The Rhyming Bastards of NYC

This poetry group was started in Akron, Ohio, 2001 by New York City musical theatre performers during the backstage down-time of "Razzle Dazzle". Instigated by me (Betina), it is carried on in bars, on subways, in parks, just about anywhere and with anyone. The meetings are playful and and we chose a topic, words and a form and then sit and write and read our poetry aloud before scattering. The purpose is to stretch ourselves and share in a very present, immediate way with no pressure but the willingness to open. The group currently meets in NYC at random times is always open to new poets. Send mail to betina@betinahershey.com .

Poetry... it's essence! , The Ex's Ex, Pantoums, June 14 Poem Games, Villanelles, Ritual Poems, Blind Date Haikus, David Leaving Haikus, Marshmellow Poem

All about Poetry (form= sonnet, words we used= honey, zinger, insipid, crooked, close, eyes, freedom, hurl)

The words will drip like honey sweetened tea
trickling through the hour glass of minds;
narrow tunnels lead to poetry
unwritten but well understood through eyes
of those who taste the zing of recent loss.
He who has hurled hearts into the earth
can plainly nail freedom to a cross
or just as easily determine worth
of gifts which never shall be closed or ta'en.
And he may try to bend this precious crooked,
infallible, through hearts to wax and wane
on one thing ever more will she be hooked-
for only those insipid cannot see
that she'll forever thrive on poetry.
-Alena Gerst

She has a world unwinding, whirling fast
inside her bulging stomach coated thick
with honey zinger life and sweet repast;
before her is the creamy plate to lick.
She opens eyes that hold the future close,
hurling silver shafted spears across
the crooked wind out towards the freedom coast
with speckled words of foamy, flaky sauce.
Iım here and see the world in purple splash!
Or, have you heard the squeaking of my teeth?
The coldest ice is perched upon your lash
And slipping to the pool I swim beneath.
Oh, Oh, Toss insipid gray
up and off and fierce, digest the day!
-Betina Hershey

The words come fast as time flies.
The path you take may be crooked.
Donıt waste your shit. Donıt give me lies.
Donıt call me Friday, Iım book-ed.
Weıre drinking rum and red zinger,
drinking all night, forgetting Œbout money.
All that you want is right here by my finger.
Drinking too much makes us hurl, honey.
Talk about war can be quite insipid.
Close your eyes and imagine love.
Take off your doubts and out you will whip itŠ
sweet love, flowing peaceful, not below but above.
Our passion and lust, such a strong double dose.
Open your mind. Just be here. Just be close.
-Mike

A form, a rule, too many sounds distract!
No freedom to be slowŠ must finish soon.
I must keep writing, must not slowly act
cause I wonıt finish till tomorrow noon.
Iıll close my eyes and take a moment now.
Iıll calm my worried mind and try to start.
Iıll hurl these words onto the page if now
insipid thoughtsŠ Iım stuck, must do my part.
My hand, it rests upon my crooked nose.
You all are done. This poetry game, it sucks!
I read my poem and I think it blows.
And how to turn the judge off. Thatıs the crux.
Your second cup of honey zingerıs full
and now I guess Iım done with all this bull.
-Lance Olds

Why try and try and try to get it right?
The more you speak the more inflamed I grow.
No more honey, sorry's, zingers... NONE! just go.
My soul is meant to dance and fly and flame
It's meant to tumble crooked straight and free
Out of my ears I say to you again
I won't give over my dreams to your melancholy.
I hurl myself to freedom on my own
My eyes welcome the kiss of the beautiful unknown
The wind, ah yes, the breeze, ah me, alone
Past traps, past fears, past wounds, ONWARD I moan!
Why did I wait so long to say goodbye?
I close that door and open up the sky!
-hart huley

This castle on the hill is my home.
Have you come to attack, or dub me your she-knight?
Was it planned, or a stumbling roam?
But me, oh my, I feel tipsy as I pace,
Waiting for the knock at my door.
And gee, silver sister, you shake me from my face,
Those blue flame eyes consuming me once more.
Nothing but a meager mouse skittering by
And you! I swear I saw your shadow loom!
But darling, my sweet darling, while your wild stabs fly,
I've been laying velvet pillows in my room.
Though the men swear and fight and vie
For our attention, come to me and lie.
-sterling mushlinka

Poetry... it's essence! (NEW), , Pantoums, June 14 Poem Games, Villanelles, Ritual Poems, Blind Date Haikus, David Leaving Haikus, Marshmellow Poem

The Exıs X

viper tongue in my hello
when she sweetly calls, hovering
near my old lair. She shares ghosts with me-
patiently and deep rivers
dug out by whose hand, hers?
No, he dug those escape tunnels.
My wound is a hole in the ground.
Iıve covered it with sticks, fur, leaves
so sheıll walk, sashe, spin,
lips softly curling, eyes gentle,
laughter crossing the gap
to midnight.
I stand beyond,
beckoning, waving, hips circling
sweet temptation
and that foot one inch from falling
into my trap.
But wait! I always said
I long to love you,
simple, kind, inclusive gesture.
No! donıt put your foot down.
Back up! Retreat!
How about tomorrow for tea?
You pick the place.
That will be safer.
-Betina Hershey

Her motives I donıt trust-
Iıd leave her in the dust
But know I that he loves her
And in him I shall trust.

I donıt know why they broke,
I donıt know why did we-
But now she wants my friendship
Or does she want my misery?

Despite it all, I know one thing-
Too many friends we cannot have.
But oh so few can make me sing
And fewer still with whom I laugh.

A nice one I shall be,
But still rely on only me.
-Alena Gerst

The Pieces on the Floor

Pieces of heart
Strewn on the floor:
Meaning looks around desperately with her good eye
which speaks a lifetime of sorrow battling blessings.
Next to her lies Hope,
badly damaged, with Fear landing upon her in the explosion.
They continue to wrestle and writhe.
Lonely surveys the debris knowingly,
anticipating some, but not all, of the devastation.
She lies near Love who has ceased to breathe
since his coldness froze her.
Courage is fighting to stay alive,
and Joy has rolled off to I don't know where.
-AG

Poetry... it's essence! (NEW), , Pantoums, June 14 Poem Games, Villanelles, Ritual Poems, Blind Date Haikus, David Leaving Haikus, Marshmellow Poem

Pantoums (This form is as long as you want. Write a 4 line stanza. In the next stanza, take your 2nd line from the 1st stanza and use it as your 1st line. Take your 4ths line from the 1st stanza and use it as your 3rd. In this way, almost every line ends up being used twice... so each line must be important enough to say twice, or contain multiple meanings. Have fun! Think: 1,2,3,4.... 2,5,3,6....5,7,6,8.... etc.)

(words to use: artichoke, spelunk, jimbay, infinity)

Ode to Chris Chandler, the Street Poet

The prophet whispers with stones in his throat.
We lean into his artichoke breath.
Mysterious, his dusty road to infinity swirls;
the jimbay beats from his eye.

We lean into his artichoke breath.
Flies nest on his tongue;
the jimbay beats from his eye.
Who will photograph this tornado man?

Flies nest on his tongue,
the howl of the world's toothacke in his attack.
Who will photograph this tornado man?
I crack my lense on his helmet.

The howl of the world's toothache in his attack,
we spelunk into his dark poem.
I crack my lense on his helmet.
The light breaks open and smears me like a firefly.
-betina hershey, 6/01

If you want to read my friend Alex's Pantoum, click here. It's long so it gets it's own page.

The Juditka and Betina June 14 Poem Games

Poetry... it's essence! (NEW), , Pantoums, June 14 Poem Games, Villanelles, Ritual Poems, Blind Date Haikus, David Leaving Haikus, Marshmellow Poem

Moon Tribe Poem (Form: aabba Words: moon, trible, dance, hill)

The moon began to dance
Like a tribe in tight white pants
Up the hill
Past the mill
Searching for romance
-betina hershey, 6/14/01

Wolfy howled at the moon
From the hill there he swooned
Dissed by the tribe
Pained by their jibe
Said "-uck emı" and danced to his tune.
-juditka hoenig, 6/14/01

For the Molasses Singer (Form: aaab, cccb, optional db)

He dangles pretty sounds
Along the rhythmic guitar as it pounds
Like a pack of howling hounds
Along a dark river

Oh, the heavy scent of musk
As the day clamors against dusk
Draping hot breaths like withered husks
How we all shiver

But the man in the corner lip-singing the words
Is soon in the arms of our exalting singer
-bh

He draped me round his voice
Attention fixed without a choice
A voice the purred like a Rolls Royce
I clamored for eye contact.

He slammed the guitar heavy
Lookin to see if Iım ready
Sexy with a secret so headyŠ
Heıs gay. So I just retract.
-jh

On Needing to Pee (Form: Haiku ... 3 very short lines... try for 5,7,5 syllables)

The drip of a hose
I am tightly walking home.
As I sit, ah, sweet release!
-bh

Ache between my legs
Make it to the throne on time.
Orgasmic release!
-jh

On Feline Beauty

Quill red chin
I scratch the purr
My own throat rumbles
bh

On Missing Her Train

Is this your stop?
She is writing a poem.
The doors slide shut.
bh

Poetry... it's essence! (NEW), , Pantoums, June 14 Poem Games, Villanelles, Ritual Poems, Blind Date Haikus, David Leaving Haikus, Marshmellow Poem

Villanelles

(The form of a villanelle is complicated but very powerful... the capital letters mean you repeat the exact line, not just the rhyme: A1, b, A2/ a,b,A1/ a,b,A2/ a,b,A1/ a,b,A2/ a,b,A1,A2.)

Desolate, the woman needs the man,
wonders when the earth became so rigid,
gives herself as naked as she can.

Naked, crying soft, her life began
and now, she hides her skin, feeling frigid.
Desolate, the woman needs the man.

Split apart, she cracks an egg upon her pan.
In fire, she lifts desirous lid,
gives herself as naked as she can.

Wrapped in wool, the elders run this clan,
draw lines of lives upon the grid.
Desolate, the woman needs the man.

Underneath his weight, she ope's her fan,
waves her dreams of standing proud and learned,
gives herself as naked as she can.

Soap in palm, she understands.
The world demands she do as bid.
Desolate, the woman needs the man,
gives herself as naked as she can.
-Betina Hershey

Let go, why do you stay me?
When love me you do not,
And I'm so buried I can't see.

Twas you who at once set me free.
Twas you, is what I thought-
Let go, why do you stay me?

You were the topic over tea-
You were the one whose lily I bought-
And I'm so buried I can't see.

A hundred nights were pockets of glee
In an otherwise sterilized lot.
Let go, why do you stay me?

Your hand on my knee...
With your bait I was caught
And I'm so buried I can't see.

To you I had given a most precious key
So innocent o knowing you wanted it not...
Let go, why do you stay me?
And I'm so buried I can't see.
-Alena Gerst

Fear

I can never leave fear,
Though I wear a smile throughout the day.
By his command do I steer.

His shadow always near,
I could drown in its vast bay.
I can never leave fear.

In his grip I see clear,
He whispers softly not to stay.
By his command do I steer.

And so I left one so dear-
Not with her, but him, did I lay.
I can never leave fear.

I shout back at his leer.
He bends my will to his like clay.
By his command do I steer.

I'll walk out next year.
But I'm afraid it won't be today.
I can never leave fear.
By his command do I steer.
-Matt Nelson

The leaden black ball rumbles toward the pins.
We shake as scythes gyrate.
The world is gridded up so no one wins.

I swim upstream but lose my rudder fins.
They stuff me in this crate.
The leaden black ball rumbles toward the pins.

A murky battle bruise upon my shins,
My god called the defense too late.
The world is gridded up so no one wins.

The hungry drummer beats upon his tins.
Glint of pennies in the cup, he'll wait.
The leaden black ball rumbles toward the pins.

I stand inside your home. My freedom spins.
You toss a slab of tuna on my plate.
The world is gridded up so no one wins.

Monkey in the middle, sunk in sins,
Scratches at the cement face of fate.
The leaden black ball rumbles toward the pins.
The world is gridded up so no one wins.
-Betina Hershey

Enlarged Ventricles
A rumbling thunder of growling fear;
Tis the background of the song I hear.
I close my eyes to swallow a tear,
and open them sure to regurgitate calm.
A rumbling thunder of growling fear-
Resisting the urge to crawl into a beer,
I decide instead to cry on my Mom,
Tis the background of the song I hear.
I ponder my plans for my kids and career
and stare at the lifeline on my palm-
it's a rumbling thunder of growling fear.
A little girl looks at me in the mirror-
and hears that tune her father would hum;
Tis the background of the song I hear.
She doesn't want to disappear.
The Beat's as steady as a drum,
the rumbling thunder of growling fear-
Tis the background of the song I hear.
-Alena Gerst

Poetry... it's essence! (NEW), , Pantoums, June 14 Poem Games, Villanelles, Ritual Poems, Blind Date Haikus, David Leaving Haikus, Marshmellow Poem

Ritual Poems:
(Form: simply make an instructional list. chose what you'll be instructing, and then do so, no matter how absurd your subject is. Words: prickly, livid, ice-pick, cashew, pinching)

Getting Over Your Lover Ritual (thanks, my Heidi)
1. Take a good friend into a dark room
2. Light a candle and shut the door
3. Sit crosslegged and breath deeply
4. Imagine all the places in your heart that your ex-lover lives
5. Picture the chord, umbilical, that connects you two
6. Suck all of him out of your heart
7. Thank him for his love
8. Send all of him to the end of the chord
9. Take a scissor, or an ice pick
10. Let go of all livid, prickly thoughts
11. Cut or chop the chord
12. Pinch your cheeks
13. Eat a cashew
14. Hug your friend
-Betina Hershey

Writing Ritual
1. Get out of bed
2. Shave prickly legs
3. Put on clothes
4. Take off shirt and try another
5. Pack pen, paper, and cashews in bag
6. Imagine yourself an icepick and charge through the pinching cold
7. Order coffee and cipher through emotions
8. Experience feeling joyful, livid, nostalgic, tender
9. Don special crown or other tool to brighten and enlighten
10. Take one breath deeply
11. Put pen to paper
-Alena Gerst

The Evasion/Frustration Ritual
1. Day or night, donne a pair of black sunglasses
2. Do not speak when partner speaks to you
3. Begin humming a pinching, non-melodious tune
4. Ask for an ice-pick, then return to ignoring your partner
5. When he becomes livid, turn on the television
6. When he is finally provoked to storm out, offer him a cashew (real or non-existent)
-Mathew Nelson

Sleeping Ritual
1. Start by throwing off the prickly heat of the day
2. Forget about how livid you are at your boss
3. Ice-pick your clothes off layer by layer
4. Eat as many cashews as possible, or until drowsy
5. Pinch yourself (You realize you were just daydreaming!)
-David Gilleo

Party Ritual
1. Decorate your place with frozen foods
2. Invite only guys named Fred
3. Invite only girls named Bertha
4. Put all the livid people in one room
5. Give each one an ice pick
6. Close the door
7. Seperate anyone with prickly stubble
8. Make them swim with the pinching crab
9. Give everyone left a rose.
10. Have them feed each other cashews
11. Basque in the afterglow
-Jeff Paradise

Poetry... it's essence! (NEW), , Pantoums, June 14 Poem Games, Villanelles, Ritual Poems, Blind Date Haikus, David Leaving Haikus, Marshmellow Poem

Blind Date Haikus (5,7,5 syllables)

place a classified
check your messages daily
don't call anyone
-Gilleo

is it you in the gray?
lists of appropriate topics
blagh blagh blagh blagh blagh
-Nelson

I do not want kids.
What did you say your name was?
I think I'm in love.
-Gerst

Walk in from cold wet
Shaking off apprehension
Does love work like this?
-Paradise

tick of clock, slush
rushing, she glances, which man?
brown eyes lock on blue
-Hershey

Poetry... it's essence! (NEW), , Pantoums, June 14 Poem Games, Villanelles, Ritual Poems, Blind Date Haikus, David Leaving Haikus, Marshmellow Poem

David Leaving Haikus (5,7,5 syllables)

No! No! No! No! No!
Health insurance awaits you;
yes, my fair young gent!
-Gerst

Goodbye, my Davie
Bless your sleeping brown Akron eyes
My love is your blanket
-Nelson

Pack my bags to go.
Hope there's no chances for snow.
Kiss goodbye my beau.
-Gilleo

snow drifts and clouds drift
one brown bag stuffed overhead
nose pressed to window
-Hershey

I'm sorry Akron
It's Ohio and that's weird
I won't go with you.
-Jeff Paradise

Poetry... it's essence! (NEW), , Pantoums, June 14 Poem Games, Villanelles, Ritual Poems, Blind Date Haikus, David Leaving Haikus, Marshmellow Poem

Marshmellow Poem
(Form: abab, cdcd Words: marshmellow, flowering, green, smile, anaphalectic)

The marshmellow went into anaphalectic shock
As it saw my gaping lips flower
Into a sticky smile full of green mossy rocks;
It was dreading its imminent sticky, icky, drooling shower.

Just then its long wooden stick paused
While a deep rumbling ring shook my house.
The marshmellow gasped, wondering how this stillness was caused,
And then it gave up all thought as it plunged into my mouth.
-Betina Hershey
(There are some missing poems floating around in my buddies' bags on torn menu placemats from an excellent french fry place in Montreal. I hope one or two get emailed to me. Or, if you weren't with us, you can try one of any form above and send it to me... betina@betinahershey.com)

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