Monthly Archives: August 2015

Christopher J. Jarmick… Re-Brand (part 2 of 2)

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Re-Brand (part 2 of 2)

But a part of me can’t help thinking the Native Americans
have again received glass beads for something worth much more

than realized.

I mean last week, I heard a local Seattle newscaster
refer to the Washington NFL football team as the Redskins
even though that word has been declared as derogatory as

using the N word.

But no one seemed to notice. There was no controversy, no suspension,
no firing or even an editorial in the paper.
Perhaps it’s because we are Washington State and have college and
NFL teams that some might confuse, if not delineated clearly
from that R Team in the other Washington.
And the NFL is a religion completely with a
Church of Monday Night Football – so they can follow
other rules since they answer to the highest power.

(and by this I mean of course: Money.)

Seattle and Minneapolis are in truth, just the latest cities to join the
growing movement. 16 States already don’t recognize Columbus Day,

and South Dakota has since 1990, celebrated Native Day.

Yet school boards have also done a good thing, a very good thing.
In Seattle, Portland and in many other schools, in many other places
Indigenous Day supplements, Columbus Day in the spirit of generous cooperation.
So relax, Columbus Day Mattress Sale Signs won’t have to be re-done after all.
We’ve done a good thing here in Silicon Valley Northwest
Nothing disingenuous occurring here at all.
Oh no… It’s a good thing, a very good thing indeed!
Chief Seattle and I feel better already,
don’t you?

 

Copyright © 2015 by Christopher J. Jarmick

 

 

 

Explanation: The Seattle City Council officially proclaimed that the 2nd Monday in October is now Indigenous Day instead of Columbus Day. Several cities have already passed similar measures and at least 16 states don’t recognize Columbus Day. 1n 1892 on the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the Bahamas in 1492 President Benjamin Harrison established Columbus Day. It started being celebrated on the second October Monday in 1971, though today 16 states including Alaska, Hawaii and Oregon don’t recognize Columbus Day as a public holiday. Since 1990 South Dakota has celebrated Native American Day. Previously at the state level in Washington (and elsewhere) efforts were made to create Honor Day to Honor Native Americans on May 13th but no legislation has passed to officially recognize that day. Absolutely there should be a special day giving respect and honor to Native Americans. It should be more important than something that school boards see as a supplement to Columbus Day or that cities are able to proclaim in the same way they hand out keys to honor notable citizens. I don’t think Native Americans should settle for something you can consider in a glass half full sort of way as a good step in the right direction. Poets by the way have a celebratory Month every April maybe the least that could be done is to declare November, Native American Month, and make the Friday after Thanksgiving Indigenous Day.

 

 

 

 

 

Christopher J. Jarmick… Re-Brand (part 1 of 2)

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Re-Brand (part 1 of 2)

“That was a good thing you did. A real good thing.”

(from the Twilight Zone episode: It’s a Good Life -1961)

Good,

very good indeed!

The second October Monday
is now recognized by the City of Seattle
as Indigenous Day to honor Native Americans
on the day formerly belonging to the wrongfully
credited, discoverer of the United States, and murdering
enslaver of Native Americans, Christopher Columbus.
Columbus’ 4 voyages were actually to places now known
as the Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico and

South America ( not North America t’all)– but I digress. . .

Political correctness is also now officially
indigenous to western Washington and that’s
also a very good thing;
so let the ceremonial dancing of this win-win
Indigenous Day proclamation, that costs
tax payers almost nothing, begin!
Tell the post office, libraries and banks
they can continue to take the day off
but schools will stay open, most of us will still work
and you still have to pay for parking on city streets
because Indigenous Day is not an actual fully vested legal holiday

with all the benefits one might enjoy if it were say; Memorial Day.

The Casino’s remain open
to serve free red lemonade to slot players
and perhaps will offer special discounts
to Italian-Americans who previously
borrowed Columbus Day to celebrate their Italian heritage.
That was admittedly an ill fit,
but they were making the best of the situation and now
will appear politically incorrect as they grumble
loudly for at least half a news cycle for wanting to hold

onto a dated tradition at the expense of Native Americans.

The original Americans certainly deserve a special meaningful
day of recognition and since Columbus never deserved such
honor, it was good thing the Seattle City Council did;
a very good thing. . .

 

Author Christopher J. Jarmick is a former TV producer and screenwriter who relocated to Seattle in 1994 and became a poetry activist. He continues to organize, host and publicize poetry reading and events throughout Washington State involving locally and nationally known writers. His latest book, Not Aloud has just been published by MoonPath Press and is available directly from the author or from Amazon. Follow his PoetryIsEverything blog (google it).

Copyright © 2015 by Christopher J. Jarmick

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew Brouwer… Introduction to Life

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Introduction to Life

The first thing to know is that life is suffering
The second thing to know is that whoever wrote this
was a depressive pessimist
The third thing to know is that we don’t actually know
who wrote this
If you ever take a historical scriptures class you’ll learn that a name
like Buddha, or Krishna, or Jesus is the equivalent of saying,

“Our Founding Fathers”

The fourth thing to know is that “Our Founding Fathers”
were probably all men
The fifth thing to know is that it takes a father
and a mother to make a baby

The sixth thing to know is that a baby is life

The seventh thing to know is that babies are the cutest
while they’re crying or laughing
or doing anything else that babies do
The eighth thing to know is that if you ever make a baby
you will find yourself simultaneously drenched in agony and joy
The ninth thing to know is that this will continue long after your baby

has become a woman or a man

The tenth thing to know is that if the Buddha ever had a baby
He probably would have actually said,
“Life is suffering
and joy”

 

Matthew Lane Brouwer has performed his poetry throughout the west, leads writing workshops for teens and adults, and coordinates the Whatcom Juvenile Justice Creative Writing Project for youth in juvenile detention. He has a smattering of publications in online and print journals and a bundle of self–published chapbooks beneath his bed. www.matthewbrouwerpoet.com

Matthew is also a Rapoetics Issue 6: Ghost House contributor

Copyright © 2015 by Matthew Brouwer