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Recorded Reading (5:00): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/82l9eydi6jvetmlylollg/To-All-Present-and-Future.wav?rlkey=el9pi0d73fi6qiim44mlcnu0t&dl=0

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(The poet has already been acoustically assured by her stalker ~ and continues from time to time this evening to be assured by him ~ of both his nearness and his intent to provide perhaps a thousandth consecutive night in which, even when she is not made completely sleepless, the poet can never really relax.

Her heart rate is flutteringly and dangerously high.

It’s been that way increasingly often of late. Winter spent in a van here in this part of the country make it worse yet.

Several full device and several more in-app restarts have been necessary already, even before attempting a recording of the offered work, or uploading a header image for this post. The poet’s paste function seems shaky ~ and she relies on that to compose off-app when it starts jumping, jerking and spinning on her little screen like an underrehearsed break dancer.

The academic pundits of this poet’s day ~ appealed to passionately and persuasively many times in her credulous youth ~ far from reaching out to give her any opportunity at fair livelihood, dread seeing her smallest creation too near their own works, deny it credibility on every level which they can scramble good English to obfuscate (“It’s sophomoricly derivative work, my dear, pay no attention whatsoevah…”), and hope it just goes away.

The poet is not in a mood for hearts and flowers tonight.

Would you be?

Okay, it’s the truth unvarnished, this time, then…)

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To All Present and Future Literary Pundits, Naysayers, Nitpickers and Academic Assholes

By now I must have demonstrated
Far more well than thoroughly
That I can have a verse created
Practically instantly
On any subject you’ve debated
And then put to me

Also that, having once decided
Pattern rhyme and meter of
If I wish I may stick by it
Closer than you to your love ~
So sometimes if I supply it
One syllable, two, above

The count in later pieces, know
I use the license poets may
Utilize for sweeter flow
Sybillant and tender sway
As forth a lyric line may go ~
Before you walk habit’ual way,

Lift words from context, one or two
A “hackneyed” rhyme to criticize
Or bring th’ entire form in view
“Derivative” categorize
(In some vague way reminding you
Of some prior poets’ devise) ~

Before at simple themes like
Harmony and love you lift your nose
As would some grimy streetside tyke
Lookng with deep scorn on those
Who holler if his little bike
Contacts their tender toes

And cares not whether effort they
Put out into the world might see
In some not very distant day
The necessary objects he
Himself requires continue play,
Supplies which his survival be ~

Before you do that ~ I want you
To write me just a little rhyme
How many lines? Let’s keep it to
A simple eight to save your time
And I’ll allow luxury, too:
A subject which you think sublime

Here’s pen and paper. Ready? Start!
I’ll work beside for company…
It’s after all so easy ~ Art ~
Downright elementary!
I’ll even do my further part
By leaving you completely free

Both ‘hackneyed’ and ‘derivative’
Rhymes and forms to utilize…
I’m done! But will five minutes give
You further, if in it hope lies
You might bring two quatrains to live
In posterity’s eyes…?

No? Not eight lines? Not six? Not four?
Not even two of which you may be proud?
Perhaps from now less scorn you’ll pour,
Crass criticism in less loud,
While we take pause a reading for
Of my beloved works, aloud…?

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This poet is physically disabled. Public housing being insufficient to her medical and creative needs, she is presently living, in order to continue working, in her minivan, publishing all of her works using one thumb on the touch screen of her smartphone, surviving at an income of a fraction of her nation’s poverty level. She would treasure any donation you might care to offer ~ http://www.UgiftABLE.com ● #72D-31S.

Please be aware that it takes several days for the poet to be notified of contributions. International patrons please contact the poet via email or post a comment for the necessary numbers.

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