by Lisa Martinovic
Buona notte, he said
Do you know what that means?
the dance is over
house lights bright sting
my eyes watch musicians tired packing
a 45 hissing skips in a groove
our clothes stained muscles aching
glass slippers shattered feet bleeding
I cling, I beg for one last hug
He sighs assent
lets me curl and snake ‘round his chest
thick and muscled chest I’ve stroked and
clutched all primal urgency suckling
I became with him I
by Lisa Martinovic
She is all lips—nothing more
All that matters are her lips
no Cleopatra eyes, Barbie nose no
long dangly Buddha ears
She is all lips pink and brimming
Every sense worth indulging
coming to or
tumbling from those lips lips lips
She is all lips full, fleshy
pulpy peaches halved
fresh fallen from the tree—ripe
sugar-laden luscious lightly scented
redolent of promise flashing
nature’s opulence
She is all lips no pits
magenta centers rough
bruised berries,tart as cherries
plump and primed her
reckless excess beckons him
daring him to come inside
those lips lips lips
Her lips exist for pleasure
nothing
by Lisa Martinovic
You don’t find Peruvian purple potatoes at Safeway
much less organic ones
which is only one reason I won’t shop there
And I wasn’t even looking for anything as exotic
as Peruvian purple potatoes
wandering the aisles of my neighborhood health food store
but when I saw them
for the first time
I was no match for their alien incongruous beauty
so I brought home a lapful
set them on top of the fridge
and waited for the perfect moment
to make a meal of these exotic tubers
weeks passed, dust gathered
the moment never materialized
and my
by Lisa Martinovic
[Note to Readers: The San Francisco Chronicle published this piece on March 17, 2002. The avatars of greed on Wall Street–and those who failed to regulate them–ought to get the same treatment I advised for Enron, et al.]
Now that Enron has been shunted off the front pages and left to squirm under Congressional microscopes, it’s time to rethink how our judicial system can most effectively respond to white collar criminals who consciously—or through the convenience of willful ignorance— inflict so much harm on so many.
Given a government whose tax, banking and regulatory codes are
By Lisa Martinovic
[Note to Readers: I wrote this piece very early in the GW Bush administration. It’s great background for helping us understand the current economic crisis.]
So now its official: after summarily debating the President’s proposed budget and tax cut, the Senate made like a good doggie and dutifully delivered 54 well-fed and manicured thumbs-up onto the doorstep of young Master Bush. But before we lay back and enjoy the pillaging of our national coffers, I want to make sure that we’re clear on how this coup came to pass.
Apparently, one day on the campaign trail,