News:
  • John Cullum: An Accidental Star
  • Blindness: The First Post-COVID Off-Broadway Show
  • Coming Back to "Live"
  • Voyeur: Street Theater in the Time of COVID
  • Poets on Craft: Laura Grace Weldon and Donna Hilbert
  • D2D: Train Train + Near Perfect Synchronization
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
Cultural Weekly logo
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
Poetry

Phil Taggart: Four Poems

By Phil Taggart on June 9, 2016 in Poetry

3

Click Here To View Comments

Phil Taggart has three collections of poetry. His latest is Rick Sings (Brandenburg Press). His other two are Opium Wars (Mille Grazie Press) and an art book in collaboration with Texas artist Ann Harithas, Cowboy Collages. He served for nine years as the Poetry Editor of Art Life, and is currently editor and publisher of Askew with Marsha de la O and Friday Gretchen. Phil runs the weekly poetry reading at the EP Foster Library in Ventura.

*****

Birthday

He’s outside his hotel
pacing muttering
waiting for dinner
waiting for me

Rick’s 50 today
his party is gathering
at a restaurant downtown

pacing is never a good sign

I check in with Rick first
it’s always dicey taking him public

his hair is sticking straight out
clothes disheveled and dirty
he’s ranting

we go to his room drop off presents
Rick rants begs-off-dinner rants

I leave, walk down Main Street, call my sister, cry
and join the party

***

Rick Phones

Says he hasn’t eaten in a week
could I bring some peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches over

toward the end of the month
his food money is stretched to gone

I got some burgers
he opens the door
Jasmine is there
broken foot crutches
staring at the TV

once she was manager here

Rick takes me aside,
She’s homeless now

I drop off the burgers and leave

tomorrow I’ll be kicking her out

***

Food and Cigarettes

I pass him
sitting at a
picnic table
in the park

go to my
PO Box
return and watch

Rick’s on the move
checking trash cans
eyes wary
looking again and again
over his shoulder

not entirely
comfortable here
this safe zone
could easily be disturbed
if the police
clear the park

Rick settles into
a bench swing
smokes swings

He called me
a few days ago
said he wanted a job
he was tired
of choosing between
food and cigarettes

***

He’s with Me

At the bank Rick waits
sitting in a chair
while I’m in line

he’s hunched down
trying to be invisible
as the security guard approaches

he says to the guard,
The paintings are nice

Rick’s pretty grubbed out

I’d like him to bathe more, wash his clothes,
clean his room, not drink so much

I’d like to tell him about my problems,
talk politics, art, watch a game with him

I yell out to the guard,
He’s with me. He’s my brother.

(Author photo by Alexis Rhone Fancher)

Click Here To View Comments

Tagshomelessnessmental illnessphil taggartpoemspoetry

Previous Story

Riding the Expo Line

Next Story

ATTENDANCE: January

About the author

Phil Taggart

Phil Taggart has three collections of poetry. His latest is Rick Sings (Brandenburg Press). His other two are Opium Wars (Mille Grazie Press) and an art book in collaboration with Texas artist Ann Harithas, Cowboy Collages. He served for nine years as the Poetry Editor of Art Life, and is currently editor and publisher of Askew with Marsha de la O and Friday Gretchen. Phil runs the weekly poetry reading at the EP Foster Library in Ventura. In 2009, Phil was named “Champion of Mental Health” by the Turning Point Foundation with recognition from various government electeds including US Congresswoman Lois Capps and President Barack Obama. This was in part because of his work in bringing awareness of homelessness and mental illness to the community at large, through his poetry, photography and video work specifically through Rick Sings. In 2008, he received the Ventura’s Mayor’s Arts Award and received the Ventura County Art Star Award in 2012. Phil is and has served on several Boards and Commissions including the City of Ventura’s Cultural Affairs Commission. He grew up in South Whittier and lives in Ventura, California with his wife Marsha de la O. Phil is Ventura County Poet Laureate

Related Posts

  • Alexis Rhone Fancher: Three Poems

    By Alexis Rhone Fancher
    Don’t Wash “I’m returning in three...
  • Alley Pond Park, The Cousins’ Club, and The Loony Bin

    By Eric Trules
    I remember two things about Alley Pond Park...
  • Jen Karetnick: Three Poems

    By Jen Karetnick
    Congressional Complex I could not sting...
  • Carlos Andrés Gómez: Two Poems

    By Carlos Andrés Goméz
    Poem about Death Ending with...

Support Our Friends

Follow Us

Join Our Mailing List

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @CulturalWeekly

Comments

  • Lisa Segal Lisa Segal
    Valentine’s Day Redux: a Second Chance at True Love
    Marvelous!!!!!!!
    2/14/2021
  • maurice amiel maurice amiel
    Shakespeare on Despots, Power, and Finally… Transition
    Timely and educational this post Your scholarship...
    1/31/2021
  • maurice amiel maurice amiel
    Abigail Wee: “Growing Home”
    A first place well deserved While the particular...
    1/24/2021

New

  • Trending phone tracker apps you must know about
  • Europa League semi-final preview: Could there be an all-English final?
  • John Cullum: An Accidental Star
  • Bok Choy 101 Guide: From Cooking to Regrowing
  • 4 Ways you can make a profit with the Clubhouse app

Tags

art dance film Los Angeles music photography poem poems poetry tomorrow's voices today

Like us

Please Help

Donate

Who are we?

Cultural Weekly is a place to talk about our creative culture with passion, perspective and analysis – and more words than “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” Our mission is to draw attention to our cultural environment, illuminate it, and make it ... read more

Site map

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Contributors
  • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Food
  • Home
  • Masthead
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Submission Form
  • Submissions: Write for us
  • Subscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Thank You

Links

Adam Leipzig
Entertainment Media Partners
This Is Crowd
CreativeFuture
Plastic Oceans Foundation
Arts & Letters Daily
Alltop
Alexis Rhone Fancher
Jack Grapes
Ethan Bearman
Writ Large Press

Mailing List

* indicates required


  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Contact us
Cultural Weekly is the digital magazine and public platform of Next Echo Foundation. DONATE HERE.
Copyright © 2010-2020 by Adam Leipzig. All Rights Reserved.