Added: Feb 27, 2008
From: ccandd96
Duration: 2:2
Janet Kuypers reads the original writing "Amber Beads", during her live readings at the Cafe in Chicago 02/26/08. For more information on the writing of Janet Kuypers, go to http://www.janetkuypers.com to read more of her work. These are some of the original writings that were in this live reading in Chicago: Amber Beads As the flames engulfed my worldly possessions my everything seemed to disappear. But I did not cry for the loss of the money - I cried for the photographs, and the poems, and the amber beads. I love you, mother, and I love the mother who died while I rested in your womb. Sandy tells me stories of visiting Grandma and eating pickles. And I remember every spring, every Mother's Day, you would diligently plant flowers around the Bakutis name. I have learned to love her without ever seeing her face. Joseph tells me that I seem like my mother and I only pray to God that he's right. For then my existence would keep the love and the caring alive in a kind of living that no strike of a match that no burning building that no mere mortal could destroy. -- Children, Churches, and Daddies And the little girl said to me, "I thought only daddies drank beer." And I found myself trying to make excuses for the can in my hand. I remember being in the church, a guest at a wedding of two people I didn't know. My date pointed out two little boys walking to their seats in front of us. In little suits and cowboy boots, this is what is central Illinois. And my date said he was sure those boys would grow up to be gay. And the worst part was their father was the coach of the high school football team. I think I laughed, but I hesitated. I remember being in the church, it was Christmas Eve, my date's family went up for communion, and all I could think was that singing the hymns was hard enough, I don't know the words, what am I doing here, what am I supposed to do? And I stayed seated, and everyone else slowly walked to the front of the church. Little soldiers in a little line, the little children in their little dresses walking behind their mommies and daddies. And the little girl said, "I thought only daddies drank beer." And I found myself trying to make excuses. -- chess game again we all watched the case on the news together, the case where a man on a subway train opened fire on passengers in the car. nine people dead, i think. they caught the man, they had their trial, and by right he could have a lawyer appointed to him. but no, he wanted to act as his own attorney. so every day he would come into the courtroom in his suit, looking professional, and he would question each of the witnesses, the people that survived his shooting spree and now had to look him in the eye and answer his questions. "so what happened then?" he would ask, and a woman would answer ,"i saw you push the woman to the ground, put your knee to her back and shoot her in the back of the head." "can you point out the man that did this?" he would ask, and a man would respond, "it was you." some of the witnesses broke down under the emotional strain. and finally he had no further questions and the judge dismissed the jury to arrive at a verdict. they found him guilty, and when the judge asked the defendant if he had any last words for the jury, he kept stressing his innocence, and never apologized. the judge told him he was disgusted. he saw no remorse in the killer's eyes. and of all the violence we see in the media, all the court trials that are fed to us through our television sets, our boxes of american dreams, i don't think any of us were prepared for this. how did those people feel, when faced with the man that has brought them so much pain, how did they feel when they had to quietly sit there and answer his questions, when he didn't even say he was sorry? most of them sat there trying to keep their composure when faced with a man who lost all control. this twisted tale. they were a pawn in his chess game again.
Channel: Entertainment
Tags: chess children churches daddies death driving fix hettinger house janet kuypers liquor poem poetry www.janetkuypers.com
Rating: 4.33 (6 ratings) Views: 713' favoriteCount='2 Comments: 1
DavidRandallCurtis Says:
Feb 27, 2008 - Great reading... 5*