Saturday, April 30, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #30: UNTITLED (STRIPPED)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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your unclothed bones lie on the river bottom
stripped of even the flesh that gave you form
we name you dead while She considers you free

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Three lines from a poem in progress to wrap up NaPoWriMo 2016.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Friday, April 29, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #29: UNTITLED (BLACK PSALM)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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Your dark tongue speaks
and the empires of sea, sky, and land
collapse.

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A few lines from another new "Black Psalm."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

NURSE LOG


"Nurse Log" by Troy's Work Table. Carport chalking for Friday 29 April 2016.

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I've been thinking a lot lately about plants and fungi and mosses and lichen. About their interdependence and their beauty.

About the miracle of creation and decay and re-creation.

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View more photos of "Nurse Log" HERE.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #28: UNTITLED (BLACK PSALM)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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You forged a crown that favored yourself.

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A single line from a new "Black Psalm," still in the infant stages.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

CHTHONIC: CERBERUS/GATE GUARDIAN


"Cerberus: Gate Guardian" by Mindy.

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Another completed image from CHTHONIC: a COLORING book.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #27: FOUR HORSES

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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For me
it is four horses
forever bursting forth
from the fiery timbers of the stable

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Four lines of new poem "Four Horses," an alliterative and ekphrastic poem inspired by The Burning Stable, an oil painting by Adolf Schreyer.

There are many more than four horses attempting to flee the barn, and, in fact, five feature prominently in the foreground, but then more than four doesn't set me up as well for the horses of the Apocalypse.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

MOSS


Moss. Flowers. Morning.
North Hill, Puyallup, Washington.

CHTHONIC: ACHERON/RIVER OF WOE


"Acheron: River of Woe" by Tom.

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The first completed image from CHTHONIC: a COLORING book arrives.

Tom writes: "I was thinking of green pastures being decimated by a raging mudflow from a melting glacier. Or maybe it is the retina in my eye being bombarded by cosmic rays from a recent solar flare."

He also included three newspaper references to "river of woe" with his submission.

London. April 7, 1947. "England's 'river of woe,' a stream that appears mysteriously and just as mysteriously disappears, is flowing again for the first time in nine years...the river last coursed through the Caterman valley near London in 1938—just before a typhoid epidemic claimed 43 lives in the region."

Hancow, China. May 29, 1936. "China's yellow river of woe, the Yangtze, rose ominously Thursday. There were fears the stream might repeat its disaster of 1931, when it took 200,000 lives."

Akron, Ohio. November 15, 1989. "The Akron Health Department reports 3,541 births and 6,117 abortions in Akron last year. Curiously, Greek mythology identified Acheron ('river of woe') as a place of death."

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #26: CAMPANULA

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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there is a
ringing of the bells
at the river of the dead

layers of lacquer capsulate
calyx and corolla of the campanula

and all is sandwiched between two slices of transparent glass

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The opening lines of new poem "Campanula." (Six lines instead of three or less.)

Walking along the riverbanks of Eliot's The Waste Land, Sappho's poetry fragment #95, Shakespeare's sonnet #12, and the New Jerusalem of the Revelation.

Dreaming of pressed flowers, pressed bodies, pressed time. Pressed and preserved.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

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Side view of Campanula, 2015
from the Botanicals series, 2013-2015, by Joey Kirkpatrick and Joey C. Mace.
Flower, composite, glass, and steel.

Monday, April 25, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #25: UNTITLED (STOCK)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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slim slipcase of a fish
gives way to brittle bones—
how then shall we swim?

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Three lines from a poem in progress.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #24: IMPLOSION

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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breathing deeper and drawing in

tearing :: torn :: temple tumbling
tabernacle :: blue purple crimson :: blood

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Three lines from poem-in-progress "Implosions." I was tempted to break my rules again, since there were no sets of three lines that fully work together as an excerpt for me. But I had a couple of places where five lines would have played nicely. In the end, I decided to stick to three lines that I felt were fairly representative.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #23: UNTITLED (ROOMS)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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we slept in different rooms of the house, individually, scattered
hoping we could stave off death if it couldn’t find us huddled together

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Two lines from a poem in progress.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Friday, April 22, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #22: VIRTUAL

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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Third graders
make plans to meet
after school in a virtual
world of digital blocks

I'll see you soon
At the same place
Second row on the left
Second house on the end

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Breaking my own rules and including a few lines of new poem "Virtual."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table. 

Thursday, April 21, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #21: UNTITLED (PHIL)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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he was a salty old sailor and he tried to swear me off shaving as long as possible—don’t fucking shave until you have to, it’s a pain in the ass, you’ll have your whole life to shave

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A long line from a poem in progress.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

NURSE LOG


Nurse log and ferns. Nelson Nature Park. Edgewood, Washington. Lunchtime wandering.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #20: THE OTHER DAYS of CREATION

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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we conjured forth a slurry of plastic soup

ephemeral in use, eternal in fortitude

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Two non-consecutive lines from poem-in-progress "The Other Days of Creation."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #19: MONKEY HANDS

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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these are not small hands, these are not monkey hands
these are hands that are swift and sure
that will build walls ever so broad and bold

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Three lines from poem-in-progress "Monkey Hands."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Monday, April 18, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #18: BIRD SONG

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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the hinge of heaven
squeals as though a trumpet of the Revelation

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Two lines from poem-in-progress "Bird Song."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #17: MONKEY FACE

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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Me no monkey man, tho
Me chimpy boy with no tail

But still smile me smile you

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Three lines from poem-in-progress "Monkey Face."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #16: ISLAND SONG

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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Orphan begets orphan, isolato seeks isolato—
as the surface of the sea seeks to reflect
the stars of the night sky—a constellationary kiss

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The opening lines of poem-in-progress "Island Song."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Friday, April 15, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #15: MOTHER ii

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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Young motherhood yields, slow and defiant
To the unknown, heading toward all that is
Senescent, quivering, lost, and forlorn

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Three lines from new poem "Mother ii."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

ORRERY of ERRORS


"Orrery of Errors" by Troy's Work Table. Frost Park Chalk Off 9:3. Friday 15 April 2016.

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It started with writing a poem for National Writing Poetry Month.

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There was the pleasure of the phrase—orrery of errors.

There was the imagery of a clockwork universe.

There was the mechanical model of the same—an orrery, a planetarium.

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There was the constellation of Mother, the Cosmic Octopus.

There was an echo of the Clocktopus.

There was space and time and direction.

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View more photos of "Orrery of Errors" HERE.

AMBIVALENT

"I suspect the heart of Moby-Dick was generated by Melville's ambivalent reaction to Hawthorne's female-centered work."

—from "Moby-Dick as Sexual Protest" by Camille Paglia, as reprinted in the Norton (150th Anniversary) Critical Edition of Moby-Dick

Thursday, April 14, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #14: TWO MORE MELVILLES

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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I will man-crush on Melville until it makes them utterly uncomfortable
until I am counterpaned in shame and glory.
Get a room they’ll say and I will and I’ll crawl into bed with him.

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The opening lines of poem-in-progress "Two More Melvilles."

Thank you to Dave for inspiration of the third line. Thank you to Herman Melville and his letters to Nathaniel Hawthorne for encouraging me to revisit one of my favorite chapters of Moby-Dick: "The Counterpane."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

WALNUT WONDERS



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Wonders cast upon asphalt and lawn by the walnut tree.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #13: ORRERY of ERRORS

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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Azimuth. She sweeps her arm as she spins. Her finger draws a blue arc in the dusk. Sophie pulls her finger back to center. She extends her arm again. She spins and draws arc upon arc and great circles.

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A long-line strophe from new poem-in-progress "Orrery of Errors."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #12: DEATH RITUAL

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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write the names of the dead
on the scraps, one name for each square

place the confetti into a hat

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Three lines from new poem "Death Ritual."
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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Monday, April 11, 2016

THE DIVINE MAGNET



"If ever, my dear Hawthorne, in the eternal times that are to come, you and I shall sit down in Paradise, in some little shady corner by ourselves; and if we shall by any means be able to smuggle a basket of champagne there (I won't believe in a Temperance Heaven), and if we shall then cross our celestial legs in the celestial grass that is forever tropical, and strike our glasses and heads together, till both musically ring in concert,—then, O my dear fellow-mortal, how shall we pleasantly discourse of all the things manifold which now so distress us,—when all the earth shall be but a reminiscence, yea, its final dissolution an antiquity."

—from an early May letter from Herman Melville to Nathaniel Hawthorned, as found on page 45, The Divine Magnet: Herman Melville's Letters to Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Mark Niemeyer

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This book, The Divine Magnet, collects ten extant letters that Herman Melville wrote to friend and fellow writer Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1851 and 1852, in addition to Melville's published review of Hawthorne's short story collection, Mosses from an Old Manse, and two poems.

These letters are fascinating to read as Melville appears to work exceptionally hard at garnering Hawthorne's attention. Melville's admiration for Hawthorne is likewise on display. We don't know what Hawthorne may have replied, since there are no known surviving letters from him back to Melville. Nonetheless, these letters show Melville to be a bit obsessive with Hawthorne and his work. There may have been a reason that Hawthorne was possibly reluctant to put as much energy into the friendship as Melville.

All of that being said, though, the language in these letters is beautiful. There are multiple references to religion and spirituality and art. There is longing and lament and laud.

I am giving these letters a first read and already know I will be returning to them many times.

NAPOWRIMO #11: ELEGY

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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the tulips long for their one-time gardeners
cultivated rows scatterplotted in the first nuclear season
scarce in the second and third

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Three lines from "Elegy," a poem in progress and companion piece to yesterday's poem.
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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #10: UNTITLED (DREAM FLOWERS)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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In the dream there are no people
only fields of flowers illuminated by sunshine
shadow puppet shows projected upon diaphanous petal screens.

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Three lines from a poem in progress inspired from a visit to the tulip fields of the Skagit Valley.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Saturday, April 09, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #9: UNTITLED (BILL STEVENSON)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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Highball in hand / Bill Stevenson (ex-Black Flag, ex-Descendents)/ sits down before his drum kit / and disappears //
      for exactly 31.45 seconds //
and then reappears / before his drum kit / something even Erwin Schrodinger (1933 Nobel Prize for Physics) / could never have predicted.

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Three lines from a poem in progress.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Friday, April 08, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #8: BEAUTIFUL

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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It’s beautiful. they said. Your work is beautiful. Then they walked away.

They stared but would not touch

even when prompted, invited.


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Three lines from new poem "Beautiful."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

BLOOM


"Bloom" by Troy's Work Table. Frost Park Chalk Off 9:2. Friday 08 April 2016.

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I find the sidewalk easier to chalk upon, but, lo and behold, TWT worked on one of the walls today.

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The piece was inspired by the warm spring weather we've been having in the Pacific Northwest; the upcoming Daffodil Parade in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting; Goya's Saturn Devouring His Son (for the piece on the far left); Invasion of the Body Snatchers; and a renewed interest in sketching and drawing plants.

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View more photos of "Bloom" HERE.

Thursday, April 07, 2016

DUSK


The Dog and TWT took advantage of the warm weather to walk the Riverwalk Trail at dusk. The park closes 1/2 hour after sunset, so we were still good. It was magical to wander alongside the river, listening to bird song and enjoying the silhouettes created by the cottonwood trees on the riverbank.

NAPOWRIMO #7: I SHALL CALL YOU OF THE EARTH

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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Why does this clay rebel?
      Does it not remember the moistness that the water brings?
      Does it not remember the Breath of the Creator blown into it?

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Three lines from new poem "I Shall Call You of the Earth."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

GOING COLORING BOOK


Upon the publication of CHTHONIC: a COLORING book, Troy's Work Table Publishing decided that author Troy Kehm-Goins needed to "go coloring book" as well.

The above author image was hand drawn, based upon a photograph taken in the Chinese Room of Seattle's Smith Tower. The plants and pottery in the background were all part of the wallpaper in the room.

Wednesday, April 06, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #6: OCTOPUS IS ALL ABOUT

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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orders of operation and parentheticals

Octopus is all about the sequences and sets—
Mandelbrots and Fibonaccis, fractals and golden ratios

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Three lines from new poem "Octopus Is All About."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Tuesday, April 05, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #5: CHAIN LETTER

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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Let the machines dream my dreams
memories from one year ago
two years ago three five seven eleven more

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Three lines from new poem "Chain Letter."

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Monday, April 04, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #4: THE DEAD

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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You rumbled and roared your way through the Cenozoic
your finger on the trigger, eyes filled with hopelessness

     —it didn’t have to be this way.

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Three lines from a poem in progress, reflecting upon and remembering those who find themselves in absolutized moments.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

MINI MELVILLE


One can never have too many combination finger puppet/refrigerator magnets, especially when they are of the greatest American writer, Herman Melville. I am sure that this guy (pictured above) and TWT are bound to engage in many shenanigans together, literary and otherwise.

Sunday, April 03, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #3: NO OTHER MOMENT

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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you try to enter the world
breech and backward
with your dead-center heart

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Three lines from a poetic response ("No Other Moment") to the line "everyone was brought head first into this world," as found in the poem "The Past" by Tahir Hamut (and translated by Joshua L. Freeman).

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Saturday, April 02, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #2: UNTITLED (THE WALNUT FLIES)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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:: crawling over the stink :: humping one another ::

dots of eggs :: maggots stirring in the stew

:: splitting soft white skins :: emerging forth :: orange and translucent pink ::

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Three lines from a poetic response upon reading chapter 10, "Fecundity," of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard + having to clean up the sludge of rotting walnuts in the process of making walnut ink.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

Friday, April 01, 2016

NAPOWRIMO #1: UNTITLED (MY OWN SKIN)

For 2016's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is writing thirty poems in thirty days, but only publishing three lines (or less) from each rough draft poem here at TWT.

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I’m often suspect of my own skin
how comfortable I become within it.

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Copyright © 2016 by Troy's Work Table.

QUIXOTE


"Quixote" by Troy's Work Table. Frost Park Chalk Off 9:1. Friday 01 April 2016.

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One person's drive and ambition is see by another as impracticality and foolishness.

On this All Fools Day, here's to the patron saint of one or the other!

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View more photos of "Quixote" HERE.