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See YouTube video
of Janet Kuypers reading her 3 never before read poems One and Six, just to be on the safe side and Trust 5/8/16 at the Austin open mic Kick Butt Poetry (from a Sony camera).
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See YouTube video
of Janet Kuypers reading her 3 never before read poems One and Six, just to be on the safe side and Trust 45/8/16 at the Austin open mic Kick Butt Poetry (from a Canon Power Shot camera).
video See YouTube video of Janet KuypersJune 2017 Book Release Reading 6/7/17, where she read Down in the Dirt’s book “Study in Black” poems “One and Six” “feel”, “eventually” and “Translation”, then cc&d’s book “Things Found in Books” poems “Oxygen to Flame the Fire”, “Fuming in the Morning” & “Vanishing Scars” for “Community Poetry” @ Austin’s Half Price Books (video filmed from a Panasonic Lumix camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading
video See YouTube video of Janet KuypersJune 2017 Book Release Reading 6/7/17, where she read Down in the Dirt’s book “Study in Black” poems “One and Six” “feel”, “eventually” and “Translation”, then cc&d’s book “Things Found in Books” poems “Oxygen to Flame the Fire”, “Fuming in the Morning” & “Vanishing Scars” for “Community Poetry” @ Austin’s Half Price Books (video from a Sony camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry
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See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “eating slices of white bread”, “One and Six” and “Escaping rapeugees” 8/6/17 at “Recycled Reads” open mic, at a book store affiliated with the Austin Public Library (this video was filmed from a Sony camera).
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “eating slices of white bread”, “One and Six” and “Escaping rapeugees” 8/6/17 at “Recycled Reads” open mic, at a book store affiliated with the Austin Public Library (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix camera).

One and Six

Janet Kuypers
12/15/15

Sixteen.
Sixteen.
Sixteen’s an important number
at least that’s what I hear.

Sixteen.
Sixteen.
Sixteen’s when my birthday came,
that’s when I cried, alone.

Sixteen.
Sixteen.
And looking back on my home town
I wonder what it means —

when sixteen...
sixteen
is the number of bullets that they found
in a boy in my home town.

Sixteen.
Sixteen.
It’s become a mantra in my head
of justifying death —

Sixteen...
Sixteen...
I saw the video of the first shot
that spun the man to the ground.

Sixteen,
sixteen...
They call this the Chicago way
while too many people die.

#

Sixteen.
Sixteen.
I remembered the sirens loud
when I’d lay awake at night,

but sixteen...
Sixteen...
Sixteen’s not a reminder for
death — it should be life.

Sixteen.
Sixteen.
I know I complain I had it tough
when I turned that fateful age,

but sixteen,
sixteen.
I’ve died a thousand times inside
instead of being shot dead.

Sixteen.
Sixteen.
And now I try to count that high
when I think of death nearby.

But sixteen.
Sixteen
bullets made it clear to the world
how everyone thinks of you —


Copyright © Janet Kuypers.

All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.



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