Poetry

fall break IWU why did she abandon this cup tea still drying in the bottom white cup with its green collar preoccupied I guess going home for fall vacation and her mother with a lap full of worries her brother using her barbies for spears her father disturbing the sunday with his new riding mower […]

evening with television   on the screen the hero saves a woman from her ex the filthy sociopath the hero has been divorced on his own for twelve years he wonders should he ask her out or not on a date I consider this with two crackers and some chocolate milk © John Knoepfle 2003

SonnetI seek the fields, the woods, and gentle streams, In hopes to pass some calm, refreshing hours; But Ah! how weak are all my idle dreams — Love, love alone my bleeding heart devours. Or if mine eye a glance of pleasure shew On some sweet object — hill or circling plain — Quick comes […]

lines from “all hallows” when there were stone houses or on the walled hovels even the jointstools were warm at the hearth and the cottage doors they were left open the night long that fell dark when the dead came home that was until the famine and who was left living then if only the […]

six-fifty-two AM CST through fog this morning two amblers one bipedal his stalker quad gangly legs: ringed tail:bandit mask juvenile raccoon — such an odd sight chasing a backpacked jogger east down Kimbal through August fog and i thought i was only playing his morning a role as schizophrenic . . . — David Pitchford […]

up early in october how fine this morning that big orange pumpkined harvest moon riding alone the west horizon alone in a pale blue dawning sky especially from this hospital sixth floor window [lots of care here] you can see the craters or as the peoria would have it their old woman putting out brush […]

king james version there was amazement gold bars for the rich who loaded camels sent them off gleaming through deserts no one had ever heard of at first no one cared so we were surprised that day the butcher was selling lambs heads charged silver shekels when we had no coins it got worse and […]

A Good Sport Once the boy first grabbed a ball, all other thoughts were optional; once the boy first swung a bat, his itch was set and that was that; once the boy shot his first hoop, he had no time for bookish poop; once the boy kicked his first goal, artistic knacks were put […]

Birthday Every year a leaf falls, one at a time, hands, days full of raking, scattering and I come to see the bare tree of us against the sunlight strewn in branches, shimmering naked against all those colors you give me tumbling free within a small, a time together walking in woods — David Radavich […]

perceptions of joy in chicago a good afternoon we all had a share in what we did not earn someone smiling on wacker hello old man how are you why girl just fine and ready for winter  © John Knoepfle 2003

Edited by Corrine Frisch Illinois Rich loamed tumescent earth black as Mississippi silt crusty as brown sugar lies waiting for the plow. Yielding with sensuous delight to the disc and harrow furrowed rows of yawning mouths greedily eat the seed that drops in measured cadence. Then sated quietly quicken through sun lit days and moon […]

something about love love is like a bowl so when you break it glue it together if it won’t hold water fill it with apples © John Knoepfle 2003