~latent latitudes ~

04/02/2012

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~soon after the turn of the century~
~Quodlibet won the Marija Cerjak award~
~for avant-garde/experimental writing~
~Quodlibet was then published by Howling Dog Press in its Omega series.  The entire epic piece will be available in print from Howling Dog with graphic art by the author 2012/2013~


~daddy called her angel~
~she danced around in circles~
~piggy tails bouncing~
~voice singing with the radio~
~I can’t get no~
~satisfaction~
~tripped into a table~
~broke momma’s favorite lamp~
~so momma administered~
~some corporal punishment~
~bottom lip protruding~
~arms folded in front of her~
~big four-year-old eyes full of tears~
~she ran to daddy in the driveway~
~why’s my momma such a bitch~
~he lifted a tear from her cheek~
~hell honey angel~
~I don’t know~
~she hugged his leg~
~can I sit on your harley~
~so she did~
~snuggled into the sissy bar~
~she snuffled a bit~
~favored daddy with a smile~
~thought to herself~
~I ain’t no angel~
~grace on one hand~
~smooth as silk~
~spider milk~
~anger shifting~
~changeling~
~she was possessed of~

~XVIII.  latent latitudes~

~so mystery is dark~
~yet lies pale upon that face~
~both lively & sorrowful~
~she wears ribbons~
~falling from a nest of hair~
~whose branches display dignity~
~a tin twinkle of passion~
~impossible twists of irony~
~aspire to reach the sky~
~where dreams are torn fresh falling~
~colors laughing~
~some terrible breeze~
~a prayer away from those~
~a wing~


http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©
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~just like father~

02/29/2012

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~soon after the turn of the century~
  ~Quodlibet won the Marija Cerjak award~
  ~for avant-garde/experimental writing~

~Quodlibet was then published by Howling Dog Press in its Omega series.  The piece will be available in print from Howling Dog with graphic art by the author 2012/2013~


~jewels in her tiara~
~spider children~
~dreams astound her~
~she holds it in until~
~breathless~
~she is startled awake~
~no one notices~
~but her day is coming~
~she saw ghosts dancing~
~knows full well what that means &~

~XVII.  just like father~

~she demands fair measure~
~what comes owing as her own~
~holds it out against her~
~is appalled by father’s ignorance~
~the thick skin of his span of years~
~but warmed by the embrace of her man~
~quite fearful at deeper levels~
~a creeping awareness~
~of the need to compare them~
~her pain is a shield~
~she covets her jewels of children~
~grace on one hand~
~smooth as silk~
~spider’s milk~
~anger shifting~
~changeling~

http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com
& wordwulf@wordwulf.com
©artwork & words conceived by & property of
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner©
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~IX. A Tender Wrapping~

11/01/2011

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~elders & infants~
  ~learning to know one another~
  ~understanding~
  ~they are the same~
  ~dependent as separate hues~
  ~vibrant as each string~
  ~the chord humming~
  ~life~

~IX.  A Tender Wrapping~
  {excerpted from ~Quodlibet~}

~standing up for pennies~
  ~all hail at a dollar down~
  ~these blankets a~
  ~hundred pound weight~
  ~strive to earn alive a shroud~
  ~a safe place to bury your worried face~
  ~o children learn to walk away~
  ~plant your seeds~
  ~your garden of youth~
  ~be tall & good to yourselves~
  ~those older whom look away~
  ~may be kind & understanding~
  ~ever useful in the odd circumstance~
  ~such as surviving under siege~
  ~construction of birthing & burial blankets~

http://wordwulf.com
WordWulf
  Inquiries: tracy@traceliteraryagency.com & wordwulf@wordwulf.com
  © artwork & words conceived by & property of 
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner ©
  ~the epic poem, Quodlibet 
was published by Howling Dog Press~
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~If I Father~

06/15/2011

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Picture
~If I Father~
~eighteen when my first daughter was born~thirty-seven when the fifth child~
~my second son came to join us~
~those three girls & two boys have had quite a time with me~
~sharing life with them~the single most significant event of my being~
~has been a prayer~the oldest of eight children~searching for a lifeline~
~I wondered~if I father~

~I have watched each of them sleep~
~tasted the perfect bloom~
~of their sweet child breath~
~thought of myself ~
~as the great protector~
~keeper of precious fragile flames~
~not so much I think~
~as I witness their awakening~
~into the dawn of youth~
~the embrace of young adulthood~
~parenthood~

~I listened to their stories~
~told one to the other and others~
~voices pure and beautiful ~
~as fine silk~
~texture my ears could touch~
~while listening~
~I learned of their suffering~
~that their lives had been staggered~
~by sullen blows of doubt~
~& fear that I~
~their father~
~might come crashing~
~through those doubting walls~
~to discover them~
~in the company of the ghosts~
~of their imperfections~
Picture
~in the night~
~voices speak to me~
~the tiny ones of my children~
~who have come to go~
~will always remain with me~
~grown past the child whispers~
~I aspire to hear~
~I answer them~
~in fatherly mumbles~
~tears in my eyes & melancholy~
~for what has passed~
~in my time of living~
~you see they are the protectors~
~of my imperfections~

~I congratulate myself on a job well done~
~because they need me less now ~
~than ever before~
~& never so much as I imagined~
~in my fatherly throes ~
~my attempts to interpret~
~fatherly duties~
~do’s, dues, & don’ts
~a symphony of tiny voices~
~echoes ring down~
~the spiral canyon of my years~
~they speak to me~
~in a perfect symmetry~
~of childhood wisdom~
~they fairly embrace me to stand~
Picture
~there are those~
~who accuse me of talking to myself~
~they got that right~
~my children are myself~
~the very ones I am addressing~
~ones I have become~
~I may be answering questions~
~from a score of years gone~
~by and by as I watch~
~my daughter with her daughter~
~my oldest son in conversation~
~with his brother~
~twelve years his junior~
~yes daughters & sons~
~with sons & daughters~

~to all of them I say~
~I am your father~
~that is all I am~
~& in that complete~
~you lend me strength~
~make me proud~
~in a most beautiful revelation~
~the knowledge & carriage~
~of our shared imperfections~
~stepping forward through it all~
~embracing & supporting one another~
~you carry me to a place~
~of unconditional devotion~
~love without fear~
~lighting candles~
~in the dark corners of my spirit~

~I am made to be free~
~a man~
~my children have been~
~& remain yet~
 ~perfect sentinels of my journey~

~If I come to see beyond the shadow~
~If I come to walk into and through the fire~
~If I come to feel~
~to love and be loved~
~If I father~
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~snippets~

06/08/2011

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~I’ve never felt like a miracle myself~
~each of my children did & still do to me~
~know what I mean~
Miracle~
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~The Angel & the Beast~

05/22/2011

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Picture
~“She’s a good boy!”~
~how shall I name this~
~connection~
~child & beast~
~shepherd & magick fairy~
~great granddaughter~
~Jessa~
~playing fetch with my dog~
~Cinder~
~she laughs~
~claps her hands~
~chirps like a tiny bird~
~“She’s a good boy!”~
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~Billy's Graduation~

05/21/2011

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Picture
~the self-realization of youth~
~is awesome to witness~
~especially those close to your heart~
~with many decades behind you~
~they want so much~
~their aspirations reach so far~
~hope is reborn in your ancient spirit~
~determination & will, focused intent~
~bid you believe in & with them~
~they haven’t experienced failure~
~& are odds on~
~damned likely to succeed~
~to stand witness~
~the self-realization of youth~
~is a balm to the ancient heart~
~the hunt is not a killing~
~it is a prayer~
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~snippets~

05/19/2011

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Picture
~Zedidiah & the kitten~
~visiting me in the camper~
~a new creature & my youngest son~
~once they’re adults~there are events~
~just like this~silent & simple, poignant~
~that jet us back to their childhoods~
~a smile for what is~
~a tear for what isn’t~
~wonderful melancholy~
~for what was~
~family~
~the circle intact~
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