Josette Falzone is taking a Poetry I course here at Bellevue College. She enjoys writing short stories, poems, and writing in other miscellaneous formats. Below is her featured poem titled, “Food, Games, Fair Entrance,” followed by an interview with Falzone.
“Food, Games, Fair Entrance”
It was at the carnival
on the seventh day
of the third month
in the fourth year of a particularly violent cycle, and
we were all screaming—
Gray fire lit the night but
no one could find the gray water.
This feels like an end but
it’s too soon to be over.
The map on my hand is slowly blurring,
useless because the only way
that matters now
is out.
Breathing is getting harder and
I only have two pills left. Poor replacements
for the heart shaped candies we used to eat.
Placebos, both of them, but why argue with what works?
What happened to all the sugar, anyway?
We used to have it every morning, but
one day they just said it was gone.
Maybe that’s why it’s all wrong this time.
Yes, that must be it.
Not enough sugar.
We didn’t have enough,
it wasn’t our fault.
Next time we can skip the fair
or next time draw a clearer map or
stop the tents from burning and
next time will be better.
Q: Why do you like writing poetry? Why is poetry important to you?
A: I like writing because it helps me remember things and because it’s the best way I know how to share my ideas with people. I come up with images, stories, situations, places and I don’t consider myself to be a very good drawer, so I’ll write about them. In the past I’ve made information sheets, short stories and fake journal entries among other things, but I’ve really enjoyed exploring poetry more recently with the Poetry I class at Bellevue [College].
Q: What is this poem about and why is it your best piece of work?
A: The poem… “Food, Games, Fair Entrance” is about a world/situation I came up with. The words that inspired me for it were the opening time description, mostly the mention of “a particularly violent cycle.” For me, it means that this is not the first loop this world has gone through. Society/the universe has risen and fallen multiple times, and people can remember the cycles enough to know when one is going wrong faster than the others. I consider it to be my best piece of work so far because it clicked a little easier when I wrote it, and it’s one of the few I enjoyed enough to try a second draft of. (Usually after the first draft I consider a poem done, for better or for worse, because I enjoy continuing to move to other projects.)
Q: Do you plan on pursuing poetry or a writing of another kind?
A: I think I will always write poetry in some form. I do not believe I will pursue poetry as a career because I’m currently interested in other fields, but I do enjoy it very much and will happily continue it as a hobby.
To sign up for a poetry class for fall quarter, click this link and search “poetry” in the search bar. You can find the rest of the Poetry Profile series here.
