Jeffrey Spahr-Summers

Jeffrey started writing poetry over 30 years ago while living in South Africa. He is a former Chicago stage poet and workshop junkie. Also a photographer, Jeff is the publisher and editor of The Poetry Victims. He currently lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. USA.

Jeffrey's poems have appeared regularly in the following publications and other small presses; Hammers, Strong Coffee, Erie, Scenezines, The San Fernando Poetry Journal, Newsletter Inago, The Dallas Review, The Poetry Victims, Poetry Super Highway, Abalone Moon, Black Medina, Unlikely Stories, The Coffee Press Journal, Lily Literary Journal (along with an interview), Poems For You. He has poems in 3 anthologies; Chicago Saloon Poets, Step Into The Light and Voices Israel 2005. He maintains various websites and has read his poems on radio at the University of Chicago, at the annual Peace and Music festival and Earth Day celebrations in Chicago. Jeff has published one book Fear of Heights (1984).

He is currently working on various other book projects.

 

strip poetry

one poem for each piece of clothing
she says so i read her some carver
the first poem is short but poignant
off comes my shirt tossed to the dogs
i count the many poems she requires
i quickly pick another poignant piece
and i am curious about socks after all
they are identical ... now two poems
she says this is harder than you think



thin line

i dont understand this business
of anger i just
dont get it
i dont understand
the heat of this language
hateful words bang
bang gotta blame
somebody
anybody
anyone
anyone but
ourselves anyone but
us us
mean mister misters
gone and
done it again
i dont understand
the purpose of
this
this is my dilemma
and i find no comfort here



bonfire

that day i torched all the poetry
i was a sick but determined man
i was looking for liberation like
the great bra burners of the 60s
in pajama bottoms at high noon
i dragged out the olive trash can
gathered up 29 years of poems
every one i could lay hands on
doused them with liquid starter
struck a match and tossed it in



On Mars

We are a stupid lot
We are curious
We are arrogant
We are proud
We are travelers
We are adventurous
We are warriors
We are taught to conquer
and vanquish all opposition u
make them our prisoners
our slaves  are persistent
or else we kill them
We are stubborn and
We are prone to confusion
We are lazy
We are dirty
We are dreamers and
We are easily distracted
by those creatures of Venus
the scented ones
who laugh and tease us
the ones who paint
their faces and appendages
We are struck by their beauty
We are jealous of their power
We are afraid of their spells
We are inferior and thus
We are convinced
We are clever
therefore
We are easily outwitted
We are puzzled
We are the first to admit
We are mystified and
We are foolish around them