Reclaim and New Follower

I know I said I would be better. And I know I haven't. I have been teaching this summer program, where students who are not proficient in writing come and we teach them for two weeks. The goal of the program being to get these students to write a proficient paragraph. So far so good, but classes have been starting and I wanted to have a little fun before it was back to the grind stone and so most of my time has been filled with reading and video games. Not much writing has been happening. I see that changing beginning now.

Yesterday one of my summer courses started up at DU. Natural Science and Literature. While I am not thrilled about science, I do feel it will be an opportunity to strengthen my writing skills. We specifically are writing essays, memoirs, or narrative journalism pieces that have to do with science or nature in some way. I'm not quite sure what I am going to do, but hopefully soon I will - I would really like to get started on it soon. I do see many poems coming out of this class. For some reason when I look at or talk about nature poems just issue forth. We shall see.

Tonight my Advance Poetry Workshop begins. Joe Hutchison is teaching it and I am super excited. It looks like a small class, which should be fun. And I am hoping to really crank out some good writing.

Here is a poem - it didn't start as one, last night in class we were asked to write something after looking at a picture in a Natural Geographic. I came up with something a little more obtuse, but here is the revised prose poem edition. And as always comments are welcomed.



She (good old mother earth) is reclaiming. Taking back what is hers. Serpentine grasses: brown & yellow. Those shrubs, spiked with angst; snake their way through the broken down, fielded car. The rust pits his skin, cancerous. He screams in fright. A remorseful water tower, like a lonely water god; silently watches the valley. Does nothing to stop the mother’s onslaught.

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YES! A new follower. My apocalyptic twelve is complete. All other followers must participate in a rigorous application and interview process.

Welcome to Kevin - one of my former students from Pomona high school and a wonderful writer. Check him out here.