by Chris Murphy
Here we are in March, continuing our quest to discover the thoughts inside of people’s heads, from short form Haiku to the long form. One of the coolest blocks in town is J Street between 13th and 14th. From the Intermission, the Jewel, the State, Noah’s to labs of Lofi, there are good things happening. Best of all, you can do this. There are writer’s nights and Haiku nights. I had fun going and trying out some of my words. I didn’t win, but I got out there, put myself in front of people and have it a shot. You can do it too.
In March it is Write Night and Haiku will be back in April. BUT, send your work in now to get into the Haiku Anthology. What are you waiting for? Give it a go. Scan the QR code and go!
Here are the winners from the March Haiku and Poetry Battle at Lofi Labs.
Haiku Battle Winner
Theme: Love/Anti-Love
Julian Blackmon, The Protected Poet
I should have known this
marriage was tarnished when my
wedding ring turned green
Open Mic Poetry Winner
Poet: Linda Scheller
Cellist: Marina John Hanna
“In the Heart Mountain Relocation Center”
Estelle Peck Ishigo (1899-1990)
“Imprisoned at the foot of the mountain, towering in its silence over the barren waste, we searched its gaunt face for the mystery of our destiny.” –from Lone Heart Mountain
While scouring dust
swipes the walls, splinter points stab
the backs of their hands.
She sketches the lives
in splinters, the wind-blown dust
and rough-hewn rooms.
Two rings smoothed by time
in miscegenational
exile sketch gold light.
Behind the barbed wire
they stand, hand in hand, watching
three kites in the sky.
The hands of the wind
shake the trembling paper,
a tethered hunger.
One kite snaps its string
and plummets earthward, swallowed
by the barbed wire maw.
Two boys imprisoned
within its jaws extricate
the kite from steel teeth.
