"POLITICS"

In America


A child sitting on the edge of a cot
in the cell of a jailhouse;

his head droops into his folded arms,
the toes of his stocking feet
skimming the ground;

10 feet above his head is a slice of light
onto sky and barbed wire.

On someone’s sidewalk there are teddy bears
and candles, photographs and photographers.

In a hospice for dying children there is wailing,
there are caresses and prayer, hope
for an end to grievous pain.

Not in this cell, in this jailhouse
no candles, no caresses; a slice of light
onto sky and barbed wire.

SKETCHBOOK, 2009

==================================
Considering “Empire” by Kaplan – The Day After

Warm, always warm
every day, warm
not hot, never hot, warm
everyday, warm
every night

A bird, not an eagle
dozes on a railing,
a suspended railing
in danger of melting
into the smoky milk
of a triumphal arch

while smaller beings
too new to remember cold
poke, scamp about
in yellow light,
and plot

PROTESTPOEMS.org, 2009; GUYANAJOURNAL.com, 2010

2 LOVE POEMS

Old Age, Alone: A Love Poem


If I must live a long time
without you, I will grieve
but I will not mourn.

If no one of blood or brain
stops by to touch my face
or roll me into sunlight,

if no one is left to speak
to me as if I still exist
or nod at my babbling,

I will start the tape at August,
a hot afternoon, when your breath
questioned mine and our lust-

driven, love-drenched epic began.
I will dawdle over every frame,
mouth every syllable, until

the reel whips to its end. I will
sob and shake my head like a forlorn
beast; I may even call out your name.

And if I'm touched and rolled and
spoken to and heard, I'll wait
until they've gone to press my heart

and start my tape, again.

Comstock Review, 1997


===================================
Forever & Forever & Forever


"This is forever - we are in it now" - A. R. Ammons

What are you looking for, Beloved,
what do you seek?

Why ask me such questions, Beloved?
You are not as meek

and wide-eyed as you pretend to yourself
to be, a Byronic Don Juan,

sultry newborn, happy hostage
to your own innocent charm;

You know as well as I, your make-believe
Venus, that all my tricks

of seduction, my blinding beauty
are out of Kabala books.

And what does Kabala say, Beloved
what do the books say?

That forever is a pretty thought, Beloved
a thought we create

in our own image of unending love
and pleasure for as long

as we want to stay in this place, drawing
each other's breath, as long

as we want to promise, as long as we see
ourselves in each other's eyes,

in each other's sighs;
this is Forever, Beloved, it is now.


JerseyWorks.com – Summer/2008

"Poet of the Week" on PoetrySuperHighway

For the week August 31 - September 5, 2009, I will be the featured poet on Rick Lupert's Poetry Super Highway website:

http://poetrysuperhighway.com/PoetLinks.html#top

1st Opera Preview at Electric Lodge

The very first taste of ONE DAY LESS was performed by Emily Hayes, soprano and David Javelosa, composer stepping in as the male lead, June 1. We got a 10minute shot in Venice CA at MAX10 - a performance lab - with a few props, a couple of masks, David's electronics and Peter Ludwig's improv cello. It went well, good feedback, more auditions coming and lots of work this summer, hoping for a full concert performance this Fall.

POETRY UPDATE

I am pleased to note that Jennifer MacPherson from Comstock Review, a very early publisher of my poetry,has posted reviews of all my chaps: AS IF, AN EYE, WIRED,and CANCER POEMS on the Comstock Review web site: http://www.comstockreview.org. Comstock is an excellent poetry magazine, for poets and readers - do take a look.
Also pleased to note that the Guyana Journal has re-published "Considering Empire: The Day After" in their latest issue: http://www.GuyanaJournal.com - a fine journal of poetry and prose and news focusing on Guyanese communities in the U.S. - open to all writers.

NEW POETRY ONLINE +++

New poetry has just been published at the excellent site: www.November3rdClub.com
Besides topnotch poetry, you will also find provacative essays and editorials on our world - hope you will take a look.
ALSO - recent print publications containing my poems are: CLARK STREET REVIEW #64 (POBox 1377, Berthoud CO 80513 at 3.00) and LEAGUE OF LABORING POETS, Fall/2008 (POBox 1226, San Clemente, CA 92674 at 3.00)
FINALLY - my opera collaboration with composer David Javelosa continues. We are now at the auditions stage and preparing for a brief workshop presentation in June. Will keep you posted.

"WRITING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS"

A new poem, "EMPIRE", is currently available online

at an excellent website:  http://www.protestpoems org 

Once at the site, click on my name on the left of the screen;

if it is no longer there, look for it under "February, 2009".

Comments via email, as always, always welcome.

Announcing new poetry in January's ISTANBUL LITERARY REVIEW --

3 poems - recent and older  - have just been published in this beautiful journal.  To read them and other fine work, go to http://www.ilrmagazine.net.

Thank you for reading - comments welcome.

In addition, for those with young children, nieces, nephews, godkids, students, et.al, check out TARGET stores and online for the GRUMMEL Stories on SHOOFLY cds.

New Poetry at SKETCHBOOK

The good people at SKETCHBOOK have published some of my recent poetry in the September issue, albeit, a little late:

http://www.poetrywriting.org/Sketchbook3-9Sep08

Thanks for reading.

Variation on WILLIAM BLAKE

My presumptuous variation on the great poet William Blake's THE MENTAL TRAVELLER is now available at Lyrical Ballads: http://www.lyricalballads.net.

Go to Archives section, then the July issue. It's a good little magazine with big plans

Thanks for reading - comments welcome.

"Something a Little Different"

Small Press icon Hugh Fox interview of ACM is at online version of WILDERNESS HOUSE LITERARY REVIEW, issue #3/2 - under ESSAYS:

http://www.WHLREVIEW.com

I think you'll find it fun, funny, irreverant - and "a little different."

Comments, of course, are welcome.

New Poetry Online + Final LAURA HANSON

You will find new poetry on the beautiful, international SKETCHBOOK page at http://poetrywriting.org. I'm a bit late posting so if you can't find me under "current issue", click onto "archived issues" and then click on May 31, 2008 - Volume 3, Issue 5.

And -- the final installment of my novella LAURA HANSON is out from ESC! MAGAZINE. You can get a .pdf of the issue with this link: http://media.libsyn.com/media/escwebs/ESCv12n1w.pdf

Comments welcome

New Poetry Chapbook: AS IF

Lummox Press has just published my chapbook, "AS IF", in its Little Red Book Series. AS IF is based on a battle with breast cancer, passed on to a daughter from a father who died of the disease in his 60s. Most important, the poems are poems of survival and moving on.
You can order a copy at www.lummoxpress.com by credit card, through PayPal, or by check.
Thanks for considering it.

NEW POETRY ONLINE at SKETCHBOOK

Four (relatively) new poems have just been published in the literary journal SKETCHBOOK. You can read them by going to www.poetrywriting.org, clicking Enter on the SKETCHBOOK screen, then "Current Issue", another Enter, and finally scrolling down the right side of the screen to my name. Click on "Free Verse" and you'll get all 4 poems - 2 free vrse and 2 "traditionals" (in form, at least).

I hope you will get a chance to take a look - comments welcome.

REMINDER: Poetry Titles

3 of Angela's poetry chapbooks are still available:

AN EYE - order from Pecan Grove Press: http://library.stmarytx.edu/pgpress

WIRED - order from Aquarius West Press, 1 Venice Blvd, Venice CA 90291 or direct from Angela - send her an email through "View My Complete Profile" and she will get back to you.

CANCER POEMS - order direct from Angela - send her an email through "View My Complete Profile" and she will get back to you.

NOT EVEN BLOOD is a special edition collection, now out of print and available only in manuscript form - request directly leaving from Angela through "View My Complete Profile" and she will get back to you

Part 3 of LAURA HANSON

ESC! Magazine has just published part 3 of my serialized novella, LAURA HANSON.

You can read it free using this link: http://media.libsyn.com/media/escwebs/ESCv11n2w_ContributorEdition.pdf

Thanks for reading - comments welcome --- the final part - 4 - will be out Spring, 2008

New Poetry and More:

3 of my newer poems can be read by entering my name in SEARCH at a new site: http://www.outsiderwriters.org

AND - a new chapbook, AS IF, will be published soon in the Little Red Book Series from Lummox Press.

GRUMMEL is Back!

My 7 Grummie stories are being re-issued by SHOOFLY, an audio "magazine" for kids 3-7 years old. Grummel is wonderful, of course, and is there with all his puppy pals, chipmunks, beavers et.al. but the "magazine" also contains other delightful stories plus songs and poems. See details on the SHOOFLY website:

www.Shooflyaudio.com

ESC! MAGAZINE is serializing my novella "LAURA HANSON" - please take a look at the link below.

Since I'm primarily a poet and wrote LAURA more than 10 years ago, I'm both excited and anxious about the serialization. At first I thought the story line wouldbe a bit dated, but unfortunately, it isn't. Do take a look at this "social-realism" piece, inspired by director Vittorio De Sica. Any and all comments welcome.

http://www.escmagazine.com/escmag.asp

View Some of My Poetry at These Sites:

Most of the time you can find me by entering "Mankiewicz" in the site's SEARCH feature --

http://www.mastodondentist.com
http://www.thundersandwich.com (click onto #25 and #26)
http://www.onthepage.org/poetry.htm
http://voicesinwartime.org
http://www.pemmicanpress.com (Pemmican's Archives may still be in "in process")

Latest Poetry Chapbook: AN EYE

This is the backcover of AN EYE, my latest chapbook of poems, just published from Pecan Grove Press, San Antonio, TX. Take a look at: http://library.stmarytx.edu/pgpress
You can order with PayPal through the Press, or call Louie at the
Press: 210) 436-3442.