(c) 2009
Sometimes to rise to it is to rise against yourself,
against a history of least resistance, paths so easy
they must have seemed right, now furrowed
and pocked like timber roads, useless beyond
their original intent. It hurts watching you rise
between rock and bone only to bottom,
dragging what, woefully, seem exaggerated
promises and plans as though they, too,
were encased in concrete.
I can not keep asking you to rise.
Your inability to surface and stand
can not be any simple measure of love,
but there it is. It is.
So many of my own desolate nights
I have thrashed myself like I am Jacob
wrestling Jacob’s angel, finding neither
the face of god or forgiveness.
Inner angels and devils consume me
until I beg myself to just quit breathing.
Embracing the end is not any kind of embrace
for the living. So I’ve come full-circle
through fairy tales and myths to accept my place—
the wise witch who offers guidance
through the chthonic flux, the queen-goddess
who insists three things. For you alone
more princess-as-prize than Medusa.
I have gone so far to hand you the sword
and the mirroring shield. Why will you not rise to it?
I am almost done hoping you are a chrysalis
about to emerge, not so much a hero, but a man.
How much longer can I rise to you?
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All my writing...the good, the bad, the embarrassingly awful.
Ancient Writing and First Attempts at Memoir
About Me
- Alley Greymond
- Read about Red Sky Poetry Theater here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sky_Poetry_Theatre Some info about the Washington Poet's Association here:https://www.facebook.com/people/Washington-Poets-Association/100064419530205/
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Publications
Poet Eggs. Paw Prints. QAHS. Seattle (1976)
Choke. Fog Horn Anthology. Copper Canyon Press. Port Townsend. (1976)
Over Tea; Nails; Mama Took the City. Paw Prints. QAHS. Seattle. (1977)
Over Tea. Legends to Stone Anthology. Copper Canyon Press. Port Townsend. (1977)
One Spring Morning; For David. Love Magazine. Patrick McCabe Publications. Seattle. (1983)
The Dreams About Your Basement; The Mother Dreams; The Dreams About School. Rain City Review. Quiet Lion Press. Volume 1, Number II. Portland. (1993)
The Dreams About Your Basement; The Woman Who Thought She Was Greta Garbo. Urban Spelunker. January 1993. Seattle. (1993)
Letter to Vincent. Urban Spelunker. July 1993. Seattle. (1993)
From the Sea; The Tattoo. Dark Orchid. Inkpot Press. Seattle. (1993).
For Her Children. Rain City Review. Quiet Lion Press. December 1993. Portland. (1993)
During the Smog Alerts. Trestle Creek Review. Number 12. North Idaho College. Coeur d’Alene. (1994)
Repossessing the Babies; Men Talk to Me; On Your Bad Days. The Kore. Pilot Rock, Oregon. (1994).
Roger’s Park. Urban Spelunker. March 1994. Seattle (1994)
On the Moon. Arnazella. Bellevue Community College. (1994)
Among the Believers. Nobody’s Orphan Child. Red Sky Poetry Theater. Seattle. (1996)
#2 from Seven Poems About Loss. Bluebird. Seattle. (2000)
I am Envious of the Table, Vicky Carter, and Reborn. Five Willows Literary Review. (12/17/2013)
G is for Goat. 56 Days of August: Poetry Postcard Anthology. Seattle. (August 2017)
Self-Published Chapbooks
In Distant Beds (1986)
500 copies. Hand stitched. 24 pages. Cover line drawing by Alley Greymond.
Case Studies (1988)
250 copies. Hand stitched. 32 pages. Cover art by Alley Greymond.
Testing the Spirits (1989)
250 copies. Hand stitched. 24 pages. Cover art by Rebecca Hewgley.
Two Moons (1991)
100 copies. Stapled. 32 pages. Cover art by Linda.
No Longer Upstairs (1993)
100 copies. Stapled. 36 pages. Cover by Roger Gross.
A Witness in the House (1995)
100 copies. Stapled. 44 pages. Cover by Eric Hesselgesser.
Before Eden. (1994)
40 copies. Stapled. 32 pages. Photo art by Alley Greymond
Straight From The Dance (1997)
100 copies. Stapled. 28 pages. Cover art by Alley Greymond.
Notches (1997)
30 copies. Stapled. 16 pages. No cover art.
The Accomplished Thumb (1999)
40 copies. Stapled. 36 pages. Cover photograph by Alley Greymond.
Finite (2002)
40 copies. Hand stitched. 80 pages. Cover and interior art by Alley Greymond.
That Thing (2004)
50 copies. Stapled. 40 pages. Cover art by Alley Greymond.
Language, Patterns, Sass. (2006)
40 copies. Stapled. 36 pages. Cover art by Alley Greymond.
Reviews
Performance Review. Pandemonium. December 1992. Tacoma. (1992)
(Tattoo from) Dark Orchid. Pandemonium. March 1993. Tacoma (1993)
Chapbook, No Longer Upstairs. Seattle Small Press Poetry Review. February 1993. Seattle. (1993)
Awards
Over Tea. Honorable Mention. Homer Henderson Award, WPA (1977)
Mama Took the City Honorable Mention. Homer Henderson Award, WPA (1977)
Nails Honorable Mention. Homer Henderson Award, WPA (1977)
Letter to a Son Honorable Mention Pacific Northwest Writers Confer. (1977)
-- Centrum Foundation Writing Workshop Scholarship (1977)
Parties Third Place Charlie Proctor Award, WPA (1994)
Cleaning Shoes Honorable Mention William Stafford Award, WPA (1994)
Select Performances
>>KRAB radio with Charlie Burks, Martina Goodin, and others. (December 19 1977).
>>KAOS 89.3 with Jim Bill, Host and W.R. Wilkins poet. (December 14, 1991).
>>Pan Plays; Alternate to Loud Boats. Hosted by Red Sky. (1992).
>>Olympia Poetry Network, Timberland Library, Olympia (1991).
>>Words Never Rest, Bumbershoot. (1992).
>>It’s About Time Reading Series. (February 1993).
>>Open for Tess Gallagher. Rialto Theater, Tacoma. (1993).
>>Writers in Performance at the Sun Café, Portland. Hosted by Quiet Lion Press. (1994).
>>Tacoma Poetry Network monthly feature at Half Price Books. (May 8, 1995).
>>7 Becoming; a collaboration with Marion Kimes, Martha Linehan, Phoebe Bosche, Christine Runyan, Paula Friedrich and Louise Dovell. At the Hugo House. (1997).
>>Bumbershoot poetry stage. (2006).
Positions:
>>Editor: Paw Prints, QA High School yearly publication. Seattle (1976-1977).
>>Associate Editor to Charlie Burks, Editor. Western Edge, a publication of Arts Resource Services, Seattle. (1977).
>>Workshop: Ballard High School for Tom Erdmann Jr. (1989).
>>Board Member: Washington Poet’s Association. Served in capacity as Contest Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and President. (1989 – 1999).
>>Judge: Washington Poet’s Association Totem Award for Junior High students. (1989 and 1990).
>>Editor: Urban Spelunker. Seattle (1993-1994).
>>Judge: Short-listed top 50 for Washington Poet’s Association Homer Henderson Awards. (1992 – 1994).
>>Workshop and Judge: Literature Alive, Lower Columbia College, grade school, junior high and High school contents. (1993).
>>Workshop: Gideon Mathews Gardens retirement home, (January to March, 1995).
>>Board member: Red Sky Poetry Theater. Served in capacity as organizing Open Sky collating parties. (1996 – 1998).
>>Volunteer: at National Poetry Slam, hosted by Eleventh Hour Productions. (2001).
Poet Eggs. Paw Prints. QAHS. Seattle (1976)
Choke. Fog Horn Anthology. Copper Canyon Press. Port Townsend. (1976)
Over Tea; Nails; Mama Took the City. Paw Prints. QAHS. Seattle. (1977)
Over Tea. Legends to Stone Anthology. Copper Canyon Press. Port Townsend. (1977)
One Spring Morning; For David. Love Magazine. Patrick McCabe Publications. Seattle. (1983)
The Dreams About Your Basement; The Mother Dreams; The Dreams About School. Rain City Review. Quiet Lion Press. Volume 1, Number II. Portland. (1993)
The Dreams About Your Basement; The Woman Who Thought She Was Greta Garbo. Urban Spelunker. January 1993. Seattle. (1993)
Letter to Vincent. Urban Spelunker. July 1993. Seattle. (1993)
From the Sea; The Tattoo. Dark Orchid. Inkpot Press. Seattle. (1993).
For Her Children. Rain City Review. Quiet Lion Press. December 1993. Portland. (1993)
During the Smog Alerts. Trestle Creek Review. Number 12. North Idaho College. Coeur d’Alene. (1994)
Repossessing the Babies; Men Talk to Me; On Your Bad Days. The Kore. Pilot Rock, Oregon. (1994).
Roger’s Park. Urban Spelunker. March 1994. Seattle (1994)
On the Moon. Arnazella. Bellevue Community College. (1994)
Among the Believers. Nobody’s Orphan Child. Red Sky Poetry Theater. Seattle. (1996)
#2 from Seven Poems About Loss. Bluebird. Seattle. (2000)
I am Envious of the Table, Vicky Carter, and Reborn. Five Willows Literary Review. (12/17/2013)
G is for Goat. 56 Days of August: Poetry Postcard Anthology. Seattle. (August 2017)
Self-Published Chapbooks
In Distant Beds (1986)
500 copies. Hand stitched. 24 pages. Cover line drawing by Alley Greymond.
Case Studies (1988)
250 copies. Hand stitched. 32 pages. Cover art by Alley Greymond.
Testing the Spirits (1989)
250 copies. Hand stitched. 24 pages. Cover art by Rebecca Hewgley.
Two Moons (1991)
100 copies. Stapled. 32 pages. Cover art by Linda.
No Longer Upstairs (1993)
100 copies. Stapled. 36 pages. Cover by Roger Gross.
A Witness in the House (1995)
100 copies. Stapled. 44 pages. Cover by Eric Hesselgesser.
Before Eden. (1994)
40 copies. Stapled. 32 pages. Photo art by Alley Greymond
Straight From The Dance (1997)
100 copies. Stapled. 28 pages. Cover art by Alley Greymond.
Notches (1997)
30 copies. Stapled. 16 pages. No cover art.
The Accomplished Thumb (1999)
40 copies. Stapled. 36 pages. Cover photograph by Alley Greymond.
Finite (2002)
40 copies. Hand stitched. 80 pages. Cover and interior art by Alley Greymond.
That Thing (2004)
50 copies. Stapled. 40 pages. Cover art by Alley Greymond.
Language, Patterns, Sass. (2006)
40 copies. Stapled. 36 pages. Cover art by Alley Greymond.
Reviews
Performance Review. Pandemonium. December 1992. Tacoma. (1992)
(Tattoo from) Dark Orchid. Pandemonium. March 1993. Tacoma (1993)
Chapbook, No Longer Upstairs. Seattle Small Press Poetry Review. February 1993. Seattle. (1993)
Awards
Over Tea. Honorable Mention. Homer Henderson Award, WPA (1977)
Mama Took the City Honorable Mention. Homer Henderson Award, WPA (1977)
Nails Honorable Mention. Homer Henderson Award, WPA (1977)
Letter to a Son Honorable Mention Pacific Northwest Writers Confer. (1977)
-- Centrum Foundation Writing Workshop Scholarship (1977)
Parties Third Place Charlie Proctor Award, WPA (1994)
Cleaning Shoes Honorable Mention William Stafford Award, WPA (1994)
Select Performances
>>KRAB radio with Charlie Burks, Martina Goodin, and others. (December 19 1977).
>>KAOS 89.3 with Jim Bill, Host and W.R. Wilkins poet. (December 14, 1991).
>>Pan Plays; Alternate to Loud Boats. Hosted by Red Sky. (1992).
>>Olympia Poetry Network, Timberland Library, Olympia (1991).
>>Words Never Rest, Bumbershoot. (1992).
>>It’s About Time Reading Series. (February 1993).
>>Open for Tess Gallagher. Rialto Theater, Tacoma. (1993).
>>Writers in Performance at the Sun Café, Portland. Hosted by Quiet Lion Press. (1994).
>>Tacoma Poetry Network monthly feature at Half Price Books. (May 8, 1995).
>>7 Becoming; a collaboration with Marion Kimes, Martha Linehan, Phoebe Bosche, Christine Runyan, Paula Friedrich and Louise Dovell. At the Hugo House. (1997).
>>Bumbershoot poetry stage. (2006).
Positions:
>>Editor: Paw Prints, QA High School yearly publication. Seattle (1976-1977).
>>Associate Editor to Charlie Burks, Editor. Western Edge, a publication of Arts Resource Services, Seattle. (1977).
>>Workshop: Ballard High School for Tom Erdmann Jr. (1989).
>>Board Member: Washington Poet’s Association. Served in capacity as Contest Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and President. (1989 – 1999).
>>Judge: Washington Poet’s Association Totem Award for Junior High students. (1989 and 1990).
>>Editor: Urban Spelunker. Seattle (1993-1994).
>>Judge: Short-listed top 50 for Washington Poet’s Association Homer Henderson Awards. (1992 – 1994).
>>Workshop and Judge: Literature Alive, Lower Columbia College, grade school, junior high and High school contents. (1993).
>>Workshop: Gideon Mathews Gardens retirement home, (January to March, 1995).
>>Board member: Red Sky Poetry Theater. Served in capacity as organizing Open Sky collating parties. (1996 – 1998).
>>Volunteer: at National Poetry Slam, hosted by Eleventh Hour Productions. (2001).