CHI 103 IND 86
I sometimes joke about Chicago
That the long cold winters
While horrible
Make its people better
And stronger
That’s why people from the Chi
Are so badass
Never-ending winter
Focused minds
Distraction
Survival
I have a buddy from Serbia
Minja--(pronounced Meen-yuh)
Little guy
Nice as hell
Never rattled
Always smiling his sleepy little
Jack and Coke
Smile
Minja was married on a boat--
A party barge
Windy shitty day
Sun turning to rain
Calm waters turning choppy
Gusts getting cold
I deejayed this wedding
Watched my records fly off the turntable
Ripped by the wind
Floating like a frisbee--
Stopping in the air like a Polaroid
Thrown from barge to water
Perfectly
They sing
Men
Arms around shoulders
Sharing one microphone
Drunk
In love
And safe
Together
Songs in an old language
Songs I can’t understand
That remind me of my relatives
Two generations past now
All dead but one
Old Jews
Gathered around my grandmother’s piano
Singing songs in Yiddish
Songs I couldn't understand
Songs that felt like survival
And togetherness
Once I asked Minja
Why so many Serbians play in the NBA
Durink war--he says
First thing
Bombing the school
and hospital
Kid--they havink nothing to do
So play basketball is good
Is better than gang and army and rebel
Is with friend--yes?
I playink music--
The same
Niko grew up just after this time
Of bombs dismissing school
But he
Like all of us
Is an echo
Decoding echoes
though
Is a tricky business
Gunfire
Easily mistaken
For applause
That the long cold winters
While horrible
Make its people better
And stronger
That’s why people from the Chi
Are so badass
Never-ending winter
Focused minds
Distraction
Survival
I have a buddy from Serbia
Minja--(pronounced Meen-yuh)
Little guy
Nice as hell
Never rattled
Always smiling his sleepy little
Jack and Coke
Smile
Minja was married on a boat--
A party barge
Windy shitty day
Sun turning to rain
Calm waters turning choppy
Gusts getting cold
I deejayed this wedding
Watched my records fly off the turntable
Ripped by the wind
Floating like a frisbee--
Stopping in the air like a Polaroid
Thrown from barge to water
Perfectly
They sing
Men
Arms around shoulders
Sharing one microphone
Drunk
In love
And safe
Together
Songs in an old language
Songs I can’t understand
That remind me of my relatives
Two generations past now
All dead but one
Old Jews
Gathered around my grandmother’s piano
Singing songs in Yiddish
Songs I couldn't understand
Songs that felt like survival
And togetherness
Once I asked Minja
Why so many Serbians play in the NBA
Durink war--he says
First thing
Bombing the school
and hospital
Kid--they havink nothing to do
So play basketball is good
Is better than gang and army and rebel
Is with friend--yes?
I playink music--
The same
Niko grew up just after this time
Of bombs dismissing school
But he
Like all of us
Is an echo
Decoding echoes
though
Is a tricky business
Gunfire
Easily mistaken
For applause
Two Haikus About Mike Dunleavy and Trust
By Stacey King & BullsBard
By Stacey King & BullsBard
Trust that you are here
For a reason--to take shots
Don’t think about it
You've got to play D
with the trust that your teammates
Are back there to help
For a reason--to take shots
Don’t think about it
You've got to play D
with the trust that your teammates
Are back there to help