[the Writing of Kuypers]    [JanetKuypers.com]    [Bio]    [Poems]    [Prose]

See YouTube video from 5/27/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “My Brain Was (2017 Streamline)”, “Statue” and “Moonlight” in the “Poetry Aloud” open mic at the Georgetown Public Library (filmed with a Lumix camera).

See YouTube video from 5/27/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “My Brain Was (2017 Streamline)”, “Statue” and “Moonlight” in the “Poetry Aloud” open mic at the Georgetown Public Library (filmed with a Sony camera).

See YouTube video from 6/3/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poem “My Brain Was (2017 Streamline)” after her poetry feature “Meant to do Big Things” in Austin’s the Bahá’í Faith Center (this video was filmed with a Lumix camera).

See YouTube video from 6/3/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poem “My Brain Was (2017 Streamline)” after her poetry feature “Meant to do Big Things” in Austin’s the Bahá’í Faith Center (this video was filmed with a Sony camera).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers at her 1/3/18 “Community Poetry @ Half Price Books” Austin feature reading, with “Only Half the Story”, “lost”, “rush”, & “you were meant” from the Down in the Dirt 1/18 book “Farewell to Seafaring”, then her poem “My Brain Was (2017 Streamline)” from the cc&d 1/18 book “the End of the World” (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers at her 1/3/18 “Community Poetry @ Half Price Books” Austin feature reading, with “Only Half the Story”, “lost”, “rush”, & “you were meant” from the Down in the Dirt 1/18 book “Farewell to Seafaring”, then her poem “My Brain Was (2017 Streamline)” from the cc&d 1/18 book “the End of the World” (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr).

My Brain Was (2017 Streamline) Janet Kuypers started 5/20/14, written daily through 5/24/14, streamlined 5/24/17 My brain was fighting to get out. My brain was stupefied after my name was called for winning the award. The only thing my brain could think was that the man on stage from the American Legion with my medal looked like he was the nicest man on earth. My brain was crouching down on top of that glacier when the wind became just that violent. My brain was commanding my fingers and toes, my rosy cheeks and the tip of my nose, no, you’re not cold, just lean back and watch the dancing and arcing of the Aurora Borealis, because one thirty a.m. is the best time to see them on these late September days just south of the arctic circle. So... Deal with the cold. You’ll be glad you did. My brain was determined to get to the top of that mountain - I know I’m not a climber, I know I prefer hot tubs but those ski lifts are closed and these are the Alps and really, how many times will you get the chance to climb the Alps? My brain knows you’re only wearing sandals and socks and there’s snow and water everywhere, but this is your only chance... My brain felt like a heel being carried past the last water pit coming back down from that mountain. But looking back, my brain was pleased. It had to try. My brain was trying to remember how to breathe, turning my head, hoping I could catch my breath as the atmosphere was pushing me at one hundred twenty miles per hour before someone pulled my parachute cord. My brain was on high alert, but more than that, my brain was excited to keep swimming further down to get closer to the row of over two dozen white-tipped sharks off the Galapagos islands. My brain was keeping me awake again last night, thinking about what went down during the day or what I gotta do tomorrow. My brain’s always thinking of new places, contemplating new challenges, opting for new options. I lie awake and I think that’s my brain for you, always looking for something new.

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