052819d

Jonah's Wife Explains


 
The beached whale of him,
his rotten carcass,
ribs like the pillars of Hercules,
inside, a dark city, fetid, crawling
with sweaty maggots.
You were swallowed up,
vanished from my life,
I took another to my bed:
our children needed a father,
our table needed food,
no fsh; grapes, olives, pomegranates;
we raised a family.
In the end it took a village
to bring you back,
you and all your new friends,
their blank reflective eyes,
scaling our fences,
frightening the livestock,
can you blame us?
You were good eating:
salted, you lasted the whole winter,
I saved your teeth in a jar,
in case I need fshermen,
instead of farmers.



From Metastable Systems, my most recent solo book


https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/760901  

082819c

The Literate Lunch



 
Each night the train rumbles past
Shaking letters out of the old books
A rain of consonants and vowels
On the library floor
Drifts, some mornings, like black snow
A few speckles of green or red
Where illuminated manuscripts reside
The morning sweeper cleans the floors
Takes the letters home in her lunch pail
Assembles the defnitive autobiography
Of somebody
She wonders who


From Metastable Systems, my most recent solo book.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/760901

032319b

Social Dinosaurs

they watch us

to you or me, a crow

is a crow, but they know where you live

they know all

about you, and your trash

and how you treat your corvid neighbors

in quiet

nest speech they talk of love

but public caws are all about you

and your cat

they see you feeding her

you are on the list and all crows know

in Jonesville

and over to Waycross

in Willow Valley you're known on sight

your lights went

out in a blaze of sparks

shorted by feathered suicide squad

screwdriver

near the opened fuse box

crow ninjas had to pick toolbox lock

nestlings watch

they remember naughty

and nice, they keep _my_ shrubs beetle free

caw!!

If you like this::poem, why not check out the collection in which it was published,, Metastable Systems:


https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/760901

030919

Agent 

I used to sell holidays
in other worlds.
Some folks didn't come back
for whatever reason:
fell in love
eaten
kidnapped
imprisoned
better job
relief from allergies
but that's not why they shut me down,
Somebody brought back
a teensy little bug,
and ok, it did kill trillions,
and eradicated humans on 1,000 worlds.
But come on!
Who hasn't done that?!



If you like this poem, check out my recent collection, Metastable Systems.
 
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/760901  

070918b

Just saw a beautiful review of Metastable Systems in  the forthcoming issue of Star*line. They say that favorable reviews do not increase sales, but they sure make you feel good. I also have several poems  coming out in that same issue.

012218d

Subxcribe to Dreams and  Nightmares print edition this month ($25/6 issues) and I'll send you at no charge either a pdf of my new poetry collection, Metastable Systems, or 6 digital issues of DN, your choice. Paypal jopnquog at gmail dot com.

012018b

This week: 2 sales to Scifaikuest, wrote a few poems, Metastable Systems nominated for the Elgin, sales of that book picking up, new library floor at home. Now I get to put everything back!

Lifetime Dreams & Nightmares subscriptions ($39 pdf; $99 print) include all available back issues, and all proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders.  Paypal to jopnquog at gmail dot com.

Looking ahead, SFPA members can get pdfs of Dreams & Nightmares 105-107 and a file of my own eligible poems, free, for Rhysling-nomination purposes. And, cancer treatment starts Monday.

120117

Dreaming of Home

time-dilated poems

kept coming long after humanity abandoned Terra

the messages from “Willa” to “Shelle”

proved fascinating to archeopaleontologists

studying the Vertebrate Era

their poignant themes of

exploration/separation

and

anguish/resignation

transcended both culture and phylum;

renowned dance troupe Hive 360 translated several into Bee:

Honey, I Missed the Source

Larvae Found New Hives

and the ineffable

New Queen Swells

100117

This is the release date for my new book of speculative poetry, Metastable Systems (Diminuendo Press; ISBN-13: 978-1-936021-57-4). It has been 4 years since Luminous Worlds came out (Dark Regions). I've written a lot since then, and the new book includes work that didn't fit the theme of LW.There's a bit of science poetry, as well as SF, fantasy, and horror. You can get a pdf from me for $3. You can buy signed print copies from me for $13, shipping included. Other information about how to buy the book will be forthcoming soon.

090417e

                                  Metastable Systems

I have a new book of spec poetry, Metastable Systems, out now (ISBN-13: 978-1-936021-57-4). If you want a pdf copy for potential review, let me know. Also, please tell me where your reviews are usually published.

This is a full-length book, including both unpublished poems and reprints.

You can get a pdf from me for $3 to jopnquog@gmail.com at paypal. Various digital versions available on Smashwords for $2.99 (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/760901); print copies $13 from me, postpaid.

David

My Books That Are Still Available

the egg show, speakeasy press, poetry, 2005, ISBN 0-9762962-0-9 ($40, entirely handmade including the paper) http://www.speakeasypress.com/folded/foldedeggshow.html

Nursery Rhyme Noir, Sam's Dot publishing, short fiction, 2008, 978-09821068-3-9, 2nd printing, http://store.albanlake.com/ and Smashwords

Brushfires, Sam's Dot publishing, poetry, 2010 http://store.albanlake.com/ and Smashwords

The Tin Men (with Kendall Evans), Sam's Dot, poetry, 2011 http://store.albanlake.com/

The Edible Zoo, Sam's Dot, children's poetry, 2012, available from author, jopnquog@gmail.com at paypal ($10)

Luminous Worlds, Dark Regions Press, poetry, 2013, ISBN 978-1-937128-92-0, Dark Regions, also amazon.com

SETI Hits Paydirt, Popcorn Press, poetry, 2014, Popcorn Press, also amazon.com

Gods and Monsters, Popcorn Press, flash fiction, 2015, Popcorn Press, also amazon.com

Metastable Systems, Diminuendo Press, poetry, 2017, ISBN-13: 978-1-936021-57-4, from me (see above)