Freedom!

It is Thursday, after work, and this means luxurious freedom as the kids are with their father overnight. It is 79 degrees here at close to 5:00 pm, like summer, and I am hoping to get out for a margarita with one of my pals later on tonight... Someplace overlooking Centerport Harbor, with me dressed in something other than the Burger King clone Kiddie Acadamie uniform I am forced to wear to work everyday.

A blog should have pictures, so see photos of my daughter, my son and myself to begin with. Jack and Kate's pictures were taken by Peter Kenny, and the one of me by my good friend, trade writer and fantastic novelist Johanna Omelia. That's me on the left in dungeon photo.


A couple of years back my friend Miriam, an extraordinary poet who runs the poetry webzine roguescholars.com, had a backyard patio party for poets at her East Village home on an evening much like this one. I had a conversation with fellow rogue poet Magdalena Alagna's goth, tattooed and farm boy sweet husband about zombie movies, met fellow mommy poet (and now very good friend)Stefanie Lipsey for the first time, and spent the night drunkenly talking poetry with some of the best poets performing in New York City (check out Frank Simone, Big Mike, Jackie Sheeler, Meagan Brothers, Bob Hart, Camillo DeMaria and just about everyone else on poetz.com.) I guess I'm missing the scene as I haven't been in to read at Jackie's venue, The Pink Pony at the Cornelia Street Cafe, in at least a year. Am determined to return "home" tomorrow night though with some good new poems and the anticipation of hearing some excellent stuff too. I'll probably read this:

On Board

Cast off cross
You sink clean down now
To the sandy bottom
Of the Atlantic divide.
Fishes and filaments
Are calling you home,
A purpose,
A purpose!
You rot and redeem.
I sail the surface
Of what I’ve imagined,
Turning the wheel north, then east,
Using stars and a silver compass.
I am posture perfect
In a bare-backed cocktail dress
With sequins.


MJ Tenerelli