My poem “The Bus Stops Here” has been posted among today’s offerings of the Tupelo Press 30/30 Project (9 poets have agreed to write 30 poems apiece in 30 days, to raise funds for Tupelo Press, a non-profit literary publisher). Many thanks to Jim Feeney, who provided this title and also last year’s “Never Drink Anything Blue.”
The Bus Stops Here
Your mind is a county fair
but the entrance shifts
the rides fade or hum away…
Click here to see the rest of the poem.
Tomorrow’s poem, “The Trees Burn at Midnight,” was sponsored by Charlotte Hamrick, who also sponsored last year’s “With Summer’s Purpled Awe.”
Title sponsorships and 3-word sponsorships are still available. And remember, you can combine the two to force me to use not only your title, but also three words that I’d likely not use on my own. And can anyone challenge last year’s co-winners of Worst Title in the History of the 30/30 Project, Ron, Plain Jane and Mek?*
The sponsored poems are a blast to write, and the titles lead me to poems I’d not otherwise conceive. If you’re inclined to sponsor a poem, Donate to Tupelo, and please let me know as soon as possible what your title is or which three words you’ve foisted upon me.
If you can’t think of a title, Think Dink! A $30 donation will get you my 2015 chapbook If Your Matter Could Reform, Barton Smock’s Infant Cinema, Jamie Hunyor’s A New Sea, and Tim Kahl’s full length book, The String of Islands, thanks to the generosity of Dink Press founder and editor Kristopher Taylor! A limited quantity is available, so order earlier rather than later.
For information on sponsorships (and my other incentives), click here.
Thank you for supporting poetry! Only 25 poems to go!
* The titles are, respectively, “Calvin Coolidge: Live or Memorex,” “Your Armpits Smell Like Heaven,” and “Reduce Heat and Simmer Gently Without Cloud Cover, Till Sundown. Serves 2 – 7 Billion.” “Nose-Picking Reese’s Hider” is definitely a strong contender for this honor.
O at the Edges 
A beauty, Bob, and the imagery is sweetly evocative of my recent trip to an actual county fair …
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Thanks, Cate. It’s been a while since we’ve attended one, but they are definitely distinctive!
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Totally with you on the anthrax/rabies choice. 😉
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Ha! It’s a choice I’d rather not make.
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You’re a wise man, Robert!
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“Your mind is a county fair, but the entrance shifts…”
How am I supposed to go about my day getting stuff done when you keep on killing me with these great lines?! I couldn’t even walk down an aisle at Ikari to buy a single darn radish without mentally meandering off into a reverie of Okaji lines floating through my head. 🙂
You are making my life amazing but are significantly interfering with my radish shopping….先生!!
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The hazards of radish shopping! I made some takuan a while back, and kept it in our garage refrigerator (which generally contains just beverages) because of the smell. It was very tasty, as was the packaged stuff I bought and consumed recently.
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You and umboshi and takuan… you enjoy all the pickled stuff I hate! LOL! 🙂
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Mmmm. Takuan. My wife won’t eat it, either, which of course means more for me.
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Robert, I just donated 20. for a poem critique. What happens now? How do I get my peoms to the editor. Sorry for using this comment box for the question. I’ve been searching this sight and can’t find your email address. Hope to hear soon./ Thanks, Karen
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Wonderful, Karen. Email me at robertokaji at yahoo dot com and I’ll send details. I’m matching (randomly assigning) editors to poets today.
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P.S. This is an awesome fundraiser!
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Will do! Thanks for the quick response.
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great piece of work, Robert, you continue to amaze!
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I’m so pleased you like it, Jim. Thank you!
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