This is the text version of the poems featured in National Poetry Month: 3 CSUDH poets share insights, teaching and their writing.
No time to Die
by Lucilla Maclaren Spillane
I thought I was dying
and I knocked at Death’s door.
As I lay in a bar,
like a rag on the floor,
and I promised for sure,
not to drink any more.
“I’ve not called your number,”
said a voice in my head,
or was it God saying
“It’s not time to be dead?”
I should promise for sure,
not to drink any more.
And then the voice told me:
“Now you’ve got to be strong,
And go back through your life
to where you first went wrong.”
So I promised for sure,
not to drink any more.
I took my second chance
and I got up and run
back through all the old bars,
and it wasn’t much fun,
as I’d promised for sure,
not to drink any more.
The voice never left me,
and I kept straight and right,
as I re-ran my years,
With no reason to fight,
because never for sure,
did I drink any more.
Then the voice called me
And here’s what it said:
“I’m calling your number,
it’s time to be dead.”
And now it’s for sure,
I’ll not drink any more.
I Saw Death on the Third Street Promenade
by Randy Cauthen
wearing a creamcolor suit and
muttering at his blackberry and
eating a five‑dollar widget of chocolate
with shades on to keep from meeting
the homeless veterans eyes
once I saw him once
I started recognizing him
everywhere I went
saw him at WaMu at the ATM
Death goes to my same bank
saw him exchanging jokes
with the ex‑SAVAK agents
at the Coffee Bean in Tehrangeles
he had four espressos
I saw Death in Sams bookstore
leafing through Gibbon
Death licks his finger to turn the page
then doesnt buy the book
the bastard
I should read Gibbon
I saw Death in Ocean Park
ogling the coeds in their one‑pieces
well ogling everybody
including me
thats what bad taste Death has
Second Genesis
by Jade Harvey
He said, “Let us make man in our image and likeness let us give him dominion over all the earth.” He blessed them. Man and woman, he blessed them saying, “Let you then be fruitful and multiply.” He saw all he had made and, behold, it was very good.
Evening passed and morning followed.
On the seventh day he rested, and while he rested, another schemed. Evening passed and morning followed. A new creation. The plan, set a man against all of this. Make evil of the favored ones.
Peace passed and fear would follow. The first day.
It took in the man and the woman and gave them the invitation. An apple in the middle of the forest of plenty, it became the harbinger of all things to come. He made man and woman to understand, and this invited greed.
Bliss passed and science would follow. The second day.
It set the fangs of the serpent against the man, and put superiority between man and the creatures in his dominion, and again, between man and his beloved, and again, between man and his fellow man.
Dominion passed and master-hood would follow. The third day.
It divided the people, with language and prayer it divided them, setting confusion on the people and religion on the world. Laying misunderstanding in the heart and hate in the world. It set them on one another.
Understanding passed and slavery would follow. The fourth day.
It saw the confusion of the people, and set it ablaze. By sowing mistrust and anger, it brought violence. On the heels of this violence, it brought dominion, and lordship and assimilation. It saw the degradation of entire worlds.
Calm passed and war would follow. The fifth day.
It set on the world a good man with good intentions. In his hands were placed the medium of destruction. It did nothing. It said nothing. Man saw how dangerous it was, and in their refusal to heed reason, they tried to tame it.
Creation passed and destruction would follow. The sixth day.
On the last day he watched as they suffered, and gloated as they died. In their millions, they died. The gluttonous rich, and suffering pauper, all given the same radiating grave.
