Trafficked

photo © 2013 Jennifer Wagner

she never knew a man

before this

hasn’t known a real one since

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

“Between 700,000 and 4 million women and children will be trafficked this year, with the majority being forced to work in the sex trade. In America, there are an estimated 40,000 men, women and children enslaved at this very moment. If everyone who cares takes action, we can end slavery once and for all.” Don’t Sell Bodies.

“Typically known for coffeehouses and cloud cover, Seattle has also gained another title: 3rd most prostituted children in the nation. Experts estimate that there are up to 300,000 underage girls sexually trafficked nationally every year. These girls (many as young as 12 and 13 years old) are bought and sold for the pleasure of men all over the country.” Rape For Profit Film website.

Click the links above to learn more, raise awareness, help end this thing.

haiku my heart
Poets United: The Poetry Pantry

Snowball's Chance

I Follow the Wind - by Judith Clay

By

a

thin thread

I hang on

chasing your wild wind,

risking all for a house of cards.

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

A Fibonacci poem for Hedgewitch’s Weekend Mini-Challenge at IGWRT and for dVerse Poetics where Claudia has provided us with an opportunity to write to the wonderful work of Judith Clay.  I’m too late for the link so I’ll be linking to OpenLinkNight.

Electric

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

I searched and searched

for the sun, but could not find it.

So I traveled east to where your arms

grew soft against mine, softer.

The full bloom scent of electric blue

burst within the wild

to chase that dark day wisp of cloud to white—

white like night when just past black,

and into new day dawning

to find and enter that centered

rose of sun,

asking where I’ve been.

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

Poets United: The Poetry Pantry

Little Dark-eyed Junco

photo © 2013 Jennifer Wagner

Welcome to Rubbletown,

and thanks for leaving.

Don’t let the saloon doors

hit ya on the backside on yer way out.

Rope yerself a farmer’s daughter

elsewhere—

cuz the sheriff here does all the ropin’

of the choicest stock.

He gets a cut down at

The Delmonico,

making fodder for Madame Maynard’s

…err, establishment.

That sheriff, he’s a mean cuss.

See them boots?

Silver-tipped and intricate all up the sides?

He dips ‘em in rattlesnake venom.

And he’ll kick ya ‘til yer skin splits

and rots, black as raven’s feathers.

He’s the devil alright.

And the devil deals in hearts.

That’s why I’ve sleeved

a spade.

One day he’s gonna ask

the wrong "purty lil' thang"

to dance.

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

At dVerse we’re writing cowboy poetry.  The Delmonico was a Hotel and Restaurant and suspicioned to have rooms leased to Madame Henrietta Maynard in Port Townsend, WA in the early 1900’s.  I’ve based my fictionalized poem on accounts found in the “Bars & Bordellos” booklet from the Jefferson County Historical Society (pictured). 

Leaving Crypsis

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

climb,

though it might be safer

to blend

climb,

though you might end up

decapitated on pride's wall

climb,

because the view

is always worth it

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

 

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

For Poets United:  Verse First ~ Difficulty.  Kim Nelson has challenged us to write a poem in 3 stanzas or less that is completely free of "gratuitous, show-offy, camouflaging" text.

I took these photos during a recent vacation in Chelan, WA.  There are 11 bighorn sheep in the top photo.  Can you spot them? 

Trending Chic

She smoked all her cigars

between noon and six,

listening to the bounce

of the sloping rain.

She drank lavender tea from a lowball glass,

let her hair go silver-white, and

never cared what a single soul

thought of it.

Her laugh was always belly deep,

her smile lines, deeper.

She had that knack

for letting everyone

be themselves

and they, by turn,

were able to.

Forget Vogue.

Forget Cosmo

and Elle.

An old wooden porch

frames the perfect face.

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

I think I want to be her (well, except for the cigars). Linking up to join the fun at dVerse for OpenLinkNight!

The dVerse Anthology

A couple of my poems are included in the newly released The dVerse Anthology: Voices of Contemporary World Poetry out on Amazon.  This anthology contains works from over 90 talented poets, edited by Frank Watson (Follow the Blue Flute).  Click to check it out and order up some powerful pub poetry!