It is the twentieth day of April.
For some, this day is celebrated through elongated lungs/dislocation of breaths/burning of scrolls stuffed with the natural fibers from earth grown ingredients.
Grass becomes more than just an abbreviated length of vegetation beneath our feet.
It is celebrated. It is french-kissed by lips looking for a one night stand or a no-strings- attached relationship, where names are not exchanged and the only purpose for meeting is to savor slowed-down thought and strange cravings for chocolate or bagged preservatives.
But, I am too distracted with writing to think of these things. I am thinking of a conversation I recently had with a student in New York who asked me questions about writing and erotica– the how-to’s of moving words onto pages toward spines and ISBN’s, onto stages, through microphones, alphabetized and categorized into something worthy of being read or listened to.
She asked me about my refrigerator, the contents of my stomach, and what motivates my appetite. I thought about the moments before writing became an option. I was going to be a pastry chef, but then I fell in love with a poem. A poet. Pages. Chapters. Form. Experimentation.
I read the lyrics to all of Lou Reed’s songs and wondered if I could do that (minus the music).
I slept with Emily Dickinson and shared peanut butter sandwiches with Sandra Cisneros. I sat beside William Carlos Williams as he got a trimming at the barber shop. I hid in bathtubs to observe the nighttime with A.M. Homes. Then, I met Charles Bukowski and we drank our way through state lines and hotel rooms.
My lungs are empty right now, but I celebrate the freedom to place curious shapes between lips to see what grows in our thoughts. My preference for shapes have changed quite a bit over the years, but I can still appreciate the rituals and smells. The flavors. The aftertaste.
JOIN US THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 23RD AT FOLSOM STREET COFFEE CO FOR THE east coast open mic @ 8PM WHERE WE WILL GET THE CHANCE TO PUT OUR LIPS UP TO THE SOUNDS OF BREATH-TAKING POETRY AND INHALE THE FUMES OF INSPIRING MUSIC BY LOCAL ARTISTS. SIGN UP SHEET GOES UP AT 7:30PM. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
Aimee.
This blog’s where its happenning. Keep up the good work.