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video See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poetry in multiple rounds during her hosting the “Poetic License” 11/3/19 open mic at Austin’s “Recycled Reads”. In round 1 she reads her poem “Keep Your Chin Up” that she wrote that day (11/3/19) because November 3rd is cliché day, as the opening to the open mic. In round 2 she reads her poem “Death” from the Poetry Wheel 6/26/08, then her poems “Gift of Motherhood One”, “Thank You, Women Who Work One”, “Coslow’s”, “Childhood Memories One”, “Christmas Eve”, and “There I Sit” from her “Slinging the Word” chapbook and Chicago WLUW Radio interview 3/18/08, and her poems “Alexi”, “a New Patient”, “Catching a Muscovy”, “Changing the Locks”, and “Childhood Memories Five” from her Poems on the Beach 7/13/08 Chicago Beach Poets feature and all read from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”. In round 3 she reads her poems “Climbing Trees”, “Conscious of It”, “False Suicide”, “Hiding Vices”, “Twin”, “Masquerade”, “Raking Leaves”, “They Called It Trust”, and “They Tried” from her Poems on the Beach 7/13/08 Chicago Beach Poets feature and all read from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”. (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; and it was also posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Tumblr).
video See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poetry in multiple rounds during her hosting the “Poetic License” 11/3/19 open mic at Austin’s “Recycled Reads”. In round 1 she reads her poem “Keep Your Chin Up” that she wrote that day (11/3/19) because November 3rd is cliché day, as the opening to the open mic. In round 2 she reads her poem “Death” from the Poetry Wheel 6/26/08, then her poems “Gift of Motherhood One”, “Thank You, Women Who Work One”, “Coslow’s”, “Childhood Memories One”, “Christmas Eve”, and “There I Sit” from her “Slinging the Word” chapbook and Chicago WLUW Radio interview 3/18/08, and her poems “Alexi”, “a New Patient”, “Catching a Muscovy”, “Changing the Locks”, and “Childhood Memories Five” from her Poems on the Beach 7/13/08 Chicago Beach Poets feature and all read from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”. In round 3 she reads her poems “Climbing Trees”, “Conscious of It”, “False Suicide”, “Hiding Vices”, “Twin”, “Masquerade”, “Raking Leaves”, “They Called It Trust”, and “They Tried” from her Poems on the Beach 7/13/08 Chicago Beach Poets feature and all read from the cc&d 2019 re-release of the May 2008 v184 book “That was the Time”. (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; and it was also posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Tumblr).
video See a YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Oh, the book is Better than the Movie(written 11/1, on and for National Authors Day), “Keep Your Chin Up”” (written 11/3, on and for Cliché Day), “Eternal Salvation in Hieroglyphics(written 11/4, on and for King Tut Day, the day his tomb was discovered in 1922), “Queen of the Night Sky(written 11/6, on and for the day credited with the 1572 observation of the supernova SN 1572 (Tycho’s Supernova/Tycho’s Nova), “Opened the Door for All(written 11/7, on and for the 1867 birthday of Marie Curie), “Vessel to Spread the Word (written 11/5, on and for the the birthday of American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox (11/5/1860-10/30/1919), “x-raying metal under my skin(for 11/8, X-Ray Day / International Day of Radiology), “Otherwise Reigned Supreme(written 11/8, on and for the birthday of American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox b11/5/1860, d10/30/1919), and “Just too High for Just one Man(written 11/9, on on his 1934 birthday, for Carl Sagan Day) from the Janet Kuypers poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume Two: July-December)” for The Café Gallery 11/3/20 Book Reading in The Café Gallery 2020 book reading series the night of the U.S. Presidential election (video filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypersthecafegallery
video See a Facebook live video stream of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Oh, the book is Better than the Movie”, “Keep Your Chin Up”, “Eternal Salvation in Hieroglyphics”, “Queen of the Night Sky”, “Opened the Door for All”, “Vessel to Spread the Word”, “x-raying metal under my skin”, “Otherwise Reigned Supreme”, and “Just too High for Just one Man” from the Janet Kuypers poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume Two: July-December)” for The Café Gallery 11/3/20 Book Reading in The Café Gallery 2020 book reading series (filmed and streamed live from a Samsung S9 camera). #janetkuypersthecafegallery
video Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Keep Your Chin Up”, “Opened the Door for All”, “Just so Others can Feel”, “Over Hazardous Land”, and “Ethical Thing to Do” from the cc&d November 2021 v315 issue/paperback book “Down and Inside” 11/3/21 at the performance art pavilion at the French Market in New Orleans, LA on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 PM CST during the usual time for the “Community Poetry” open mic (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading
video Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Keep Your Chin Up”, “Opened the Door for All”, “Just so Others can Feel”, “Over Hazardous Land”, and “Ethical Thing to Do” from the cc&d November 2021 v315 issue/paperback book “Down and Inside” 11/3/21 at the performance art pavilion at the French Market in New Orleans, LA on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 PM CST during the usual time for the “Community Poetry” open mic (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading
video Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poem Keep Your Chin Up from the Scars Publications 9-12/21 cc&d issue collection book anthology “The World Outside” 3/2/22 on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 PM CST during the usual time for the “Community Poetry” open mic (video from a Samsung S9 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading
video Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Keep Your Chin Up”, “Opened the Door for All”, “Just so Others can Feel”, “Over Hazardous Lands”, and “Ethical Thing to Do” from the Scars Publications 9-12/21 cc&d issue collection book anthology “The World Outside” 3/2/22 on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 PM CST during the usual time for the “Community Poetry” open mic (video from a Samsung S9 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading

Keep Your Chin Up

Janet Kuypers
11/3/19, On Cliché Day

you know, ignorance is bliss,
and they say love is blind

and for you, I was all in
I gave one hundred and ten percent

because you can’t judge a book by its cover
when actions speak louder than words

and then they say you can’t please everyone
though... what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

so — I had to think outside the box,
when all is fair in love and war

because everything happens for a reason
and as I say, where there’s a will, there’s a way

for if misery loves company,
let me at least be lucky in love

if I’m going back to square one
I’ll go back to the drawing board

I won’t beat around the bush
when you’re my better half

I’ll burn the candle at both ends
I’ll burn the midnight oil

because, come hell or high water
I’ll go against the grain; I’ll go for broke

because... for all intents and purposes,
we’re two peas in a pod.

I have such high hopes
when you make me happy as a clam

in other words,
you make the sun rise.

You’re the bee’s knees.
You’re the icing on the cake.

So, I’ll keep my chin up,
and I’ll keep my fingers crossed —

in this labor of love, I’ll let my hair down.
So needless to say,

our moment in the sun
will be our moment of glory.

Mark my words —
nothing ventured, nothing gained.

You’re one in a million.
You’re the apple of my eye.

You’re pure as he driven snow
(not fresh-fallen, but driven) ...

and this is why it’s right as rain
and my only choice is the seize the day.

It takes two to tango,
and I’m the real deal.

You’re too good to be true
so, I’ll take my chances.

you only live once
so... let’s take the plunge!


Copyright © Janet Kuypers.

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