My Name is Brooke, and I'm a Poet

I'm reading at Teddy's in Baton Rouge tomorrow night. This is the first time I'll read poetry in front of a large audience in years (maybe three? yikes!). On top of this I've got to read for about ten minutes and that equals about four poems all of which I'll post here for the two of you to read.

Here's the poem I know I'll read because it's safe. I wrote it high as a kite last Thanksgiving, and titled it this way because it took about 30 seconds to write and another 30 seconds to read, and at the time I thought that was pretty funny. Here it is:

30-second Thanksgiving Poem

The room smells like cigarettes
and we’ve moved with impressive swiftness
from Sarah Palin to Beowulf’s gods
then to the capital G God of Milton and America
but I’ve got to piss
so I go to do so
and bend my head between my legs
to make it come out faster
so I can return the conversation quickly
and proffer my piece:
I think intellectuals can believe in God
even though I don’t
even though in my non-judgment, I’m judging
and I hate that
but Broc’s there
and Jen’s there
and Brock’s there
and they’ve got their pieces on the subject
which don’t necessarily cohere with mine
but they’re all smart
so who is correct
I’m not sure but I love them all
I even love myself right now
and I don’t know of the veracity
or perfection in any of us
but God does