Atomic Heart

132 - This is the last broadcast from my summer retreat before I move back to my subdivided space, a raging urban landscape awaits. A few days ago I ran into an old friend, a fellow poet, while riding the 64K bus that takes me home from Kam Sheung Road Station. Poems from Mary Oliver plus our recent Hong Kong feature and a bonus piece by 米米 Radio version archived on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixcloud⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Playlist...

131 - The excitement of having written a good piece fades rather fast for me. Less than the duration of a cigarette. We have footbridges, hats, and a moment in the karaoke place. Poems from Aaron Belz and our recent Hong Kong feature. Radio version archived on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixcloud⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Playlist: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.atomicheart.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Atomic Heart airs weekly on CFM...

130 - Not sure what to make of the way I write while sitting by the window and the window ends up making its way into the poem. Poems from Canada's Sanna Wani plus our recent Hong Kong feature. Radio version archived on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixcloud⁠⁠⁠⁠ Playlist: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.atomicheart.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Atomic Heart airs weekly on CFMS 105.9 Curated and presented by Atom Ali...

129 - I tell a friend why I write these frames that go nowhere. The value of reaching deep within by simply noticing things around me. Poets include Marie Howe and our Hong Kong feature 潘國靈 Radio version archived on ⁠⁠⁠Mixcloud⁠⁠⁠ Playlist: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.atomicheart.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Atomic Heart airs weekly on CFMS 105.9 Curated and presented by Atom Alicia

128 - Very excited to be featured in an event this weekend where I'll be reading from a completed manuscript of poems that reflect on diaspora, religious trauma, and caregiving. Today I give you two poems from Safa Khatib's debut collection A Dress of Locusts . 🍎 Come to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠poetry event at Kubrick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on July 27 Radio version archived on ⁠⁠Mixcloud⁠⁠ Playlist: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

127 - We speed through the raindrops on the windshield only to find another car's headlights beaming towards us and before we know it, it's gone right through. I turn around. Taillights fade till I don't see them no more. Today we feature a couple of surrealist poems by Karen Carney. 🍎 Come to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠poetry event at Kubrick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on July 27 Radio version archived on ⁠Mixcloud⁠ Playlis...

126 - Because the sweltering heat is anything but an invitation to long reflective walks. And so we stay home to read about someone's pondering of someone else's pain/joy and it breaks my heart. In addition to my own writing, I also bring you the poem 'Pregnant Girl Creek' by Keetje Kuipers. 🍎 Come to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠poetry event at Kubrick⁠⁠⁠⁠ on July 27 Radio version archived on Mixcloud Playlist: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠...

125 - Navigating some internal turbulence as we cross into the second half of the year. Today I bring you a trio of poems that brought me back to me: 'Echocardiogram' by Alyssa Froehling, 'Furniture' by Lisa Allen Ortiz, and 'To be brave, I look to the daffodil' by Susan Nguyen. I'll be featured at this ⁠⁠⁠event at Kubrick⁠⁠⁠ I do poetry and radio: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

124 - Halfway through the year but not yet July, I wonder if my summer is passing me by. Drafts from last summer's writing experiment raise the question, at what point does a diary become a work of literature? I also bring you the poem 'For Grace, After a Party' by Frank O'Hara I'll be featured at this ⁠⁠event at Kubrick⁠⁠ I do poetry and radio: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.atomich...

123 - This is about a stroll into Ginza and the book I didn't buy. The overall impression is one of minimalist design and understated elegance.  Hope to see you at my ⁠event at Kubrick⁠ I do poetry and radio: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.atomicheart.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Atomic Heart airs weekly on CFMS 105.9 FM Curated and presented by Atom Alicia

122 - It’s an obscure sorrow I rarely discuss. Now that the longing has all but subsided, all that’s left is a genuine anticipation of what plays out on the other side of the moon.  Hope to see you at my event at Kubrick I do poetry and radio: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.atomicheart.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Atomic Heart airs weekly on CFMS 105.9 FM Curated and presented by Atom Alicia

121 - Of all the homes you’ve ever lived in, which ones contain questions that remain unresolved? Which ones carry a gravitational pull that makes you want to revisit those questions? Would it be the case that all you want to visit is that version of yourself who occupied the house? // 祖父們年輕的幽靈 / 終於繞過最長的蒼白 / 讓我看見一部 / 抽象的家族史 // -文於天 // So we continued in that way for...

120 - Thoughts on the mechanics of poetry and how our concerns for the lives around us are planted into shapes we may or may not be able to name  // 記得那深綠色的夜晚嗎 / 電話筒斷線的聲音，無法移動的手腕 / 記得躲在自己的臂彎裏/ 記得我微小地，輕輕地笑了出來 // -呂永佳 // Not everything we touch must touch the high holy. Not all nights are undrugged sleep // -Emilie Menzel Hop over to my ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mi...

119 - I speak to you from my summer village retreat in the New Territories where friends have offered a space for me to eat better, breathe better, and put the finishing touch to a pile of manuscripts long overdue // 既說明道不同不相為謀 / 也暗示人相忘於江湖 / 我們是趕去西鐵站的上班族 / 他們愛晨運 // -曾瑞明 // If you were a cloud, and sailed up there, / You'd sail on water as blue as air, / And y...

118 - We go back to a time when I tried to imagine myself present in a memory that occured before I was born meaning I wasn't actually there but tried I did, pretending I was with them and telling them how that carpet would unroll... // 三十歲快來了 / 一號風球中的平靜 / 昏黑的酒吧再談某人喜歡某人 / 然後又喜歡某人 / 然後離婚又再喜歡某人 // -曾瑞明 // He climbed up to the clock’s face and opened...

117 - The business of winning. To weave patterns between people who won’t look each other in the eye. I plan to go on after I die, regardless of whether windows will still be relevant. // 報攤的書頁閖始翻動 / 天空在深藍與白色之間猶豫 / 每一下汽車遠去的長音 / 都似電話掛線後的震顫 // -可洛 Hop over to my ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Mixcloud⁠⁠⁠⁠ channel to catch the featured poems and hidden tracks Playlist is on my websit...

116 - Yes, I take advantage of my breakfast hours when the stain on the ceramic that cups my milktea tells me how my pieces are to be ordered and presented // How quick, that light, it works to titillate those surfaces it fondles... // -Mark Waldron // 只要服務員保持忙碌 / 就沒空留意 / 那逐漸減少的糖包、牙籤及紙巾數目 // -禾迪 Hop over to my ⁠⁠ ⁠Mixcloud⁠⁠⁠ channel to catch the featured poems and...

115 - Another sauntering session with a companion existing somewhere between the real and the imagined. How much depth is compromised in a cubicle minus any view of the outside? // Was I in search of something, tools maybe, or seeds, for many odd things are stowed under the overthinking // -Mary Ruefle // Were my voice made incorruptible, resistant to air, bad acoustics, cynicism, and doubt, you&#...

114 - Still adjusting to my acoustic environment. A set of five interconnected poems where the speaker interacts with a friend who lives somewhere between the real and the imagined. Background noise courtesy of the cleaning lady. // because he has taken another he too personally, privately - the myth of love bisects these he's, who wet their love for myths with well-meant selves // -Nicholas W...

113 - Settling in back home. Revising stuff written during the trip. Every day I'm reminded someone's birthday is coming, unless I don't leave the house. // Stellar the man takes the cowries, blasts the ballerinas the inflatable husbands where the radish clowns unfurl across a velvet stage // -Nicolette Wong // 他們都一致認為 / 當他們聚在一起 / 就比我的五官 / 更接近我的面貌 // -杜家祁...

112 - Back to my Causeway Bay studio on the island side of Hong Kong for the first time in six months. I find myself once again living in the smallest home I've ever lived while polishing pieces written during my extended vacation. That doesn't mean I'm not on vacation anymore. No features today. Just my own stuff Tune in via Mixcloud to catch the hidden tracks Playlist is on my website ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

111 - SPECIAL EDITION recorded at STS Studio in Fukuoka, Japan. One person. One month. One city. A poetry collection approaching 60 pieces. Here I share some of my early drafts plus a bit of poetry discovered on the journey. I return to Hong Kong in April // 弱さを隠すその嘘で、あなたがあなたを奮い立たせられるなら、私はいつまでも、目をつぶっていよう。力強いその声が私を呼び覺ますこと知っている // -...

110 - My last recording at Mei Ho House till who knows when. I bring you the 100th and final piece from my hundred consecutive days of prose poetry writing. I also read 'If you happen to be swimming in the same ocean', which appears in my full-length manuscript Forty-One Frames . The poem muses on the architectural rhythm of MHH juxtaposed with a tune I used to love and still love. And it&...

109 - We're into the final home stretch. This is the last radio installment recorded at my studio in Mei Ho House. I'll do a final episode here next week. That'll be uploaded exclusively to the podcast channels prior to graduation day. As usual, I bring you a sparkling line-up of featured poets, here are today's... // I thought of facing a fallen tree: its robust aerial roots, my hair loosening fr...

108 - On a day after I found clarity on the ceiling, I give you an account of a stranger's memories, how distant rooftops are composed, and shoelaces that tighten just enough without impeding the wanderlust. Today's featured poets are as follows~ // Each day brings more bad weather, which is another way of saying I'm in my sixties // -George Bilgere // 然後帶著它流浪城市每個邊緣的起點...