BABY’S BEGINNING
And though she knew
the marriage was doomed
in her womb there was a seed
that grew steadily
until that glorious night
at the Chinese place
The Quickening
The moment a soul
enters the body and
like Elizabeth’s child,
baby leapt for joy
(so did her mom!)
Blessed with a gig in
Bermuda, piano bar
No star, but paid the bills
(and his too, as he
withdrew into his shell
back in Queens)
Every time mommy
played Duke Ellington
baby’s feet kept time
Fast songs or slow
Kicking perfect rhythm
My covert metronome
And when at last
she emerged from inside
her eyes so wide, so black,
I knew they would stay brown and
I knew we would be together
weathering any storm
Mothers who nurse know
the most beautiful sight
is the top of the baby’s eyelids
as they shut tight
working on their task
nuzzling at the breast
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Image by Mahalie, used by permission of Creative Commons
For Sunday Scribblings, “In The Beginning…” Also at my poetic playpen, Poets United!
Lance at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog (yes, there’s a picture of Fight Club on the home page, but it’s all good fun) wanted folks to write poems, 100 wds, to particular songs he’d picked out. On this Mother’s Day, I HAD to write a paean to my own fave dance song by one of the great bands of the 80s. Listen and imagine me and Riley barefoot on the dance floor, with Lex watching us, rolling his eyes…! Can’t think of a better Mother’s Day post for my girl, who made this particular holiday one worth celebrating when she was born in ’88. Love you, Riles.
BOP ‘TIL WE DROP
Punch out the time clock and
pile in the back of the Chrysler, baby
Don’t need GPS, and I don’t mean maybe
Half a mile away you hear the
THUMP THUMP
Pull up SCREECH my God this is a
DUMP DUMP
But the B52s are locked and loaded
and the room sounds like something just exploded it goes
BUMP BUMP
We shimmy the shit off our shoes
We all shimmy sharp at the Shack
If we’re gonna waste our time
we’re gonna waste it well
waste it wildly, hell bent for leather
Gonna bop ’til we drop at the Shack
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
If you are not prepared to read about sexual abuse of a child, please skip this poem. If you have nightmares of being “invaded,” this poem may help you to seek therapy. Your call. Scroll down for the poem. Peace, Amy
My Turn Tonight
Door opens, cringe-creaking
Covers pulled over my head
Keep still, stay quiet
Someone else’s turn instead?
No, I’ve drawn the unlucky card
Trembling as he turns my face
to face the unfaceable and
endure this sick disgrace
Morning, choking back chalk
Sheets dampened by sweat and the sinner
I’m pretty quiet at breakfast
But he grins like a Derby winner
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For Three Word Wednesday: Dampen, Keep, Tremble
Also at my poetic haven, Poets United.
NOTES: Through therapy, I made the journey from remembering to understanding it wasn’t my fault to shrieking truth at the long-dead man in the empty chair to acceptance, and ultimately, forgiveness. Once I forgave, the whole thing became a bubble over in a corner of my mind, where I could examine it on my own terms. The journey took 15 years, and I write about these events to help others connect. May incest, child abuse, child pornography… all die away, and love prevail.
If you suspect a child you know and love is being sexually abused, whether by their father, uncle, brother, teacher… be it a boy or a girl, let that child know they can talk to you about anything at all. Tell them that no matter what, grown-ups should never make a kid keep secrets, especially secrets that scare them. You could save a young person from suicide. Trust me. I was almost there. Peace, Amy
DECLARATION OF AN ALLY OF THE QUEER COMMUNITY
Queer. That word stops
folks from my generation
dead in their tracks.
We don’t say that word.
Queer.
Always an insult, the word shouted
by football players before stuffing a
loafer-light boy into a wastebasket.
Queer.
Not right. Wrong.
In Matthew Shepard’s case, dead wrong.
Tied-to-a-bumper wrong.
Queer.
The word my daughter uses
in identifying her orientation.
She dresses boyish but loves women.
Queer.
They’re here. Your accountant, your dentist,
your kid’s teacher (not the one with the
porn on their computer, either).
Queer.
Homophobes use it to describe
boys other than their own sons, who
ship out in the Navy to prove they are “real men.”
Queer.
Mom explained it when I was five.
No graphic descriptions of sex,
just, “Uncle John loves Uncle Tony.”
It’s simple.
People are people.
Half the sexual acts straight couples do
could get them arrested in Mississippi.
Queer.
They’re here. Get over it.
They are committed couples.
They adopt kids straight couples don’t want.
They rehabilitate crack babies.
They are wonderful neighbors.
They shop; they pay taxes.
Some are slobs, some are fashionable.
Some drink wine, some drink beer.
Some go to church, some don’t.
They are human beings who are
capable of love, of compassion,
of snottiness, of loyalty.
They deserve life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness.
Just like you.
Just like me.
Just like everybody else.
Amen.
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For ABC Wednesday, brought to you by the letter Q.
And no, that is not a picture of me. It’s me in 20 years or so!
TO ALL WORDPRESS FRIENDS (and anyone else whose email box has been flooded because of the “email me all comments because I have nothing better to do” box!): Well, I sent out the “glitch fix” far and wide, and I’ve received some very gracious notes of thanks from folks who were frustrated with WordPress and that “email me followup comments” box being checked. So I posted on the forums, in hopes of sharing some useful info:
“WordPressers unite! That annoying, pre-checked “Follow comments via email” box CAN BE REMOVED. Took me more than an hour but I think I fixed it.
I can make that entire box go away, so you and your followers will no longer be deluged with unwanted comments. Follow step by step and START from your “Dashboard” (drop-down menu when you hover on your blog name next to the W) and take your time.
Also, if you reblog this info, PLEASE credit my blog, because it took a lot of time and effort. I’m an activist, so working against “the machine” comes naturally, haha. Good luck! Amy Barlow Liberatore https://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/05/06/antibiotic-for-wordpress-glitch/”
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THESE ARE THE TWO COMMENTS I RECEIVED. And what a load of crap! My (admittedly snotty) reply follows! Don’t you just love vendors (yes, I paid for all my upgrades) who go to the trouble of putting down bloggers who are simply trying to help? Read on:
thistimethisspace, Member. May 8, 2012, 3:34 PM
“Are you kidding? We regular Volunteers are fully aware of how to use the settings on our blogs.”
kyllingsara, Inactive, May 8, 2012, 5:32 PM
“Hmmm. I don’t get why you’re on WP if I read your post right. Regular WP bloggers also know how to use the settings on our blogs, so I probably won’t credit that find to your blog, sharplittlepencil. But thanks for the “Captain Obvious” moment of coming to the rescue. 🙂
————————————————————————-
MY REPLY:
@ thistimethisspace: You “regular volunteers” aren’t as sharp as you seem to think you are if you didn’t know that this problem was real. HUNDREDS of subscribers are hopping mad and threatening to endure the CAPTCHA of Blogger because WordPress has been unresponsive. Sorry, you failed to impress.
@kyllingsara: “I don’t know why you’re on WP”? Are you aware that I have paid to own my domain name and also paid to upgrade my memory space? You SHOULD credit my blog, for no other reason than that annoying box is still on this page, automatically checked. You have inconvenienced hundreds of bloggers as well as their readers. Take responsibility and admit it. If you read my fix completely, you wouldn’t employ the snotty “Captain Obvious” reference. What kind of people are you that you won’t fix a simple glitch like this.
I’m a former systems coordinator, and I darned well know my way around the “belly of the beast” with every domain I use. This one took lots of time to figure out, and lots of folks have written me, thanking me for doing something WordPress couldn’t be bothered to do. I don’t believe you know as much as you think you do, and your arrogance is just plain rude. Amy Barlow Liberatore, who’s not as dumb as you seem to think.
MOON BEAMS
She called ‘round ’bout 10
Didn’t know that just then
the biggest moon ever
was blooming like never
before… so she stopped
her beater car and bopped
to the shoreline and it
shone as if butterkleig-lit
“Mom, it’s so beautiful!”
And I, the dutiful
mother, in her jammies
ran outside – Midwest clammies
sending shivers… but
how often are you put
in a position
to share this apparition
of synchronicity
nature’s creativity
with one you’ve loved so
from first glance, the glow
of her sweet newborn face
Now she’s in another place
Connected by a phone,
neither is alone
We seize this blessed time
this view, superb, sublime
We cry for happy, ‘cuz
we’re sharing The Night That Was
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For dverse Open Mic Night, and for Riley – the artistic, fabulous young woman I am proud to call my daughter.
Photo courtesy of The Times Union of Albany, NY.
Wild in the Streets
Those crazy Wisconsinites
From Madison to Green Bay
They’re getting ready
The signs are up; protests continue
Bikers now pump their tires full
Those who walk are re-Scholling their shoes
Unions are getting out the vote
Churches are getting out the vote
Raging Grannies are getting out the vote
College students are getting out the vote
The handicapped are all accessible:
Teachers, farmers, union rank and file
Families on public assistance
People whose jobs were cut to give fat cats tax breaks
Women in general
(Hell, he doesn’t discriminate, he hates ALL of us)
Governor Doofus. Dumber than a sack of rocks.
We’re jumping in the pool
We’re jamming the polling places
We’re ready to make our stand
We’re gonna tell the Koch Brothers that
WISCONSIN IS NOT FOR SALE.
And when we’re done, we’ll meet
on State Street for some local brew
Scott Walker, start packing now
Save us the embarrassment of evicting you
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For Sunday Scribblings (‘wild’) and for Poetic Bloomings, asking for poems based on a movie title.
“Wild in the Streets” is a cult classic about a pop star who eventually gets into politics. Once he’s president, he mandates things like putting people in nursing homes on LSD. It’s a true stinker, but the title was perfect for how some Tea Party members from other state view us, as we strive to get the incompetent man pictured above out of our everyday lives. Teabaggers still don’t get that they have been co-opted by the Brothers Koch, who pull all the strings and want to privatize schools and end reproductive freedoms. Silver-spoon trust fund babies; never really had to work because Daddy left them everything!
Sorry, poem later – first, help for ALL my WordPress buddies!
We have located where that sneaky unemployed blockhead GWB hid the comment box check that has everyone on WordPress steamed.
On your Dashboard, left column, click “Settings.”
Under “Settings” menu, click “Discussions.”
On “Discussions” page, scroll WAY, WAY down… to just above Avatars section. You’ll find some checked boxes, including “Allow: Follow Comments.”
Uncheck that box.
Nobody really follows someone else’s comments, in my experience. But clicking this means that option (if someone DOES want updates on a comment they made) will disappear. That just means if they are hungry for your feedback, they will take the time to come back to your blog. Never happened to me because when there is a juicy comment, I copy my response to a personal email to the commenter and we continue the discussion there.
Hope this helps. And, as someone says, at least we don’t have those damned illegible CAPTCHAs. COPY THIS POST OR FORWARD MY URL TO EVERYONE WHO USES WORDPRESS… that is, if you want to! Peace. I need a nap now. Love to all, Amy
dverse wanted poems about music. How about lyrics to an original song, WITH the music track? (smile)
A lot of you know I’m a singer/songwriter. This is a demo (no great studio quality here, just the straight voice and piano) for a long-planned but yet-to-be-financed jazz album to follow up “Jazz Baby Hits Her Stride.” Click on the track name; lyrics are below. And John, my BFF, this one’s for you!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SONG:
My Cat Sure Misses You A Lot
My Cat Sure Misses You A Lot
Words and Music by Amy Barlow Liberatore © 1998
She sits on the window seat and waits for your return
She stretches lazily, ’cause she’s got time to burn
She thinks you’re running late, or maybe you forgot
But oh boy, oh boy, my cat sure misses you a lot
Remember how she’d snuggle up and commandeer your lap
And how you’d hold her tenderly when she’d settle in to nap
I’m sleeping well these days, or so I thought
But oh boy, oh boy, my cat sure misses you a lot
She’s mine and always was, but she gave her heart away
To a man who up and left one day
I’m fine, I’m over you… I only called to say
There’s someone in the house who wants you back to stay
Why don’t you come around and visit her sometime
An hour on the front porch swing would do just fine
Or maybe you miss her the way she’s missing you
Why don’t you take her home a day, or maybe two
‘Cause oh boy, oh boy, my cat sure misses you a lot
She’s mine and always was, but she gave her heart away
To a man who up and left one day
I’m fine, I’m over you – I only called to say
There’s someone in the house who wants you back to stay
Why don’t you come around and visit her sometime
An hour on the front porch swing would do just fine
Or maybe you miss her the way she’s missing you
Why don’t you take her home – and take me, too
‘Cause oh boy, oh boy, my cat sure misses you…
Recording published by Beehat Baby Music, copyright 2012
I was going to post a poem, but more pressing matters… WordPressing matters, in fact. Thanks to Viv in France for bringing this to our attention.
When you leave a comment on any of our wonderful, creative, poetic, artistic, glorious blogs, REMEMBER to “uncheck” the sneaky little box underneath the window that says “Send me follow-ups to this comment.”
It used to be that you HAD to CHECK that box; you would then receive other comments related to that post in your email.
For some reason, I think Mitt Romney must be in charge, because it has flip-flopped to being checked FOR you, and then all our wonderful, awesome, amazing READERS (this means you!) get flooded with useless comments from our blogs. So unclick that stupid “default check” and you’ll be fine.
THIS IS NOT THE BLOGGERS’ FAULT, and we are trying to figure out how to get WordPress to change this. In the meantime, please, please don’t give up on sending comments… and we won’t give up on answering your critiques, your ideas, and your other comments. I’m sorry our host is giving y’all trouble.
Someone, please smack whoever it is… wait a sec, George W. Bush’s book tanked. Maybe he’s in charge now… in which case, we’re all screwed!
WMD = WordPress Mass Distraction! YIIIIIKES!
Love you all madly. Peace, Amy
Sharp Little Pencil 