First Entry

i'm steve roberts. i live in new york.

here's my poem:

BUBBLE IN THE THROAT

In a few weeks rain will be shining on leaves like the lungs of your young.
A few t-shirts in your closet will sink on the hanger they’re taking on water.
Few t-shirts hold your body in when it wants to escape its dogmatic shackles.
T-shirts are called “T” be cause L and W wouldn’t describe your torso’s shape.
Are torsos swimming reminiscent of food boiling in the pot? No.
Torsos are called torsos from the Spanish for “container of various organs.”
Are Spanish people more attuned to their hearts because they used to duel? No.
Spanish Harlem is like a cage full of interesting antique knives and hatchets.
Harlem comes from Anthony Lapelle Harlem who was the neighborhood’s founder.
Comes to mind that lungs expel air through the esophagus, to sustain life.
‘to Harlem!’ the man tells the cabbie who snaps his fingers and drives there.
Harlem is a place I only go when I take the 125th bus to LaGuardia airport.
Is Harlem dangerous? Is Harlem tragic? Is Harlem exciting? Is Harlem facetious?
Harlem (Anthony Harlem) died when he tripped out of a second story window.
‘Anthony!’ cried his wife holding their young daughter but it was too late.
Cried into the arms of night and never escaped through depression’s throat.
Into a tunnel with no helmet with no light on top why would you go down there.
A helmet was what a roman had on his head to protect from swords and hatchets.
Helmet comes from the German for “brains are more important than hearts.”
Comes from the cold with no coat and curses because it’s frigid in Germany.

Germany was named after Germanic tribes named after Ulan Vortman Germanie.
Was it cold because Europe was cursed by gypsies? Probably not.
It is not unlike air getting trapped in your mouth when you’re trying to talk.
Is talking called talking because ‘talk’ is the natural sound your mouth makes? Yes.
Talking is usually the first thing that people do when they fall in love.
Is there any importance to where a word came from? No.
There in Germany drinking glass bottle soda was where I figured this out.
In these countries talking is different to each person, like styles of kissing.
These are continents I haven’t been to: Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, Australia.
Are continents stylistically different, do they kiss differently? Yes.
Continents are containers of people who contain fluids that contain nutrients.
Are not unlike huge musty closets composed of ancient red-lacquered oak.
Not imposing, but continents have a puffed up opinion of their daunting size.
Imposing as an older boy trying to kiss you in the closet at a party.
As an exercise the older boy may try to kiss as many of you as he can.
An older boy who drives through empty suburban streets thinking about himself.
Older than the boy you want to kiss outside the school at the pep rally.
Than the boy who wants to kiss you but in his one chance can’t get the momentum.
The kissing is a continent-large concept that basically makes you feel free.
Kissing is difficult when you can’t empty your throat so you gasp in between.