Tag / eskimo pie

by J.L. Smith

Poetry Post-A-Thon: The Reflex

This one was originally published at Eskimo Pie

The Reflex

The lead guitarist’s butterfly collar
framed the half opened polyester shirt
exposing the sable chest hair that
matched his fuzzy head.
Shiny silver dress slit high
up the lead singer’s
thigh as she begins
her scorching rendition
of Gloria Gaynor.

I will survive
Oh, as long as I know …

It reminds of my mother’s obsession with

All oldies – all of the time

Songs that tormented my youth
with a quick rotation of the radio dial.

Love, love me do…

The lyrics of one Beatles song or another—
nothing but a good oldie would do for my mother.

As I sat watching the misfit 70’s band
leave the stage at the dive bar of my college existence
where I often drank after creative writing workshops—
sometimes more than others, sometimes harder than others—
the thoughts of the funky polyester pants dissipate
and memories of my mother’s radio fade
giving way to another time when I was young,
and Duran Duran’s “The Reflex”
made everything seem so much easier.

by J.L. Smith

Poetry Post-A-Thon: The Drop Off

This poem was published by Eskimo Pie in February 2016.

 

The Drop Off

Maidenhood aside,

your sex trapped me.

My fresh curls could not

compete with you aged mounds

of flesh I did not desire.

 

The fruity bubble gum should

have told me all:

the sickly melon perfumed

my car, ate at my stomach,

eroding my alliance,

down to a sugary decay of

falsehood and cunning.

 

Thinking nothing of sticky fly traps,

I shared my soda and

youthful dimples.

 

Instead of cookies, you offered love

and, of course, your sex

as the sugar started to saturate,

entrapping me.

 

The friend you left behind —

not the one that offered you a ride,

the one you had in me–

dashed off her fears and turned the key.

 

Sweetly, I spurned your desires,

but with all the sugar everything

turned sour.

 

I dropped off your unfulfilled

desires at your doorstop.

You will come to me again,

but I will not be there.

 

I’ve thrown away all of my candy.

by J.L. Smith

Poetry Post-A-Thon: Crossed Eyes

This one is a very old poem, probably written in 1998, that was published in February’s Eskimo Pie.  Now, if that is not a real Throwback Thursday, I don’t know what is, lol.  “Crossed Eyes” for your Throwback Thursday enjoyment!

Crossed Eyes

A glossy photograph with eyes

scraped clean with black ballpoint.

Anger and pressure,

strokes of lines—

straight and circular—

penetrate white paper,

bringing it to the fore,

dehumanizing its former owner of its

identity

warmth

power

control

over the smiling figure pictured next to it,

you.

by J.L. Smith

Throwback Thursday: The Reflex

This poem was published by Eskimo Pie in February.  Yes, a Duran Duran reference!

The Reflex

 

The lead guitarist’s butterfly collar

framed the half opened polyester shirt

exposing the sable chest hair that

matched his fuzzy head.

Shiny silver dress slit high

up the lead singer’s

thigh as she begins

her scorching rendition

of Gloria Gaynor.

 

I will survive

Oh, as long as I know …

 

It reminds of my mother’s obsession with

 

All oldies – all of the time

 

Songs that tormented my youth

with a quick rotation of the radio dial.

 

Love, love me do…

 

The lyrics of one Beatles song or another—

nothing but a good oldie would do for my mother.

 

As I sat watching the misfit 70’s band

leave the stage at the dive bar of my college existence

where I often drank after creative writing workshops—

sometimes more than others, sometimes harder than others—

the thoughts of the funky polyester pants dissipate

and memories of my mother’s radio fade

giving way to another time when I was young,

and Duran Duran’s “The Reflex”

made everything seem so much easier.

by J.L. Smith

(Explicit)Throwback Thursday: The Drop Off

Explicit post: Warning! Possible trigger.

This poem was published by Eskimo Pie in February.  Check out the poem and Eskimo Pie too!

 

The Drop Off

Maidenhood aside,

your sex trapped me.

My fresh curls could not

compete with you aged mounds

of flesh I did not desire.

 

The fruity bubble gum should

have told me all:

the sickly melon perfumed

my car, ate at my stomach,

eroding my alliance,

down to a sugary decay of

falsehood and cunning.

 

Thinking nothing of sticky fly traps,

I shared my soda and

youthful dimples.

 

Instead of cookies, you offered love

and, of course, your sex

as the sugar started to saturate,

entrapping me.

 

The friend you left behind —

not the one that offered you a ride,

the one you had in me–

dashed off her fears and turned the key.

 

Sweetly, I spurned your desires,

but with all the sugar everything

turned sour.

 

I dropped off your unfulfilled

desires at your doorstop.

You will come to me again,

but I will not be there.

 

I’ve thrown away all of my candy.

 

by J.L. Smith

Throwback Thursday: Crossed Eyes

This one is a very old poem, probably written in 1998, that was published in February’s Eskimo Pie.  Now, if that is not a real Throwback Thursday, I don’t know what is, lol.  “Crossed Eyes” for your Throwback Thursday enjoyment!

Crossed Eyes

A glossy photograph with eyes

scraped clean with black ballpoint.

Anger and pressure,

strokes of lines—

straight and circular—

penetrate white paper,

bringing it to the fore,

dehumanizing its former owner of its

identity

warmth

power

control

over the smiling figure pictured next to it,

you.

by J.L. Smith

Happy 2016 – A look back; A look forward

Happy New Year, Everyone!

First of all, I want to thank you so much for being a part of my blog and supporting my work.  I am humbled to have my blog supporters.  Your support encourages me. It means a lot to me.  Thank you so much!

I also want to extend a great big thanks to all the editors and journals that I have worked with over the past year (and into 2016, as well!).   I have had 23 acceptances this year.  17 of which were published in 2015; 6 will be published in 2016.

If you have a moment, please check out these great editors and their journals.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your year.  I hope to share more writing with everyone in 2016!
Creative Nonfiction:
“The Important Things” – Alaska Women Speak – Winter 2015 issue

Fiction:
How to Eat a Bagel – 50-word Stories – Sept 15, 2015

Poetry:
“Femininity” – Cirque – Summer 2015
“Sitting in the Bathroom” – Yellow Chair Review – July 2015
“A Happy Poem” – Eunoia Review – August 2015
“Willow Rebuilds” “Spectators” “Fire Angels” – Alaska Women Speak– Fall 2015
“Dark Clouds Descend Low” – Three Line Poetry – Issue 33 – Sept 2015
“Da!” – Peeking Cat Poetry – 8th issue – Oct 2015
“Three times my baby’s stroller passes by” – Eunoia Review – Oct 2015
“Babushka’s Samovar”, “If I May Speak”, and “High Tea and Fancy Things” – Alaska Women Speak – Winter 2015 Issue
“Joanna’s Child” – Cirque – Winter Solstice issue 2015.
“Away with the Bitterness!” – Peeking Cat Poetry – 9th Issue – Dec 2015
“Away with the Bitterness!” – Alaska Shorts (49 Writers blog) – December 22, 2015
“The Reflex”, “The Drop Off”, and “Crossed Eyes” – Eskimo Pie – Feb 2016
“The Fragments You Carry”, “The Fireweed Dies”, and “Crabapples” – 13 Chairs – Spring 2016

 

by J.L. Smith

Eskimo Pie

I am pleased to announce that Eskimo Pie has accepted 3 of my old school poems for its February issue!  When I say “old school” I  really mean old school!  Two of these poems were written 17 years ago (in my undergraduate creative writing courses no less!), with the third written about 14 years ago.  These, admittedly, were hard to place and I am glad finally to have found a home for them.  Although I did revise them, I left the gist and the overall blueprint of the original poems intact.  Looking back on them, I see a lot of growth as a poet.

Have you ever revisited an earlier work only to see how far you’ve come in your writing?  Yeah, these poems have done that for me.  I am thankful they have found a home.

I look forward to seeing “The Reflex”, “The Drop Off”, and “Crossed Eyes” in February!