by Janet Kuypers
fand our life is one big road trip now
and we set the cruise control
and make our way down the expressway.
and most of the time we're just moving
in a straight line, and the scenery
blurs. there's nothing to see
but I know what's inside you and I
know what you're made of. I know
there's no such thing as a calm with you
you are a fantastic car crash. you stop
traffic in both directions as the gapers gawk and
the delay grows and they slow down and stare
everything shatters with you, you know.
it's a spectacular explosion. I try
to duck and cover as metal flies
through the air. and every time you leave
the scene of the accident
I am left picking up the shards of glass
from the windows. you know, the glass breaks
into such tiny little pieces. they look like
ice. it takes so long to pick up the pieces
even though I'm careful
I'm still picking up the pieces
and I'm still on my knees
and the glass cuts into my hands
and the blood drips down to the street.
think of it as my contribution
to this fantastic car crash
that is you, that is me, that is us
as I pull the glass from my hands
and I wave my hand to the line of traffic:
go ahead, keep driving, this happens
all the time, there's nothing to see here
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ABOUT THE POET ~
Professional performance artist and publisher Janet Kuypers (http://www.janetkuypers.com) is a writer & photographer (and also a minister), editing 2 literary magazines while running Scars Publications (http://scars.tv), publishing magazines, books & CDs. She has 70+ books published (poetry, prose, novels, art), sung in 3 bands, and her CD releases (40+ in 2010) appear at iTunes & other online vendors., Kuypers has been profiled in such magazines as Nation and Discover U, won the award for a Poetry Ambassador and was nominated as Poet of the Year. She has also been highlighted on radio stations, has also appeared on national and local television repeatedly, and ran two Internet radio stations (2005-2009)., She has performed spoken word and music across the country, including in a show at the Albuquerque Spoken Word Festival during the National Poetry Slam, as well as a climactic feature at the 2006 Society of Professional Journalism Expo's Chicago Poetry Showcase; her bands have had concerts in Chicago and Alaska; in 2003 she hosted and performed at her weekly poetry and music open mike "Sing Your Life ". Starting in 2010 Janet Kuypers also hosts "the Cafe" weekly Chicago poetry open mike (http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe), with weekly poetry video and pod casts.
Last updated August 16, 2011