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Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her Down in the Dirt 5-8/24 “A Library of Collaboration” & the CyberWit 2024 Janet Kuypers poetry book “The Universe is in Your Hands” book poems “One Summer: Arizona”, “One Summer: California” (+ showing a redwood forest image), & “One Summer: New Hampshire” during her “Poetic License 11/3/24 global open mic” through a Zoom meeting and a Facebook event page (from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; on Facebook, Twitter/X, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, & Tumblr). Also enjoy this Facebook live video stream that was filmed from a Samsung S9 camera / a Charcoal filter; on Facebook, Twitter/X, Linkedin, Instagram, & Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuyperstheuniverseisinyourhands #janetkuyperspoeticlicense

One Summer: New Hampshire Janet Kuypers 1/26/24 I remember visiting you in New Hampshire, this was before I became a Vegetarian, and I wanted to try lobster in Maine — but instead, I settled on the mess hall at the Air Force base. You see, while you were at work one day, your mom showed me a private room in the hall your parents used for their wedding anniversary dinner once, with one elaborately set table for two, china cabinets, a couch, and a roaring fireplace. I reserved it, was about to give my credit card to the woman behind the window at the front, when your father showed up, in full uniform (I swear, I didn’t know a uniform could hold that many badges and ribbons and medals on it), but once he saw us, he looked at the woman behind the glass and said, ‘I’ll get that.’ And I said, ‘Oh, no no no,’ but he looked at that woman again and just nodded, so I begrudgingly said thank you. While you were still at work, I went home, put on a black velvet dress and waited. When you got back, I told your brother and sister to say that I changed our plans and I was in the bathroom. You started banging on the bathroom door, and... when I opened it, you were stunned. You were wearing a uniform that looked like a gas station attendant’s, and there was me, completely dressed up for a formal dinner. After a perfectly lovely private dinner (it didn’t matter that it wasn’t Maine or that I’d never eaten lobster), we went for a stroll outside — you held my hand, and I remember thinking then that I wanted you to kiss me.        We talked about that night since then, and you said you wanted to kiss me then too. But... I think we’re both glad we never did, because, I promise, this friendship we have will always mean more than one kiss ever could.

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