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See YouTube video 4/21/19 on Easter of Janet Kuypers reading her poem “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen” on the last day the restaurant “Opal Divine’s Marina” was open in Austin (video filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera).

See YouTube video 4/21/19 on Easter of Janet Kuypers reading her poem “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen”, on the last day the restaurant “Opal Divine’s Marina” was open in Austin (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera, and given a Hue Cycling filter).

See YouTube video 4/21/19 on Easter of Janet Kuypers reading her poem “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen”, on the last day the restaurant “Opal Divine’s Marina” was open in Austin (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera, and given a Posterize filter).

See YouTube video 4/21/19 on Easter of Janet Kuypers reading her poem “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen”, on the last day the restaurant “Opal Divine’s Marina” was open in Austin (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera, and given a Sepia Tone filter).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers 12/4/19 reading her Genesis poetry from the cc&d v293 Nov./Dec. 2019 issue/book “Coiled Cobra”, including her poems “Genesis Six-Nine: an Apocalypse/Doomsday Prepper’s Take”, “Genesis Eleven: the Tower of Babble”, and “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen”, then eventually her Veterans Day poem “Keep our Country and Save Ourselves”,all read live (interspersed with Thom poetry) during her December 2018 Book Release Reading through Community Poetry! at Half Price Books in Austin (video filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera); video posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Tumblr.

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers 12/4/19 reading her Genesis poetry from the cc&d v293 Nov./Dec. 2019 issue/book “Coiled Cobra”, including her poems “Genesis Six-Nine: an Apocalypse/Doomsday Prepper’s Take”, “Genesis Eleven: the Tower of Babble”, and “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen”, then eventually her Veterans Day poem “Keep our Country and Save Ourselves”,all read live (interspersed with Thom poetry) during her December 2018 Book Release Reading through Community Poetry! at Half Price Books in Austin (video filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera); video posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Tumblr.

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems &“Genesis Six-Nine: an Apocalypse/Doomsday Prepper’s Take”, “Genesis Eleven: the Tower of Babble”, and “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen” from the Scars Publications 7-12 2019 cc&d issue collection book “Imagery of Place”, as one of the readings in her February 2020 Book Release Reading through Community Poetry! at Half Price Books in Austin (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems &“Genesis Six-Nine: an Apocalypse/Doomsday Prepper’s Take”, “Genesis Eleven: the Tower of Babble”, and “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen” from the Scars Publications 7-12 2019 cc&d issue collection book “Imagery of Place”, as one of the readings in her February 2020 Book Release Reading through Community Poetry! at Half Price Books in Austin (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Genesis Six-Nine: an Apocalypse /Doomsday Prepper’s Take”, “Genesis Eleven: the Tower of Babble”, “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen”, and “Keep Our Country and Save Ourselves” from the v293 “Coiled Cobra” section in the cc&d July-December 2018 expanded issue collection book “Among the Debris” for The Café Gallery 9/1/20 Book Reading in The Café Gallery 2020 book reading series (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr).

See a Facebook live video stream of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Genesis Six-Nine: an Apocalypse/Doomsday Prepper’s Take”, “Genesis Eleven: the Tower of Babble”, “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen”, and “Keep Our Country and Save Ourselves” from the v293 “Coiled Cobra” section in the cc&d July-December 2018 expanded issue collection book “Among the Debris” for The Café Gallery 9/1/20 Book Reading in The Café Gallery 2020 book reading series (from a Samsung S9 camera).

Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Genesis One”, “Genesis Two and Three”, and “Genesis Four: Cain and Abel, and sin from killing”, “Genesis Six-Nine: an Apocalypse/Doomsday Prepper’s Take”, “Genesis Eleven: the Tower of Babble”, and “Genesis Eighteen to Nineteen” from the CyberWit.net Janet Kuypers 2023 poetry book “Testament” on 4/30/23 in front of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Austin for the 2023 Poetry Bomb (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). You can also enjoy this YouTube video that was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). You can also enjoy this as a Facebook live video stream that was filmed and streamed from a Samsung S9 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuyperspoetrybomb

Genesis           Eighteen           to Nineteen Janet Kuypers 2/8/19 She was taken away from her city; she loved this city, but had not choice. She was told it was for the best, and she always does what she is told. After leaving, for years she heard reports about the violence in her city; she would hear of so many killed, even during celebrations for the Lord. While away from the city she loved, she would even hear people ask her questions about how dangerous that city really was. All she could give was her word that the entire city was not this way; only one small section of the town was to be feared, and the rest of the city was wonderful. But she was away from her city, she could no longer walk down the streets, the ones that made her feel safe and the ones she feared... She wanted to have that back, she wanted to be back in her city, her home. Her blood ran as hot as this town, and her pulse matched the rhythm she felt in her home. Her blood pressure rose ever since she was taken away, and she couldn’t get herself in sync. So she made a point to come back after a year and a half; the people changed, but the pulse of the town stayed the same. So she would go to her old stomping grounds, and although she knew no one by name, she was still treated like this was where she belonged. It broke her heart when they said she had to go again, so she had to leave the only place attuned to her soul, to live out her days, away. Another year-plus later she returned once more, and while there she even found a place where she could worship, and sitting there gave her an inner peace that she hadn’t felt in her years away from the city that made her complete. # It approached the time when they would take her away again, so she returned to her sacred place she just found to try to come to peace again before she had to leave. And she couldn’t commune, she was so tense and so wound up that she had to leave, that anything associated with any religion could begin to help her. So after finding failure everywhere on her last days in her city, while she stopped at a bridge to look beyond the river, to take one last look at the city — just then a bearded old man, old, but disturbingly ominous, walked up, turned to the city and stood next to her on the bridge. She did not know this man, and it alarmed her when he started to speak to her. “The cry of this city is great, and their sin is very grievous,*” he said, and she was shocked this stranger spoke these words to her so. “The entire city is not like that,” she said, “it’s not riddled with crime.” “I have seen that violence here,” he replied, “of young men shooting what they claim are enemies, and killing mothers and children alike,” he answered. “But I tell you, that’s not the entire town,” she exclaimed, “there are good people here everywhere, it’s a wonderful place to see — and to be.” “If it’s only in one small area,” the old ominous man said, “then why is it that as we’re looking downtown, down toward where the police force, the ones who are supposed to serve and protect, why do we look where they shoot unarmed people repeatedly?” She suddenly remembered reading the story of a cop shooting an unarmed teen sixteen times in the street, even after one shot made the boy drop to the ground, and it was only the energy from the extra fifteen bullets that made the victim move. A fear gripped her; maybe her city has gotten worse since she had left, but still, she didn’t care, she’d take her chances, this was her home. The old man saw her lost in thought, so he asked her: “I believe you said there are good people everywhere here. How many can you name?” That is when she finally turned toward him, he was staring right at her, and her eyes were saucers. “I...” she paused. “I...” She blinked. “I don’t live here anymore,” she finally said. “Find me fifty,” the old man said, “or maybe name five names.” He didn’t even give her a chance to respond before the old man said, “Can you even give me one name? Just one, other than you, who no longer even lives here? “I don’t have to prove anything to you,” was all she could answer. This is when this old ominous man stepped closer to her. “Young lady, I believe you,” he said as he then took your hand. She didn’t know if she should run away or try to push him into the river, but her faculties evaded her and all she could do was stand there, with her eyes wide open, as he held her hand. “I believe you,” he repeated, “I’m sure you’ve seen good here, this city has a colorful past.” And suddenly she remembered the past mafia rule over this town, where crime ran this city, and mafia employed her grandfather. “And the buildings here are really well designed,” the old man continued, which pleased her, because she loved the architecture in this town. “But even buildings crumble,” the old man said, though she thought they’d last longer than the blues music that is another hallmark of this great city. “Well,” she said, “Buildings may crumble in time, but the spirit of the soul with a proven and cherished set of beliefs will endure.” Suddenly her gaze seemed stronger than his, so he said, “You are correct. And it is not very often when I meet someone with such a strong set of beliefs. And, I ?want you to stay strong...” the ominous old man said, with a sudden caring in his voice and his face. “So this is why I want to tell you, please heed these words, the evil undercurrent flowing through this city —” “It is not all bad!” she interjected. “My young lady,” he continued, “you may be righteous, but the sinners, the sinners infect this town. And I truly believe this city will not survive.” And she, after hearing his opinions, suddenly started to tune him out. “I’m sorry, m’lady —” the old man interjected, which surprised her, because a word like that is only used when a common man refers to a woman of high stature. “All I was trying to say, young lady, is that I believe this city will not survive. All I can ask is that you vacate this city, now. Before it happens.” She looked at him, and thought about how she had to leave again. The old man started to smile, and his ominous tone seemed to diminish. “You truly seem to be a righteous soul, so I trust that you, and any of your loved ones —for I know they are righteous too — will know to leave here. I know you say you love this city, but I know your leaving is the right thing to do.” She thought briefly about how she was about to leave, to be taken away again, so maybe it would be best to just agree with the old ominous man and leave it at that. So she said okay, she’ll heed his advice, and he smiled at her as if he was forgiving her, though she knew not for what, then he turned and walked away. # It startled her, but she tried to think nothing of it as she began to leave, to take her away once again from the city she always loved. She knew they called this the Windy City, but it was not for the winds whipping but the longwinded politicians who ruled over this city, the city the ominous old man called so evil, so grievous, so utterly wicked. She packed her things, and as she stepped outside and was about to leave, she had to turn around and give her town one final look. And yes, they say this is the Windy City but at this one look the winds picked up and were eerily all too violent. She looked for something to hold onto, but found nothing, as trees were immediately uprooted and sudden cyclones swept the streets hurtling high-rise bricks and glass through the sky. Concrete flew and metal spun through the air. If she were to know that her demise would coincide with the death of her city, versus anywhere on the planet, she would think that there was no other place she’d rather be.

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