Rachel Constantine
The exhilarating yet excruciating pursuit
of the true self
charcoal
The title is longer
than the painting
of the woman with attack eyes
who reminds me of that woman long ago
who I brushed into in the shadow of a
drunken South Broad Street night
saying “Excuse me Mister”
with too much menace for even me
That was when I had the courage of whiskey
and the brashness of beer
but her purr scared me
back when I usually didn’t know fear
back when “he’s out of town tonight”
was good enough to get me’ over
back when a woman full or rumors
was all I needed for intrigue
back when all I wanted was action and adventure
but I backed away from her
back then
Later that week
I went back on that same concrete
but she was gone
only her vapors remained
under the street nights
Now I know
where her eyes went
In my second fifty years
I will continue to write Poems noone hears
read Poems
noone sees
create Poems
that only a misanthrope could love
and where is my cabin in the wild Montana
Lately I’ve begun plays again
So more of the world will not know me
And I can be wild, naked, and free
wild naked and free
like our nights together
when we were both way too young
and thought age was a disease
we would
somehow
never catch.
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About bobsmall1
Bob Small has read at Bacchanal, Barnes and Noble, Borders,
The Booksource (Swarthmore), The Clark Park Festivals,Community College of Philadelphia
Highwire Gallery, The Mad Poets Annual Food Fest Reading,
The Middle East Restaurant, Nexus GalleryThe Painted Bride Arts Center,
The Philadelphia Ethical Society, Robin's Bookstore
The University of Pennsylvania and also in New York City,
Trenton, NJ, Washington, DC, and in many Delaware Valley Venues.
He is the author of numerous chapbooks, including
El Otro Lado (with Maralyn Lois Polak), On watching America Die,
Small Steps and Toes (with Lamont B. Steptoe), and The Unapoet.
This is his first Reading in over a year.
Bob Small was Founder and President of the
two decades old Poets and Prophets,
which presented Poetry Readings
in both Delaware County and Philadelphia.
Bob was the Chair of The Delaware County Green Party and was the
First Green Party Candidate in Delaware County (2005).
He was also a Green Party National Delegate, among other duties.
He is the Founder and Facilitator of
The Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (PaBac),
which is a Coalition of both Independents and Third Parties.,
seeking to legislatively improve Pennsylvania's Ballot Access Laws. (Facebook)
Bob is also a founding member and
Facilitator of Democracy Unplugged, and Delco Debates,
which has presented Independent and Third Party Forums in Delaware County since 2004. Facebook)
He was formerly involved with Cinema Resistance, and Delco Pledge of Resistance.
Bob currently lives in Swarthmore with his wife
and their menagerie of animals.
He is currently focused on writing a Novel and organizing his Poetry, which he posts on his Blog (Bob Small1). He is retired from most of the above activities, except Delco Debates and Poets and Prophets, which he may return to.
robertthesmall 