Lesley Day at Lesley Day Poetry on Facebook

A poet known for her raw emotion and passionate public readings; check out Lesley Day’s book, Authenticity on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Authenticity-Lesley-Day/dp/1958351008

Lesley will be hosting an Open Mic Poetry Night this coming Sunday at Spine Bookstore & Cafe. See https://www.stlmag.com/events/poetry-open-mic-hosted-lesley-day-featuring-patrick-cole/ I’m looking forward to meeting her in-person.

Based on social media and YouTube videos, I’m dedicating one of my past poems to her:

A Walking Billboard

An anchor was my first one, next came “I Love Mom,”

….. followed by a battleship, then a long-legged blonde

a little skin, a lot of ink, and some time to put it on.

….. my body is my billboard – you know where I’m coming from.

Some people have a flower on their ankles or their butt,

….. others a teddy bear or a dolphin jumping up

a pretty little heart, a family shield, a religious cup,

….. In other words, a confession they truly lack the guts

to tell the world, “Go to Hell” with a sneering devil’s grin

….. a fire-breathing dragon popping off their skin,

a green-fucking monster human-eating alien,

….. or something wickedly evil, truly hair-raisin.

No wimps need apply, a poet must have balls

….. to say what others won’t while their hiding behind walls

of secret little “come-ons” hidden under overalls

….. but a poet’s loud and proud to shout it from their falls.

Roaring thunder puts you under your bed sheets at night

….. but a poet tells the world of the dangers and who to fight

there are no winners, no deadly wrong, no sacred right,

….. just our scars and our tattoos of the war that’s skin tight!

from I Am Furious (Yellow), Patrick J. Cole, (c) 2009