The Old Knife in the Mirror Trick #2
(the vastly improved and enriched psychosis)
On a New Jersey Turnpike Night
I sat in the back
I sat in the silence
still having dreams
you were in them,
you were them, you who I-
I promised you I wouldn’t dream of you
on the New Jersey Turnpike or anyplace else
where you might be sitting in Philly, waiting to hear
taking the geiger on the image machine
I promised not to think of how you must look, fur and feet flying,
when you run in a still, free, morning
never deciding if you’re running to or from
I promised, didn’t I
I lied
I never stopped dreaming
I promised you a rose
I did
give you one
you did not give it water
yet it flourished
you hid it in a closet, next to old pairs of running shoes
and newspapers, yet it breathed
late last night
you finally broke it
stomped on it, tore it till the rose bled red
and tossed it out, and down
Today, this Zombie rose
is waiting for you
7-1184, typed on 7-17-84
Note; on the original typed page I said I didn’t know
who this was about.
Now I realize that was a lie, too
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About bobsmall1
Bob Small has read at Bacchanal, Barnes and Noble, Borders,
The Booksource (Swarthmore), The Clark Park Festivals,Community College of Philadelphia
Highwire Gallery, The Mad Poets Annual Food Fest Reading,
The Middle East Restaurant, Nexus GalleryThe Painted Bride Arts Center,
The Philadelphia Ethical Society, Robin's Bookstore
The University of Pennsylvania and also in New York City,
Trenton, NJ, Washington, DC, and in many Delaware Valley Venues.
He is the author of numerous chapbooks, including
El Otro Lado (with Maralyn Lois Polak), On watching America Die,
Small Steps and Toes (with Lamont B. Steptoe), and The Unapoet.
This is his first Reading in over a year.
Bob Small was Founder and President of the
two decades old Poets and Prophets,
which presented Poetry Readings
in both Delaware County and Philadelphia.
Bob was the Chair of The Delaware County Green Party and was the
First Green Party Candidate in Delaware County (2005).
He was also a Green Party National Delegate, among other duties.
He is the Founder and Facilitator of
The Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (PaBac),
which is a Coalition of both Independents and Third Parties.,
seeking to legislatively improve Pennsylvania's Ballot Access Laws. (Facebook)
Bob is also a founding member and
Facilitator of Democracy Unplugged, and Delco Debates,
which has presented Independent and Third Party Forums in Delaware County since 2004. Facebook)
He was formerly involved with Cinema Resistance, and Delco Pledge of Resistance.
Bob currently lives in Swarthmore with his wife
and their menagerie of animals.
He is currently focused on writing a Novel and organizing his Poetry, which he posts on his Blog (Bob Small1). He is retired from most of the above activities, except Delco Debates and Poets and Prophets, which he may return to.
robertthesmall 