Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked from Stone Soup's open mic readers and features. I figure out a title (and sometimes the rest of the poem) later. You can read the other ones I've done since 2015 here. To paraphrase Lorne Michaels, this poem doesn't go up because it's ready, it goes up because it's Friday morning.
Melissa Castillo Planas gave us an excellent feature on Wednesday. I am starting to like features starting off our sessions. It's also interesting when they take control of my poem the same way they take control of the open mic and inspire reactions from those who were listening.
I've been thinking about the prospect of moving and (because I'm not wealthy) living in a neighborhood where I feel like an intruder. The word I'm dancing around is "gentrification "That's what fed this week's piece. Thanks for reading.
Take Stock
Carry flag with own face,
plant on new grounds.
Get right to it, represent
minute-old home
while other stay on,
armed with nothing but
pocket knife list
of family recipes
and their grandmother's
most famous comebacks.
No neighbors come by,
deem anyone worthy.
Does lonely colonizer
deserve broken heart
wait to be wrapped
in another mother tongue
can only offer phrases,
smatterings of language class,
two cultural songs
heard in grade school.
Is piccolo pronounced
the same in every country?
Who will claim body
if dropped dead on these steps?
Unpack slowly, check
blankets for pestilence.
Hope to not stand accused
of stealing from All-Mother's table.
Uneasy, politely quiet guest,
as they celebrate loved and dead.
lose track how many are both,
too old to charm old women.
Lie in bed after,
appraise misspeaks.
Tried not to sound like
old neighborhood bully.
Might own everything,
every home still theirs.
End times still send word
almost here,
almost welcome for
start-over,
chance to be welcomed
by those who'll never need you.
Special thanks to Jon Wesick, Bil Lewis, John Stickney, Ethan Mackler, Carol Weston, Joshua Corwin, Jane Spokenword, David Miller, Erik Nelson, Gloria Monaghan, C.C. Arshagra, Angelo D'Amato Jr., Erik Tate, Rafiana Martinez, James Van Looy and Melissa Castillo Planas.
two cultural songs
heard in grade school.
Is piccolo pronounced
the same in every country?
Who will claim body
if dropped dead on these steps?
Unpack slowly, check
blankets for pestilence.
Hope to not stand accused
of stealing from All-Mother's table.
Uneasy, politely quiet guest,
as they celebrate loved and dead.
lose track how many are both,
too old to charm old women.
Lie in bed after,
appraise misspeaks.
Tried not to sound like
old neighborhood bully.
Might own everything,
every home still theirs.
End times still send word
almost here,
almost welcome for
start-over,
chance to be welcomed
by those who'll never need you.
 |
| I long for the day when people can put in their own names again. |
Special thanks to Jon Wesick, Bil Lewis, John Stickney, Ethan Mackler, Carol Weston, Joshua Corwin, Jane Spokenword, David Miller, Erik Nelson, Gloria Monaghan, C.C. Arshagra, Angelo D'Amato Jr., Erik Tate, Rafiana Martinez, James Van Looy and Melissa Castillo Planas.
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