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Alive
Too young to care
Busy with living loud
Born on the wind, my youth flew by
Quickly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-j1YkEdWQs
Here is a link to my YouTube channel where I read poetry from my new book, It's Just a Hop, Skip, and Jump to the Madhouse.

A cinquain is a form of poetry. 5 lines with 2-4-6-8-2 syllables.
available on Amazon.com
Thomas W Case Feb 28
My 10th grade year,
Dad put my brother,
Tobin and I in a  
private school in  
Camarillo California.  
  
Mom sent us  
to live with him after  
we traded our  
education, back in  
Des Moines, for **** and  
sitting around  
listening to Led   
Zeppelin records in the  
basement.  
We had it all figured out.  
  
Before we started
a day of class, we  
went on a week-long   
skiing trip to  
Sequoia National Park.  
I loved that school.  
A passion grew in  
me for literature,   
Melville and Dickens,  
Dylan Thomas and the  
rest of the greats visited  
me in my dreams.  
They were good, gentle  
nights back then. 
 
I wrote a paper on  
Billy Budd, and received a C  
for my weak effort.  
Dad explained aspects of  
the story:  
plot  
theme  
antagonist  
protagonist  
and tragic character flaws.  
I didn’t get a C again on  
anything to do with  
literature.  
I was still inept  
with the numbers game.  
Math didn’t hold my  
Interest.  
It dog-paddled, then drowned in  
my budding poet brain.  
  
I had a gorgeous Dutch  
Girlfriend, Van Vleck or  
Van something or other.  
I acted in the play,  
and started at small   
forward on the   
basketball team.  
I even got into a  
fight with a kid for  
telling the principal that  
he sold me a little ****.  
I was suspended for a week,  
but Dad didn’t seem to  
mind that much.  

He gave me a copy of   
Don Quixote, and told   
me to write an essay a day.  
Back then, I was  
the prince of the private school.  
 I started to care about  
learning.   
The teachers taught with  
zeal and zest.  
The lust for literature was  
born in me  
beneath that smiling  
West Coast sunshine, and  
melancholy California fog.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-j1YkEdWQs
Here's a link to my YouTube channel, where I read poetry from my recently published book, It's Just a Hop, Skip, and Jump to the Madhouse, which is available on Amazon.
Thomas W Case Feb 27
There, in the
tide pool, dappled by
the sun is birth and death,
and the spark that continues.
It leaves mankind in the wake of regret.
What have I to do with the albatross
Or sea lion?
I can but write, while they fly and roar.
I gaze upon the Pacific from this rock,
all its mysteries and grandeur.
I am inferior, while it forever reigns with
every wave and break of light.
Here's a link to my youtube channel where I read my poetry from my brand new book, It's a Hop, Skip, and a Jump to the Madhouse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-j1YkEdWQs
Thomas W Case Feb 23
I am so happy to announce the publication of my new book, It's Just a Hop, Skip, and a Jump to the Madhouse, available on Amazon.  I also read my poetry on my youtube channel.
Thanks to everyone for this great site.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DY4XDQYC
Thomas W Case Feb 10
I dreamed that I had
a boat on a leash,
which was strange
because moments before,
I had it in the ocean,
and I was fishing off
the starboard side.
My nephew was with me
and he got us lost.

We dragged that boat all
over Ventura.
We were looking for
the marina.
The longer that the boat
was on the leash,
the smaller it got.
Pretty soon it was
just a toy, a poisoned
dog that we
threw in the trash.
Here is a link to my you tube channel where I read my poetry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKnpk9OMWXg&t=46s
This particular reading is of an open mic I did through the Writer's Workshop in Iowa City.

I've also been working on a website.

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