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My mother
was full moon,
my father—
lone wolf.
I was their child:
part howl,
part ghost-strung guitar.
I did not cry
when the witch doctor
smacked
the first pain of breath
into me.
Instead,
I sang a song of what was,
what would be,
what would never be.
My birth certificate
was written on a blank page
of starless night.
I was baptized
in a river of black crows.
My first three utterances:
“Holy”
and
“Hold me.”
To this day,
I still search for
meaning and completion
in those three words.
Rich,
Glorious.
Thanks for reading, Irene. That means a lot to me. Have a great dinner!
Tears and awe.
I truly love you.
You’re pretty darn amazing, too, Tammy. Thanks for reading.
Beautiful… I wait for the incompletion myself.
Thanks for reading, Brother S.A. And yes, here’s to the completion…and incompletion.
Cool
Thanks for reading, Laura. Please give Jersey a big kiss for me. Tongue or no tongue. I’ll let you make that call.
rich-
i adore you to know end and your words never cease to inspire me. problem is: i’m not you. there’s only one rich f. so i come up short but love your take on things.
‘part howl’
too kickass for me. thanks, rich. we carry on.
always homie,
reno j. romero
Thanks for reading, my funk soul brutha. Big sky love.
Those are three great first words. Holy and hold me. Interesting how they would play out for you in your life and work. It makes me want to know what my first words were– I think they were something like big black bird– which is absolutely not as interesting, but who knows? Maybe kids all have something to do with these black crows. 🙂
Thanks for reading, Tiffany. You’re a doll. And pretty darn badass as well.
Oh my forgive the smiley– it’s such a tacky habit of mine.
This planet is in need for individuals like Rich!!!
And the planet is in need of more yoga teachers like Szymon! Thanks for reading, my friend.
Holy.
Beautiful.
Howling.
You inspire me, Rich. You are breath itself.
Thanks for reading, Zara. And thanks for the kind words as well. Coming from such a fine poetess as you, those words mean the world to me.
man Rich, i fell into this poem like a warm sleep. It really gave me the feeling that i’ve known you for several lifetimes. Like i know the night….or the rain.
Thanks for reading, Dennis. You da bomb. Ba-boom!
Richie-poo.
This is really lovely. Reminiscent of Heid Erdrich (sister of Louise). She’s got a collection…”Fishing for Myth,” I think it’s called.
You might really enjoy it. It’s been bugging me who you were reminding me of. It was her. I mean, thematically, of course. Because you’re a boy. And undeniably you, after all.
Thanks for reading, Becky. As for Heid Erdrich I’ve never heard of her before. I look forward to checking out her work. All the best to you, my dear.
This is simply beautiful. I don’t want to think about what exactly touches me so… Simply beautiful.
Thanks for reading, M.J. Hope all’s well in your world.
Rich
i like your magic-realist confessional work…
this is a bit Buk, a bit Sexton…but mainly, you…
much love,
Milo
Thanks for the kind words, Brother Milo. They mean the world to me. Peazzzz…
Great stuff, Rich.
“ghost-strung guitar” – awesome
So many great lines, especially the ending.
Thanks for reading, Justin. Peace, my friend.
As usual- great poem !
Thanks for reading, Eve. I’m honored.
rich
very visual, colorful – a poets cliff notes nod to carlos castaneda
nice
Thanks for reading, Chris. Hope all’s well, my friend.
Nice application of Blues idiom.
Thanks for reading, my fellow poetry editor. Cheers.
leaves me breathless… my favorite verse…
“Instead,
I sang a song of what was,
what would be,
what would never be.”
thanks for sharing, rich…
Thanks for reading, Chingpea. Perhaps I’ll see you in a couple weeks when I come to Bakersfield. Peace.
Beautiful Rich. So simple, so powerful. I love the image of you as part howl, part ghost-strung guitar.
Peace,
Brenna
Thanks for reading, Brenna. And remember, my offer stands. If you need me to deliver a severe ass-whipping to any of your students, just slap some air-mail stamps across their foreheads and send them my way. Peace.
Ah, Rich, I can always hear the sound of your voice flowing through the text on my screen. Brings it home, brother. Wherever that holy place may be.
Yes indeed, Simon, wherever that holy place may be–anywhere and everywhere. Thanks for reading, and I hope all’s well in your world.
I love this, Rich! This passage moved me especially…
My birth certificate
was written on a blank page
of starless night.
I was baptized
in a river of black crows.
but the whole poem did, really. Thanks for letting me know it was posted!
Pris
Thanks for reading, Pris. And again, thanks for allowing us to publish your poetry here on TNB.
Think Justin mentioned it earlier but I love ‘ghost-strung guitar.’
Beautiful man.
Thanks for reading, Irwin. Getting ready to go read your piece now. Cheers.
Gorgeous.
Just like you.
Oh, Kimberly. Thanks for reading. And thanks for the sweet words. By the way, what’s the latest with your film? Are you at the stage yet where you need me to put on a ski mask and go rob some banks to help get you funding?
I once gave poet Jayne Cortez a ride to her reading. She usually reads with her band, but she was solo that night. “Is your band meeting you there?” I asked her, and she said, “Honey, I am my own band.” That’s the first thing I thought when reading this — you are definitely your own band, Rich. Love the cadence and the imagery of this one. “Part ghost-strung guitar” — I could linger on lines like that all day!
You’re a sweet one, Cynthia. Thanks for reading, thanks for the kind words and what a great story about Jayne Cortez. Hope all’s well in art and life.
Oh man, very sweet. Love the “part howl” part. So true too, in the best way.
Thanks for reading, Stefan. Here’s to the howl in all of us.
That took my breath away, Rich. Every line was perfect. You have such away of tapping into what is primal in every soul. I am honored to know you.
Thanks so much for reading, Esther. And thanks so much for sharing as well. You’re the best.
Rich, As poetically compact and spookily atmospheric this is, it is but the first drop of rain. This subtly hints at a coming a down pour. If you want to open a window into this darker than life character and this primal story, I’m completely on board with bags packed!
Keep sending more.
Thanks for reading, Mark. Hope you’re well, my Matador of Love.
Reading that made me feel like howling.
One of my dogs is part coyote, and I sort of feel like I need to read it to her to see what she does. I have a feeling she’d understand on a very deep level.
You walk your truth with both style and abandon. Thanks for the constant inspiration.
Thanks for reading, and for the kind words as well, Joe. Peace, my friend.
i think we all still search for the same thing… at least those who are looking. the title is my favorite line. it paints pictures and feels most like nature, night and something mystic… something native. wonderful.
Thanks for reading, Jennie. Take good care.
Beautiful work, Rich, as always.
Takes beauty to recognize beauty, Lisa. Thanks for reading.
Heh. I haven’t even read it yet and, just based on the title, knew that Lisa Rae Cunningham would have commented already. Hi LRC! I can’t listen to Shake Your Moneymaker and not think of you.
In other news, I’m getting you a shirt that says “LRC Wuz Here” in spray paint font for Christmas. 😉
You can say that again!
(Apparently we can’t embed a youtube. Go to youtube and listen to the Black Crowes. I recommend the 90s live stuff… They were most handsome and badass during the Clinton administration. Happy Thanksgiving!)
Fantastic words, Rich. I’m always amazed at what you can do with so few of them. Thank you.
Thanks for reading, J Ryan. And thanks for the kind words as well. I look forward to getting you involved with one of our next TNB-Live events. Cheers.
Love your first utterances, Rich, and the spare, mystical, fundamental feel of this work.
Bless you, Judy. Thanks for weighing in here. You’re such a champion to poetry on TNB. I hope all’s well in your world.
So many wonderful lines here, as always, Rich. I particularly liked “part howl, part ghost-strung guitar.” Great image.
Thanks for the kind words, David. And thanks for reading, my fellow Scorp. Peace.
i am your
brother
flesh
apocalypse dove
& bone
blackheart judas
& dust
drowning in Jordan
to dust
come home
Preach, brother, preach. I love it when you chime in. Be my apocalypse dove. Be my blackheart judas. Be my rock and roll hoochie koo.
One of your best, Rich — and that’s saying something.
Thanks, Greg. Those words–especially coming from you–mean the world to me. Peace.
Ah, Rich. Now I feel bad for having fun with Lisa Rae, above. This is amazing. Goose-flesh inducing. I don’t usually **get** poetry most of the time. I’m too dense for it. It doesn’t penetrate unless it’s needle sharp – like this. So beautiful.
Thanks for reading, Gloria. And thanks for the kind words as well. I’m honored. Stay well, stay wonderful.
So stripped and haunting. Marvelous.
Ah, Nicola. So glad you chimed in, my dear. Hope things are going well for you in Montana. Please send more work my way whenever you feel so inclined. Love, love, love reading your poetry (and you make a pretty darn good ‘Lost’-watching buddy as well). Peace.
Love it, Rich! There is more FEELING than thinking in your words, which is why you have such an impact on people. Keep it flowing, my friend.
Thanks for the kind words, Josh. Coming from you that’s quite the compliment. Hope you’re well, my friend.
Lovely Rich — very raw — very real…
Thanks for reading, David. Such an honor to have you weigh in, my dear friend. Hope all’s well in art and life.
“my mother was full moon”
speaks to me. The whole damn thing spoke to me but that line IS me.
you amaze me.
Thanks for reading, Ashley. And thanks for commenting as well. Here’s to all the full-moon mothers in the world. Peace.
Dear Rich,
I’m all shivers and tears….your words will haunt me for a long time.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading, Janine. All the best to you, my dear.