Meditations on And Then Volume 16

front and back covers Shelley Haven

Shroudedmysteries

firmly plantedandetherealguardians

And Then

between these forbidding ends

the fruit

full-bornepromise

Revealed

p. 1 Tracy Phillips

seduction without conquestbeing in touchat long last

p. 2 Eva Qin

body fearhungry spirits demand repossession

p. 3 Ahmed Abdullah

the dream is no less realin the cold light of loss,but neither is it boundless

p. 4 Johannah Segers

dancing into the night

p. 5 Luis Benitez

coup de grace:the power to killwithout judgment

p. 6 Rosalie Calabrese

where was I?only Robert remembers

p. 7 Walter Bateman

love poem:before words were processed,mounting intensityin the scrawled revisions

p. 8 Safiya Bandele

in the life that is not being restrainedis all lifeand in that life, the pain,fresh lossof what is missing

p. 11 Anonymous

and so the nightmare endsthe power to forget,paying tributeto cruelty

p. 13 Pramila Venkateswaran

seek shock without awereclaiming dignity,a rueful necessity

p. 14 Donald Lev

severed memberslost connectionsphantom pain:nostalgia

p. 15 Arnold Sachar

kaleidoscope shards turnagainst our will:sharp-edged clarityin patterns not of choicenot revolutionbut revulsionpropels soul into alternative space

p. 16 Dorothy August

the fierce modesty of now,and then, fire

p. 17 George Jochnowitz

obesity: repression and rebellion internalizedthird rail of American politicswatch out Michelle, Barack's triangulating,eating grease in Iowa

see: http://weaselzippers.us/2011/06/28/obama-orders-nine-mountains-of-greasy-food-during-lunch-stop-in-iowa/

p. 18 Carletta Joy Walker

soul spaceseekingfree vastnessletting gofallingto the starsattractedby the forceof levityfindingthe point:no return

p. 19 Noah Baen

In the beginning was the picture.without wordsforlornlike fugitive stalksgatheringto formmeaning

p. 20 Howard Pflanzer

predators:behind their soulless staring eyesreal eyeswell trainedon joy stick video gamesfamilies proudof their skilland their service

p. 21 Marlene Nadle

there is no releasewithout remorse

no scale of just desertscomes naturalto set right the balance

for wrongs inflicted / sufferedin mutual violations

only attendingto all the criescan rest the vengeful crowin mourning's peace

p. 22 Eleni Begetis Anastos

visions not to be seen:needfar awayand unaddressed

p. 23 George Snedeker

bereft of griefthe unseen childlooks onoutside the circleof self-destroyinglife

p. 24 M. S. Voros

young life:nourishedreceptiveinnocence rewardedmust find a containerabsorbing abundance

the container:avoidancebanishing confusionunwanted reception

forming the adult:the person boundby limitswhich cannotbe seen

yet still:innocent wonderawakensto marvelin new connections

p. 27 Kato Laszlo Roth, and photo Bill Cofone

self-knowledge:irrepressiblesecret of black humor,elixir of life

p. 27 Ashley Roth

(without reflection)straight up terrific!

p. 28 Patricia Dahlman

hangingout inself reflection

p. 29 Gerald Williams

odors' ascentunbiddenexposespenetrablesubjectof being:wants and fears

p. 30 Eli Cohen

I singof bodieselectriccharged byinductioninto an armyseekingself-mastery

solo performersconspiringas onekinetic-harmonic choir

p. 31 Nancy Ross

child the watcherleaking tearscloudsyour clear crystal vision,you will not showdisappointment

p. 32 Rafael Colon Morales

the prince of whales cavorts

p. 33 Myrna Nieves

dream powerbubblesinto beingalternative universesricher than our own,mysteriesthe sourceof understanding

p. 34 Jess Amortell

A tatter of tangled towelscareworn.For life:One more cycle

p. 35 Peter Wolff

"Embracing in the darkness""Hoping for nothing""And learn to love your fright"

holding onto each otherwithholding nothing

as we let go,an act of faith

the only way through

p. 36-1 Margaret Yard

and in us alla cosmic jest

gestating deityperfect blossombursting confinement

needing usbearerssuffering creation

to seein ourselves

God's missingattribute:omnisentience

all we knowis pain and imperfection

naissance interruptus

p. 36-2 Margaret Yard

thinking of Arnie

within ourselvesthe better worldwhere re-bornArnie belongs

p. 37 Peter N. Nevraumont

neither dreams nor art,archetypes happen:thanks for the memories

p. 39 Fredy Roncalla

vivid connectionsmemory-musculature of artistsmakes happy accidentshappen

p. 40-1 Raluca Soreanu

OK, no magic wingsbut dreamskeep us flyingagainstthe infirmities and niceties

p. 40-2 Rula Kaliroi

lounging,yet springing tautalive in every directionpivoting pointsof self sculptedinflection

p. 42 D. H. Melhem

in rushing spraysa fledglingleapsto fly or die:Iguazu falls

p. 43 Ralph Nazareth

Hear, O Israelthe soundsof Silence

p. 45 Michael Szpakowski and Christopher McHugh

What I know about art and its use:

art is the presencethat draws me inconjures imagein me for memoving, surprisingand changing "me"

an active toolgenerating meaning and motive

I am appreciated by art

I know I need artand (unlike stuff)the more the better

blessed be the source

Reflections on Colchis:

-- And Then image:I seemud and stonebecoming wallmade in placeto confineto protectto control

-- Online image:I seejust what I was looking for:my new screensaver

p. 47 Michael Malinowitz

long apartstill connecting

p. 48-1 Veronica Jones

rap roun' world'cause people fightdead power

p. 48-2 Rosario Casatellanos

longing: a palm tree

p. 49 Stephanie Hart

innocence,life's phoenixmany times burnt

resurrects unnoticedbreathing in life

its very presenceonly revealedwhenonce againall is lost

the cycle repeats

p. 51-1 Robert Roth

a wicked teaselove's surest intimacy

p. 51-2 Renee E. Neely

two womenwithering as godsblow smoke rings

sit !

rooted on their front porcha pale mist hoversthen falls

plotting their escapeon gulls facing west

two haikusreconstruct

p. 52 William Gordon

(and worstof the torturesthe unanswered question:how could people let this all happen?)

Enforcers of discipline:prison guardstyrantsand ratersof bonds

Act without mercyin defense of the credo:Domination Brings OrderJust Power Prevails

Evil in context:Society's Bulwark

Well worththe PriceFor theSake ofthe Children

(rebelliousin spirit,the firstto be crushed)

Outside of these safe wallsNo one is living

Disruptingthe quiet meansCrossing the Line

Order beats chaosNo matter the cost

(for you to decide:which side are you on?)

p. 54 Martha Globus-Rodriguez

we are all wholewho share one now

separated byavoidance

giving upto thenot free to be

all of the spaceto which we areentitled

p. 55 Paidemoyo Chideya

now is not the timenow is the only timeboth are true

every momenta choice

self-respectin the balance

attendintendand release

to bealive

appreciatebecomingwhole

Now

p. 56 Michael Henry

bare treesbranches extend,respectfully interlacing

til springbursts forth,leaves jostlingfor light's sustenance,crowding out the sun

p. 57 Maricella Vera Sanabria

and from the terrora need for order

words of the fathercompelling respect

see us throughthe raging storm

p. 58 Diana Festa

will,the maker of meaning,remembers past treasures

ploughs onthrough seasof loss

p. 59 Eli Cohen

and suddenlythere is no line

and boundless beingfills all voids

no other side,just belief

in time(a moment)

shakento earth,quakingbelief

(the suspensionof disbelief)

collapses

back into terrorfirma

p. 59 Helen Rosen

you can't know who you aretil you find out who you miss

p. 60-1 Arlene King

ego movesprojecting aheadwithout perspective

the wakeis someone else'sproblem

p. 60-2 Carletta Joy Walker

collage:the aftermath

p. 61 Kihyun Lee

I know who I ammy core is not hidden

the purpose of beingis ceaselessly workingcarrying familyforward and upward

mother knows her own worthby success of the childrenfulfilling the task:the rise of the family

there's only one pathso easy to failto fall out of gracein a life of devotion

my pain is unhiddenwith sorrow-resolveagain I am climbingmy failure behind me

I carry my motherI carry my purposeforward and upwardmy pride is unbroken

p. 62 Robert Roth

Proudly I laborbear my own beingexpel my selffrom an unchosenwomb

Ripped looseunattachedunhealedI tremble

Nothingwe came fromhas everdeparted

p. 63-1 Jim Story

entangling knotno sword could cut through

from mother to soncord strengthens its will

p. 63-2 Kasim Omar Jerome

the wishisthe fulfillment

p. 64 Carol Jochnowitz

in a restaurant

drunk creepwants a fightwith big man

passesmocking sex slurnoteto man's wife

adrenaline pumpsnot his pussycan't get away with itkill him / break him / scream rage!

make a sceneor, just get up and leave

What should he do?What should she do?

How would yourise to the occasion?

p. 65 Louis Servedio-Morales

experiencecannot drowninnocence

it floatssurfaces

through poolsof awareness

in lifewe trustour onlyattraction

p. 66-1 Richard Kostelanetz

lifesmartssting

p. 66-2 Tom Savage

lifeusedwell enoughfor wryremembrance

no needfor do-overs

no timefor repeats

p. 66-3 Mike Vozick

Is this a joke?Who decides?And Then?

p. 68-1 David Mills

how they hypnotize

p. 68-2 Gene Brown

environmentalists lamentthe fruit of unconstrained growth

sour grapes

see:Sour grapes mean vine needs a drastic pruninghttp://www.thenownews.com/Sour+grapes+mean+vine+needs+drastic+pruning/5070094/story.html#ixzz1Ro9tcmm8

p. 68 Milton E. Polsky

buses full ofeco-touristsendangeringthe species

p. 68 Oliver Ogulnick

and where did they movewhen they got old?(remember, old peoplereally don't like winter)

p. 69 Anthony Thomas de la Puente

I moved to 89 Christopher St. in 1966 after returning from grad school in Chicago. I had grown up in Coney Island. And Christopher St. felt like I was living directly on the Midway (minus the Wonder Wheel and other rides). My apartment was up one flight in the back. My neighbor with the front apartment was Marie, whose Italian family had lived in the Village since she was born. She was probably in her mid-70's -- a little older than I am now. She had lived in her present tiny apartment for more than fifty years, and raised children there. I was envious: she was paying less than $50 a month, while my sublet was costing me over $90. On nice days Marie would sit outside on the street, watching a changed world passing her by without notice. One day her apartment door broke at the hinge. The exposed iron was stamped with a date in the 1860s.

I remember in my legendary Village the rise of the psychedelic counter-culture (Flower Power), equal in its intense energy to the rising heat of pre-Stonewall gay life.

There was a store whose name was A Fly Can't Bird, But a Bird Can Fly. I believe that I saw Timothy Leary once give a talk there. (If not there, it was close-by.)

I have just tried to find a trace of this early venture in hippie capitalism, without success. But Google revealed to me the source of the name:

Cottleston, cottleston, cottleston pie,A fly can't bird, but a bird can fly.Ask me a riddle and I reply,Cottleston, cottleston, cottleston pie.

- Winnie the Pooh

p. 70-1 David Gurin

speeding in our servicemetered hurt,untended

wounds release resentful rage

those within hearingwill not be spared

p. 70-2 Marvin W. Schwartz

as cavity widens

rot deepens

troubles

p. 71 Jens O. Magnussen

acrobats of complexityin promiscuousdisequilibrium

tumble throughcommon space

ignored and observedyou are the show

p. 75 William Seaton

Does fancy risein avian mimicryto fly and dive,and then,in reprise,sing possessionof dawn'smemories?

"The truth's requiredto make a warp and woofwith which the mindmay weavea high-borne taleto lift itself andall the worldbesides."

p. 76 Suzanne Ironbiter

letting gowhat you wantand needto holdin mirrored stillness

reflecting not desirebut "choice":

what is leftabsent the optionof havingeverlastingpresent

the scathingsweetness etchingloss

imprint mirroredon two souls

p. 77 Barbara Habenstreit

on the edgebefore tidereclaimswater's domain:a question

p. 78 Mariano Del Rosario

Where I'm coming from:

Art is the answer to:"What is the question?"

the path of escapefrom certainty

defyingclosure (the refugeoffered by every system)

the questiongerminatingyet anothernew inside(underside)

from wherewe graspourselvesas we were

surrounding limitsnow contained

yet knowwe cannot know

the unexpressedbeing(still)to beborn

and then... release

life-promise:an emergencywaiting to happen

as art

The Art Scene:

shoppingfor what I needin the fashion-mart

not impossiblenot promising

p. 79 Victor Wallis

in common voicespirits uniteto break the chains

lift every voice and singwe shall overcome

(but, never forget:the horst wessel song)

In solidarityyes

but also hearnew strains:critical voices

In differing note and keyresounds a greater musicbeyond harmony

p. 81 Alma Karmina Eidus Kastan

moneyfizzing

bubblesup

(you can seebubbles in the picturereplace the dotover each i)

andaway!

p. 82-1 Rosemary Drescher

nightmare's lullaby:the cradle will rock

p. 82-2Jasper Aquino

sick of waitingthe cure is you

p. 82-3 David Mills

Middle Earth Transit Authority

meet youat the last stop

META-euphoria

p. 83-1 Tatiana Susol

sometimesyou lose what you want

so you can havewhat you can't imagine

p. 83-2 Robert Roth

knowthyself

bothwisely

andtoo well

p. 84 Robert Roth

Complacent Humor,muse of aggression

never innocentand rarelyfully conscious

acts outunexaminedunderpinnings-- the templateof conventionaldiscourse.

Revealingthe props:a spoiler.

Unamused,the empirestrikes back:

Can't you take a joke?

p. 85 Robert Roth

we forgetwhat we cannot use,

denywhat we neednot to know

and thenit happens

worldscollapse,drown usblow us away

and what remainsself-medicates

joy the fixsings offmadness and pain

and tells allwe need to know

to go on

p. 86 Vincent J. Tomeo

giving upnot even a choice

core beingmissing nothing

downin darkness

working withwhat works

the poethowls

p. 87 Andrea Cauthen

each namea boundarythat must betrespassedto ownone self

p. 88 Art Gatti

alignedwith theuniverse

purposepropelledself

reachesand finds

thevanishingpoint

p. 89 Ana Lopez-Betancourt

how much is life worthto suffer painand disfigurementloss after lossand know that othersclose othersmust give and give and givefor your life to go on?

how much is life

without an outside Meaning,a programto save the world,to carry forth the word,

worth?

simple repetitivenormal lifehow much is it worth?

that spirit-forcewhich will not sufferindignity

of comfortingdeparture

but blindlyholds selfin place

how much?

everything

p. 91 The Sticker Dude

for the winfuck the world

lickety split

in no time

likethe present

beforeyou knowit

is no more

p. 92 David Neiditch

thorny fingers groping for the light of life

p. 93 Joel Shatzky

walls are monumentsto hopelessness

vanity as security

closed within wallspressure builds

fear-aggressioncannot be contained

the enemies outsideare found within

and must beeliminatedand cannot beeliminated

to breathe,spirits rebelhowever long

until death grip,the encroaching wall,weakens andcrumbles

the question is:how will we livein its ruins?

p. 96 Marlene Terwilliger

in place of place

born againin acceptance

owningone's ownprior orders

trustinggut witto knit balanceanew

but knowingto embraceonce more

unarm,looseninghold

unfoldnets wideningsentience

and in playin each other'srenewal

discover gracesuffusingall densities

becomingthe way

inside back cover Marvin W. Schwartz

determinedto ownhimselfin a worldthat seeksto possess him