poetry alive – Page 11 – panache, perhaps

So many wonderful smalls (photographs)!

Published on 06/20/2012 by taylor mardis katzLeave a comment

Well, first this tiny pitcher was found at the yard sale that happens outside of Ellie’s house every Thursday. It’s ceramic and according to the guy who gave to to me (for free! thank you!), “very old.” After bringing it home I filled it with one sip of lemonade, made from 1/16 of a lemon plus some sugar. I’m kidding!

Ellie made me the ultimate tiny thing: she filled a tiny gold book box she found with the tiniest ojo de dios (god’s eye) known to man or god, and affixed a hummingbird feather on the other side. Are you dying right now? SHE MADE IT WITH HER HANDS! I open it to look at it at least twice a day. It is the best thing.

On Saturday I received a package from my dad, also known as Jonathan F. Katz, aka Poppa Dids, aka P.Diddy Poppa. In it were three small things: a tiny mug with my name on it that I bought during one summer at camp, a small silver spoon from my great grandmother’s collection of silver spoons (COOL), and a photo of me, aged three, with a big belly. Here’s me:

And here’s the spoon and the mug. Tiny mug! With a font that I associate with 90s computers.

My thumb is so stubby.

And here you can see the mug in the Cuteness Lineup I set up on Saturday morning:

I present to you the full lineup:

The Hershey’s kiss is from Marilyn’s birthday party on Friday night, where she slaughtered a pinata! And I found the little terra cotta pot at the thrift store. And inside that little bowl are seed packets the size of my pinky finger. They’re so small my human eyes can barely see them! They’re from a vintage dollhouse set! Maybe you can kind of see the tiny seed packets in the bowl in this photo below?

Let me tell you, ever since I’ve started blogging my small things, I’ve been receiving them left and right. It’s been a most thrilling time of life! Stay tuned for one tiny living creature and a present that was dropped from the sky for me at the farmers’ market on Sunday.

A poem can be small.

Published on 06/14/2012 by taylor mardis katzLeave a comment

“I am drunk but miss you all the time”

Sometimes nonpoets

write better poems

than poets

“I want to shake out a fat broom” (poem by Alice Walker) (hand-lettered).

Published on 05/23/2012 by taylor mardis katz2 Comments

It’s funny to me that I don’t even know Lisa Congdon and yet I post things she’s made, like the above Alice Walker. I guess that’s what blogs do, let us be in touch with people we wouldn’t otherwise. I like it when people tell me that they read my blog–it’s always a confession. If you’re reading this, thanks for reading this. When you tell me that you read this, I get pretty joyful.

Poem about eras ending (mine).

Published on 05/22/2012 by taylor mardis katzLeave a comment

For Later

We drove through bikinis, walked the paved strip

by the water as kids flirted and cursed. Clouds were low,

unmelting; dolphins moved through metallic

ocean. Sean found a piece of unopened candy on the road

and pocketed it. I wasn’t cold or sad or verbose; I was happy

he’d found something to eat later. I’m always thinking

of the delight eating provides me and how to dispense that.

At the party, Dean’s family was casual and kind, circles

of Ritz crackers beaming on trays. We saw the solar

eclipse, made watchable by the thick sea’s clouds. Night

light over sun. She was scooped, our bulb; we watched

her portioned. Whether you care about weather or not,

you could see it. And on cement, below, a group of us

talking, all seemingly young, hands at our sides, no

stones in our pockets to smooth down, to hold.

Sideyard success. Serious joy.

Published on 05/14/2012 by taylor mardis katzLeave a comment

The sideyard was so much fun. I was this happy:

Except I was wearing a blue crown with curled ribbons longer than my hair, a patterned poncho, and wings made out of leaves (made by Jen), and not a clown costume. As Frankie puts it,

best thing about the sideyard poetry readings:

the folks walking past on the other side of the hedge

on their way to friday-night-party

catching clips of outloud poetry

and the quick image of

a writer in the light

as they pass

What was also wonderful was how many people there were (estimates are in the high 90s), and the flower bouquets with artichokes in them (made by Ellie of course):

and how everyone got so drunk that no one bought books like these:

and perhaps the greatest miracle of the whole event is that not a single neighbor yelled at us. And people bought Misha’s photographs! And I didn’t even have a hangover the next morning! And the next morning was Saturday, and Ellie and I split a mushroom and bacon fritatta covered with blue cheese with whole wheat toast and raspberry jam. The end.

Things that are awesome (Sunday edition).

Published on 05/07/2012 by taylor mardis katzLeave a comment

garlic scapes are awesome

roses smell awesome

tampons are awesome

women that use diva cups are awesome

old ladies who dye their white hair purple are awesome

men with babies strapped to their fronts are awesome (so is anyone with a baby strapped to their body)

bare feet are awesome

mixed recycling is awesome

happy hour prices are awesome

bicycling feels awesome

tie dye is awesome

“Made in the USA” is awesome

having a sister is awesome

homemade hot sauce tastes awesome

grilling is awesome

finishing projects is awesome

making pancakes for yourself is awesome (so is making pancakes with anyone)

driving a tractor is awesome

getting high on coffee is awesome

artichokes are awesome

handshakes are awesome

wordplay is awesome

DJ names are awesome

blueberry season is awesome

reading is totally awesome

i think rollerblading looks awesome but i only did it once so i don’t know for sure

being taken out to lunch is awesome

feeding people is awesome

riding shotgun is awesome

James Brown will always be awesome

writing poems is for sure awesome

giving poems to people is awesome

whiskey is awesome

ginger beer is awesome

old friends are the most awesome of awesome

homemade muffins are awesome

thrift stores are awesome especially the sunglasses section

records are awesome

the word “platypus” is awesome and so is “spritz”

hip hop lyrics can be really awesome

bartering is awesome

letters in the mail are undeniably awesome

bacon is awesome why didn’t anyone make me eat it earlier it so so goddamn awesome

summer coming on is awesome

Misha is number 1 awesome

treasures are awesome (like bird bones or gemstones)

wind turbines are awesome

root beer floats are awesome

notebooks are awesome especially new notebooks

woodcuts are awesome

worms are awesome

herbs are awesome

friendship bracelets are awesome

monks are awesome and so are nuns

hats are of course awesome but we already knew that

getting an mfa is awesome and i’m almost done doing it!!!! awesome over & out.

Advice from Robert Frost (hand-lettered image).

Published on 04/26/2012 by taylor mardis katzLeave a comment

(via illustrator Lisa Congdon’s lovely blog “Today is going to be awesome.” She’s doing a project where she hand-letters 365 days in a row, and she uploads what she’s drawn. This is day 115.)

Springtime in the sideyard (EVENT)!

Published on 04/10/2012 by taylor mardis katzLeave a comment

This Friday is the Spring Sideyard! All the info is on the gorgeous 70s poster below, designed by Misha. The only thing about this event is that you must now, right this minute, please I am asking you nicely, do a No Rain on Friday dance. Please just do a little shimmy for no rain on Friday. Normally I shimmy FOR rain, but this week my shoulders are aligned with the sunshine.

I hope to see you there! I will be thinking of all my friends and loved ones who live far away who I know would love to be there! I miss you all!

Pisces come from under water (photo series).

Published on 04/04/2012 by taylor mardis katzLeave a comment

A month ago, there was a birthday party. The theme was “under the sea” and I was a jellyfish and Ellie made me a crown.

There are streamers curled and dangling from my tutu but you can’t really see them. Misha’s hair was huge and awesome and we danced to the band for hours. Everyone sang happy birthday to me, Lauren, and Sara, my other Pisces of the party, and we all birthday-hugged each other while they sang.