Featured Poet: Daniela Olszewska

CITIZEN JANE(-X) RUNS THE PARTY POLITIC

The devil’s Zamboni driver is impatient for Jane’s mouth to freeze Over again.  Now there’s a slogan to make us all out of breath!

Near mid-day, Jane took a photo opportunity with her crossing guards. Also, the thumbscrew repair gals.  Oh, as the crow dies…We’re pretty

Sure all primaries go like this, at least, you know, temporarily.   Some confetti Lung!  Our prayer modes are Jane’s for the taking.  No, don’t throw away those

Towels just yet.  But, maybe, bend that black licorice into backwards horseshoe?   

CITIZEN JANE(-X) RUNS THE PARTY POLITIC

What we were trying to do was put on a roadside show in a brown paper bag. In retrospect.  Sorry about the hoopskirts.  Jane, too, found the goodfolk

Too wide-eyed to weather.  but we can’t bring back the noise.  Miniature Guillotines are party favors.   Yes, go ahead and promote everyone to the rank

Of  Spellchecker.  Oh, she’d laugh if she saw what we used to write out  her last-minute resume.  No, nothing is especially seasonal this year.  Mark our words,

Whatever’s behind Door No. 3, it’s going to be a real game-changer.

  

CITIZEN JANE(X) RUNS THE PARTY POLITIC

Jane dropped that secular knowledge.   To hoof up and down an entire city block. This is a venial threat.  We’re used to west siding it.  Rumor has it there’s a lake

Somewhere abouts these parts.  She tries to be gracious in the lukewarm embrace of the mob.  If it helps, sheriffs hardly ever red light anymore.  Read the sign.

For twenty subscriptions, we’ll watch your vehicle all night.  Or, maybe give up the number of your guy down at the station.   Dammned straight, that’s what it was.

Have Jane tell them that this seems like a great town for starting up a family. 

from CITIZEN JANE(-X)

trinketing with the catch-ups  

it picks scabs, locxxx

to borrow that for forever

shaking under plaidskirt

pixies in the vasculars

consulting new tumbleweeds

the opposite of a black hole

rehabbed by the grace of

she fixates on going to bed without

obscenely, satellite shoots

an old animal w/a head at each end

itself over and over again

Daniela Olszewska was born in Wrocław, Poland, grew up in the area known as Chicagoland, and now lives in the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Roll Tide!). She is the author of four chapbooks, including The Partial Autobiography of Jane Doe (dancing girl press) and The Twelve Wives of Citizen Jane (Spooky Girlfriend Press). Daniela is the current Poetry Editor of Black Warrior Review. This summer, she will teach poetry to guests of the state via the Alabama Prison Arts & Education Project.

Copyright © 2010 Daniela Olszewska