GOOD NEWS: Patricia Spears Jones, a BEI Senior Fellow, has been chosen for the Pushcart Prize XLI: Best of the Small Presses 2017.  Adding to her accomplishments, The Pushcart Prize series is a highly honored literary project in America.  As one of the last surviving literary co-ops from the 60’s and 70’s, hundreds of presses and thousands of writers of short stories, poetry and essays have been represented in the Pushcart annual collections.

Patricia’s featured work is from her latest poetry collection, A Lucent Fire.   For more information on Patricia Spears Jones and her work: click here. Congratulations, Patricia!
 
 
 
ETTA JAMES AT THE AUDUBON BALLROOM
 
Someone knocks over a chair (drunk one)
Fight ready, but this vivid sound stops
fists—who let them big black birds
In?     Again. This night. What
 
Flight. Fight. Let’s try dancing the blues
to SMITHEREENS. Rustle up those moans and sighs
  for the good working Henrys of this world
 
-ready ready ready to block & hustle.
Shit and cuss you out, some where back stage—the money scatters.
 
Your skin beams sweetness while your voice screams
Where’s the fucking fun house?
Your chest blossoms possibilities/ hips thick enough to swing
Which way and oh my
There he stands
In suit sharp as steel and shoes patent leather,
squarish frames/that wiseguy demeanor, the tipped chapeau
 
You’ve picked up the high heel shoe you throwed down
Then    repaired your make up for that second set
The one that promises a better crowd.
Another chair tips back as smoke swarms the littered stage
You’re too young for this mess and he’ll never grow old.