Blue Arc West An Anthology of California Poets (Tebot Bach, 2006) contains some very interesting, dare I say, memorable and provocative poems from a list of poets that includes the likes of Christopher Buckley, Wanda Coleman, Robert Peters, Lynne Thompson, Charles Harper Webb, Gail Wronsky and about 130 or so others, including a Pereira poem, as well.

For those of you who continue to ask, A Cafe in Boca is still scheduled to be published by Tebot Bach, hopefully, in the not-too-distant future. Thank you for your continuing interest and stay tuned!

"The Tuna in Cabo" was the featured poem on the 42opus web site (12-11-06).

As of the beginning of 2007, Brian Leary has revamped this entire site into a much sleeker, new look. As such, this poem, along with other work by me, will continue to be available in the "Poetry" link at the top of the home page of this remarkable online journal.

Lots of great writing by new, as well as "not so new" folks. For instance, Herman Melville and Emily Dickinson made guest appearances in 42opus not long ago! Check it out and be well entertained.

The amazing journal, Blackbird, has just included a new piece by yours truly in its Fall 2006 (Volume 5, No. 2) issue, a terrific grouping of writers, including the late Sylvia Plath. Check all of it out by going to:

http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v5n2/poetry.htm

The above is the poetry page only, but once there be sure to click on all the other great stuff as well.

photo credit: C. Roelofs

Skating in Monterey

for Jim & Cyndi Roelofs

One might say, driving
By an old skating rink, Ghosts
On wheels. In our inner ears,
We dredge up a past, reserved
For only a few: in a dark corner
Of the empty building, we glance
At the dusty skate concession;
Tuesday’s morning catch wafts
Through a number of broken windows.
I want to say: Yes! Just Yes!
In the 50s, people liked skating.
It was a good thing to do.
They’d suck in the Pacific wind,
On Tuesdays, similar to this. Crosby
Might be singing in a back room,
As boys and girls touched shoulders,
Then lips; spinning in circles
For hours. This is a lavish ride.
The car purrs its way out of town.
We watch the two of you
Roll down your windows at just
The right time, in hopes
Of breathing in trees. They are skaters,
We say; even in the heat
We come back to, they are skaters.

Copyright © 2006 by Sam Pereira

Just out! The newest issue of 2 River View, which has been kind enough to include a couple of new ones from a manuscript in progress. If you have an MP3 player (QuickTime, Winamp, etc.), check out the audio of these, as well as many other folks' work. Richard Long does a great job with 2 River and deserves a big hand.

Keeping Things Real

The roses get pruned today.
For the next couple of months
They will fight back,
Into the unforgettable perfume
Of Spring. The cold preserves
This moment every year:
For example, last year
There was nothing here
But a promise and still
She decided to stay. She insisted
The cold kept things real,
And smiled at the permanence
In that simple thought.

Copyright © 2006 by Sam Pereira