Sammy's Halal - A poem by Daniel Darwin (of the NYU campus series)

A brief pang
and then
the symphonic eruption.

Moist assurances.

The doldrums
if you will
of Eastern desire.

Cafetasia - A poem by Daniel Darwin (of the NYU campus series)

A man once told me
beef
takes twenty four hours to  pass
through your system.


Bastard.

Irreconcilable Differences - A Poem by Daniel Darwin

Oh, poo.

Keep your dignity

if only your dignity

in tact.

You can not stay here tonight.

Doris

This is a painting I did a couple years ago of one of the dearest people in my life and on the earth. Doris practically raised my brothers and I alongside my mom. In the Philippines everyone - but Everyone! - has a maid. Even maids have maids. Doris has been in our family longer than I have, and I love her like nobody's business. I painted her smiling that smile of hers, so full of wisdom and joy, and spotlit her engagement ring.

Doris was engaged when she was in her mid-twenties to her first love in a tiny fishing village in Bicol Province. He died of a heart attack a couple of weeks before their marriage date, leaving her with his unborn child. She still keeps the ring on and has never remarried. When I gutsied up to ask her about it once, she just smiled and said, "I'm waiting for my marriage in heaven, Daniel." Words cheapen that kind of love. Hopefully a painting achieves it better.

It's my only wipeout I've ever done, I found this beautiful color in oils and slung it all over a gesso'd board, then did the painting with thinner, a rag, my fingernails, and a q-tip.

Colon Blow - A poem by Daniel Darwin

Sometimes I sit down

and think that I am peeing.

Suddenly it dawns on me much

like Paul's epiphany en route to Damascus

that I am not.

Silly liquid poo.

Benjamin Franklin - A poem by Daniel Darwin

Learning to poo

with Rudolf Nureyev's 700 page biography perched with precision on your thighs

makes a man healthy

wealthy and wise.

Cigarettes and Coffee - A poem by Daniel Darwin

First wave of nausea

hits like a punt

to the [w]hole

of my butt.

Cate Blanchett

is not in this movie.

Heart of Darkness - A poem by Daniel Darwin

Legs spread wide

to avoid the smear

of shame.

Puma - like leap

into the shower

of redemption.

It was my turn to buy toilet paper again, wasn't it?

Chipotle - A poem by Daniel Darwin

Sometimes my poo

like Muhammed Ali

floats like a butterfly

stings like a bee.