Silent Argument in Light of Recent Events

Poetry from my MFA presentation exhibition at SCA Galleries December 2015.

AN ARTIST’S MANIFESTATION:

  AN ARTIST SHOULD WORK ALOT
  AN ARTIST SHOULD NOT BE BIAS
  AN ARTIST SHOULD IRREGARDLESS
  AN ARTIST SHOULD SEIZE TO AMAZE
  AN ARTIST SHOULD NOT BE EFFECTED
  AN ARTIST SHOULD REALLY CARELESS
  AN ARTIST SHOULD FIRE DISTINGUISHER
  AN ARTIST SHOULD BE SELF DEFECATING
  AN ARTIST SHOULD EVAPORATE THE CITY
  AN ARTIST SHOULD HAVE INTEREST PEEKED
  AN ARTIST SHOULD NOT BE SELF ILLUSIONAL
  AN ARTIST SHOULD POSE IRONY IRONY IRONY
  AN ARTIST SHOULD ALWAYS BE PUNCTUATION
  AN ARTIST SHOULD BE AS PACIFIC AS POSSIBLE
  AN ARTIST SHOULD HAVE PHOTOGENIC MEMORY
  AN ARTIST SHOULD FORM OPTICAL CONCLUSIONS
  AN ARTIST SHOULD BE A SUPPOSITORY OF WISDOM
  AN ARTIST SHOULD BE A WOLF IN CHEAP CLOTHING
  AN ARTIST SHOULD BE FOR ALL INTENSIVE PURPOSES
  AN ARTIST SHOULD HAVE EXTRA CENTURY PERCEPTION
  AN ARTIST SHOULD BE PIGMENTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION

MY ART PRACTICE IS POETRY

I LIKE IT WHEN WORDS BEND

WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF ART?

I LIKE IT WHEN WORDS BLEED

WHATS THE FUTURE OF POETRY?

I LIKE IT WHEN WORDS BREAK

THE FUTURE OF ART IS POETRY

I LIKE IT WHEN THEY RAINBOW

THE FUTURE OF POETRY IS ART

THE DAWN

I CAN ADORE

YOUR BODY

OF WATER

MEETS MINE

TOGETHER

GREETING

THE

UNKNOWN

DAY

THOSE WHO DO,
REACH

THOSE WHO CAN'T DO,
TEACH

THOSE WHO DO AND TEACH,
PREACH

THOSE WHO CAN'T DO OR TEACH,
BITCH

SITTING IN A DINER IN HOLLYWOOD

DRINKING A COLA I DIDN'T WANT

LIVING SOMEBODY ELSE'S DREAM

DRINKING A COLA I DIDN'T WANT

SITTING IN A DINER IN HOLLYWOOD

NOBODY

MAKES

THINGS

THIS

COUNTRY

ANYMORE

MAKE ART

MAKE LOVE

MAKE TEA

MAKE BELIEVE

IF YOU

MAKE THINGS

YOU

ARE FREE

REIMAGINEMENT OF THE MUSEUM

(A GUIDED PROCESS FOR ARTS PROFESSIONALS)

1. ENTER GALLERY.

2. CONSIDER THE ART.

3. UNDRESS.

4. BEGIN DANCING.

5. AVOID CAPTURE.

6. CONTINUE DANCING.

7. FINISH DANCING.

8. REDRESS.

9. LEAVE MUSEUM.

        THE LIVES WE LEAD AT NIGHT

                          YOU ARE IN THE STREETS OF ME

      TO LEARN MY LANGUAGE

                    AS I AM DRIFTING IN THE LIGHT

      YOU ARE IN DENIM AND WE

                    AND ARE IN THIS TOGETHER

CREATION FROM SELF DESTRUCTION

(A GUIDED PROCESS FOR ARTS PROFESSIONALS)

1. SPONTANEOUS KISSING ON THE MOUTH AS INSPIRATIONAL SOURCE.

2. SERIAL AND/OR SPEED DATING AS A FORMAL RESEARCH METHOD.

3. FALL IN LOVE AS AN ATTEMPT TO GENERATE NEW WORKS OF ART.

4. PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION AS PERFORMATIVE EXPERIMENTS.

5. LET YOUR HEART BE BROKEN WITH A DOCUMENTARY PROCESS.

6. GET OUT OF BED, DRY YOUR EYES, SHOWER. RETURN TO STEP 1.

PUBLIC THOUGHTS:

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

WHERE SHOULD I SEE?

WHAT SHOULD I SAY?

WHAT SHOULD I READ?

WHAT SHOULD I BUY?

WHEN SHOULD I DIE?

PUBLIC NOTICES:

YOU MAY NOT DO THIS.

YOU MAY NOT SEE THIS.

YOU MAY NOT SPEAK THIS.

YOU MAY NOT READ THIS.

YOU MAY NOT BUY THIS.

YOU MAY NOT DIE HERE.

SOME DAYS YOU ARE A PARADE

OF COMPLIMENTS AND GRATITUDE

ROSE PETALS DRIFTING DOWN AROUND

FROM OUR WINDOWS TO THE STREETS

SOME DAYS YOU’RE A MACHINE GUN

OF TAUNTS AND TEASING INGRATITUDES

YOU ROUND DRINKING ROULETTE HOURS

WITH EVERY SIXTH WORD MY BULLET

KITCHEN WALLS POCKMARKED FROM

YOUR SPITTING SHRAPNEL TONGUE

WHILST MY HAMMER TICKS AGAINST

THE EMPTY CHAMBER OF MY THROAT

BUT WHAT COULD I DO TO DISARM

THE HOT MUZZLE OF YOUR MOUTH

WHEN YOU CAME HOME FULLY LOADED

AND I BROUGHT DINNER TO A GUNFIGHT

WOULD YOU’VE LIKED ME MORE,

IF I’D FIXED THE THINGS WE BROKE

AND LET YOU BUY MY SOCKS, AND

NOT COMPLAIN, AND NEVER EXPLAIN

AND SAY NO-NO-NO TO YOU, AND

SPENT MORE TIME WITH FRIENDS?

WOULD YOU’VE WANTED ME MORE

IF I’D BECOME THE JEALOUS TYPE

AND STARED-DOWN ALL THE STRAYS

TOLD YOU THAT YOU’RE SMOKING HOT

AND I WANT YOU, AND I’LL TAKE YOU

WHENEVER, AND WHEREVER I LIKE?

WOULD YOU’VE LOVED ME MORE,

IF I’D CRIED SOMETIMES AT THE FILMS

WE WATCHED TOGETHER. BECAUSE

I READ THIS IN THAT MAG YOU LEFT

THAT ALL THESE THINGS ARE WHAT

YOU REALLY WANT FROM ME,

AND I WANT YOU.

MY HAIR, IN BLOOM

MY EYES, A HEAD

MY HIDE, A FENCE

MY WILL, MY LEGS

MY HAND, YOUR DOOR

MY FEET, MY HEART

ONCE IN AWHILE,

YOU WANT TO THRIVE

  ONCE IN AWHILE,

      KNEEL DOWN BE KIND

  ONCE IN AWHILE,

        YOU WANT TO SURVIVE

  ONCE IN AWHILE,

      GET OUT OF THAT GRIND

  ONCE IN A WHILE,

      CONSIDER OR CONTRIVE,

            TO
  ONCE IN AWHILE,

      BLOW YOUR OWN

DAMN MIND.