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video See YouTube video 2/25/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” and “origin, from the macro to the micro” for “Poetry Aloud” at the Georgetown Public Library (this video was filmed from a Canon Power Shot SX60 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr).
video See YouTube video 2/25/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” and “origin, from the macro to the micro” for “Poetry Aloud” at the Georgetown Public Library (this video was filmed from a Canon Power Shot SX700 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr).
video See Janet KuypersYouTube video 2/26/17 of her reading her poems “Unscathed”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” and “Gary’s Blind Date” at the Austin “Kick Butt Poetry: Spoken and Heard” open mic (Canon Power Shot SX60 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry
video See Janet KuypersYouTube video 2/26/17 of her reading her poems “Unscathed”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” and “Gary’s Blind Date” at the Austin “Kick Butt Poetry: Spoken and Heard” open mic (Canon Power Shot SX700 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry
video See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Elephants Carry the World”, “Eyes are Blurred to the Battlefield” and
Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” @ Austin’s Recycled Reads 3/18/17 (this video was filmed from a Canon Power Shot SX60 camera, and posted on Tumblr).
video See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Elephants Carry the World”, “Eyes are Blurred to the Battlefield” and
Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” @ Austin’s Recycled Reads 3/18/17 (this video was filmed from a Canon Power Shot SX700 camera, and posted on Tumblr).
video See YouTube video 8/22/17 of the Janet Kuypers show “This Just In”, with her poems “Protecting Peace can Put you in Prison”, “Original Snowbirds”, “Ultimate Connectivity: a bird in the hand”, “erasure poem: A Poetic History”, “Just One Book”, “Newspaper Ink’s the Blood of a Dying Species”, “Elusive Imaginary Creature”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “Yearning to Break Free” and “Just By Holding His Hand (extreme 2016 sestina variation)” (video from a Panasonic Lumix camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuyperspoetryshow
video See YouTube video 8/22/17 of the Janet Kuypers show “This Just In”, with her poems “Protecting Peace can Put you in Prison”, “Original Snowbirds”, “Ultimate Connectivity: a bird in the hand”, “erasure poem: A Poetic History”, “Just One Book”, “Newspaper Ink’s the Blood of a Dying Species”, “Elusive Imaginary Creature”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “Yearning to Break Free” and “Just By Holding His Hand (extreme 2016 sestina variation)” (this video was filmed from a Sony camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuyperspoetryshow
video See YouTube video of Janet KuypersSeptember 2017 Book Release Reading 9/6/17 from her book “(pheromemes) 2015-2017 poems”, with “Verge on Meditation”, “Elusive Imaginary Creature”, “Newspaper Ink’s the Blood of a Dying Species”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “The Truth is Out There”, & “Visions Were Justified” in Community Poetry (video was filmed from a Sony camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading
video See YouTube video of Janet KuypersSeptember 2017 Book Release Reading 9/6/17 from her book “(pheromemes) 2015-2017 poems”, with “Verge on Meditation”, “Elusive Imaginary Creature”, “Newspaper Ink’s the Blood of a Dying Species”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “The Truth is Out There”, & “Visions Were Justified” in Community Poetry (video filmed from a Canon camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading
video not yet rated See YouTube video 10/1/17 of Janet Kuypers singing her song “Victim” as an industrial song with John on electric guitar (and added percussions), then her reading her poem “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” from the cc&d 10/17 book “Forbidden” before inviting contributors to read their poems from the book, at “Kick Butt Poetry” in Austin (Sony).
video video See YouTube video 10/1/17 of Janet Kuypers singing her song “Victim” as an industrial song with John on electric guitar (and added percussions), then her reading her poem “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” from the cc&d 10/17 book “Forbidden” before inviting contributors to read their poems from the book, at “Kick Butt Poetry” in Austin (Lumix).
video See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ “December 2017 Book Release Reading” 12/6/17, where she reads from the book “Negative Space” her haiku and short poems “coincidence?”, “translation (2014 haiku)”, “oceans”, “behind”, “out there”, “opposite”, and “addiction”, her micro prose “Driving By His House”, and her poems “Earth was Crying”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “Just by Holding His Hand”, and “Only an Observer” in “Community Poetry @ Half Price Books” (Lumix T56 camera).
video See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ “December 2017 Book Release Reading” 12/6/17, where she reads from the book “Negative Space” her haiku and short poems “coincidence?”, “translation (2014 haiku)”, “oceans”, “behind”, “out there”, “opposite”, and “addiction”, her micro prose “Driving By His House”, and her poems “Earth was Crying”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “Just by Holding His Hand”, and “Only an Observer” in “Community Poetry @ Half Price Books” (Lumix 2500 camera).
video See YouTube video from 12/14/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “X-rays and broken hearts”, “Over the Cracks (I Don’t Need You)”, and “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” from her book “(pheromemes) 2015-2017 poems” @ “the Hole in the Wall” in Austin for AIPF’s pre-party reading (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr).
video See YouTube video from 12/14/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “X-rays and broken hearts”, “Over the Cracks (I Don’t Need You)”, and “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” from her book “(pheromemes) 2015-2017 poems” @ “the Hole in the Wall” in Austin for AIPF’s pre-party reading (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr).
video See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers at her 1/3/18 “January 2018 Book Release Reading” feature through “Community Poetry @ Half Price Books”, reading her poems “Years, Centuries, Eons”, “violation”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “unbounded”, and “quarrel” from the cc&d 9/12 2017 issue collection book anthology “Language of Untamed Spirit”, before reading her 3 haiku poems “eventually”, “enemies” and “blood” from the 2017 Scars Publications poetry and prose collection book anthology “On a Rainy Day” (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr).
video See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers at her 1/3/18 “January 2018 Book Release Reading” feature through “Community Poetry @ Half Price Books”, reading her poems “Years, Centuries, Eons”, “violation”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “unbounded”, and “quarrel” from the cc&d 9/12 2017 issue collection book anthology “Language of Untamed Spirit”, before reading her 3 haiku poems “eventually”, “enemies” and “blood” from the 2017 Scars Publications poetry and prose collection book anthology “On a Rainy Day” (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr).
video See YouTube video of Janet KuypersMarch 2018 Book Release Reading 3/7/18, where she read her Down in the Dirt 3/18 book “Dear Reader” poems “everyday objects equal performance art”, “Queen of Multimedia for a reason”, and “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” in Community Poetry @ Half Price Books this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr). #janetkuypers
video See YouTube video of Janet KuypersMarch 2018 Book Release Reading 3/7/18, where she read her Down in the Dirt 3/18 book “Dear Reader” poems “everyday objects equal performance art”, “Queen of Multimedia for a reason”, and “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” in Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers saying her poems “True Happiness in the New Millennium (2017 Dripping Springs edit)”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, and “I’m not sick but I’m not well (Future Imperfect edit)” live 6/4/18 at Buzz Mill open mic (S. Galaxy S7).
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers saying her poems “True Happiness in the New Millennium (2017 Dripping Springs edit)”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, and “I’m not sick but I’m not well (Future Imperfect edit)” live 6/4/18 at Buzz Mill open mic (S G S7; B&W).
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers saying her poems “True Happiness in the New Millennium (2017 Dripping Springs edit)”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, and “I’m not sick but I’m not well (Future Imperfect edit)” live 6/4/18 at Buzz Mill open mic (S G S7; E.D.).
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers saying her poems “True Happiness in the New Millennium (2017 Dripping Springs edit)”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, and “I’m not sick but I’m not well (Future Imperfect edit)” live 6/4/18 at Buzz Mill open mic (S G S7; Post.).
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers saying her poems “True Happiness in the New Millennium (2017 Dripping Springs edit)”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, and “I’m not sick but I’m not well (Future Imperfect edit)” live 6/4/18 at Buzz Mill open mic (S G S7; S. T.).
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers saying her poems “True Happiness in the New Millennium (2017 Dripping Springs edit)”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, and “I’m not sick but I’m not well (Future Imperfect edit)” live 6/4/18 at Buzz Mill open mic (S G S7; Thr.).
video See YouTube video from 7/4/18 of Janet KuypersJuly 2018 Book Release Reading, where she read her Down in the Dirt Jan.-Apr. 2018 issue collection book “At Midnight” poems “You Were Meant”, “enemy”, “A Happy Ending to Everything”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “judge”, “quarrel”, “Every Street Corner”, and “Poem About This”, in Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypershaiku #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading
video See YouTube video from 7/4/18 of Janet KuypersJuly 2018 Book Release Reading, where she read her Down in the Dirt Jan.-Apr. 2018 issue collection book “At Midnight” poems “You Were Meant”, “enemy”, “A Happy Ending to Everything”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “judge”, “quarrel”, “Every Street Corner”, and “Poem About This”, in Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (P L T56; Sepia Tone).
video See YouTube video from 7/4/18 of Janet KuypersJuly 2018 Book Release Reading, where she read her Down in the Dirt Jan.-Apr. 2018 issue collection book “At Midnight” poems “You Were Meant”, “enemy”, “A Happy Ending to Everything”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “judge”, “quarrel”, “Every Street Corner”, and “Poem About This”, in Community Poetry @ Half Price Books this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypershaiku #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading<
video See YouTube video from 7/4/18 of Janet KuypersJuly 2018 Book Release Reading, where she read her Down in the Dirt Jan.-Apr. 2018 issue collection book “At Midnight” poems “You Were Meant”, “enemy”, “A Happy Ending to Everything”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, “judge”, “quarrel”, “Every Street Corner”, and “Poem About This”, in Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (P L 2500; Threshold).
video See YouTube video 12/2/18 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Only Voice he could Hear”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, and “Poem About This”, from the Scars Publications 2018 collections book “Accept Apart” at the “Recycled Reads” (Panasonic Lumix 2500 cam).
video See YouTube video 12/2/18 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Only Voice he could Hear”, “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, and “Poem About This”, from the Scars Publications 2018 collections book “Accept Apart” at the “Recycled Reads” (Panasonic Lumix T56 camera).
video See YouTube video 12/5/18 of Janet KuypersDecember 2018 Book Release Reading, where she read her poem “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” from “the 2019 Literary Review date book” during Community Poetry at Half Price Books (P L 2500).
video See YouTube video 12/5/18 of Janet KuypersDecember 2018 Book Release Reading, where she read her poem “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” from “the 2019 Literary Review date book” during Community Poetry at Half Price Books (Posterize).
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers 12/8/18 reading her poem “You and Me and your Girlfriend” from the Scars Publications 2018 collections book “Accept Apart” and “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” from Scars Publications’ “2019 Literary Review date book” at “Poetry Aloud” (Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera).
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers 12/8/18 reading her poem “You and Me and your Girlfriend” from the Scars Publications 2018 collections book “Accept Apart” and “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams” from Scars Publications’ “2019 Literary Review date book” at “Poetry Aloud” (Panasonic Lumix T56 camera).
video See YouTube video of Janet KuypersJune 2019 Book Release Reading 6/5/19, where she read her Scars Publications the 2019 literary date book review poem “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, then her poem “Precariously Balance” for the Brian Lamont dedication (that will appear in her book “(pheromemes) haiku, twitterverse, Instagram & poetry”, released August 2019), then her “This is a Poem About” poetry “Quiet for a While”, “Under Your Total Control”, “Hollow for so Long Already”, “Push Your Button”, and “Good Escape”, read from the v5 cc&d boss lady poetry collection book “On the Edge”, during Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (video filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camers).
video See YouTube video of Janet KuypersJune 2019 Book Release Reading 6/5/19, where she read her Scars Publications the 2019 literary date book review poem “Your Imaginary Soul Weighs 21 Grams”, then her poem “Precariously Balance” for the Brian Lamont dedication (that will appear in her book “(pheromemes) haiku, twitterverse, Instagram & poetry”, released August 2019), then her “This is a Poem About” poetry “Quiet for a While”, “Under Your Total Control”, “Hollow for so Long Already”, “Push Your Button”, and “Good Escape”, read from the v5 cc&d boss lady poetry collection book “On the Edge”, during Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (video filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera).

Your Imaginary Soul
      Weighs 21 Grams

Janet Kuypers
2/25/17

Different cultures
call it different things.
Your spirit. Your soul.

I know that we creatively
believe there’s something
special we possess.

But this elusive
imaginary creature
that lives within us

causes much debate.
Does it even exist.
Is the soul real.

So I found it funny
that a doctor
100 years ago

wanted to measure
the weight
of a soul.

He found people
sick, dying,
and he weighed them

just before they
were about
to die —

and he weighed
their corpses
right after death.

And what do you know,
there was a difference
in each person —

the doctor found
that each person
was less than

an ounce lighter,
or about
21 grams.

And, this didn’t
prove anything,
but it makes me wonder...

is 21 ounces
the weight we carry
for our soul,

or do some souls
carry more
from the weight

of the world.
Is that why
we’re forced

to share our stories,
to lift our burden,
so our invisible soul

won’t weigh
us down
anymore.


Copyright © Janet Kuypers.

All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.



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