You are currently browsing the daily archive for June 6, 2011.

Left to right: Brian Merrill, Brooke Velasquez, Dan Talamantes, Fence Lizard, Zak Abramson, Matt Hackney, Joseph Shannon, Crystal Salas, Laura Kincaid, Alyssa Young, Angel Dominguez, Claire Williams, Lauren Vargas, Minea Herwitz. Michael Tomblinson took the picture---thanks Michael! UCSC'S POETS MADE IT HAPPEN, FINALLY. ALWAYS I'M REREADING THE WONDERFUL, ASTONISHING POEMS AND WONDERING IF THEY CAN SURVIVE AS POETS. CAN POETS SURVIVE THIS PISSING ENDLESS WAR OF A COUNTRY? THANKS FOR BRINGING YOUR POETRY, BRING IT ON!

Outside the Moscow walls in the Russian summer coming off the steppes the skies filled with sunlit white clouds sailing along, the day I was to be executed. I understood our families had been notified and our wives were allowed to view the execution from a distance which meant probably the distant arbor, silhouettes in it like women. In our rags, we stood by the great wall of the city which stretched in the sun like the years we had wasted, the years to be denied. Not much in the way of shadows left. The guards left us—I assumed as a cruel trick. Dostoevsky watching, you might say, as if from empty far off bell tower. We would be duty-bound to flee across a dusty distance, on foot, and our women watching as we were shot when they found us. So we stood there for a moment, around 1905. I assume—I would assume that we attempted to flee separately. Whatever that was worth. Maybe I told you this already.

June 2011