the poetry knook :: the poetry of stephen m. james :: indianapolis, indiana » graduation https://www.tpkpoetry.com the poetry of stephen m. james Fri, 28 Mar 2014 01:04:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.3 What if boot camp was what it was all about https://www.tpkpoetry.com/poetry/what-if-boot-camp-was-what-it-was-all-about/ https://www.tpkpoetry.com/poetry/what-if-boot-camp-was-what-it-was-all-about/#comments Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 the pendulum swings and
college slides
down the bunk bed post,
debunked of passion,
penny loafers, worn, on ice rolling
credits shower mortarboards
the newly commissioned officers
grow beards in battle
and salute the retail mercenaries
and baristas in berets

]]> https://www.tpkpoetry.com/poetry/what-if-boot-camp-was-what-it-was-all-about/feed/ 0 Preparation for the hearth https://www.tpkpoetry.com/poetry/preparation-for-the-hearth/ https://www.tpkpoetry.com/poetry/preparation-for-the-hearth/#comments Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 Foot friction, she smiles,
“sandals braking down cause duck-walk,” I say,
and fly across the claymated basement,
jettied like the muddy earth encircling.

mortarboards form next week
and fly across another room:
pots will be removed from the kiln,
placed on selling shelves with resumes,

her fingers resume, slippery nails filled,
stuffed to overflow like the glazing shelves,
“this is craft, not art,” curtly said.
the adding . . .subtracting . . .centripetal . . . centrifugal. . .

“what color should this one should be?”
her call? will clay return to rock
for defeating paper,
will she write

her mark brandishing,
initializing the final piece
this Friday night,
the final week,
to fire.

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