A great visit!

Visited Zane Grey High School today in Reseda. Sharmagne Leland-St. John read her moving poetry to the teens, then it was my turn. After that, a little writing time. I recommended they look around the room for ideas. Here are the poems Sharmagne and I wrote:



Sharmagne Leland-St. John

UNTITLED

clock ticking
flag unfurls
savannah sunset
darkness covers
a weary world
temple gongs are rung
echoing ancient songs unsung
sun in shadow
birds take flight
stain the sky with wings of white

Abraham watches
then bows his head to pray.



Don Kingfisher Campbell

I'M A CURIOUS TIGER

carefully walking
around the room
with my eyes

I look out the window
trees are still
more patient than me

I know the sun is in the sky
even though I can't see it
I feel the warmth of the world

so this is my valentine existence
If I had a loud speaker
I'd use it to tell all

I love to go through classroom doors
Happily growl as I pass plastic squares
full of other people's words

The TV screen inside my head
may be blank again, but I stare
intently and find a spider

woven into my heart
where I sense time beating
and a smile from decades ago

wears red high heels
to remind me ideas are reproducible
If I make like an elephant

and eat every flower of memory
I can bite claw scratch to remember
while I'm on the third planet

and then poof
back to the cosmos
just to change my station