Epiphanies to Some
Revelations to Others
Gossip to a Few Lucky Ones
Well, okay, I would add
mere practicalities for me.
Just to potentially hyper
bolize the gossip. Beware
of bleeding ear syndrome
(and the unexpected arr
ival of a fleet of firefighters,
one of which tells me “You’ve
got blood on your ear!” I know,
I say. It’s a shaving accident.
He says these things happen.
But one must admit, or at least
I will, that an ear is the second
or third most disturbing portion
of a body to discover bleeding
profusely. Things that are
mangled and/or bloody. Is
that today’s topic? Nope. I
am looking to you, however.
Might I be so bold as to ask
from within these stanzas what
YOU would deem your two most
precious body parts? Please reply
to delraycross@shampoo-poetry.com.
The story of the hyphen between
“shampoo” and “poetry” is off-
subject a wee bit, but not the
original question, please do not
forget. Anybody? Anybody?
Encouragement to give your
guesses (no guess will be
judged - scratch that - it is
2023, I will stay with the times,
any answer will be duly judged.
What are opinions for, anyway?
There was some chicken scratch
in this general vicinity of the draft
of this piece in which I offered
the option of anonymous answers
and then mentioned the notion
that celebrities have a less
difficult time at anonymity
than most folks because of the
financial means at their
disposal to come up with ways
to remain anonymous (ironic, isn’t
it?). And thenafter those meanderings
I go on to say let’s not make
a bitter diatribe but rather
an adherance to steadfast
observation - scientific, if
you will; statistically prov
able observation. Now,
let’s get back to the blessed
body. What do YOU do when
you discover a skin flap (on
yourself; on someone else,
which could be someone
you love, someone with
whom you are very close,
or a stranger, a mere
acquaintance)? What
do you do when you
witness someone
sitting across from
you who has some
thing clearly stuck
between their
teeth (answer again
separately for the
same 5 types of folks
with whom you may
encounter this event)?
What do you think of
Paul Rudd (be specific
and elabarate)? As a
quick reminder, don’t
forget the email address
noted above to relay these
answers. (Bonus points for
any comments about the
website to which the URL
in the email address leads.
Also, a tally of metaphoric
hands from whom the
answer would be “I do
not know from this so-
called SHAMPOO” - this
would be more a meta
phorical pole vault.) Here’s
a query: Men, how do you
groom your balls? I’m
looking for best practices
here, along with any tricks
of the trade, innovation or
creativy in your various
processes. When about to
read a poem, what are your
general first thoughts? On
those times when you have
finished one, or in the future
when you do finish one, are
there any revelatory thoughts
of a profound nature that you
would be willing to share with
me? Let’s say you shave your
face and there are left afterwards
a number of spots of blood that
give your face the appearance
that it has a bunch of red freckles.
Out of my abundance of curiosity,
what do you do next? What do
you think of interactive art? Of
collaborative poetry? Do you know
of any interesting examples about
which you could enlighten me?
What are your thoughts on what
appears to be male-shaved chests?
What about the ones who appear
quite unkempt, like lawns unmown,
for years? What about that pretend
“I’ve let it all go look,” which has gone
through a very elaborate and elongated
time in which it has been groomed just
for that effect? How about some topical
entities. Let’s get red-faced. How do you
feel about Donald Trump? About Joe Biden?
That was cheap. I’m sorry. These are things
that are on my mind constantly, however. How
about slide projections of old. Remember slide
carousels? The process of putting old school
presentations together (the antithesis of Power
Point, I’d say)? That thought, for whatever
reason, keeps whizzing past me. What do
you think of baldness? Of realative hairless
ness? Do you wear underwear, in general?
Do you prefer poses or candid photographs?
Do you like graffiti? What do you consider
ephemera? Where do you think you might
find a gay bakery? What social media do
you use? Who are your favorite broadcast
news journalists? What is the best improve
ment you can imagine happening to life as you
presently experience it. Aside from a bit more
social engagement and a bit more confidence
and a job and lack of occasional paranoia that
swirls pretty consistently around those subjects,
and a few additional items of proximity, I think
I’m happy as clams and soon to be happier,
Though I doubt clams are really that happy.
What do you think about clams and happiness?
Now that you’ve gotten this far, do you think you
might indulge me with responses? Thanks in
advance for indulging by sending your responses to me
at delraycross@shampoo-poetry.com. Have an awesome day.
Revelations to Others
Gossip to a Few Lucky Ones
Well, okay, I would add
mere practicalities for me.
Just to potentially hyper
bolize the gossip. Beware
of bleeding ear syndrome
(and the unexpected arr
ival of a fleet of firefighters,
one of which tells me “You’ve
got blood on your ear!” I know,
I say. It’s a shaving accident.
He says these things happen.
But one must admit, or at least
I will, that an ear is the second
or third most disturbing portion
of a body to discover bleeding
profusely. Things that are
mangled and/or bloody. Is
that today’s topic? Nope. I
am looking to you, however.
Might I be so bold as to ask
from within these stanzas what
YOU would deem your two most
precious body parts? Please reply
to delraycross@shampoo-poetry.com.
The story of the hyphen between
“shampoo” and “poetry” is off-
subject a wee bit, but not the
original question, please do not
forget. Anybody? Anybody?
Encouragement to give your
guesses (no guess will be
judged - scratch that - it is
2023, I will stay with the times,
any answer will be duly judged.
What are opinions for, anyway?
There was some chicken scratch
in this general vicinity of the draft
of this piece in which I offered
the option of anonymous answers
and then mentioned the notion
that celebrities have a less
difficult time at anonymity
than most folks because of the
financial means at their
disposal to come up with ways
to remain anonymous (ironic, isn’t
it?). And thenafter those meanderings
I go on to say let’s not make
a bitter diatribe but rather
an adherance to steadfast
observation - scientific, if
you will; statistically prov
able observation. Now,
let’s get back to the blessed
body. What do YOU do when
you discover a skin flap (on
yourself; on someone else,
which could be someone
you love, someone with
whom you are very close,
or a stranger, a mere
acquaintance)? What
do you do when you
witness someone
sitting across from
you who has some
thing clearly stuck
between their
teeth (answer again
separately for the
same 5 types of folks
with whom you may
encounter this event)?
What do you think of
Paul Rudd (be specific
and elabarate)? As a
quick reminder, don’t
forget the email address
noted above to relay these
answers. (Bonus points for
any comments about the
website to which the URL
in the email address leads.
Also, a tally of metaphoric
hands from whom the
answer would be “I do
not know from this so-
called SHAMPOO” - this
would be more a meta
phorical pole vault.) Here’s
a query: Men, how do you
groom your balls? I’m
looking for best practices
here, along with any tricks
of the trade, innovation or
creativy in your various
processes. When about to
read a poem, what are your
general first thoughts? On
those times when you have
finished one, or in the future
when you do finish one, are
there any revelatory thoughts
of a profound nature that you
would be willing to share with
me? Let’s say you shave your
face and there are left afterwards
a number of spots of blood that
give your face the appearance
that it has a bunch of red freckles.
Out of my abundance of curiosity,
what do you do next? What do
you think of interactive art? Of
collaborative poetry? Do you know
of any interesting examples about
which you could enlighten me?
What are your thoughts on what
appears to be male-shaved chests?
What about the ones who appear
quite unkempt, like lawns unmown,
for years? What about that pretend
“I’ve let it all go look,” which has gone
through a very elaborate and elongated
time in which it has been groomed just
for that effect? How about some topical
entities. Let’s get red-faced. How do you
feel about Donald Trump? About Joe Biden?
That was cheap. I’m sorry. These are things
that are on my mind constantly, however. How
about slide projections of old. Remember slide
carousels? The process of putting old school
presentations together (the antithesis of Power
Point, I’d say)? That thought, for whatever
reason, keeps whizzing past me. What do
you think of baldness? Of realative hairless
ness? Do you wear underwear, in general?
Do you prefer poses or candid photographs?
Do you like graffiti? What do you consider
ephemera? Where do you think you might
find a gay bakery? What social media do
you use? Who are your favorite broadcast
news journalists? What is the best improve
ment you can imagine happening to life as you
presently experience it. Aside from a bit more
social engagement and a bit more confidence
and a job and lack of occasional paranoia that
swirls pretty consistently around those subjects,
and a few additional items of proximity, I think
I’m happy as clams and soon to be happier,
Though I doubt clams are really that happy.
What do you think about clams and happiness?
Now that you’ve gotten this far, do you think you
might indulge me with responses? Thanks in
advance for indulging by sending your responses to me
at delraycross@shampoo-poetry.com. Have an awesome day.
