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See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers performing her poem Eight to Sixteen live 10/8/14 at Chicago’s open mic the Café Gallery (C)

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers performing her poem Eight to Sixteen live 10/8/14 at Chicago’s open mic the Café Gallery (S)

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poem Eight to Sixteen in her Chicago feature “Nerves of a Poet” live at Café Cabaret at Café Ballou 11/21/14 with music from the HA!Man of South Africa (C)

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poem Eight to Sixteen in her Chicago feature “Nerves of a Poet” live at Café Cabaret at Café Ballou 11/21/14 with music from the HA!Man of South Africa (S C glow)

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ poetry feature “Nerves of a Poet” (C, of 4 poems and 4 haiku poems) with music from the HA!Man of South Africa live at Café Cabaret at Café Ballou in Chicago 11/21/14, INCLUDING THIS POEM

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ poetry feature “Nerves of a Poet” (S, of 4 poems and 4 haiku poems) with music from the HA!Man of South Africa live at Café Cabaret at Café Ballou in Chicago 11/21/14, INCLUDING THIS POEM

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ poetry feature “Nerves of a Poet” (S crop, of 4 poems and 4 haiku poems) with music from the HA!Man of South Africa live at Café Cabaret at Café Ballou in Chicago 11/21/14, INCLUDING THIS POEM

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ poetry feature “Nerves of a Poet” (S crop glow, of 4 poems and 4 haiku poems) with music from the HA!Man of South Africa live at Café Cabaret at Café Ballou in Chicago 11/21/14, INCLUDING THIS POEM

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ November 2018 Book Release Reading 11/7/18, where she read her “Nerves of a Poet” poems “Jabbed into an Open Nerve”, “bruised”, “Eight to Sixteen”, “Lord Have Mercy”, “Violent Affair”, “fog”, “pant”, and “translation (2014 haiku)”, all from the Janet Kuypers 2014-2015 Chicago poetry performance art book “a year long Journey”, during Community Poetry at Half Price Books (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ November 2018 Book Release Reading 11/7/18, where she read her “Nerves of a Poet” poems “Jabbed into an Open Nerve”, “bruised”, “Eight to Sixteen”, “Lord Have Mercy”, “Violent Affair”, “fog”, “pant”, and “translation (2014 haiku)”, all from the Janet Kuypers 2014-2015 Chicago poetry performance art book “a year long Journey”, during Community Poetry at Half Price Books (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; Posterize).

See YouTube video live 10/19/19 at Austin’s “Open Mic Showcase”, where Janet Kuypers read poems from a variety of books in multiple rounds to the live audience at the bookstore. In round 1, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “On This Day” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Eight to Sixteen” (for her “Nerves of a Poet” feature) from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her Periodic Table poem “Einsteinium” from The Cafe Gallery poetry book “the Chosen Few”. In round 2, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Empty Chocolate Counter” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Lord have Mercy” (for her “Nerves of a Poet” feature) from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her poem “Andrew Hettinger” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”, In round 3, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Vatican Turned into a Whorehouse” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Star Trek, Star Wars, and Storm Troopers” from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her poem “Chess Game Again” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”, then her bonus poem “Every Day is Sweetest Day”, written that morning, on Sweetest Day, 10/19/19. In round 4, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Vanquished by the Sleeping Giant” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Young Dreams from a Potential Legend” (for her “Bases Loaded” feature) from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her poem “All These Reminders” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”. In round 5, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Uphill Battles lead to Changing It Up” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Violent Affair” (for her “Nerves of a Poet” feature) from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her poem “She Told Me Her Dreams (one)” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”. In round 6, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Knowing Panic Becomes a Picnic” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poems “People’s Rights Misunderstood”, and “New Vacuum Cleaner” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 1996 v79 book “Poetry and Prose” (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera); on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Tumblr.

See YouTube video live 10/19/19 at Austin’s “Open Mic Showcase”, where Janet Kuypers read poems from a variety of books in multiple rounds to the live audience at the bookstore. In round 1, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “On This Day” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Eight to Sixteen” (for her “Nerves of a Poet” feature) from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her Periodic Table poem “Einsteinium” from The Cafe Gallery poetry book “the Chosen Few”. In round 2, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Empty Chocolate Counter” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Lord have Mercy” (for her “Nerves of a Poet” feature) from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her poem “Andrew Hettinger” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”, In round 3, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Vatican Turned into a Whorehouse” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Star Trek, Star Wars, and Storm Troopers” from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her poem “Chess Game Again” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”, then her bonus poem “Every Day is Sweetest Day”, written that morning, on Sweetest Day, 10/19/19. In round 4, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Vanquished by the Sleeping Giant” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Young Dreams from a Potential Legend” (for her “Bases Loaded” feature) from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her poem “All These Reminders” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”. In round 5, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Uphill Battles lead to Changing It Up” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poem “Violent Affair” (for her “Nerves of a Poet” feature) from her poetry book “a year long Journey”, and then her poem “She Told Me Her Dreams (one)” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”. In round 6, Janet Kuypers reads her poem “Knowing Panic Becomes a Picnic” from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)”, then her poems “People’s Rights Misunderstood”, and “New Vacuum Cleaner” from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 1996 v79 book “Poetry and Prose” (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera); on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Tumblr.

Eight to Sixteen Janet Kuypers 10/8/14 You came back again from one of your trips to the other side of the planet. You know I love you more than anything on Earth, but... I’m getting used to your absence. # It’s a terrible thing to say, I know, but when you came back this time and said you had a fever I figured you ingested their toxic water and you’d have the stomach flu for days, but then you’d be fine. But this time, with your fever, I remembered how you drank the water swimming south of the Equator, and I thought nothing of it. It would clear up in a week. I’ll just hold off on kissing you again. # But after eight days, you went to the doctor, told them of your travel and ails. And that’s when the doctor called the CDC and the Federal agencies swarmed in. After you left for the doctor, the next contact I had was with men in Hazmat suits at my door. They asked me if I was alone. They asked me if I had any children. Then they asked me to come with them. I told them I needed to wait for my husband, and they told me you were now in isolation. After hours, they told me that you caught a nasty virus while you were away on your trip — But I said, “Wait a minute, he was on a work trip, and his company made him take a ton of drugs so that he’d be immune and wouldn’t catch anything —” and that’s when they stopped me, right there. They locked me in a room. They told me I couldn’t leave. Then they said he caught a bad strain while helping a woman he found on the street, bleeding, pregnant, and in pain. It took them two days to discover the details before they gave me the news. “He’s in isolation, we’re trying new treatments, and hopefully he’ll be okay.” But, I know of this virus, it’s usually lethal, so... Please. Let me see him. Now. That’s when they said, “Sorry, it’s out of our hands, but you must be quarantined too. So I screamed at the medics, all to no avail, as they swore I had to stay safe. So... I paced in my isolation. I watched the drive by news. And I heard them say stats that death from this virus can come from 8, up to 16 days. Eight to sixteen days. It was eight days before he even went to the doctor — will this waiting do him in? I couldn’t talk to him. I couldn’t see his face. I couldn’t kiss him, or tell him I loved him. That I’ll always love him. That I’m nothing without him. # The morning of the 5th day, still trapped in isolation, that’s when they told me he died. # My blood work was clean, but they kept me in isolation when they said they’d cremate my love. And all I could think was, ‘after you’re done, send him to Arlington National Cemetery’ so the world will know he’s a hero to more than just me, as you kept me away ‘til he died. And still, I continue to pace, trapped in this room, alone, with nothing to wait for ever again.

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