2022 · Poems · poetry

“Counsel of the Crowd”

“Umbrella Academy” ©️ C.P. Hickey 2022

“Counsel of the Crowd”

Boston Common jury pool

Sitting just to wait

Impaneled peers passing by

Hundreds of thousands of judgments

Rendered unconsciously

The horde wills itself

Despite small protests

Barrister bums profess innocence

Regardless of their guilt

Happy clams waiting to be plucked

Away from an unjust motion

To dismiss outright, doubt

Just is

Thumbs are on the scales

Just is

Only pretending to be blind

Just is

She’s in it for the handicapped placard

Just is

Courting the illusion

Writing to sit

Peers passing disaffected

Pooling common

Just is

2022 · Poems · poetry

“Lines Collecting Lines”

Dear Friends,
Please consider stopping by to support the Malden Arts. There is a certain Poet of medium repute, that may or may not have participated in this project. It would be nice to share how his poem was interpreted by another local artist.
Come see!
Many of my colleagues from The Malden Writers’ Collaborative have also submitted poems for this project.
Lines Connecting Lines Links Poetry and Art
“Lines Connecting Lines” is an exhibit of poetry and visual art charged with enhancing the enjoyment and understanding of both art forms. Poems will hang side by side with paintings, drawings, prints and photographs made in response to area poets’ work. The exhibit at Gallery UMA (145 Pleasant Street, Malden) runs April 7 through June 1, and the public is invited to a reception on Thursday, April 28 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
Gallery UMA is hosting this exhibit, which is inspired in part by this year’s Malden Reads poetry book selection. The project was supported, in part, by a grant from the Malden Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Poems · poetry

“Desitin Daddy”

“Desitin Daddy” ©️C.P. Hickey 2020

“Desitin Daddy”

Desitin Daddy,

Quarantine savvy,

Whittling a day to wit’s end.

Working from home,

Never alone,

Zoom session lagging again.

A virtual classroom,

Diaper fresh ass-wound,

In need of calming cream.

For all of the crying,

Squirming and prying,

Dry bum bum makes him serene.

2021 · Poems · Poemvember 2021 · poetry

“So…ciety”

“Can I Kick the Tires?” ©️C.P. Hickey 2021

“So…ciety”

Society

So…ciety

Lacking propriety

Feeding anxiety

Challenging sobriety

So…ciety

So what about me?

So what?

So inclined to pursue

My interests anew

So what, about you?

I don’t like your views

They make me uncomfortable

You must be normative cisgender racist of no particular color

You fit the profile

We all know what you are

We’ll identify you

So that others can understand your inherent ability to cause discomfort in this space

So what?

So it goes

So on and so forth

So, just so you know

Sobering

Soul

Soulless

Pain numbed

Down dumbed

So, about that thing…

A so called humanity

Discerning who can be or be seen

Relative to hurt feelings

Extreme

So extreme

I’ll Trump your facts with a meme

So important to me

Impacts what I see

Despite reality

It’s all about me

So what about me?

So what about me?

So…ciety

Poems · Poemvember 2021 · poetry

“A Bridge Under Troubled Waters”

“Bunker Hill Bridge” ©️ C.P. Hickey 2021

“A Bridge Under Troubled Waters”

Looking over the meandering harbor lanes

Folks stare up at spiraling tensions

As tubes full of air stay afloat in the sky

Harboring delights for all nearby

Port, authority?

Mass commute

Shuttles dump off sea-saw riders

Converse

Wharf speed ahead

Old timbers bounce balls

Cannon, rules

Majestic, irrevocable

Boston Strong

Marchy Marchy, quite contrary

How does your Garden grow?

 

2021 · Poems · Poemvember 2021 · poetry

“Chest, or Copper Pot?”

“Pot” ©️ C.P. Hickey 2021

“Chest, or Copper Pot?”

Pot, chest?

Chest, pot?

One is, the other is not.

Chest pot

Smoked, boiled, smoking hot.

Unattended boils over,

Spilling contents on the stove,

Or, rolling boil in the pot,

Sneakily becomes scalding hot,

Oven mitts can help with gripping,

Boiling point shortly tipping.

Heated fire energy

Moist water, steam ascending.

2021 · Poems · Poemvember 2021 · poetry

“Maize Matte”

“Fallen Angles” ©️ C.P. Hickey 2021

“Maize Matte”

Dipped golden honey

Foundational

Scattered

Wind swept

Arranged in chaos

Awaiting rakes and bags

Abandoned branches

Budding will resume shortly

Poems · Poemvember 2021 · poetry

“Lucky Penny”

“Take a Penny…” ©️ C.P. Hickey 2021

“Lucky Penny”

Lucky penny

Good and plenty

Forgotten sidewalk remainder

Barely hidden

On a mission

To find a needed claimer

Pick it up

Give a rub

Transfer to your pants

Lucky penny

Good and plenty

Just increased your chance

2021 · Poemvember 2021 · poetry

“Starbucks Cuck”

“Starbucks Cuck” 

Whatchoo mean, you got no cream?

Whip my order venti plenty.

Some lovely leveled burning sips,

Scald java-loving gentry.

 

Cinnamon flakes and power shakes,

Compacted grinds deeper still,

Steamed milk under constant threat,

Adding funds for each refill.

 

Caution contents extremely hot,

Slapping refrigerator panels,

Urban workforce lines the queue,

Doc Martens, Carhartts, flannels.

 

My taut tall grande pressed to your lips.

Simple sweets dance on your tongue.

A sheath at once contains the heat,

Until the cuppings done.

 

Sanctimonious bean baristas,

Scraping fluffy foam from off your top.

Compels some blushing fashionistas,

To request the special heady froth.

 

Gaining purchase on convenience,

Paying forward for free use.

Instant rewards for disobedience,

Begets mistakes that reproduce.

 

Poseidon’s Triton furrowed schism,

Safe within the harbor docks.

Climb aboard and find the rhythm,

Opening Pandora’s Box.

 

Like Seattle seaman rounding Puget Sound,

Just a sippin’ simp that’s short on luck.

Pounding waves against your bow,

A standard bearing Starbucks cuck.

 

If you missed yesterday’s Poemvember offering take a peek here: “Tired Writing” – ProCrasstheNation

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Twitter: Author C.P. Hickey (@authorcphickey) / Twitter

Christopher P. Hickey makes his home in Malden, MA, with his Wife and Children. He facilitates The Malden Writers’ Collaborative. When not working as an administrator at Harvard University, he creates content for his blog ProCrasstheNation.com.  The blog content spans the range from irreverent to philosophical. Picking up casual photography in recent years, he always tries to capture the light all around him.  Christopher enjoys spending time helping writing colleagues.

He is currently working on a series of short stories or perhaps a novella this November while participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Christopher will attempt to eclipse the 50,000 word mark for a second year in a row.

If you would like to contact Christopher, please contact him at: authorcphickey@gmail.com

There are many projects on tap at the end of this year, so please stay tuned. The month of November promises to be rich with poetry, and we’ll be looking into creating another Advent Calendar of blog posts for 2021. We’ll see a different story, memory, picture, etc. behind a series of mysterious and decorated doors.