A Cut Above
By Jen Selinsky
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About this ebook
"A Cut Above" was written during yet another transitional stage of the author's life-after Jen had moved to Indiana. A few months after she settled into her new life, she found her true love. The first poems Jen had written for him are in this book.
Jen Selinsky
Jen Selinsky was born in Pittsburgh, PA. In 2003, she earned her bachelor's degree in English from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. In 2004, she earned her master's degree in library science from the same school. Jen has worked as a professional librarian for over twelve years. She has published more than 170 books, most of which contain poetry. Her work can be found on the following sites: Lulu, Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Barnes & Noble/Nook, Smashwords, and Pen It! Publications. She has also been featured in publications such as: The Courier Journal, Explorer Magazine, Liphar Magazine, and Indiana Libraries. Jen lives in Sellersburg, IN with her husband.
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A Cut Above - Jen Selinsky
A Cut Above
Jen Selinsky
Copyright © 2007 by Jen Selinsky
All rights reserved by the author. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the copyright holder.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Cover Art Copyright © 2004, 2014 by Jen Selinsky and Travis Potts
ISBN: 9781370192298
*Not every poem included in this book is dated in chronological order. This is not an oversight on my part. Rather, I have made changes and substitutions over the years.
-J.L.S.
Bliss has come to those
Who waited with anticipation
In their eyes—hits them
Before they realize that
The concept of happiness
Has yet to be written
In their minds.
Standing atop the
Mountain, which you have
Found hard to climb;
God gave you the will
To survive, to last even
Further in the comfort
Of each other’s arms, for
That is the one place that
No man can do harm.
Souls glowing because love
Has seen you through to
Make the world fit
According to your plan.
5/27/05
How much can I actually
Say in the time that’s
Allotted to me
In the little bit of space
Just big enough for me to breathe?
I do not have much
Reason to believe that
Many of these people
Are going to be kind,
Especially when they
Leave me behind to
Rot in the sun.
Hostility only begun
From one who refuses
To spring from her youth.
What do you want; why
Do you find me to be so uncouth?
I’ve tried, Lord knows;
I’ve tried to make you
People satisfied with me.
And that I’ve tried
To be over my tears.
Fears eating me inside
Out with so much as a
Humanly doubt that I
Am all I’m destined to be—
Anything but a neurotic mess.
I confess! Just do what
You will and be quick.
The pain that takes my
Body for granted—
A bruised temple that’s
More than willing to
Waste away if I am
Offered no ultimatum.
You do not see, you
Trusted your judgment,
To which I wish I could
Have lived up to standard
Under the security of lock
And key, if you will.
Dreams cannot fulfill themselves;
They must be escorted
By some kind of human will.
The bitter pill that slides
Down my throat every night
Is supposed to make it all better.
What recent evidence has
There been supporting this claim,
Given out by pharmaceutical companies
And those who only want to
Make money from the weak?
I am here to speak, but it’s as if
My words are not even heard by anyone.
Does a person care who wants to see me thrive,
Or must I still strive through the mud,
On my belly, just like a snake with no purpose
And no limbs?
Whims only satisfied by the dogs who
Created them in the first place—
Those who have nothing better to do
With their time.
Break my rhyme, break my will,
Break my balls (if I had any to spare).
You know what I mean as you speak
Through muted difficulties, just as
Quickly as you’ve tossed my words
To the wayside.
Darken my doorstep, or as you people see it,
The other way around.
I’ve found; I have taken something,
And I shall do my best to protect
It to this day.
Anyway, all these things you make,
My poor mind feels as though it’s already
Dying for a meal of wisdom, of which
It has been deprived ever since I’ve arrived.
Display my pity with blood and the red
That comes from the fury in my eyes.
Circumstance has delivered me here,
By God, I’ve got to stay.
I have not felt this way about any place
Else in the brief period that has been
Allotted to me.
Let it be as it is! What else have I to look
Forward to, except the degradation which, allegedly,
Is supposed to start soon?
Being the pretty picture
of youth by some
Who assume the impending doom that tracks man
Down, like death looming in the doorway.
See a smile that fades and promises obscurity
To anyone who happens to have part of the
Same mind.
I find that I used to love
The very thing which
Slowly turns to hate;
Save me from this
Damnable fate before
I run myself completely mad
Into circles that are filled
With confusion and delirium.
You find me worthy of
Nothing but a short
Sum of things, which
Barely step over the
Basics of life.
I am tired, so tired of
It all that I must
Now close my eyes to
See what has become
Of my anticipated victory.
I finally had a chance to
Lunge back from what holds
Me back from rushing
Over to their side and
Gouging out their eyes
With my fingernails.
A pretty sight for no one
When they see my temper
Flare, enough to give so
Many a scare.
You claim that I only
Did it to myself, but
The whole world has yet
To hear your claim, and
Who’s to say that many
Would agree with such
Madness, the kind that
Is not even brought on
By me!
Lowering my eyes to this
Cruel defamation…
5/27/05
Don’t you find it hard
To think all these things
In your head, while others
Talk in the background?
Collision, only a certain
Number of minds can
Resist the voices talking
Inside their heads, and
Outside, the world’s all
A chatter.
Does anyone cease to talk—
No sure as not everyone is resting
All at the same time.
How fine, how unique
That these things happen
At one time or another.
The sun never sets on
The whole world at once.
Now you can understand
Why I ponder all these
Things when I am one
Of those who do not
Close their eyes, trying
Desperately to let my
Soul escape for the
Night so that it may
Be free from the thoughts
Which claim me during
The day.
Humans can react in
Any given way, why I
Must choose differently
Is beyond me.
Carpe diem;
Carpe noctem—
Whatever happens to
Work at the time when
I try to blossom and show
The world that I am
Made of a different kind
Of thing.
You’ll see, I’ll try to have
All of you see why I’ve
Fallen out of line to
Pave my own path.
Oh, don’t even try to
Tell me that you’ve
Never been tempted to
Do the same thing.
Hear the tone of my heart,
As it rings for love and
Beauty that had me the
Way that it wanted me.
Have rights to express these
Things that may shock
Or delight anyone living.
In just a small amount
Of distance of space.
My hands are right before my
Eyes to see what appears
This close.
All this has been from a
Great distance before,
But all is going to change—
The beautiful slumber of
The time when we have
To recharge.
Has