You were always right,

‘Bout the Needle and the Damage Done,

‘Bout the beauty of the country sun

And the country man making way

In rock ‘n roll gold.

Had I waited out the hurricane

And set my sights on shore,

I wouldn’t be the broken love song,

A record running revolutions—

a woman on the run.

Listen here ,

The old man in my heart,

Don’t cry cuz your daughter’s done wrong,

She’ll come around in the end.

She’ll make you proud—

Proud as any son.

Oh Southern Man,

Let those licks rip and roar

Let them shield you

From the black black gun–

I know you seen it too,

In wraiths calling out for quarters

When you haven’t none.

It’s the scream that won’t come,

This silence, a plague on the tongue

Of every artist in step with a dream

And the nightmares yet to languish

With the set of a burnt-out sun.

Southern Man,

You’ve seen it all.

What follows the drown of a sound wave?

Can you tell me, old man,

Tell me when it comes?

A relapse of the soul,

a rift,

restart a the heart

from which we barter

for blessedness

in wafers, wine

and tendered time.

I searched in rhymes

of those who came before

of Leonard, Lou and Patti,

and I’m told to pray, pray, pray

‘cept I don’t know what to say.

I only know the song of Bacchus

and how to write petty letters

to those tentacle tethers—

they pull me to you.

I’m cruel in the day,

sincere in the night

when there’s little to light

the operating theatre

where I lay among the ghosts

“etherized upon a table—“

Come Prufrock,

prove me a humanity.

There are sins and there are struggles,

am I to be Prometheus

forever pushing boulders?

Or am I to be Ophelia,

drowned from a broken branch?

The sinner is the saint,

the joker, a broker of life unlived—

I’ll keep my knuckles white white rabbit white,

And sink my claws into the night

for I was born the lioness of God—

destined for something—

that, I’m sure,

Hear my little lion roar!

Let me count it out before

I turn older still.

I’ll storm the night,

Prepare to fight,

Count it—

1,2,3,4…

Kurt Cobain

There’s a photo of you

in my faux leopard jacket—

of course, you hadn’t known

it was mine at the time.

Plastic white sunglasses

rake tangled bangs.

Pupils pin (again and again),

from which the multitude of stars

cascade a private glitter

unchecked,

unprotected as you were,

set adrift in the crowd’s cushioned arms.

Another consciousness breached!

Another dream leached

from the insides of you,

the lonely Buddhist punk

with the icicle eyes—

alternately blue and slate.

The Dorian Gray of grunge,

“Voice of a Generation,”

went out with a gun.

I felt it, the sadness,

the shudder,

the thud.

It was then, aged 9, I made a choice:

To fight the fight

and write and write

(and write and write and write and write…)

Hieronymus Bosch is here for tea,

His sinners ‘n creatures

All stuck in my teeth.

We debate the taste of sulfur,

Of Seurat and storytelling,

The chromosomal makeup of orchids

And love in a world of chains.

This new brand of hell

Swells—– unexceptional.

The drone of the dead

Passes for prayers

In the tabernacle of life,

Of light and reprieve.

Your lover’s a killer,

Your assassin—your saint

The structure of badness—

Perdition dispersed.

Who make it now break it,

This slip of a soul,

Now holds tight.

I won’t take it,

Won’t fake it,

But I’ll make it baby,

I will.

Hello Dear friends,

I know it has been a really long time. I’ve been working on getting my new chapbook, EMERGENT URGENCY out there. Once again, if you’d like to buy a copy (shipping is free!!!) the place to go is: http://erbacce-press.com/#/ariel-jastromb/4536120641

Thanks so much and my first new poem will be up in a minute!

Hey Everyone! My new chapbook, Emergent Urgency, is available for purchase now through my publisher’s website! Please, please buy a copy to support me and poets everywhere. The book costs only $9.50 and shipping is free!!!!

You can purchase the book at: http://erbacce-press.com/#/ariel-jastromb/4536120641

Scroll down, as my first book, Atypical Love Letters, is on top. In case you have trouble with the link, visit. erbacce-press.com, click on  ”sales” on the upper left side and scroll down until you see my name. Click on “Ariel Jastromb” and it will bring you to my page. Just remember to scroll down BELOW Atypical Love Letters.

PLEASE PURCHASE A COPY OF EMERGENT URGENCY–IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME AND I AM VERY PROUD OF THIS COLLECTION. Thank you to everyone who has stood by me–I need you now more than ever.

Lots of Love,

Ariel

Front and Back Cover or EMERGENT URGENCY, Ariel Jastromb’s 2nd chap book! Front Cover photo illustration by Liz Haberkorn, 2012.

Yep! That’s it–the title of my second chapbook. Here’s the front and back cover–the front cover was designed GORGEOUSLY by best friend, artist and graphic designer, Liz Haberkorn. If anyone needs her expertise please let me know and I’ll put you in touch. I even have two reviews in advance! This is from Tony O’Neill, quite possibly the coolest person and writer on the planet (author or SICK CITY, DOWN AND OUT ON MURDER MILE, NEON ANGEL AND DIGGING THE VEIN–among others):

“Reading Ariel Jastromb’s EMERGENT URGENCY is a rare experience.  while you see traces of her influences in there – and believe me it’s the truly great ones like patti and creeley and bataille who fire her up -  the overriding impression is of something completely new, raw and exciting.  these are wild, furious poems with dirt under their fingernails and highway dust caked on their boots.  reader, meet your new favorite writer.”

Tony’s website can be found at http://tonyoneill.net/. If you look real hard under links for his most recent book, SICK CITY, you may find a review from this here poet when I was writing for LitDrift.com…..

Next, Paul Kane–poet, writer and Vassar College Professor writes,”

 “Ariel Jastromb’s poems have the feel of the jagged edge of jazz, the sizzle of rock.  The keynote here is passion: for poetry, for love, for the hard knowing that comes from the struggle with yourself.  Smart, sassy, full of life, these poems will move you.”

Paul is an incredibly accomplished poet with four volumes and an intellectual hero of mine. His bio can be found at tp://english.vassar.edu/bios/kane.html

I will keep you all up to date as to when the book comes out–early Fall for sure. It can be purchased through erbacce-press.com (I’ll have a sales page so I will let you know what it is) for $9.50–a small price to pay to support your very grateful poet. More news soon!

Me with a full-grown mustache and beard…….

Hello Dear Loyal Fans and Friends and Poet-Lovers Everywhere,

I have just signed the  contract to produce my second chap-book of poems with Erbacce Press in Liverpookl U.K, entitled “Emergent Urgency,” to come out this Fall. The first one, “Atypical Love Letters,” debuted in October of 2009 so I am really excited to show the world where I’ve come from.

Since I need this puppy to sell, I am going to appeal to your love for me (hopefully) and ask that you buy as many copies as you can through the website: erbacce-press.com. I will have my own sales page. The better it sells, the better shot I have at getting the word out!

I will also be doing readings around Chicago and hopefully, I can fit in a small New York City tour as well.My book is only $9.50 USA  and 6.00 pounds British! Whata steal, I say, and Alan Corkish has edited dwon the manuscript beautifully. Can’t wait to see it from head-to-toes–stay posted!

Much, much love,

A