Reading at Collected Works Bookstore, Santa Fe, NM

Santa Fe Community College Student Writing Awards 2015

 

 

My poem "Listening to Patti Smith" won runner-up for poetry this year and one of my other poems won an honorable mention.  Poetry readings and award ceremony at Collected Works Bookstore on April 30th 2015 at 6pm.  http://www.collectedworksbookstore.com/

 

 

 

Listening to Patti Smith

 

is like dreaming life, through her eyes.   

      

Open-hearted, you take her hand               

trusting her, your wild mother,                                                 

she promises to wake you up when she’s all                                                           

done.  She’ll tell you fairytales, 

 

whisper them gently in your ear:

Her lyrics a sacred savory wafer that falls from  

the tip of her tongue.  She

like you, loves the boys

 

guitars and sonic noise, like you she wears

comfy old man jacket and boyfriend’s tie

a holy mess, her holiness—

could you ever be as holy as her?

 

Her hot breath blows like an angry storm

through your stereos loud speakers,

her words a wind that slaps you across the face

leaving throbbing welts of wisdom.

 

You feel guilty for such a pleasure

like a sinner,

she yells,

“G - L- O - R- I- A, Gloria!”

 

You’re not disappointed when

the dream is over, but finally wide awake when

you grab for a microphone, of your own.

 

 

 

words by Lorraine E. Leslie ©
2014

 

 

  

Poetry Posts at Santa Fe Community College-Spring 2015

Myself and a bunch of other poets have our poems inside poetry posts located around the

Santa Fe Community College.  If you are at the campus or plan

on visiting it sometime soon, check them out.  It's like a treasure hunt for poetry and

a great activity to do when the weather is nice, like it has been recently.

Pick up a coffee and take a walk around the campus outside in nature

and be inspired by poetry!

 

See the other poetry posts at Miriam Sagan's blog:
 

https://miriamswell.wordpress.com/2015/02/08/up-close-lorraine-e-leslie-documents-the-poetry-posts-on-sfcc-camous/

https://miriamswell.wordpress.com/2015/01/30/new-poetry-posts-are-up-at-sfcc/

 

"Rage/Anger" by Lorraine E. Leslie

 

 

  R

 A

ANGER

 E

 

 

I am nature and you can’t control me

my breathe, a vaporous gas

With this release, I have set myself free.

 

Pressure builds up inside, volcanically

ash spews, from my fiery crevasse

I am nature and you can’t control me.

 

My hair, golden and flowing around me

it runs, like molten lava down my ass

With this release, I have set myself free.

 

My hot blood oozes out into the sea

sizzling, it turns into solid mass

I am nature and you can’t control me.

 

Fissures erupt from my core, viscerally

my cone shatters like an inverted wineglass

With this release, I have set myself free.

 

Like the goddesses Pele and Kali*

I will destroy all who trespass

I am nature and you can’t control me

with this release, I have set myself free!

 

 

 

*Pele is the goddess of volcanoes. 

*Kali is the Hindu goddess of change and destruction

 

 Lorraine E. Leslie

© 2014