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November 7th, Sunday at 3 pm

Celebrating Literary NJ with Celebrated Poet, Yictove:

Host of The New York City's Knitting Factory Series, reads from his book:

Blue Print [Portals Press © 1997.] Read three sample poems below.

BLUE PRINT | SONG--for Amiri Baraka | BOOM BOOM!

Yictove, popular NJ poet, was born in New Orleans and has lived for many years in East Orange where he worked as creative writing instructor in the Safe Haven Program of the YMCA. He has voiced his poetry in venues throughout the United States as well as abroad. Yictove has produced & hosted a poetry series on cable television in Newark and currently hosts a series of readings at New York City's "Knitting Factory," an avant- garde facility which features performances of jazz and poetry as well as concerts and readings by renown authors.

Open Reading to Jazz Guitar by Skylands Contest Winners & Audience:

FIRST PLACE WINNER of the 1999 Renee Ashley Poetry Contest: Jeffrey Levine of Fanwood: "Dawn with Cardinals"

1st Runner Up: Christine Turzyn of Waldwick: "You Tell Me"

2nd Runner Up: Jennifer Watts of Montclair:"Mary Kay Le Tourneau"

Improvisational Jazz Guitarist: Spencer Reed.

ADMISSION FREE & OPEN to the PUBLIC. (908) 852-1400. X.2374.

Made possible by a grant from The New Jersey Council for the Humanities,

Three Poems by Yictove from Blue Print:

BLUE PRINT

Assuming I am a pleasant companion

with rhythm and a voice

and I depart

my hands having been

placed upon your

walls,

my fingerprints

upon your glass.

I simply leave this mark of blue

blue print.

SONG

--for Amiri Baraka

Gee-whiz New Jersey you calmly speak

and a nation becomes more poetic

and everyone bumps their imagination

up another notch.

Wisdom filters into conversations

as easy as winter snowflakes

and no wonder we endure political

rhetoric from politicians who look

exactly as we do.

This air is ridiculous and toxic as America.

Any reason of value is enough to uncomplicate

a twisted love affair so long dangling

with metaphors and suspicions.

And what of this alibi we've rehearsed?

I'm just as cosmopolitan as the next person,

I'm just as lucky.

Hang on Pennsylvania, sugar will sustain its

sweetness and eventually we remember all the easy stuff,

like travelling. Like going and returning.

Maybe we would all do better hanging out at an extravagant

Brazilian festival. Maybe we should just dance.

BOOM BOOM!

I get to go to boom boom

I get to kiss your cheek

I get to go to boom boom

I get to kiss your cheek

I get to go to Australia

I get to go Aborigine

I get to go to boom boom

All by my self

I get to go to boom boom

I get plenty of money

I get to make promises

I get to make sandwiches

I get to go to boom boom

I get ideas circulating in my head

I get fever

I get to kiss you

I get a reputation

I get everything simplified and amplified

I get to go to boom boom

I get plenty of recognition

I get the inspiration

I get to go to boom boom

I get my directions faxed in from Manila

I get accounted for

I get perspiration on my way to boom boom

I get the automatic interpretation of my dreams

I get to go to boom boom

I get isolation blues

I get funky blues around the clock

I get whatever I get

I get to go to boom boom

I get telegrams before I arrive

I get inclination to linger I get encouragement from neighbors

I get to go to boom boom

I get odd questions

I get focused

I get to go to boom boom

I get to realize the outcome

I get to see things as I suppose they have been

I get to go to boom boom

I get writings published

I get up close

I get turned on

I get to go to boom boom

I get to go to boom boom

Here I am!

Copyright © by Yictove from his book BLUE PRINT. All rights reserved by the author.

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