Raptor--Rapture

Several months ago I received a lovely graduation gift in the mail from a friend that lives in NYC. I've written about her before. She's living the most fabulous life of a poet in New York.

She had been telling me of the trials and tribulations of getting this booklet published but finally, it all came together, and there it was in my hands. Her latest compilation of work. I love the play on the words Raptor/Rapture! Certainly, this isn't her first published work. She's been published worldwide and has read her poetry in some of the most celebrated poetry houses such as St. Marks' Poetry Project and The Bowery Poetry Club to name a few.

We've all sat through endless literature classes and poetry classes where the students and instructors could only hypothesize what the author was thinking and feeling. But with Susan's work, I knew the story that developed the poem. I felt like I had discovered a secret.

With Susan's permission, I have chosen a favorite piece from the book to share with you. This poem made me laugh and demonstrates Susan's sense of humor and kind of reveals what a morning in a quiet city park may offer!

Flasher: Passer

My dreamy parkcoffee mornings

have become less pleasant since

I've been hassled by a flasher.

Caught me twice.

I've called the cops and told park authorities.

It's not that I fear death by dick sight

but it is distinctly not cool.

The third time he sat near

I just continued to feed Passer

(a little sparrow) and he turned up his

boombox to get me to look and so on.

Next time he stormed by with an angry look on his face

I suppose because I didn't look.

Passer is so cute, jumps up,

takes tiny bits of bread from my hand

and today she revealed what makes her so cheeky.

She has a baby to feed so cute; that was a better morning.

Told Eric who got quite steamy

wanted details. (The dick was huge,

limp and seemed to be coated with baby oil.)

Eric told me his flashing was not going well,

maybe he needed some baby oil,

I mailed him some baby oil and

he was quite incensed I would do

something so unmaidenly.

I haven't laughed so hard in ages.

I needed a good laugh.