Poet's Ink Review

May/June 2007

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Particular Understanding # 6

There are illegitimate roads
which lead through the body,
and when traveled,
the mind creates memories
in order to create road blocks
for the flesh to forget
such unimportant journeyed
paths. Some however,
ignore these blocks,
and ram through without
regard for the minds' massive
intuitive instruction,
erasing all memory
and positive influential
information.

Felino Soriano

Felino Soriano lives in California where he is employed as a
behavioral assistant; he is also currently studying philosophy.
Classic and avant-garde jazz are muses. His poetry has appeared
or is forthcoming in several online journals including Blaze VOX, Ygdrasil, Bewildering Stories, Houston Literary Review, The Foliate Oak, among others.

THE BIG SLAM-DRUNK

You did so well in conquering the beast,
the one which thrived on coke and alcohol.
Now there's the one of words on which we feast -
not minced, sautéed - the one which dropped the ball.
You shot your comment clear across the line.
Your words were foul and every one, got blocked.
Your whole career was dunked in second's time.
Two courts of fans were peeved, appalled and shocked.
Time washes clean the soul in every way.
Rebounding, Boy, you'd best beware the crowd.
To dribble once years back was A-OK.
But twice in life? Big D, that's not allowed.
What's this new beast you've shoved inside your nose?
Your finger, Don - for nappy-headed hoes.

Bryon Howell

A Visit to the Planetarium

In blue-black
space
gorged with the unacquainted

history's picture book
[born by an informed voice]
lazily unfolds
to animate the whole

[a temporal eternity]
before silently melting
into the Milky Way
of upturned eyes

Colin Baker

Colin lives in Wales with his wife and three children. He can be reached via email at colin@colinbaker62.com.

My Sheep shall hear my Voice

One listens for Christ,
As it is said, those who know him hear
His voice.

They heed a call and ask
Many things of Him, including
Forgiveness. We know one will ask
Again, with another question
And desire. Forgiveness.

The nature of wanting to know
Christ is in the call, the desire
Which many know of Him.
Of themselves, too. One burns.

Is this enough? This is a journey,
A relationship, and a reverence
Which many know. It is a burning flame.

Peter Menkin

You can read more of Peter's work on his blog at www.petermenkin.blogspot.com.

raven

i carry the weight
of many a distant memories
all dark and foreboding
claws digging heavily into
the skin and bones
of my shoulders
slowly tearing my soul apart.

when it lets my shoulders be,
the raven hovers above me,
casting gloom to my existence
like a storm cloud brewing,
getting ready to pour down misery.

i dare not meet the gleam in its eyes,
lest i receive sharp stabs of mockery
leaving deep and gaping disgust
into my being.
i’d rather it just rain down on me
and I’d brush the pain away
with eyes zipped tight.

Jane Boholano

Jane is from Manila, Philippines. Writing has been her passion since childhood. She plans to steer her career from computer programming back to the path of her long lost childhood dream.

One Season

Late autumn winds blow so much away,
the last leaves ripped from dead branches
and carried on a red gust from the east
while molted summer feathers fly south.
If only memories could vanish so quickly.

Everyone says I look better, calmer,
sweeter, stronger, smarter, happier
than I was last spring, but looking in the mirror
I'm not sure if I'm healed
or if my wounds are just too deep now
for you to see the scars.

I saved the roses you gave me in April,
dried them out by the bedroom window
until they were black and wrinkled and dead
and now I tear the petals off,
throw them to the wind and watch them blow
until nothing's left, not even
footsteps in the snow.

Megan Arkenberg

Megan is a student in the Midwestern US.