WORDS BY DEL STEPHEN

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

[delstephen]

IMAGINATION FEVER

I TRIED I TRIED TO IMAGINE A LIFE A LIFE REPLETE WITH LOVE AND ART ALL MUSICALLY NEAT I TRIED I TRIED TO LIVE INSIDE A DREAM WITHOUT AN END I TRY I ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE THAT DREAM AGAIN IMAGINATION FEVER OH I NEED YOU NOW CREATIVE HIGHS AN ARTIST’S DREAM EVERY COLOUR REALIZED OH WHAT BEAUTY MAGIC SORCERY WILD TRIATHLON LOVE, ART, MUSIC ALL IN FULL BLOOM PARADE THE STREETS REJOICE! OH WHAT A FEELING COMING DOWN WITH ONE IMAGINATION FEVER NEVER COMING UNDONE IMAGINATION FEVER PLEASE NEVER COME UNDONE IMAGINATION FEVER NEVER-ENDING ONE IMAGINATION FEVER HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN.

[delstephen]

TRYING!

Trying! Mood swings Forward high Middle low Backward high Don’t let go!

[delstephen]

SINGLE SUN SPOT

SAT IN THE SINGLE SUN SPOT CORNER OF MY BALCONY MY NECK EXTENDING OUTWARDS IN ANY ATTEMPT TO ABSORB ANY UNMEASURED AMOUNT OF ENERGY I COULD SALVAGE      BORROW      RESERVE      BEFORE           ANOTHER                HOUR                     PASSES.

[delstephen]

BALCONY BLUES

It is or is not raining - the humid evidence drips - the water slides down the building eavesdrop to the soil below - I wonder if this is 1 way to grow - maybe this music is what you are - after today.

[delstephen]

ANOTHER DAY

I am working - today is another day where I don’t know what my job description is, yet I continue to exert myself so as not to unwork. I blend frozen fruit as loudly as I can, electrically. I also look for opportunities to make eye contact with fellow heat seekers on the masked sidewalk. We miss each other while missing each other. I read books.

[delstephen]

Hello to the dearest readers of this page, Are you still there? If you are, and if you are reading, I’d like to thank you. How are things going with you? Please feel free to send me a message anytime and let me know that you’re doing okay. I’m writing here to let you know that I recently released/published my 1st collection of poetry, and yes, of course, it’s in the form of an album. The collection is called “And The Spontaneous Splash Pad Poetry Of Applied Linguistics And Living”. Maybe you’d like to hear me read some poems aloud. Or perhaps you’re curious about the format of my recorded poetry in conjunction with other collaged sounds. In any case, it’s available for you, and I wrote some additional background notes about it at the same place where you can listen (linked below). If you’re interested in checking it out, you can listen for free. If you’d like to further support me on my creative path, you can download the album and add it to your collection. https://delstephen.bandcamp.com/album/and-the-spontaneous-splash-pad-poetry-of-applied-linguistics-and-living-del-019 With gratitude, yours truly, Del Stephen

[delstephen]

THE WEATHER AND SPORTS

OH DEAR IT SEEMS I HAVE FALLEN LIKE THE SOUNDS RAIN IS AS SILENT AS SPORTS WITHOUT TEAMMATES OR OPPONENTS TO TOUCH TACKLE AND MAKE CONTACT WITH RAIN IS AS SILENT AS SPORTS.

[delstephen]

Can We Take 10 Years Off?

Can we take 10 Years off To make art Or at least A weekend That never ends Can we create A day The sun the clouds the tower Sounds of unintelligible Engines and chitchat That never ends Can we stay here And only hear The sounds of our own Making For at least A weekend Just whoever’s here Please, whoever hears Just give us 10 long years To make art Or at least A weekend That never ends.

[delstephen]

WINTER PLEDGE

I WELCOME WINTER AS AN ACT OF DEFIANCE I WILL FIND FUN IN ANY ABUN DANCE OF SNOWFALL COLD AS I MAY OR MAY NOT BE AND BE GIN TO ENJOY IN HOWEVER MANY MONTHS IT GIVES AND TAKES.

[delstephen]

ANOTHER DROP IN THE OCEAN

ONE THING AT A TIME FIRST LET’S FINISH THE WINE THEN WE’LL MAKE A COFFEE NOT THE RED CUP, IT’S MINE IT’S MINE AND IT’S BROKEN NOW I WASN’T THERE SO I DON’T KNOW HOW IT’S JUST ANOTHER DROP IN THE OCEAN ONE FACE IN A MIRROR FIRST LET’S SPEND SOME TIME HERE THEN WE’LL GO FOR A SNACK IF IT’S WORTHWHILE I’LL BE BACK BE BACK AND BE BROKEN NOW I DIDN’T GO THERE SO I DON’T KNOW HOW IT’S JUST ANOTHER DROP IN THE OCEAN ONE TOOTH AND IT ACHES FIRST LET’S WAIT TIL IT BREAKS THEN WE’LL LOOK FOR ANOTHER AND IF IT DOESN’T GROW BACK I’LL STAY IT CAN PROBABLY WAIT ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER DAY AND IT’S BROKEN NOW DON’T KNOW WHY AND I DON’T KNOW HOW I GUESS IT’S JUST I GUESS IT’S JUST ANOTHER JUST ANOTHER DROP IN THE OCEAN.

[delstephen]

Death is Repressed

Death is repressed We don’t talk about it like the weather Death is repressed We walk through it together Like hospital hallways No comic relief When death is undressed We cover it with blankets Turn the page before it’s read Death becomes alive and then dead When’ll I die? When’ll I know? When’ll I cry? When’ll I go?

[delstephen]

Heavy Blanket

If only I had a heavy blanket Like when the sky becomes A town hall meeting place For dark clouds Before a storm Then I would know Then I would know When everything was going to fall. If you could be A heavy blanket for me A place to meet, and make love underneath For dark clouds Before a storm Then I would stay Then I would stick around When everything was falling.

[delstephen]

TODAY VERSIONS

WHEN YOU FALL VICTIM WHEN YOU HEAR THE LIES OF SOUND YOU ALWAYS WANNA TRY YOU ALWAYS WANNA BE SOMETHING ELSE DON’T WANNA HAVE TO TRY TO BE ANOTHER VERSION OF THIS SELF TODAY IS A VERSION TODAY VERSIONS TODAY IS A VERSION TODAY VERSIONS WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU LISTEN AND LISTEN AND LISTEN YOU ALWAYS WANNA TRY YOU ALWAYS WANNA BE SOMETHING ELSE DON’T WANNA HAVE TO TRY TO BE ANOTHER VERSION OF MYSELF TODAY IS A VERSION TODAY VERSIONS TODAY IS A VERSION TODAY VERSIONS WELL, WHAT IF WHAT IF YOU FOLLOW DOWN WHAT IF YOU SWALLOW SOUND CALLING OUT OF COUNTRY’S INVISIBLE BORDER THREE DAYS AGO I LANDED AT KEW BALMY THE WATER WAS A FRIEND AND A WELCOME WAVE WAVING ONE AT A TIME THREE NIGHTS AGO I DREAMED OF THE BEACH KEW BALMY NEVER MADE A SOUND BUT YOU DID THREE LIVES AGO I LANDED ON THE SHORES THE WATER WAS A FRIEND AND A WELCOME VERSION OF TODAY IT NEVER WENT AWAY.

[delstephen]

Photos From Ciavarella

The noticing eye The situation Ahead, premade Collaborative material Spontaneous moment click Captured tale An illustrated instance Hah A happening Yet To be told Aha A truth Yet to be Saved (and held onto) For another Time.

[delstephen]

Internet You And Me

Does the internet ever close? No And we don't need another Internet poem Exit windows are not equals two Escape windows plus a protest Divided bylaws And the page cannot be displayed If I click enter when you talk to me Are we going to skip skip skip A single, deep, and infinite space? No, probably not Arriving slowly Another page loads A moving truck from Arizona An endless range of search results Does the internet ever close? No Body and soul could ever go So Refresh the page and leave it alone.

[delstephen]

Fun to Four

It was fun to go It was fun to go for It was fun two three four It was one two three for You and me, more A ride across town It was fun to be on 506 Streetcar windows open Breeze coming through Streetcar windows close I still like you Oh, I like you too And isn't it funny how We didn't know now This window could open and close And I still feel the same And you don't feel different And I like it on the streetcar When we feel the same things.

[delstephen]

btw

by way of a late night internet garden by way of an overhead compartment lock by the way you forgot the first day we met by the way the freshest coffee pot by way of spending yourself at the cash only mall by way of a spider that seemed to be too small by the way bob dylan didn’t bring it all back home by the way he did but didn’t do it all alone by way of high speed food delivery apps by way of never asking why by the way a poem becomes a postcard by the way I always try.