Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Cashier time slip

"Nine forty"
"Out of ten forty"
My watch says ten ten
And I'm left wondering
What time it is
And why the change.

Denis Streeter 10/20/10

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Some humor...

I'll let you guess the title.

My poetry is so practical
It can change four tires in one minute
Flat.

Denis Streeter 10/14/10

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Pattern maker

Watching planes while driving to work...

Jet stream
Dental floss
Breaking sky
Pattern maker.

Denis Streeter 10/13/10

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Go ask Alice

Written on wood work on back of my shoes
Were words "Go ask Alice" just meant to confuse
I dusted my wallet, let dust in my eyes
I hopes I would blink out some sort of surprise
Chameleon shadows dripped to my chin
I pulled out my glass as the shadows slipped in
In two shades of comfort I sweatered the door
Watching as steam engines snort through the floor
In wood works of thought and a termite away
I lept down a rabbit hole mad hatter way
Twas solid as words on the drips of my shoes
In termites of thought was the bottom to choose.

Denis Streeter 10/8/10

Monday, October 4, 2010

Voices

I've already sent this to myself.
Now I'm sending this to you.

Darkwood easters the night while the morning jacket awaits
Slides as two cucumbers between melons
And the meloncholies begin
Oh now you've said it!
The corniness ensues
You're probably going to write about food
Or think you're clever by making them verbs and adjectives
Like "he canteloped down the leeky street"
But how long can you sustain that
Without losing direction, losing your listener
Who has heard your stuff a hundred times
Saying "there is nothing new under the sun."
Just a few clever phrases
A few creative word pictures
But nothing really to say
No plot or purpose
So purpose becomes porpoise
Hoping to distract by cleverness again
Of turning one word into another
They aren't buying it, don't get it, distracted
Doesn't matter...
Write about something real...something that matters
Something you're passionate about...
So others will relate
But I don't or I won't
"Not right now, I'm too busy!"
"I'm too tired! I can't concentrate!"
And the listener tuned out.
So I write this up and send it to myself
In hope I'll read it and write better.

Denis Streeter 10/3/10

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Book crazy

Last Sunday I went to the Seattle Public Library Book Sale...last day...everything was fifty cents! I came away with 22 childrens books. I picked up mostly books published in the 1950's through 1970's by authors like L.M. Boston (the Green Knowe books), John Rowe Townsend, Patricia Lynch, John Macken, N.M.Bodecker (nonsense poetry), Philippa Pearce (author of "Tom's Midnight Garden"), William Mayne, Edward Ardizzone, and Bill Peet. Now to find the time to read them! I've also ordered about 15 books online over the last week. I have one book waiting for me at the library I'll pick up today...don't know...it'll be a surprise...and two books to return today...which I haven't even started. Maybe I should quit my day job...but then I'd get lazy...besides I like my work. I could so see going into debt just buying books online. It's truly addictive. I look at the back of some old 1960's Puffin children's book I just read and discover other books that sound great. Then I go online and order them...even though I know nothing about the author. I just want to take the chance of making some new discovery! Of course I also hope all this reading will improve my writing...possibly taking it in different directions. I'm still reading William Mayne's book "The World Upside Down" (1954), his second book. It kind of feels like a metaphor for my world now...having finished Fall Rush at the University Book Store...even though the subject matter is completely different. There's treasure in England's Yorkshire Dales...it could be a fish, a grandfather, a chest of gold...depending on how you look at it. I'm taking my time reading this book. It's less about the plot and more about the poetry of the landscape...the children's relationship to this ancient landscape...as well as the sometimes humorous journey into how children think. So much to read!