This is an extreme rewrite of something I posted a while ago:

In Stitches

the hum click slower and faster
of the sewing machine, the needle a big fish
 feeding from the bottom
of my mother’s hand, the tiny light
like a glass eye hovering over her 
    fingers

my mother unfolds the transparent
human-colored paper, slides off my shirt
so she can wrap the paper around me
 mark space with a pencil

I hold my breath 
the hair on my arms      
 rising
 her hands on me

the woman who tucks herself smaller
than the hidden kittens 
 invisible when I call

my skin as sensitive as the gap
 of a missing tooth
  if I move my eyes or sigh
she’ll remember I‘m here

And if I were going to have a chapbook about children and meat this might be the cover:

Reading tomorrow.

Hey!! I'm doing Poetry vs. Comedy again, replacing one of the other poets who dropped out. Not sure who.

Last time I got the lowest score! Let's see if I can get even lower this time! I'm going to try harder to be funny this time, but I always ending up just horrifying people.

You have to come just to hear Adira! She's the funniest woman in the world that sings! She puts Silverman to shame!

Here's the deets: (I'm replacing one of the poets, just imagine my name there)

PVC: The POETRY Vs. COMEDY VARIETY SHOW

February 28th, 8PM
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery
F Train to Second Ave.
$6
www.myspace.com/pvcshow

PVC: The Poetry vs. Comedy Variety Show is neither an ordinary poetry slam nor a regular stand-up comedy show. PVC is a battle of wits and rhymes where the stanzas and the stand-up collide. The show brings together the high-paced excitement of a poetry slam with the astute hilarity of smart, observational comedy.


EMCEE: Carolyn Castiglia (Caroline's)

STARRING:

Comedians
Margaret Dodge as Lubka Bubkova (Dodge City)
Giulia Rozzi (Mortified)
Jodi Wasserman (Comedy Central's Premium Blend)

Poets
La Bruja (HBO/Russell Simmon's Def Poetry Jam)
Salena Godden (BBC Radio)
Robin Cloud as Angela Davison (Under The Pink Carpet)

MUSICAL GUEST: Adira Amram (The PIT)

Judges
Mindy Raf
Shawn Hollenbach
Ann Carr

I've decided to make a new chapbook about children and their food. Because I've realized I have so many poems about just that. And here's one.

Children Having Trouble With Meat

        they're not sure?
              the fork    makes an
  interesting clang when they bang it
            on the rim of the plate

          in the center
               there's something?

it makes no noise when they hit
    it with their fork
         not even a grunt

          although when they hold their ear
                              very close
to its burning smell

                 there is a wet
                          hiss