God and the Ducks

Wind whips

forty-five degree day

down river while

we huddle

asses against

muddy river bank

you folded into me

wrapping yourself

around my happy arm.

When we talk,

your words vibrate against it.

You dance against me

turning to hide from the wind

burrowing into my chest

whispering

purring

laughing

cursing

folding

yourself against me

in tighter

up closer

like you never

want to move again

but you do

we do

off into that other

world where

tedium waits

while here

all I want

is to climb

inside of you

wrap myself

around you

fall asleep

in our sweat

right here

downtown

on the river

in front

of god

and the ducks.


In the Box


Lovers lock

rolling

over covers

thrashing

under the influence

sweating

in the dark

barking

into the late heat

noising out

dreams and curses

echoing

energy only

found here

in this box

built to

house

remorse

and hope.


She Breeze

Throwing open

all the windows

the first time

each spring,

taste fresh air

cool sweet pure

peeling cobwebs

from the walls

sweeping winter

from the room.

First cool rush

brings goose bumps.

You bring that

daily

to my

wintry

world.



Nietzsche Laughing

Oh my
no reply
as the one
who swore she'd be
"your solace
your oasis
the good in your life"
leaves me lying
languished in
yet another
layer of anguish.

Trust no one
and depend on
even fewer.



Reno Rain


Burrowing into bliss
two lovers
God’s children
aboard a downy raft
of pillows, comforter
soft flannel sheets
hearing only
hearts pulsing
in time
with rooftop
raindrops
two lovers
praying this
never stops
knowing this
fleeting moment
this heat
these tandem
heartbeats are
as precious
as rare
as Reno rain.

Ivyla Antonowitsch

Dear editor,

Hello, my name is A.J. Chilson. A few of my poems and haiku were printed in this year's summer edition of Record Magazine. I'm writing because I thought you might want to enjoy some more of my works. I hope you appreciate what I have to offer. Thanks for reading.

Best of luck,

A.J. Chilson



KISS ME

Kiss me.
Kiss me like I've never been kissed before.
Kiss me like it's the last time I'll ever be kissed.
Kiss me like you really mean it.
Kiss me as if it will last forever.
Kiss me.


I WISH I COULD OWN A SUIT

I wish I could own a suit,
but I'm not talking about any suit.
I wish I could own a suit
that could bare the colors of the tree
I so deeply admire, with flowers
on the top making my mind swirl
with imagination, creating
all kinds of dreams I never had before.

I wish I could own a suit
so I could show off my true colors
every place I go whenever I want.
And if I could, I'd like to wear it
with me one day when I go to sleep
and wake up over my favorite tree.



FORTUNE

At first glance,
I figured it was a dream.
What I was seeing
could only have been
seen in the movies.

I was falling
head over heels
for the most wonderful
soul on Earth.

But then, it suddenly
dawned upon me
that this was real.
This was not a dream,
this was not a movie,
and there was no script.

I have met the man
who will bring fortune
into my eyes for eternity.



HAIKU

you make me feel warm
every smile you give me
is like a present



beautiful blue eyes,
you snatch me out from my world
and into your own

The Latest DISEASE - VARICOSE VEINS

Recently, a local TV station in the DC metro area began frequently running an ad with the tag line "...varicose veins...more than unsightly, a progressive DISEASE..." This same station routinely runs "Living Smart" and "Living Well" segments adding to the offensive contradiction. Most people normally get some variation of varicose veins as they age and their skin gets thinner. Except for the long term obese and those frequently pregnant or on their feet, it is not a DISEASE. In these dire economic times, it is disgraceful to prey on a public that could put their precious funds to much better use, yet is searching for any way to "feel good," and invent an unnecessary medical condition to make money off what is for the most part a cosmetic "want." Shame on the purveyors of this "product," and shame on the media that programs such advertising in their quest to make a quick buck. Both could do a much more valuable public health service by devoting their efforts to eradicating recognized and threatening DISEASES, rather than spending their time making new and questionable ones up.

Karen Ann DeLuca

Yesterday, the company which was once the world's dominant automaker went bankrupt. While we digest the changes at GM, and for all intents and purposes, the onset of a new form of capitalism in this country, it would be wise to combine that analysis with a reflection on the United States' inability to single-handedly prevail in Iraq despite all our military might and the supposition that we are the only "superpower" remaining since the end of the Cold War. Whether we like it or not, both scenarios are signaling a new chapter in this country's history, where we will no longer be the world's dominant player, but one of a multitude of major ones on the global economic and political stage. Hopefully America will always be great, but as history shows, top dog status never lasts ad infinitum. As goes GM, so goes America...to stay near the head of the pack, we need to use this watershed moment as an opportunity for attitude adjustment going forward.

Karen Ann DeLuca

IN DEFENSE OF "WISE LATINA WOMAN"

I am not of Hispanic origin, but I am a second generation Italian American, so I understand that "wise Latina woman" is just a figure of speech and an expression of ethnic pride. All the venom being injected into the discourse claiming that Judge Sotomayor's phrasing is "bigoted" or "racist" is primarily coming from - no surprise - white, WASPy males. By loudly vocalizing their ignorance, they are aptly proving what they purport is her original point.


Karen Ann DeLuca

I graduated high school at 16 (which is amazing given the circumstances) and then attended Community College. In 2006 I won an award from Manatee Community College for a flash fiction contest with a story called "Wings." I also had 2 poems published in Echoes and Visions Literary Magazine from Wor Wic Community College entitled "Grandpa’s Crucifix" and "Known to Many" in 2008. In 2009, my first semester at Salisbury University, I had two poems published in the WordStock 09 Literaty Magazine called "Frat Party" and "Reality Sets In." These are all pretty local publications so I am hoping to expand my publication circle. Inspiration comes from everywhere but I can honestly say I don't think I'll write a poem about roses and love and chocolates. It's so much easier to explain the hardships in life than to explain the good, which is unfourtunate. I try to balance both views of the beautiful and the repulsive in my writing.
I thank you for taking to time to read over some of my poems and I hope to hear back from you soon.

Sincerely,

Brittney Herz
B. Dianne Herz

"Repeating"
B. Dianne Herz


I said I loved you
Through some else’s voice.
I heard it before
in songs and movies.
It sounded so
beautiful then.
I said I loved you
the words tasted like
tar on my lips.
You said you didn’t
love me.
I heard people say
it before.
Through closed doors,
it sounded so painful then.
But when you said it,
relief came and I sighed

me neither.

"Fear of Dying"
By: B. Dianne Herz

I have this morbid fear of dying.
To what do I owe this?
I am sitting still deciding.
One day my pen will be retiring,
with no more words to express,
I have a fear of it dying.
So many forces left residing,
which ones to keep, which ones to loose?
I am sitting still deciding.
I feel life when perspiring,
you won’t always be able to do so,
I have a fear of us dying.
This world can be so tiring,
So why live in fear?
I am still deciding.
So many things still need admiring,
I haven’t begun to see them all,
So why do I have such a fear of dying?
I am sitting still deciding.



"Souls For Sale"
B .Dianne Herz

Souls for Sale
His cardboard sign read so proudly,
underneath his open mouth of missing teeth.
His conviction turned his frailty
into a bilboard for passing sinners.
The ones that never once looked up
from the stop light.
Pretending to make a phone call
or to be surfing the stations on their FM’s.
whatever they could do to keep their eyes
away from his holy gaze
that atop his charred cheekbones.



"Dirty Knees"
B. Dianne Herz

Hands down in the dirt,
Shoveling through bugs and weeds,
Sticks and stones,
Poke and prod into your gentle knees.

You are quickly trying to catch,
Me running at high speeds,
You dive grabbing for my shirt,
You fall and hit your knees.

I ran away to somewhere,
That you couldn’t see,
You looked up to God for guidance,
And fell upon your knees.

Winds blowing, rain pouring,
Lightning crashing into trees,
I cower scared but you are strong,
You cover me on your knees.

Sun up, high on our backs,
At the dock with a summer breeze,
We look around for crabs,
While resting on our knees.

I search around to find you,
You are no where that I can see,
I look to God for guidance,
And I fall upon my knees.


"Monogamy Hurts Your Sex Life"
B. Dianne Herz

Nothing ever happens on a Tuesday night.
I try to make the magic
but to no avail.
I bend and suck and squeeze-
Making everything look as right as it should.
Its just another Tuesday night.
Of watching the news and baked chicken.
A shower with a silk robe
That does nothing but lay on my skin.

A CARD AND A CowARD

Just when the Spring shooting season was winding down, the yearly nut job coming out party which peaks around Hitler's birthday, what does our "brilliant" Congress do, but telegraph an early start for next year's festivities, ironically to start around Washington's (real) birthday.
Going above and beyond restoring the Bush Administration policy of briefly allowing in loaded weapons, the Democrats overwhelmingly voted for Oklahoma Republican Representative Tom Coburn's addendum to the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, acronymously nicknamed CARD, allowing them everywhere in national parks, as long as the owner has a concealed weapon permit and the state law of the location allows concealed firearms. What has one to do with the other, you ask? Plenty.
Previously blocked by a judge citing "environmental impact," and opposed by park officials who claim regulation actually makes the 84.6 million acres they manage among our nation's safest places, while the Obama Administration's Interior Department conducts a federal environmental review (a glimmer of hope for a reversal), citizens will have full reign of their right to bear arms in national parks. To defend against who? Smokey the Bear? Bambi? Do we really need rifles, shotguns and semis on ranger led hikes or as we sing songs around a campfire? Pack a pistol with your picnic basket? BYOG?
While these lawmakers typically flee the District of Columbia during the summer months, don't they realize that our Capitol, from Cherry Blossom season in April forward, is for all intents and purposes just one big national park, one of the most visited areas in the country, with a gun control law that the US Supreme Court declared unconstitutional less than a year ago, and an economy highly reliant on vacation travel? Do they want another gun to go off in Ford's Theatre? Have they forgotten the sharp decline in local tourism just a few years ago after 9/11? Are they trying to plunge the area into a further and/or prolonged recession? These same boobs almost simultaneously voted against allocating funds to close Gitmo, not wanting those currently confined dangerous people running around on our soil, without a more detailed plan. Shouldn't they have applied that same level of scrutiny before creating a potential peril within? Is the rationale, "let's give the kooks our national playgrounds and maybe they won't act up anywhere else?" Please...
Because here's the practical result. Attendance at National Park Service land which averages 270 million visitors a year will plummet. What used to be a relatively cheap vacation will have too high a potential human cost attached. 43 of our states and the District of Columbia have provisions similar to the Second Amendment and this latest addition will effectively give those 44 a reach into the operation of federal land. This will translate into less revenue for the Treasury, put on plastic or otherwise, whose average take from park visitors is 308 million dollars annually. Credit card use, already depressed from overextension, will decrease further, because this bill has the potential dampening effect of the diminution of attractive rebate features, the restoration of the annual fee, and the calculation of interest from point of posting, phased in most likely in that order, which will drive the prompt payers, known in the industry as "deadbeats," away. Consumer debt is a business, after all. The government taketh, the companies will find another way. Taking the long view, CARD, by eventually leaving the purveyors of plastic with nothing but their best customers, the people the rest of us call "deadbeats," may ironically position these companies to be future bailout candidates and benefactors of the Bernanke printing press, which currently looks to be poised to go on in perpetuity. So Obama, by not expending political capital on this fight and failing to "stick to his guns," no pun intended, on his on-the-record position that reinstating the Federal Assault Weapons Ban makes "sense," will most likely in the long run not realize his espoused goal for going along with and signing this bill - helping the economy. CowARD. It remains to be seen what benefit, if any, his refocus on curbing international small arms trafficking (CIFTA) will have, when Americans can purchase and play so easily at home.
Those hoards of shoppers who used to populate our malls armed with credit cards will now have a more dangerous toy and new "amusement parks" in which to vent their economic frustration, in every state except California, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York. At least the Statue of Liberty's safe for now! New York's tourism office, and those of the other five states that pattern their law unsunseted after the expired Federal Assault Weapons Ban, must be ecstatic. They could ask for no better tourism promotion than Obama's signature on this bill.

Karen Ann DeLuca

Of Mendicants, Procrastinators, and Government

I drove a Pinto through most of college and law school. Back in the days of "odds and evens," when we baby boomers could not afford thirsty cars and gas was close to rationed. (How quickly we forget) Once, just after "filling up," I even got siphoned off. Being the neophyte driver that I was, I had several accidents, including a rear ender at the location of the gas tank and one that "totaled" the automobile on paper. Both close to home, not on my three year, thirty-five miles one way, commute on the way to becoming an attorney. Despite my car driving klutziness, my Pinto never blew up. Point taken for all those currently fear mongering against the return of compact and subcompact vehicles. As the primary mode of transportation in Europe, they've worked out just fine on the Autobahns for years. Better to put the cell phone down and keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road as a safety measure.

Fast forward to 2007. I bought a Chevrolet Aveo, 34 mpg, $10,000, spicy orange. What is that, you ask? The most fun driving I have had since the '70s; just yesterday a stranger approached me in a shopping center parking lot and commented that my "pumpkin" was a "happy car." But GM doesn't advertise this potential jewel in its crown (go figure) - I accidentally found it online - so no one knows about its foolishly best kept "secret." Why is that? Was the company waiting for government guidance such as the recent uniform fleet and category standards for 2016? Did its leadership really think they could continue to ram those oversized, difficult to maneuver, gas guzzling behemoths down our throat just because they wanted to make them? Or were they betting on the overpriced, overhyped and overdue Volt, which in the current economic climate is sure to fail? Why be a market maker in your industry right now when you can be a corporate flop and get bailed out? One argument among many as to why unbridled free commerce is sure to run amok and why the company, or at least parts of it, should be allowed to finally fail.

"Dear Karen,

For nearly 10 decades, Chevrolet has strived to earn the honor of "America's Brand." Tens of millions of customers just like you have trusted us to serve their transportation needs...and we value that confidence. That is why I am writing to you today. As everyone knows, these are turbulent times. The daily surge of headlines about the automotive industry can get discouraging. But I wanted to be certain that you know one very important fact:
Chevrolet is focused on being your car company...committed to fulfilling your transportation needs in sales and service...both now and in the future.

I've had the honor of leading this Chevrolet team for more than four years...and I can assure you that our people and our dealers are committed to your complete satisfaction with your Chevy ownership experience.

We cherish our proud 98-year history. But more important, we look forward to our exciting future. And we've already begun reinventing Chevrolet to serve your needs more effectively than ever. For example, no one offers more models with 30 MPG highway or better than Chevy.¹ And right now, we are reengineering our showroom — with cars like our award-winning Malibu...with America's Best Truck, Silverado...with the newest star in family vehicles, the 8-passenger Traverse...and with the 21st century sports car, Camaro.²

Our 2010 Equinox will head to your local Chevy dealer this summer. And two more exciting products are scheduled to begin production next year — first is the awesome new Cruze, our new entry in the Compact Car segment, providing surprising cargo capacity and comfortable seating for five. Then we will begin production of the Chevy Volt, the world's first Extended-Range Electric Vehicle. Volt is tomorrow's hope for an energy-challenged world...and the embodiment of the new Chevrolet. And all these new products are just the beginning!

As a valued member of the Chevy family, I hope you can see that you're part of a rich history and an exciting future. And we deeply appreciate your business. I'll stay in touch on all the happenings at Chevrolet. In the meantime, if you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact Chevy Customer Service at cac@chevrolet.com.

Above all — thanks for letting us be such an important part of your life. And we look forward to celebrating our centennial with you in 2011.

Sincerely,

Ed Peper
North America Vice President, Chevrolet"

The Aveo is still a footnote, go figure why GM is headed to bankruptcy


Karen Ann DeLuca

Good Day,

My name is Mark Stratton and I've included the following poems for consideration in (A Brillliant) Record Magazine.


Wandering Mind
dreamstuff
Genetic

I live with a notebook at my side because my Muse is a jealous soul. The following were inspired by the world around me and letting my unconscious mind wander where it will. I've been published in Hogan's Alley, a magazine about comic art. It was a column on websites for comic fans that ran for a few issues. I blog about life, the universe and everything at http://ying-ko-4.livejournal.com

Thank you for your time in considering these pieces of me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Wandering Mind

I freed my mind to wander
And the first place it went
was a scattered pile of
faded memories and overused cliches

I spied a young boy fishing
For dreams. But catching shoes
Or perhaps an old broom
Lost in last years flood.

That burned the town to the ground.
For when the water receded
It went on vacation, except
In plastic bottles that can
Kill you if you drink it.

On a warm summer day when
Lemonade is better with burnt
Hot Dogs and the ashes from the Fire.

That won't go out but can't
Keep burning because
The dreams are soaking wet
From lonely tears

dreamstuff

Dreams are made of this.
But,
What is this? This, that
Dreams are made of?

Are dreams made of
Velvet and cotton?
Strong and comfortable.
Or polyester
That look good from afar
but pill and fray and
look cheap up close?

Or, are dreams made of scary
and evil and underwear
In public, miles from home?
Exposed and secret
and sweaty in the night?

Is THIS what dreams are made of?

Or of toil, hard work and
A plodding
on to tomorrow
Where goals were once Dreams?

Or are dreams butterfly wings
or a skirt blowing in the breeze
The laughter of a child
Clouds in the sky
or the Home Team winning it all?

For
if we don't know
Don't know what this 'this'
is. That dreams are made of

How do we know when

they come true?

Genetic

In empty dreams
I see spirals
Coded swirls
Directions in liquid

Dear Godfrey Logan,

Pasted below are poems for your consideration in (A Brilliant) Record Magazine.

I am a 20 year old poet from Milwaukee whose poetry is inspired by the sights, sounds, and spirits of the 21st century. My poetry is an attempt to create something entirely unique, yet retains earnesty.

Thank you for you for your time,

Erik Ash

The Morgue

In that morgue lies a hero

a vicious nation can now gaze

into her open heart and share

in her cause of death



Reveling


Captivity

The mournful drums

beat

beat

beat

across the horizon

as the requiem march

makes its way across the desert,

weeping echoes across the dunes,

shattering the pearly gates

as the prison empties

into the underworld


City Dialogue

You asked me why I settled in the city

I smiled and gazed at my feet



The flowers once bloomed,

but now lay dead

under the white soil of Hades.

In the spring,

they will bloom again


The Starving Wolf

The moon ascends

into the listless sky

as the starving wolf

scampers across the infinite wilderness.

Searching endlessly

for the dens he once called home


Angel

Eyes closed,

and a twitch



The angel flashes

in a nanosecond of fury

snatching at the arm,

pulling his prey

to their ferocious destination

Dear Mr. Logan,

Enclosed are two poems for your consideration for (ABrilliant) Record Magazine:
"Leaves," and "Want To Be Me."

I am currently an Mfa student at Murray State University.
Thank you for considering my manuscript. I look forward to hearing from you.

Lacey Bard

Leaves

Leaves fall like snow.
The wind coerces them to fly.

Some drop from the trees straight to the ground
barely drifting at all.

Others sail the horizon for a while and settle
only to be picked up and flown again.

Others soar the sky until they are out of sight
never quite seeming to land.


Want To Be Me

It's not easy being me.
I don' get to do a whole lot.
I lay around most of the time.
I don't work, I don't go anywhere.
I don't pay bills and I don't have to worry.
I have some regrets, but they are from long ago.
I don't smile, I don't sing, I miss the hugs,
but many of you want to be just like me.

Alone, below the tree and memorial.
Rotting and cold.
Many of you want to be just like me,
but what would I do,
to be just like you?

Lacey Bard