by Sunil Narayan
The moonlight is my only solace nowadays
Its bright glow reminds me of the pearl from the dream I had last night
I held it in my hands while standing in a lake surrounded by roses
The cold water felt like daggers piercing my skin
.
It made it hard for me to breathe but I didn’t let [...]

Truong Tran reads from his books Four Letter Words and Within the Margins, followed by a discussion.

A nursery rhyme for the 21st Century

Somewhere between a jazz school and a couple of theatres, a drop of blue paint and many cups have spilled on Robin Blaser’s words. Next to it, Jack Spicer tells you “the words go swimming past you.”

December rain dances with swaying swings
in the playground. It drums its feet
on dirty trails where human remains were found.

It is late
and the streetlights purr
like stray cats. Raccoons rummage
through trashcans.

A web of rock, water, air, heat, light,
electricity, magnetism, and life.
This is our moment on her stage.

Coming of age in the 1970’s.
As always, it was a simpler age.
We thought that every STD
could be alleviated at the city clinic.

I’m alone on this island—you’re gone—there’s nothing to do.

This poem says something about understanding someone like reading a poem. It’s a mystery.