I’m prepping for school
the unglamorous labour
that builds a future
I like to read people's ‘back to college’ lists - where I can sample what students are buying this year. I find these lists on college-ish websites like ‘Her Campus.’ The number one desire this year is for Apple Air Pods (I certainly love MY AirPod 4s).
We read in silence,
both contented this counted
as togetherness
Beside lists there are surveys on trends.
“Good news,” I announced to Peter, who was sitting next to me, “hot, weird guys are in,” I said it with the satisfaction of someone whose personal choice has been validated by GenZ.
“I still don’t want one,” he says blandly.
Looking at a list of 'questions for your boyfriend,' I asked,
“If you had to change one thing about me, what would it be?”
“Well, you could lose the clothes,” he suggested, helpfully.
No one cares
but I like his hairs
not one more than another
but his left ear
is superior to the other
you heard it here
.
.
A song for this:
Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John
adversity can be calmly detested
but you are unaware .
the debilitating comrade hamster
of unsweet transitorily wantonness
drenched in fanged firing
is motivated by your silken salvation
(Weekly Magnetic Poetry Challenge • July 27–August 2, 2026)
In my house that's small and weird,
a circumstance is to be feared.
Things that were once before my face
no longer exist in any place.
They've all been disappeared.
Christmas Tree Boy waved a star on a stick
Said “abra ca dabra” in a brogue that was thick
Danced the holiday dance around the tree.
He was incredibly silly said my weird Aunt, Aunt Vee.
"French Horn Overtones"
"They are watching me now
They watch all of us
I distorted my voice so
They don't know it's me
They said it came from
B$$$$$$tro but we knew
It didn't.
Code word is Cing of the Forest "
I don't feel like being bothered, sounds
Great but I wanna do it later. Hiding in that
Robe with a voice disguiser is cool, what
Ya'll doing later on?
Hey I gotta go, we will talk later!
"Bassoon is ah wait tis time we starts
the Thing-ah Jig, you'll know the words
To the following." Said the interrupting
Loud speaker. I have your kazo, I will be
In contact.
Yeah all right than the guy answered
As he walked away.
For real man why she so weird said
Strangs, I don't know but she some kinda
Phatt dough!
Don't change that one I like it
Like that, you heard what I said
See I love that one, I like this one too.
It rare when you like something and
Others like it too.
Maybe you don't know nothing bout that
Cause folk geek you out,
I ain't bragging, but sometimes that's what
It's about!"
Children, pancakes, needlework
An initial draft, a first book
It’s no surprise they came out weird
No matter what pains you took
The first one is the practice one
You need it, to make a start
It’s okay, it won’t be perfect;
We weren’t expecting a work of art
It’ll be squiggly around the edges
Details not well defined
Awkward, clunky, unpolished
Scruffy and unrefined
If you haven’t got the knack yet
It’s understandable, you’re new
You’re learning how to unlock your skills;
What you should and shouldn’t do
You have to make the cringey first one
So your deftness can grow wild
The next attempt will be infinitely better
By B Philippe (a second child)
ThisisapoembutIwontseperatethewords.Thisisapoembutit’showIseetheworldwhenI’mlyingonmybedwishingforawayout.ThisisapoembutIwon’tformatitasone,becauseifIdidyouwouldn’tseeeverythingthatIdo.IfthiswasagoodpoemmaybeI’dsayalittlemore,butit’shardwhenmypaperisblurryandripping.IfthiswasabadpoemthenIwouldn’thavewrittenit.
A crab is trying to run straight forward ,
Useless effort ending in sidewise crawl.
Creature is bound to move sideways,
though weird.
Caterpillar crawling on bamboo pillar
chews leaves wishing to fly.
Nature helps to take shelter in cocoon.
Metamorphosis starts to progress :
Transformation is complete later or soon.
Ugly caterpillar comes out
as beautiful butterfly fluttering wings
sucking nectar from flower,
really weird.
Tadpole swimming delighted in pool
wagging tail without fail
and by nature is herbivore.
Attaining adulthood, it leaves the tail,
turning to amphibian frog,
purely carnivore,
behaves weird.
Tonight sick Santa had to take off,
he has a bad case of whooping cough.
The reindeers are acting weird,
all are hungry and dog-eared.
Home for a hot bowl of beef stroganoff.
Weird when we can't comprehend
Weird when we cannot bend
Weird when you don't see
Weird when you're not free
Weird when it sounds different
Weird when things are incoherent
Weird when all are laughing
Weird when all are bluffing
Weird when you can't walk
Weird when you cannot talk
Weird when you can't hear
Weird when all are already near
Weird when we are guessing
Weird when we are stressing
Weird when we miss someone
Weird when we can't have one
Weird when you can't sing
Weird when you can't swing
Weird when you cry and revile
Weird when one disappears and yet
learning to smile
Weird...
G: "Why do you hate me so much?"
B: "I was paid. And this is my life."
G: "If I am related to you, will you do the
same thing?"
B: "No."
G: "If there's something that I can offer you,
what would it be?"
B: "Your life."
G: "There's only sorrow and hardship in my
life. Why need it?... Save your life!"
Halloween.
With coffee or without.
There’s no one answering the call of energy.
That is as destructive as a bowling ball,
Unhinged.
Just being alone.
Without any coffee for days and days.
There’s no one that likes eating jack o lanterns.
Like the inside of things.
Me.
I’m a coffee, tired girl.
Who has enough Halloween twinges.
To stare at candy like a werewolf.
Gobbling it up.
Like a Halloween worm.
Just being tired.
Halloween spell, sleepy feeling…
Drastically trying to ignite my mind.
With lonely thoughts.
Went away like the edges.
The call of energy.
Destructive as something that isn’t made to be.
Reminders to my open self.
That Halloween is…
A sadness.
Without any coffee for days and days.
I ran through a pumpkin patch.
Scarecrows.
A coffee mug girl.
What remained.
She woke up on Halloween at 3:26 pm.
And the candy bowl was still waiting for her.
It was an April night and I was right,
Been out on the town.
The show was at the Palace,
So we all went on down.
We had a ball as I recall,
But now it seems absurd,
As the madness raged upon the stage
He did not say a word.
He was a little weird and we all feared
He wasn’t one of us
He didn’t drink, he didn’t smoke,
He didn’t even cuss.
You’d see him now and again
With a bunch of men…
Hanging round the sea,
And I know I would have liked him more
If he were a little more like me.
It was a springish day, the clouds were gray
It looked like it might rain.
I thought about the night before
And I was so ashamed
When I heard what they had done to him
The stranger I had known
The way we all got down last night
It’s a wonder we got home.
He was a little weird and we all feared
He wasn’t one of us.
He didn’t drink, he didn’t smoke,
He didn’t even cuss.
You’d see him now and again
With a bunch of men…
Hanging round the sea.
And I know I would have liked him more
If he were a little more like me
A little more a little more a little more like me
Just a little more, a little more
If I could be…
A little more like He.
I was there;
It was weird;
Contained in walls
And hollows;
I walked there once;
It was weird;
Flying past the hillsides,
flying pat the bays,
flying past the cabin
where I might just like to say.
Flying past the tall trees,
branches scrape my feet,
’tis the finest jetpack
you can buy with money.
Ain’t no toil,
in my jetpack royal,
my view is unspoiled
in my jetpack royal,
so high the blood boils
in my jetpack royal,
the schemes that I’ll foil
in my jetpack royal.
Flying through the cities,
over the suburbs,
flying past the park where
kids by swings wait their turn.
Flying over mountains,
past the birds of prey,
the eagles give strange looks
then dive out of my way!
Ain’t no toil,
in my jetpack royal,
my view is unspoiled
in my jetpack royal,
so high the blood boils
in my jetpack royal,
the schemes that I’ll foil
in my jetpack royal.
Oh, free flying,
so high and free,
I wish you had
a jetpack like me.
If I had cash
I’d buy you one,
we’d soar up high
and have too much fun!
Ain’t no toil,
in my jetpack royal,
my view is unspoiled
in my jetpack royal,
so high the blood boils
in my jetpack royal,
the schemes that I’ll foil
in my jetpack royal.
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