Writing Through Hard Times – June 2019
Each month, the Denver VOICE publishes a selection of writing from workshops sponsored by Lighthouse Writers Workshop. The Hard Times Writing Workshop is a collaboration between Denver Public Library and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. This workshop is open to all members of the public—especially those experiencing homelessness. Hard Times meets every Tuesday from 3-5 p.m. on the fourth floor of DPL’s Central branch. The Lighthouse sponsored workshop at The Gathering Place is specifically for that organization’s clients.
To check out more writing by the poets featured in this column, go to writedenver.org.
Frank Coons
Aubade for the Mad King
goldfinch & oriole
cowbird & jackdaw
harbingers of his dawn & his ten minutes
of clarity
he awakes
from another murderous night aggrieved
askew
and thinks again any king
who sleeps well
is already dead
not a sunrise
but a fire encroaching
birds already turning to winged demons
the short chains of long-
dead
would-be usurpers rattling
rattling beneath the bricks
he’ll
eat
no
honeyed
porridge
just unpeeled fruit a pot of tea
he makes himself
then
to the sudatorium where he bites
the head
off a red-wattled cock asks
his fool
to read
the entrails
what’s foretold:
more gold eggs from the goose
the ass still shitting persimmons
the split-tongued asp guarding the jewels
all good news
sire
all good news
Patricia Jayne
We are Change
Beckoned in with the stillness of breath
Stillness became oneness
New Friendships formed
As Masters of Sound Journeys
Wove through the CommUnity
Healing hands and chocolates
Sage and Cuddles
Vibrations from Hip-Hop
And Tribal Chants
The heavy-hearted fell onto the sword of liquor
Light hearted we danced into herbal embrace
As night brought us through profound journeys
Morning light beckoning us to go forth
Changing lives from healed hearts
Beckoned to the daylight backwards
Time for Rest
Profoundly Changed.
This poem is written about the 2019 We Are Change Colorado Share Fest an Event dedicated to gathering cold weather gear to provide to those in need in the Denver area. This event brings together a wide range of musical talents from The Denver Community and lasts 12 hours. A few days after the event the cold weather gear is taken out to those in need near The Denver Rescue Mission. The personal interaction with the people receiving the items they need is quite profound and rewarding.
Pete Simon
Kendrick Castillo
Kenrick Castillo
stood in the line of fire
to save his classmates;
a last line of defense, because
lawmakers duck and cover
in fear of
Wayne LaPierre.
