30 hours and a handful of minutes

Yes, in just a trifle over thirty hours, I come out of semi-retirement as a road poet.  That is to say, I am doing a reading.  Well, sort of a reading-slash-speaking-slash-performing sort of thing.  6:30 pm, on Friday, July 6th, 2012, at the Monongalia Arts Center in Morgantown, West Virginia, I open my mouth again.

A few years ago, this would be un-noteworthy, but considering my low profile in the last several, it is remarkable.  I haven't really laid it out since my divorce from she-who-will-not-be-named (her request that her name not be used.  A shame, too, as I had said almost universally praiseworthy things about her.).

Now I stand ready to see what's left.  A lot has happened since 2002, which is really the last year I really took it out of the garage and revved the engine.  A divorce.  Pink Jade.  Aubergine.  White Sunday (whom I have also publicly declared as my "final muse".)  Some books, a podcast, some CDs.

Creatively, an exeptional decade.  "Howling Beast", "The Sacraments", "The White Sunday Poems" and so many other stars in my firmament. 

It will be a difficult read for me.  I am more self-conscious than I once was, more self-judging.  The bitterness than Psyche had predicted would come with age didn't show up, yet.  But there is a set to my jaw that indicates some exasperation and disappointment experienced.  But not surrendered to.

I have a read book for this show.  Approximately 30 poems.  I plan to, at this time, open with "Walsingham in Padua" and end with "Radiant Tigers".  Logic and emotions say I have that backwards, but I want it that way, I want to fight the stone that I seem to be habitually pushing up that hill.

I want to thank the nice people at Morgantown Poets for supporting me in this endeavor, and any and all of you who show up to hear my words and buy my books and CDs (profits going to the aforementioned Morgantown Poets).

I'll let you know how it goes.