—————– Bulletin Message —————–
From: WorksOfQ.net – wants you at cultvault.org
Date: Dec 11, 2008 10:12 AM

Hey guys, I’ve donated a drawing and chapbook (plus the pocket-sized version) to this and I would really appreciate it if you might consider buying a raffle ticket. All proceeds go to support the Out Of The Blue Art Gallery in Cambridge, MA. They also host open mics on Monday nights (and maybe Fridays too.. can’t remember right now).
Please help if you can

Thank you!!

—————– Bulletin Message —————–
From: Stone Soup Poetry
Date: Dec 11, 2008 8:02 AM

Boston Area Writers/Musicians/Performers!

New prizes are being added to the Out of The Blue Holiday Raffle this
Saturday, December 13th, from 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
In particular, we
have recently added several prizes to the open mike raffle.
This
includes a refurbished HP Laserjet 2100 printer.

In order to qualify for the open mike raffle prizes, you must

1. Attend the event in person.

2. Participate in the open mike.

For the main raffle prizes, you can still purchase tickets directly
online (please try to add .50 cents or $1.00 to cover PayPal fees.

Click here for more information.

http://outoftheblueraffle. blogspot. com/

First things first, I want to congratulate a friend for some very well deserved recognition. Cassandra Tribe is now on the list of Notable Performers of Spoken Word on Answers.com. You can find her here and her Answers.com bio here

Now, on to the rest…

Features at the Cantab tonight and next Wednesday start it off..

WEDNESDAYS

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Central Square’s world-famous Cantab Lounge presents weekly performances from local and national poets, as well as a chance to present your own work in the open mic or poetry slam. DJ Muse spins before the show and between poets. Upcoming features include:

- Wednesday, December 10: A regular open mic contributor at the Cantab Lounge, resident metalhead MAXWELL KESSLER showed himself master of the heavy slam hit as well as the sweet ballad even before making his national debut with the collegiate semi-finalist Gringo Choir (Emerson College Slam Team). Dividing his time among the Emerson Comedy Workshop, Screenwriting Club, and his own Spaceman Manuel sci-fi series, Max is constantly reinventing his style and sound. Open poetry slam.

- Wednesday, December 17: ERIC DARBY brings a unique and studied combination of literary technique and down-home sincerity to the stage. Tentative season final slam: Sean vs. 12/3 winner.

Also tonight:
I’ll be on the 10k Poets internet radio show tonight at 11pm, hope you get a chance to check it out
nowlive.com/tenkpoets

—————– Bulletin Message —————–
From: LoserSlam
Date: Dec 10, 2008 11:38 AM

LOSER SLAM POETRY SLAM

EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT

Open Mic & Poetry Slam

Inkwell

665 Second Ave

Long Branch

New Jersey

07740

Cost: Suggested donation $5

Writing workshop at 8pm then Slam and Open Mic at 9pm.

www. myspace. com/loserslam

www. myspace. com/theinkwellnj

LOSER SLAM is a poetry competition featuring some of the

brightest spoken word artists in the tri-state area and

showing off some of the freshest new talent that

performance poetry has to offer.

An exciting alternative to the local open mics,

Loser Slam welcomes poets featured on HBO,

on national slam teams, and even some of

Monmouth County’s creative talent in a challenge

to see who can get the grand prize,

the biggest applause and the lowest scores!

EVERY THURSDAY

Writing Workshop at 8pm

Poetry at 9pm

The Inkwell

665 2nd Avenue

Long Branch

New Jersey

on the corner of:

New Court and Second Avenue

HOPE TO SEE YOU LOSERS THERE!!
Of course, if you’re not in Jersey tomorrow night you should call into the SpeakEasy Cafe with Nyla & I. Starts @ 7pm, number to call is- 646-595-3965

—————– Bulletin Message —————–
From: Slam Free or Die @ the Bridge Cafe
Date: Dec 10, 2008 3:07 PM

Russian Roulette Productions
SLAM FREE OR DIE
@ The Bridge Cafe
Friday December 12
featuring
the 4th slam of the 2009 season
and a spotlight feature by
2SG (2 sensitive guys)
$3 cover
6-10pm
1117 Elm Street
Manchester, NH

A normal slam night, starting off with a 15 spot open mic and followed up with a 10 spot open slam.
Sign-ups for both start at 6:30 sharp, so if you want in, get there early!!

This week, we have two very special parts to the evening: a slam and a spotlight feature!

First off, the 4th poetry slam of the 2009 season. The last 3 have been crazy, and this one promises to be no different!! 10 spots are available to those who want to throw down for a chance to be on the 2009 NH Slam Team.
Who has the guts? Let’s find out!

Directly after, we will have a special spotlight feature with 2SG (2 sensitive guys) the duo of Sam Teitel and Steve Subrizi! They are kicking off a massive winter tour with a stop at the Bridge Cafe. You guys know Sam as a member of the 2008 NH Slam Team and Steve is a member of the Gringo Choir, the Emerson College Slam team.

All-in-all, it promises to be a great night, so skip the crowds at the mall and come get your socks blown off!!

—————– Bulletin Message —————–
From: Chris Rockwell
Date: Dec 10, 2008 10:55 AM

FREE Performance!

Friday, December 12th.

Bagel & Bean in Toms River, NJ.

1311 Route 37 West.

Doors @ 7. No cover. Get there early for good seats.

My new book Hot Air Balloon to the Moon will be on sale!

—————– Bulletin Message —————–
From: PROVIDENCE SLAM
Date: Dec 10, 2008 12:07 PM

December 18th at AS220
Providence Poetry Slam presents the Musicians’ Open Mic
with featured artists Dark Dark Dark!

A little info on the band:

Dark Dark Dark are from Minneapolis, MN. Their first performance in Providence was in 2007, at the very first Musicians’ Open Mic at AS220! Since then, they have traveled all over the US and Europe, taking their banjo/accordion/freak-folk/americana magic wherever it calls them. Most recently, the band traveled as part of a crew of 50 down the Hudson River last August, on 7 boats (including a working steamship!) made out of 100% recycled and salvaged materials, stopping at various towns along the river to perform (see The Swimming Cities Of Switchback Sea). Their debut album, “The Snow Magic”, was released in October 2008 by Providence Slam’s own sometime DJ/always vocal Tom Inhaler, on his label Supply And Demand Music.
We’re very excited to have them back at AS220 for this special event! Get familiar with their music on their Myspace, www. myspace. com/darkdarkdarkband , or the S&D website, www.sad-music.net .

You don’t want to miss this one.

Signup for the open mic begins at 8pm, and the open mic begins at 8:30pm SHARP!
Each musician gets 8 minutes’ stage time!
Each poet gets 3 minutes’ stage time!
Original works ONLY!

Sincerely, and with love in our hearts for you (yes, you), forever and ever,
- The Providence Poetry Slam

—————————————————————————-
December 18th
Musicians’ Open Mic with special guests Dark Dark Dark
AS220 – 115 Empire St.

Doors/Sign-ups: 8pm / Show starts at 8:30pm sharp!
$6 at the door (to help pay the touring band)
www. myspace. com/providencepoetryslam
www.as220.org

And to close it out…

I’ll be performing at an ArtExpo in Revere, MA called Freedom Fest. It’s my first performance and I hope I don’t suck haha
It’s going to be at..
The Artist’s Jump Off
318 Squire Rd
Revere, MA
$7 at the door

I finally did it.. but I’m new to the paypal thing, so send me a message if you order it so I’ll definitely get it right  hahaha

New Chapbook out now!
‘I Really Want a (bleep)in’ Cigarette!
$5 + $1 shipping

This is the opening piece and one of my personal favorites..

Ceaseless

I have no complaints
On my future, there is no constraint
But it’s there
Forever there
Lurking around each corner
Hovering over my heart
Waiting to envelop me
and return me to its chains

The darkness does not go away
Hope’s light may,
but the darkness does not

Battles have been fought and won
Demons have been slain
and ghosts have been exorcised
Why can my soul not rest?
What test have I failed?
Everyday woes in comparison paled
As my hands,
Reaching
Clutching
Grasping
Trying to stop my slide
But I can’t stem the tide and I am swallowed up
Hollowed out and crumpled on the floor
A spineless shell of the man I was before
A soul consumed
These demons still haunt me
These goddamn fears still taunt me
and I am gripped by sadness
if for no other reason than because I draw breath

Copyright ©2008 Michael Egidio Quigg

WorksOfQ.net

Beacon’s Blog

The following is a summary of the Massachusetts statewide ballot questions. I included my take and my vote for each. Please feel free to mention any ballot questions in your own state that you feel strongly about in a comment. Generally speaking, ballot questions go to the heart of what ‘We The People’ is all about. It’s our best chance to have our voices be truly heard.
-Q

2008 Statewide Ballot Question 1
State Personal Income Tax
LAW PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION
SUMMARY
This proposed law would reduce the state personal income tax rate to 2.65% for all categories of taxable income for the tax year beginning on or after January 1, 2009, and would eliminate the tax for all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2010.
The personal income tax applies to income received or gain realized by individuals and married couples, by estates of deceased persons, by certain trustees and other fiduciaries, by persons who are partners in and receive income from partnerships, by corporate trusts, and by persons who receive income as shareholders of “S corporations” as defined under federal tax law. The proposed law would not affect the tax due on income or gain realized in a tax year beginning before January 1, 2009.
The proposed law states that if any of its parts were declared invalid, the other parts would stay in effect.

A YES VOTE would reduce the state personal income tax rate to 2.65% for the tax year beginning on January 1, 2009, and would eliminate the tax for all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2010.
A NO VOTE would make no change in state income tax laws.

My Take:
No matter how much I want to vote Yes on this, I just can’t. It’s irresponsible. The fact of the matter is that we cannot trust our ‘representatives’ to enact this in a way that doesn’t hurt the people. Does anyone really think that they’ll take a pay cut or take fewer trips to help cover the lost revenue? If you do you’re a naïve dope.. sorry. Another fact, if we didn’t have the habit of electing absolute tools in this state, our income tax rate would’ve dropped years ago as mandated by another one of these ballot questions. The people we elected to take action on our voice decided that they didn’t wanna.. and then we re-elected most of them. It’s our own damn fault; deal with it.

My Vote: NO

2008 Statewide Ballot Question 2
Possession of Marijuana
LAW PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION
SUMMARY
This proposed law would replace the criminal penalties for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana with a new system of civil penalties, to be enforced by issuing citations, and would exclude information regarding this civil offense from the state’s criminal record information system. Offenders age 18 or older would be subject to forfeiture of the marijuana plus a civil penalty of $100. Offenders under the age of 18 would be subject to the same forfeiture and, if they complete a drug awareness program within one year of the offense, the same $100 penalty.
Offenders under 18 and their parents or legal guardian would be notified of the offense and the option for the offender to complete a drug awareness program developed by the state Department of Youth Services. Such programs would include ten hours of community service and at least four hours of instruction or group discussion concerning the use and abuse of marijuana and other drugs and emphasizing early detection and prevention of substance abuse.
The penalty for offenders under 18 who fail to complete such a program within one year could be increased to as much as $1,000, unless the offender showed an inability to pay, an inability to participate in such a program, or the unavailability of such a program. Such an offender’s parents could also be held liable for the increased penalty. Failure by an offender under 17 to complete such a program could also be a basis for a delinquency proceeding.
The proposed law would define possession of one ounce or less of marijuana as including possession of one ounce or less of tetrahydrocannibinol (”THC”), or having metabolized products of marijuana or THC in one’s body.
Under the proposed law, possessing an ounce or less of marijuana could not be grounds for state or local government entities imposing any other penalty, sanction, or disqualification, such as denying student financial aid, public housing, public financial assistance including unemployment benefits, the right to operate a motor vehicle, or the opportunity to serve as a foster or adoptive parent. The proposed law would allow local ordinances or bylaws that prohibit the public use of marijuana, and would not affect existing laws, practices, or policies concerning operating a motor vehicle or taking other actions while under the influence of marijuana, unlawful possession of prescription forms of marijuana, or selling, manufacturing, or trafficking in marijuana.
The money received from the new civil penalties would go to the city or town where the offense occurred.

A YES VOTE would replace the criminal penalties for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana with a new system of civil penalties.
A NO VOTE would make no change in state criminal laws concerning possession of marijuana.

My Take:
This is an absolute no-brainer. The amount of money and time we spend battling minor marijuana possesion and use is absurd. Our jails are filled with ‘criminals’ that harmed no one, and despicable people whose only desire is to cause pain, make deals and go free. District Attorneys around here can bitch all they want about the message being sent to kids and spout their erroneous opinions that marijuana is a ‘gateway drug’, this is the right thing to do. We pride ourselves on being ‘progressive’ in this state and this change to the law is long overdue.

My Vote: YES

2008 Statewide Ballot Question 3
Dog Racing
LAW PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION
SUMMARY
This proposed law would prohibit any dog racing or racing meeting in Massachusetts where any form of betting or wagering on the speed or ability of dogs occurs.
The State Racing Commission would be prohibited from accepting or approving any application or request for racing dates for dog racing.
Any person violating the proposed law could be required to pay a civil penalty of not less than $20,000 to the Commission. The penalty would be used for the Commission’s administrative purposes, subject to appropriation by the state Legislature. All existing parts of the chapter of the state’s General Laws concerning dog and horse racing meetings would be interpreted as if they did not refer to dogs.
These changes would take effect January 1, 2010. The proposed law states that if any of its parts were declared invalid, the other parts would stay in effect.

A YES VOTE would prohibit dog races on which betting or wagering occurs, effective January 1, 2010.
A NO VOTE would make no change in the laws governing dog racing.

My Take:
While the downside to this question is huge (many many people will lose their jobs), I cannot in good conscience vote against it. Animal racing just doesn’t sit well with me. Many of these animals (especially dogs) are not treated well and are killed off when they’re usefulness has passed. The people losing their jobs have over a year to find something else. Even in this economy that isn’t bad, although I would have liked a provision allowing for extending the unemployment eligibility of those affected by this. You can’t claim to have an enlightened viewpoint while ignoring suffering. This is a ‘big-picture’ question. No one wants to cost people jobs but there’s more to this one than just that.

My Vote: YES

Again It Comes
(Donner, party of one…)

Again it comes for me.
An unrelenting hunter
that has chosen its prey,
and smells their blood.
And I prepare for another fight.
I have no choice now.
I have tried to elude,
but no matter my tactics,
I cannot hide.
It has always found me.
Always.
My will is weak
and my strength,
is fading.
I can feel myself
giving up.
So as I await my fate,
I reach to my heart.
As if awareness of its beating
will give me the strength I have lost.
Will give me
the desire
to fight again.
To come within a single breath
of being swallowed whole.
Only to turn that single breath
into a first breath
used to bellow out
my intention not only to survive,
but to Live!
But this heart’s beats are weak.
They give me no strength.
They merely remind
that a heart can only
take so much before,
no matter its will,
its beats, cease.
In desperation,
I fill my lungs
for another first breath.
Yet another roar into the face
of darkness itself
But all I can muster
is the pale breath of a sigh,
the trailing echo of fading sanity
lost easily to the wind
that even I can barely hear.
Now, in this deafening silence,
I feel the darkness closing in
and I realize that there’s
nothing else to be done
when even breathing
leaves you hopeless

© 2008 Michael Egidio Quigg

We Are All Dodging Bullets Of Some Kind, Aren’t We?

(Homework I, II & III)

Homework I
Part 1 – Erroneous Expectations

They come from anywhere
They come at any time
Those things you still seem to think will go away
As if all those stories you read as a child were real
And the pain you feel will evaporate
But that’s just not how it works
Irrational fantasies devastate
The ability to accept reality
Making a pin-prick feel like a shotgun blast to the chest

Part 2 – Lost Directions

Your desire is wealth but what you really seek is acceptance
A chance to not feel useless
For every breath you draw in
To not leave you empty and wondering
Lost and wandering
But you’re afraid of what the mirror shows you
The ‘fullness’ of your life the perfect complement to the abyss inside you
Go ahead; look into your own eyes
Look past the little scar that never went away
And drives you crazy every time you see it
Focus on yourself the way you focus on trinkets
Go deeper than you have ever gone before
And you’ll see.. there’s simply nothing there

Homework II
Well, yea, maybe…

Every time I go to get something from the pile of clean clothes waiting for me to fold,
There’s a bed sheet or two in there and I think, “How could we use this many sheets?”
“We don’t use this many sheets. It’s impossible!”
“There is NO FUCKING WAY we use this many sheets!”
Then I think about it and well, yea, maybe we do use that many sheets

Homework III
Thank Them

Thank them
Thank the ghosts of those that have sought the truth
Get down on your knees
And bow to them
Because seeking the truth may just be the only honorable objective on Earth
The truth, you see
Is hard to grasp sometimes
Like the fish you tried to grab at the beach that day when you were four
But just, couldn’t
Its fucking calculus and geometry and algebra
Numbers and letters and shapes Everywhere
And only those that know how to look at it can see it
The truth, camouflages well
It can be glimpsed in half-sentences and words missing from newscasts,
Like greed and Power and LIARS
Glimpsed in the eyes of the woman whose first love died in a jungle and whose only son died in a desert,
Both to make rich men,
Richer
Thank them
Because the truth,
Is the cold, hard brutality of everyday’s reality
Mocking your attempts at ignorance
Like the way you ignore that your second husband’s eyes
Make you oddly thankful the even though she’s your little baby,
your daughter’s leaving for college soon
It cares not if you can handle or accept it
It does not concern itself with your fragility
It is the thing that wakes us at night
Pulled out of the inner-hell we pretend doesn’t exist yet allow to dominate us
The internal screams of our darkest nightmares
that make our eyes pop open at 2:47 in the morning
With the absolute terror
Of revelation

© 2008 Michael Egidio Quigg

Sumus Adsertori

We are the Shadows.

We are the faceless,
and the nameless
those whom you refuse to know

merely attempting to survive
week to week,
day to day

following a dead end way
of corruption and complacence
keepers of the faith
you can not,
no, never, trust

We are the pawns
of the darkest dawn
foot soldiers to be tread upon
discarded
when our bones have finally surrendered
and to the scrap heap we’re relegated
there is no more watch of gold
the rewards our fathers expected
are covered in mold

so We are the Children of the Hopeless Tomorrow

our days filled with toil,
our nights filled with sorrow

We are the
truck drivin’,
bag carryin’,
data enterin’,
beer servin’,
box shippin’,
road pavin’,
paper pushin’,
Shit shovelin’,
Voices of Every Day

and We Declare not only Our Independence,

but Our
Humanity

and All that it entails

from our petty anger
to our misguided judgments

from our daily desperation
to our irrational hopefulness

We are Human
and no matter
the chains in which we are bound

We Are Free

And We Will Be Heard

© 2008 Michael Egidio Quigg

This piece was done for a Wordplay Workshop Pic Challenge.

(This is slightly different than what appeared in the challenge, but its only a word or 2 difference)

Unworthy

Upon this gate I gaze
wondering if I did enough in the maze
Have I been the best person I can be?

No.

I have not
I do not deserve these steps
these are for the pure of soul
I have not earned this reward
I can not pay the toll
My demons have controlled me
and kept me in the darkness
They are the reason for my torment
I am only hoping for redemption
A chance at resurrection
To be the man I know I should be
But I know it is too late for me..
My soul has been sold and I am awaiting my hell
My sins I must confess
This can not be my fate
Please God, tell me its not too late

© 2008 Michael Egidio Quigg

(spoken version to come)

Ceaseless

I have no complaints
On my future, there is no constraint
But its there
Forever there
Lurking around each corner
Hovering over my heart
Waiting to envelop me
and return me to its chains

The darkness does not go away
Hope’s light may,
but the darkness does not

Battles have been fought and won
Demons have been slain
and ghosts have been exorcised

Why can my soul not rest?
What test have I failed?
Everyday woes in comparison paled
As my hands,
Reaching
Clutching
Grasping
Trying to stop my slide
But I cant stem the tide and I am swallowed up
Hollowed out and crumpled on the floor
A spineless shell of the man I was before
My soul consumed by darkness
These demons still haunt me
These goddamn fears still taunt me
and I am gripped by sadness
If for no other reason than because I draw breath

Copyright ©2008 Michael Egidio Quigg