James McLain Poems

These are the sturdy women.
Women whom wish to make a difference.
Women in control of their sexuality.
Women of etiquette,
...

The fly paper hung like fresh sprigs of mint
catching there intended.
Every square inch covered in bodies of which
some still moved.
...

I wake up every night at Johns, it's 3: 16 AM
The window in the room looks down the length of the alley.
I have long since had this dream, of living above
this alley.
...

At Dickinson Elementary in Tampa in the early sixties.

I watched my school principal
through her window
...

Experienced
and highly educated when before them I stand.
In my latter year's now upon me.
They expect from my lip's something profound.
...

Why do you allow them to do harm to the children?
Like a dumb cow
you just stand by and watch and allow them to do
great harm to our children.
...

Without heat it was strangely warm
to the touch.

To rub them made them warmer still.
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Falling,
a leaf from a tree
child of a bush without leaves
whispered the wind
...

When stretched out full around,
a ferris wheel and though my head throbs full
though feeling it should not.
...

It is to still,
strang bubbles wafting from the bottom up
and pop,
the smell is as if people have farted
...