[the Writing of Kuypers]    [JanetKuypers.com]    [Bio]    [Poems]    [Prose]

Watch the YouTube video of Kuypers reading this poem at the open mike 2/15/12 at Gallery Cabaret’s the Café Gallery in Chicago (w/ music from Cousin BonesÙ “At the Plasma Clinic”) from the Samsung

Watch the YouTube video of Kuypers reading this poem at the open mike 2/15/12 at Gallery Cabaret’s the Café Gallery in Chicago, from the Kodak

Watch the YouTube video of Kuypers’ intro to the open mike 2/15/12 at Gallery Cabaret’s the Café Gallery in Chicago, plus other open mike poets, and her poetry (from the Kodak)

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ June 2019 Book Release Reading 6/5/19, where she read her Scars Publications the 2019 literary date book review poem “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, then her poem “Precariously Balance” for the Brian Lamont dedication (that will appear in her book “(pheromemes) haiku, twitterverse, Instagram & poetry”, released August 2019), then her “This is a Poem About” poetry “Quiet for a While”, “Under Your Total Control”, “Hollow for so Long Already”, “Push Your Button”, and “Good Escape”, read from the v5 cc&d boss lady poetry collection book “On the Edge”, during Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (PL2500).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ June 2019 Book Release Reading 6/5/19, where she read her Scars Publications the 2019 literary date book review poem “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, then her poem “Precariously Balance” for the Brian Lamont dedication (that will appear in her book “(pheromemes) haiku, twitterverse, Instagram & poetry”, released August 2019), then her “This is a Poem About” poetry “Quiet for a While”, “Under Your Total Control”, “Hollow for so Long Already”, “Push Your Button”, and “Good Escape”, read from the v5 cc&d boss lady poetry collection book “On the Edge”, during Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (PL T56).

Hollow for so Long Already Janet Kuypers (01/24/12) After dealing with a needle too many years I was told I could do good give back to the people if they just used another needle to take more out of me so, trying to be the good Samaritan for once I offered myself to them four times but they were never satisfied with my identification     you know, I’m doing     something good for you     and you’re the ones     putting me through hell I’m used to the needle by now I’ve avoided the track marks on my arms shoved the needle in once saw my vein move out of the way move the needle watch my vein move again since that felt good, I switched to the other arm and they keep talking about the highs but right now, all I feel are the lows as I sit here time number five trying to do the right thing waiting, to let them hollow my out     haven’t I been hollow     for so long already? time to stare at all the technicians wearing white jackets rubber gloves plastic face masks, saying it’s to be hygienic     anything for them to avoid     coming in contact     with anything to do with     me # what the hell am I saying, “giving back to the people” they say altruism is good but they pay you money to take what’s inside of you so without a job for six years I’m tired of living on the dole so let them suck out my insides just so I can afford to get drunk again # I knew a man with no job who used to donate whole red blood cells when he found out he could be paid at this place he decided to stop with donating blood ‘cause you see, a man’s gotta survive any way he can # I love playing these waiting games because here I am at visit number five reading their paperwork verifying I don’t have AIDS that I haven’t lived in the Netherlands     well, that’s what I’m from,     but I can’t afford to visit I mean, I don’t even have enough money to stay drunk enough while I’m here, if I’m giving up my insides to drink, you think I can fly to Amsterdam for over six months to stay stoned? so thanks for checking, but no I’ve had no blood transfusions that I’m aware of I wasn’t born anywhere in Africa and although there’s no test for Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease, as far as I know I have no fatal brain disease,     (my brain     may be diseased,     but I’m afraid     it’s not fatal) so while waiting here someone asked for my two month old Wall Street Journal that someone gave to me I said sure, because newspapers may be dying in the twenty-first century but sometimes holding those pages, getting that ink on your fingers, can really be addictive # so in hour number three of waiting the news on tee vee says the tax forms for a presidential candidate say they made millions last year I hear this as I sit in hour number three, waiting for them to take my insides so I can have money to drink # so finally, on the fifth visit after waiting over three hours they call me, paint ultraviolet ink on my fingernail — so I don’t donate somewhere else today then they check my vitals, take my blood ask me about my travel past ask me about my military history ask about what drugs I take then send me to an RN where after driving over for five visits, after waiting for over three hours, they explain to me that they are taking from people to help a certain kind of sickness by looking at my medication, they see I already have that certain level of sickness so even though I’ve offered myself to them after I tried for too long they say they don’t want me # all I can think is: lovely. at least I didn’t miss work for this I can’t help myself and apparently no one else can help me either now I just have to figure out who will help me with my next drink   (this is a poem about a plasma clinic)

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