My poetry

I wrote this this year but it is taken from a real experience Freshman year at MMC. Hope you like--please comment.

Driving Through Yankton at Night

I get into the ’92 Cavalier once again.

Boredom, insomnia, sadness, necessity—doesn’t matter,

I crave the daily escape.

Lights outline Broadway—a familiar path

Groceries and randomness, a David Gray CD

“A New Day at Midnight”—I could use this

Cover art and previous conception of the artist promise the renewal I seek

Leaving the K-Mart lot I pop the CD into my Philips portable CD player and drive on

Track 1—“Dead in the Water”—Not exactly what I’d pictured

Head south

Mall, Dairy Queen, Pizza Ranch, “Burger King Lutheran”, bank

Park temporarily in meditation spot overlooking Missouri River

Turn out of parking lot to pass restaurant wearing invisibility cloak—great place to eat

Track 4—heading east until motel silently suggests the end of the known world

Turn around and head back

Stop for Almond M&Ms and Sprite; maybe get some cash from ATM

Track 5—guess this isn’t another “White Ladder”

Am I depressed or is the singer? I honestly can’t tell

God, these houses are beautiful. One day I could live here.

We can have Christmas at my pace with candles glowing through Victorian windows.

Track 6—“You who were born with the world upon your shoulders…”

How did Rufus come into this?

Replay

Yep, definitely works with Rufus.

Bowling alley, airport, car dealership, darkness on town’s edge

Turn in to curvy streets where people insist on driving with brights on

Might not need to if someone had put a streetlight out here

--or anywhere in the town, come to think of it

Chandeliers and winding staircases, brick and stone, accent lighting,

Fences and landscaping—how the “others” live

Maybe one day

Wind around and drive west

Hey high school—or is it middle school?

Find myself zombie-like, yet awkwardly contented

Wow—that’s the high school. I can almost hear the cliques.

Track 8—yet another new development

I house shop for myself and each family member as I sense myself missing them

“Seems to me boy that you’re doin’ alright…”

I shouldn’t have wasted all this gas—should head back.

Skip to track 11—“there ain’t no easy way to cry”—Now I feel like crying

Pull into MMC drive and head up small hill-Track 12

Headlights reflect off chapel stone and windows and I pass under 2^nd floor walkway

Bet the nuns are asleep.

Bet everyone’s asleep.

Feelings rise, not revealing their source

Let it out? Hold it in? What’s my problem anyway?

Bede, Whitby, Corbey, Scholastica, parking stall

Arrange my stuff for hauling to dorm

Foresee many replaying of Track 12

CD ends

More info about me...enjoy!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes, my first and middle name are the reverse of my grandpa's
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Two nights ago, in bed
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Ham
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not yet, but I have pets
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Of course not
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? No--got them out after 3rd grade
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Probably not, unless over water at a lower height
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Love kids cereals that are sweet and have toys, but rarely eat them so I don't blimp out
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes, especially mentally and spiritually
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? I like variety, but Baskin Robbins Jamocha Almond Fudge and TCBY Pumpkin are great!
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I think it depends on the person
15. RED OR PINK? Red
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My weight--I'm working on going back to my MMC weight
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? MMC friends and Gramps
18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Not wearing shoes or pants--wearing navy blue cloth shorts with yellow stripes; Wore red flip flops and khaki shorts today
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Dark chocolate-covered coffee beans from Baker's Candies in Nebraska (picked them up at the Baker's factory)
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Silence, quiet ceiling fan, noise through walls
21. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Black
22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Foods, coffee, tea, good candles, Hugo, leather, rubber
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Lisa (sis)
24. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? None; Ok; diving, skating, X-games
25. HAIR COLOR? Medium dark brown to light brown
26. YOUR EYE COLOR? Brown (more like hazel with colored flecks)
27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Did for a year; Just glasses now
28. FAVORITE FOOD? Italian, Chinese, pizza, fried chicken
29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Scary movies
30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Devil Wears Prada (Cuz Grams hadn't seen it)
31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Gray university shirt with sleeves cut off
32. SUMMER OR WINTER? Prefer Fall and Spring, but Summer
33. HUGS OR KISSES? Depends who's involved, but generally hugs
34. FAVORITE DESSERT? Creme brule or Coca Cola cake
35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Young and Catholic, The Silmarillion
36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Using a notebook, so don't have one
37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? News
38. FAVORITE SOUND? Laughter and music
39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? The Beatles! Don't insult them by putting them in the same category as the Stones.
40. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Galveston, TX
41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I play piano and trombone, sing, compose music, write lyrics, write poetry, and am a puzzle freak
42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Nebraska