May 16-22, 2005: Lori Romero and Mike Daily

Lori Romero and Mike Daily

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The Purple Popeye Brett, four-time marble champion, owner of legions of small stone spheres, his booty at the bottom of a backpack, walks to school, crunching through fall leaves, the color of gold and red cat’s eye shooters Pumpkins smile from fence posts A cold wind nips heels like a sheep dog corralling him to a gray building where bright buses belch children out on hopscotched sidewalks The playground becomes the diamond district, drawstring bags pulled from pockets as eager eyes set upon Clearies, Aggies, Pee Wees, and Rainbows Faces with traces of milk mustaches and smelling of cinnamon oatmeal crowd together as Slags clack like casino chips Fierce bidding drives some to financial ruin; others amass wealth in grubby fists The new boy, dressed in the wrong clothes, Levi’s too pressed, tie tight around a skinny chicken neck, Adam’s apple jumping up and down like a prodded frog, places his only property in the center of the ring A Purple Popeye agate, once belonging to his grandpa A honeycomb of color in clear glass The Hope Diamond never received such ecstatic oohs and aahs It is over in a single shot from Brett’s Blue Swirl, which resembles a whale in a white foam sea A wave of admirers carry Brett to class Alone, the new boy slumps on library steps, perfectly shaped shimmering orbs, roll down the contour of his cheek Originally published in Lotus Blooms Metamorphosis I carry your tiny frame to the tub Water – alien to you, when only a short time ago you were amphibious, wriggling like a fish behind a floodgate A forced separation pulled you from a mermaid sleep Dark eyes now watch indigo liquid perform a Balinese trance dance around fat goose legs surreptitiously stealing part of you away Originally published in Zillah, Volume 3, Issue 4

The Farm .for Raymond Federman the farm is côte grillon the farm is kinda laid back the farm is a human scale the farm is an intentional the farm is good for everyone the farm is not a boot camp [LIKE FORT BRAGG?] the farm is situated near the top the farm is an educational facility the farm is the closed herd the farm is a livestock enterprise the farm is open for u the farm is sponsored [http://www.fc2.org] the farm is not about running other players .out of business the farm is to generate income the farm is certified organic the farm is biodynamically managed the farm is in a flurry the farm is a modern post the farm is no longer in operation the farm is one of the most honest and .unrelenting examinations of what it is .to be hooked the farm is fenced the farm is a wonderful place to grow up the farm is set in the tarantula district the farm is nestled on the edge of a valley the farm is the ultimate reference book for .the millions of americans interested in .moving to the country the farm is coordinated by dr the farm is such a fascinating and unique .enterprise the farm is a wonderful program the farm is ninety percent native bushland the farm is wonderful the farm is your whole life the farm is mostly an arable unit the farm is completed the farm is not a place for chores