Friday, August 30, 2013

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

Monday, August 26, 2013

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.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

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


Saturday, August 10, 2013

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). 


Wednesday, August 7, 2013

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? 


Monday, August 5, 2013

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!

Saturday, August 3, 2013

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!