September 3, 2009

Greetings to everyone! First off, I want to thank everyone who has submitted to the poetry project. You have until Oct. 1 to submit— & it's free, so please get on board! Check out the prompt below, get your poem on & send it my way!

Also, for those of you on Facebook, there's a Visible Cities Poetry Project group you can join, that will have updates and info on the residency. Here's the link. Join up! Bring friends! All are welcome…

So my chapbook, Complicated Weather, will be out very soon on Rocktown Press. Soon like within the next 7-10 days. Lots more info coming on that (including where to get free copies!). But before that gets out & before I start posting some of the work that's been submitted to me, I thought I would get the ball rolling by posting a "b-side" from my chapbook.

The following "letter" was written this summer & was intended to be in the chapbook; but on the last round of editing, I pulled it out. Partly because I wanted to post it here. So I hope you enjoy. Any questions or responses, positive or negative, are very much welcome & hey! Why not write your own "letter" to a place that means something to you & send it in for the poetry project? Just an idea…

One more thing: I've heard that finding Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, the book that is the big inspiration behind this entire project, is sadly hard to find around the Quad Cities. So, I have taken the liberty to include to a few links related to that book below. I cannot encourage you strongly enough to track down a copy of Invisible Cities & read it for yourself. It is truly a work of genius.

In any case, hope the info is helpful. Hope you enjoy the poem. Hope you are well. See you soon…

Love & best,

RC

 

INVISIBLE CITIES LINKS

-Invisible Cities at Wikipedia
-Invisible Cities at Amazon
-Invisible Cities at Google Books
-Invisible Cities Vladmaster set
-Invisible Cities post on MetaFilter with links
-Invisible Cities on Medha's Notes

 

 

Dear Quad Cities—

 

            So long I've been contemplating both of your best sides

& struggle to see my reflection in either. Now more than ever. Really,

it's the classic charms that keep me spinning my proverbial plates around

the corners of your four cities & two states. Just like the song "In a Mist"

sometimes the things closet to us are obscured, too distant to be touched.

You weaken the magnets holding me down with your sideways channel,

losing its chill as it pours southward w/ hearts & minds bought off. Suckers

for a melancholy song.

 

    Please bring back the Thunder,

 

                    Your Secret Admirer