned (I hope) a valuable lesson, because she could have been raped or murdered. She broke a major rule because she thought this bastard was her friend.
Her friend is now my new best friend and I will not rest until I fucking make him miserable. Please feel free to call him up and express your displeasure if you like.
But remember *67 makes your call private!
You know you should ask youself before you fuck someone over. Questions like, "Could her Uncle be a Lawyer?, Could her other Uncle be a Detective in fucking Lithonia?, Could her Mother's friend just be some violent motherfuckers who don't mind teaching the hard lessons?, Could her mama be a little scary and crazy?"
Remember there are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
Surely I'll let it go in a minute after all tomorrow is my birthday and I can't see letting this fuck up ruin any part of it. So let's just say I have turned the matter over to some friends. Done for now!
If you want to come to my party Saturday Let me know!!!

OH BUDDY!

He's the soul food

I didn't know I needed

I was starving

and I feasted

and I'm full!

Where the fuck were you last night?

I know where you should have been.

You should have been in that place

where soul stirring

and head bobbing

Were the only things we could do

to keep ourselves in our seats

and the rhythms moved us

and we couldn't dance

but we could bob our heads

and remember our humanity

and remember how to laugh

and how to feel and how

and how

and how

and how could you miss that shit!

Don't do it again!

You have a chance to redeem yourself.

Tonight at Horizons School

Buddy Wakefield, Alice Lovelace and the Art Amok Slam Team ( Stacie B., Theresa D., Phoenix YZ, Calli Starks, Jessica Hand, and Dr. Madelyn H.)

What more do you want!!!

Tonight 8pm be there or miss out!

This Friday!!!!!!

COME OUT AND SUPPORT ATLANTA'S MOSTLY FEMALE SLAM TEAM!!

HELP MAKE THE DREAM OF A WIN IN AUSTIN POSSIBLE!!!

ALL FUNDS SUPPORT THE ART AMOK! SLAM TEAM


ART AMOK! SLAM TEAM + ALICE LOVELACE+BUDDY WAKEFIELD(and perhaps a surprise cameo)
Buddy Wakefield!!!! Extraordinary human, poet, sometimes silly, always irreverent,2 time Individual WORLD Poetry Slam Champ http://www.buddywakefield.com/video/
FRIDAY, MAY 19th: Horizons School TheaterBetween the Candler Park & Eastlake MARTA Stations1900 DeKalb Avenue, NEAtlanta, Georgia 30307 gates open 8 P. M., show at 8.30 P.M.

$5 & donations collected for theArt Amok Austin Van fund!!!Please join us for this experience of live, performance poetry!

TGIF

i know i shouldn't laugh.
it's early and i can't stop laughing.
i have been telling one of my students to sit in his chair,
rather than knees in the chair among other things.
he finally tells me he can't.
it seems he ate a lot of hot wings an hot sauce last night and as he put it he has "flaming butt".
I laughed a little but told him to just not be distracting.
a few minutes later i guess he forgot about his flaming butt and sat down only to jump up suddenly. i was the only one to see it from my vantage point and tried not to laugh...
i failed and ended up sitting on the floor behind my desk cracking (no pun intended) up!
then he suddenly says i need to see what's going on and went to the bathroom.
the class fell out. he also has gas and every timehe passes gas he releases a deep breath of pain....
i am so glad it's friday.
i haven't laughed this much before ten in a minute.....middle schoolers are insane!
okay, now he has gone into the kindergarten class and borrowed mats to cushin his "bum" as he puts it.
mind you this is the same kid who jumped out on a first grader, who was on his way rushing to the bathroom, and made him pee his pants.
this is some kind of bathroom karma thing.
my face hurts from laughing so much.
happy friday to me!

Brussel Sprouts

I don't claim to be a great cook.
Hell, I don't even claim to be a good cook.
I don't even know why I like brussel sprouts and yet, I still figured out a way to burn the damn things and now, my house, well it smells like burn brussel sprouts and it's not the kind of smell that can be camouflaged with incense or air freshener.
It's a different kind of shitty smell the kind that gets into you clothes and hair.
I smell like burnt brussel sprouts.
I may even dream of burning brussel sprout crashing to the earth into my house like meteors. Enough of that.
I shall forever hence leave the burning of brussel sprouts to my children.
Then I can say things like," I can't believe you burned brussel sprout!" because that's what they said to me.
Enough of that for real now.
So I got an e-mail today from a very nice woman in Woscester ( I still don't think I'm spelling that right) who received a poem written by someone that was inspired by my brussel sprout burning ass and I want to share, because while I can't cook sprouts, maybe I can cook up a poetic feast that is inspiring to someone. I think the poem is beautiful! Full props and thanks to the poet.

The Java Hut
by Kenneth Slaughter

At 7:30 the lights go dim,
the room gets quiet,
people gather around the stage -
as if around an altar.
But this is no church
and this is no ordinary congregation.

There is a mysterious thin man
with dark glasses
scribbling something on a tablet,

noserings, orange hair,
A man wearing kilts or something.

The place is called the Java Hut
and the people appear to be from other planets.

They are here to worship poetry.

A man recites the ground rules
and reads a poem -

something about the Discovery Channel
and nature's predators
"Let's watch!" he says with ironic glee.

After this reassuring introduction
he calls my name.
I stumble to the stage ,
my poem shaking in my hands;
I start to read.

The aliens laugh, then applaud -
they are friendly after all.
I live through my first reading!

One after another
they take the stage and read their
poems- some of them funny,
all of them real.

I'm feeling good
about being here.
Then Theresa,
one of the featured poets,
reads a poem
about a real-life predator
- her own father.

I can't pretend to know
how she feels,
but I have my own pain
and her words cut through
whatever is between us
and strike my heart - like knives.

The terrible beauty of her poems
wounds me - deeply.

Afterwards
I want to hug her like a sister.
I want to tell her she hit me hard.
I want to find her a butterfly -

but I'm dumbstruck -
All I can do is stagger home
thinking
We're all in this together somehow.

Rough Weekend!

A work in progress.......


Can You Hear Me?
Theresa Davis 2006

I want to speak to you in ways
that defy language
wave lengths of emotion to complicated to translate
but simple
traveling heart to heart
ears that hear the vibrations echoing through me
fingertips that read the braille of my thought
fingertips that sign my soul
we speak without words
without sounds
Can you hear me?

Your words drip through my veins like life support
flowing freely steady drips that sustain
keep me conscious, real
skin on fire as words flow
going straight to my head
so complicated
but simple
you
meshed to me
heart to heart
ingrained,
endeared
tender yet frightening
Can you hear me?

Lifting my face
so the sun can kiss my skin
the way you do
when we talk in silence
I know you are there
I know you care
even as you correct my behavior
as you show me the way to your heart
my tongue carefully plots through you geography
mapping the way to reach you
in that land where our words are sighs and song
where lyrics don’t apply
where syllables are non entities
because it’s simple
heart to heart
open to feel what the other feels
the way we communicate
I want it to be that way
this way
I want to tell you my stories
simply
without a single word
no words
but with a kiss......
Can you hear me?

Live from MA

The mini-tour was great!
Our shows were great!
Seeing the cow road kill, not so great.
Sou, Bill and Liberty were excellent hosts and kept us fed watered and full of great conversation.
Tony was so great and made me feel so loved...I love him! We met and talked with so many extremely nice people. I love meeting new people in new places. I have been to MA before but never to Worcester. So I am not even sure if I spelled it correctly and yes I could check but considering I arrived this morning around 6:30 and am now sitting at my desk....I DON'T THINK SO.
I drove for about 5 or 6 hours straight, sorry,
forward
into Atlanta,
hopped out of the car at home,
my intention was to jump in the shower then into my car and go to work.
What actually happened was
I ran into the house pulled out the clothes
I would wear when I got out of the shower.
Turned the light on in the bathroom,
sat on my bed
turned on the TV,
you know for background noise,
and apparently fell asleep.
I'm pretty sure I was asleep
because I woke when
I thought something was crawling on me....
Actually something was leaking from me.
Drool feels like a bug
when it's running down your arm
and you didn't know you were sleep...
Don't cha think?
I was at work by 9:30...
not to shabby and I only look a little glazed over,
I have warned my students,
that the sleep deprived can be unpredictable and dangerous
so they should tread lightly.
All got it but one who replied...
"The last time somebody said that was when I was at Hogwarts and professor..."
I cut him off with a stare, then went into the hallway and laughed my ass off.
Apparently the sleep deprived also find silly shit funny...
but it was really funny....
My sarcasm and smart-ass classes are going quite well,
all A's!!!

I am there for I am, tired!

I am tired.
My body is betraying me and trying to act 40.
I didn't sleep last night.
Not at all.
I thought I was sleep but ...No I wasn't.
I woke feeling like I had been dusted with pollen and run over by a truck.
It's not unlike other mornings when I haven't slept the night before.
I was thinking about it and in the last month I think I may have slept a total of 6 days.
Probably not good.
I am expecting a psychotic episode any minute now.
Ooooh, but when I snap, I want it to be good!
I want phrases like, "We didn't see that coming'"
and " You know, I knew her ass was crazy"
and my favorite, "She did what!!!"
I go in and out of interrupted sleep cycles.
There was once this time a couple years ago I had insomnia for almost three months.
No sleep at all!
I was hanging like a thread.
People would stay in my classroom waiting for me to break or pass out.
I would lie in bed an cry myself to exhaustion. My body would shut down.
I would lie there eyes closed, but no REM cycle would happen for me.
When I finally broke, I was hanging out on a Friday with Sally, my best friend in the whole wide world, when I ran home to get something. When I didn't come back someone came to look for me . I was passed out on the bed. I was told my pulse was checked. The mirror placed under my nose to make sure I was still breathing. and Sally stayed with me the first night, I think. I slept for three days straight. I didn't eat or drink without someone rousing me and making me.
I don't want to do that again.
I am afraid that soon it is going to affect my performances. I don't want to take a sleeping pill, and I won't. I am trying to think of activities that tire me out.
I would say sex, but I can be a bit insatiable at times so I technically am not the one tuckered out. Maybe the tour will do it.
I leave Saturday for D.C./ Baltimore!
Very excited!
I love performing out of town.
I could totally fuck up and they won't know!
It's awesome!

I am listening to ME

I have been in my head for several weeks now.
I know you're probably thinking, better in your head than out of your mind.
I give you that, but being so far in your head is not good for me.
If I'm in my head how is all the good shit going to get out?
It's not.
I have had an amazing two months.
Almost all of it positive.
I made the Art Amok Slam team!
Hell, yes!
I can't wait to go to Austin and shake some shit up.
I finally think I am at the level where I can compete and not completely suck.
I don't take myself to seriously.
I don't have fits when I fuck up...
on stage...
meaning I don't have the fit on stage...
I usually give my self a good non-verbal mental tongue lashing....then buy myself a drink to make up with me.
Oh yeah, and I give myself a hug.
A big one.
Two in fact a mental one and a physical one.
I and me we have a cool relationship like that.
See, I sees me fucking up and ME says," Damn that was fucked up, I, don't do that shit again you embarrass us both." Then I listens to ME and stops talking in case I is saying something fucked up, or I stops in her tracks in case she is doing something fucked up.
Great!
It's probably a Gemini Thing, and that's all the more reason to perfect the art of an I, ME
relationship.
You should know how to recognize I and ME.
I am usually up on stage reaming a politician, cursing out an ex-husband or lover,
pretending to never want to fall in love again, and really wanting to fall in love, again.
She usually professes all these things and more in front of a mic.
Or when hanging with friends.
Or when hanging with family.
Or pretty much anytime I opens her mouth.
ME is the one who after a show is over stimulated and a little stand off-ish right off stage, at first. But she usually calms down and talks and always forgets to promote I's merchandise. And gets really strange mixed emotions when spotted at QT and reminded of lines from I's poems, or is photographed while out with digital cameras or camera phones ( I will be venting on camera phones in the near future).
After a reading, ME can't calm down she has to go somewhere surround herself with anything that may bring her down. Because I's poetry makes ME kinda high, in that non-narcotic kind of way.
Me is not as expressive as I.
She gets tongue-tied, especially when the topic is anything to do with herself in a non-mom, non-poet, non-performer kind of way. When ME has to talk about herself, I, chills in the background. She doesn't help find the words or explain themselves until she can't take ME's stammering and then she helps a sister out.
I can be a bitch like that.
But ME, doesn't hold a grudge.
The one thing that they have in common is that both I, and ME have completely lost the ability to bullshit.
Makes us kinda unpredictable in that predictable kind of way.
Me is trying to break out a little bit not be so afraid to open herself up.
I is having some issue with the whole thing.
She thinks we should control everything the same way we have been for years.
When ME and I had a lunch date to discuss the matter.
I stood her up.
I can be a bitch like that, but ME took it as a sign.
So she's sharing more personally so I's writing is changing.
I's a little shaken by this, actually frustrated and pissed off might better describe it, but she'll get over it.
All in all what I am tying to say is that for ME, listening to your inner dialogue is a good thing. Make your I, ME relationship work.
And remember, an inner dialogue is different than voices in your head.
Be careful listening to other voices in you head...those can be bad.