T A S H T O O

Self Aware

2016-11-25T10:20:00.001-04:00

How does one claim

self-actualization to be the goal

While avoiding

Self analysis.

We arrived at where we are

Through choice

Our continued denial

Our refusal to hold ourselves accountable

And pass the blame to ancestors long gone

Are not quick fixes, tourniquets, or Red Cross agendas

These are the things that allow wounds to fester

Hate to grow in abundance

And denied privilege to remain the crown that trumps the court

Right and wrong

Left and right

Prisons designed by minds

To keep our hearts confined.

Natasha Head

Tashtoo.com

Willful Blindness

2016-11-13T09:23:00.001-04:00

Tired

2016-11-12T10:31:00.001-04:00

I have climbed the mountains

You never had to

Forced to prove my worth

While your value has never been questioned.

I have returned home

To do the work you never had to

Muscles aching, ego bruised

A confirmation of my place

As defined by your privilege

As you long for the good old days

Claiming the way we used to be

Is not destroying me

And society

Should not give into

My new kind of "crazy"

Natasha Head

Pretending

2016-11-05T08:08:00.001-03:00

I could pretend I didn't notice

You didn't notice me

But that would be dishonest

I don't like dishonesty

I could pretend I could care less

But that would not be true

So I'll just keep pretending

I didn't notice you

Natasha Head

Eternal

2016-10-28T09:37:00.001-03:00

They stole my soul

40 years ago

Exchanged it for a name

Labeled me to fit their needs

Then threw me in the game

I played hard and I played fast

A leader for the team

Systemized and occupied

I became mainstream

But souls return

And the will to fight

Will never go away

I took it back, under attack

And now I'm here to stay.

Natasha Head

Whimsy

2016-05-17T18:14:00.001-03:00

Below the oak

Beyond the stream

We'll find the time

To pause & dream

Natasha Head

facebook.com/tashtooparlour

Tapestry

2016-04-22T12:03:00.001-03:00

Tapestry

We exist as threads

Intricately woven

Between the then and now

Memories like silk

Through the eye of the needle

Embroidered emotions

Braided as bandage

Quilting our scars

Stitched together

Through that which connects us

A web of emotion

Colourful commonalities

Joy, pain

Love, loss

Lust, envy

It is in our most tender moments

Our most intimate whispers

Our most frightening desires

Where we find the courage

To adorn ourselves

In the lives we have created

Where our mistakes are made art

Our regrets turn to poetry

And our shame is silenced

Natasha Head

Facebook.com/tashtooparlour

Flow

2016-03-30T12:14:00.001-03:00

A Vote For Fairness

2016-03-18T11:25:00.001-03:00

We all want the same thing

Government

Determines

Who deserves it

Fairness and equality

Should not be regarded as weak

Nor should the ability

To carry on a mature and rational debate

Be considered a hindrance.

When we make a conscience choice

To turn away from these conversations

And take the side of force

We choose conflict

Thinking as long as we stand at the side of power

The choice is ours alone.

Natasha Head

Losers Like Us

2016-03-10T14:38:00.000-04:00

I had the car and the notebook
You had the weed and the beer
We both had the urge for leaving
Get up and get out of here

We made it as far as the sidewalk
Never knew that at one point it ends
Never knew where the concrete would take us
Never knew that we'd never again

Hid the car in the lot at the old rink
Took the path beaten on the forest floor
Took the notebook the weed and the beer
Took again and then took some more

The camp wasn't much to look at
There really wasn't much to see
Just me with my little notebook
And you with your bag of weed

The bench was hard and splintered
But to us it was good as a throne
The smoke was heavy and skunky
If it wasn't, we would have stayed home

The soundtrack was a walkman
With blaster speakers doctored by you
Suicidal Tendencies, Social Distortion
Back then, the balls and chains were few.

You let me tell you stories
I let you read what I had wrote
I let you sing my simple words
Even then it was poetry you spoke

All we knew for certain
Was that we couldn't be caught
Losers like us have a way of evasion
We slip away with barely a thought.

Natasha Head

#RunningWithCrayons and Edgar Allen Poe

2016-02-28T13:41:00.000-04:00

And All I Loved
Natasha Head
+Natasha Head ~ Poet & Author
2016

A Poetry Reading...

2016-02-27T11:54:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Jason Bates and PunkswritepoemspressLLC for the opportunity to present my reading of Darkness Falls that appeared in RoguePoetry Review 2015.

The Nexus Cafe Preshow Spotlight

2016-02-25T21:18:00.000-04:00

The Nexus Cafe

with hosts
Roger Allen Baut & Natasha Head
are pleased to bring you

Jamie Dedes
The Poet by Day

Airing LIVE
Sunday, February 28th, 2016
2pmEST

It is with great pleasure we bring you a true champion of poetry, Jamie Dedes.

We look forward to introducing you to Jamie, and for those of you already familiar with this incredible supporter of the arts in all their mediums, we invite you to join us this Sunday on The Creative Nexus' "The Nexus Cafe"

Connect with us today. We welcome your questions and comments and will do our best to incorporate them into the show.

From East Coast to West, we're on a mission to grow, evolve and better the world for all. We believe art and creativity are two of our most powerful tools.

About The Poet by Day

THE POET BY DAY is an information hub for poets, for everyone who lives and loves poetry and wishes it were their day job. This site sheds a special – but not exclusive – light on:

global arts and poetry initiatives for peace, sustainability and social justice
she-poets
minority poets
poets just finding their voices in maturity

The Poet by Day on Facebook

Learn more about Jamie and her growing family of creatives and feel free to join in our conversation this weekend on blogtalkradio.

Talk Soon!

The Creative Nexus

The Nexus Cafe

Click to browse our archived episodes

(also available on itunes)

Paint the Wind

2016-02-21T16:14:00.001-04:00

What colour

Do you paint the wind

When you were born

A rainbow

Natasha Head

Coffee With Skim Milk on a Rainy Morning

2016-02-16T13:24:00.000-04:00

Summer's kiss is still a season away. No bird song greeted me this morning but their memories remain. If I close my eyes, the slow drip of the melting snow provides the percussion to a loon song not easily forgotten.

The coffee is strong and bitter. Skim milk only to lesson its cringe. This is my life today. Right now.
Magazines promise me if I adhere to low fat dairy, within a year my battle will be over and I will be declared victorious. Simply a shadow of my former self.

This heavy rainfall warning serves only to remind me that winter is teasing. Mother Nature at her finest here on my beautiful east coast where her forked tongue delights in the weather and the promise of spring on a February wind.

A February thaw is not unheard of. Stranger things have happened. Like the smile that lingers in spite of bitter coffee and skim milk and the ghost of a loon that may or may not have sang a song I'm determined to remember.

Natasha Head

Choice Words with Punkswritepoemspress LLC

2016-02-08T10:55:00.000-04:00

"WELCOME TO PUNKSWRITEPOEMSPRESS"

“Our goal at PunksWritePoemsPress is to become a consistent supporter and contributor to the literature community. We desire to expose new writers to an audience and, in turn, expose an audience to new writers. We want to challenge the traditional marketing methods of publishing. We will encourage and empower our writers to drive their success, and establish pride in being part of the PunksWritePoems team.”

I’ve been floating around the inter-webs for some time now, dropping poetry here and there in the hopes of finding ears willing to hear. On this journey I’ve connected with a number of scribes who share my passion for words. Folks who inspire, support, and encourage. Then there are those who take those traits to a new level.

I first stumbled upon the words of Jason Bates via tumblr. His work is clean, delivered with punch. His voice has direction and wastes no time on the unnecessary. Immediately impressed with his delivery, I didn’t hesitate when he released “The Littlest Spoon” to add it to my bookshelves. (Might I recommend you do the same?)

I’ve watched his debut release grow to independent publishing house, PunksWritePoemsPress LLC and I’ve had the privilege of being included in their 2015 RoguePoetry Review. Now, I have the honor of welcoming Jason to my Parlour and I’d love if you’d take the time to meet this innovative and dedicated writer, editor, and artist.

Q: Jason, thanks so much for taking the time for us today. To start things off, tell us about yourself. What role has writing played for you and what…or who…left the breadcrumbs that led you to poetry?

A: It is my pleasure, sincerely.
Whenever I sign up for a new social media account and that big blank box pops up “Tell the world about yourself”, I freeze. I go blank. What in the world would the world want to know about me? I've been kicking around for almost 40 years now. I grew up in upstate New York, with a short stint near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I'm married and have two crazy daughters. I work in aerospace quality control to pay the bills and love living in Richmond, Virginia. And I tend to give long-winded answers to questions.

I had some really great English teachers, especially in high school – shout out to Mrs. Turner, Ms. Trickett, and Ms. Zachos – who really sparked the interest in me and then encouraged it. The writer, though, who lead me into poetry was Stephen Crane. Yeah, The Red Badge of Courage guy. His prose is poetry. His dialogue is poetry. His poetry is poetry! I also have a deep affection for William Carlos Williams, ee Cummings, Emily Dickinson, and the Beat Poets.

Q: What prompted you to look into self-publishing your first release? How did you find the experience?

A: I wrote a bit about that on my good friend Libby Cudmore's blog (http://libbycudmore.com/2014/11/16/guest-post-jason-bates-of-punks-write-poems/). I came across a poetry chapbook competition for Lost Horse Press and for some damn reason it got stuck in my head that I had to enter. So I spent weeks deciding what poems fit together into a cohesive book, what the sequence should be, what to title it. I edited. And re-edited. I submitted the manuscript and did not win. I'd put so much effort into putting it together and I wanted someone to publish it. So who better than me?

I enjoyed the process so much, that I almost immediately started to come up with new publishing projects to work on.

Q: From poet to publishing house…what was the catalyst that drove your decision to start PunksWritePoemsPress LLC?

A: The next publishing project, This Is Not a Movement, was the catalyst. I wanted to see if other writers would be interested in a different take on a poetry anthology. Turns out lots of them did! As the project grew and the quality of the writing rose, I felt like I owed it to the other people involved to try to legitimize the publication. So I started PunksWritePoemsPress LLC, bought a bundle of ISBNs, and have been pushing forward ever since. I owe every one of the co-writers on TINaM a huge debt of gratitude.

Q: You’re not just about the poetry. A simple click through to the website and folks will see you have a variety of projects on the go. From short stories, to audio, to a new indie mag, it’s clear you’re a supporter of the literary arts and then some. Tell us about your vision, how you would like to see PunksWritePoemsPress grow and evolve.

A: There is no money in poetry! As you know, I'm sure. But there is passion and creativity. There's an art to it. A skill that I admire. But I have too much love for too many different creative avenues to only work in poetry.

The Press has goals, milestones, that we are perfectly happy to slow-build to. We just added three readers to the staff; that was one of those milestones...it's no longer just me, my wife, and our friend. Every title we release feels like a new step forward. Every new writer we get to meet and work with makes us stronger and more confident.

Ultimately, though the vision is to become the indie press. To be a place where writer's want to be, and not to pad their bio, but to be part of it...to be an active member in their own community. To not just sell their words, but to participate in their own success, and to invest in the success of the art as a whole. Benjamin Schmitt (Dinner Table Refuge) is a perfect example of this. He wants to succeed, but he wants his fellow poets to as well. He invites them to read at events that he has secured. He is willing to share the stage to benefit everyone. I admire that. I love to see that.

We've taken that same philosophy and are trying to apply it to an online magazine dedicated to the independent spirit, Scindie Magazine. In my head, it will be this wonderfully balanced combination of reviews, interviews, and editorials all generated by the creatives who are living in the indie realm...writers, editors, small press publishers, musicians, film makers, visual artists. In reality, I have no idea if it will work and if issue 1 ever makes its way beyond my head. I hope it does, though.
I would like to invite you to switch roles with me and let me interview you for Scindie issue 1.

Q: Any advice to readers who might like to work with PunksWritePoemsPress? What do you look for when filtering through your submissions?

A: Best advice I can give is to be true to your own voice. There are plenty of people trying to sound like Bukowski and it falls flat. It feels false. Honesty will come through. Also, the submission guidelines are there to help us and you, please follow them.

I am also always open to new ideas. So if you are thinking about a concept book/puppetshow about the life and times of a rock named Judy, write up a thorough pitch and send it our way. That's how World Class Drag came about. Elizabeth Carter (AKA Tumblr's Foul-Ball) sent an email saying I have this thing that means a lot to me, would you be interested in working with me on it?

Q: How about advice to wanna-be writers? We both know how discouraging and disheartening this life can sometimes be, throwing your words out into the ether never knowing where they might land.

A: I might be the worst person to ask about this. As a publisher/editor, I will tell you that rejections are part of the deal of writing and you should measure yourself by the successes and by the value that you put on your creative output. As a writer, rejections hurt and are discouraging, and I often go long stretches without submitting anything anywhere because I struggle to see the worth in my own words. I might have a split personality problem...might.

Oh, and I do not believe in “wanna-be”. You either believe you are a writer, or you are not a writer.

Q: Poem In Your Pocket Day is coming up, and you’ve created a fantastic project to help us all celebrate. Tell us about it.

A: For those who haven't heard of it, Poem In Your PocketDay a part of National Poetry Month (April); the idea is that you take a poem that you love and carry it in your pocket and you share it with the people you come into contact with. Conceptually, it is a wonderful idea, but in practice, people will generally just carry the poem and share it very little. So we tried to find a way to get the sharing to the forefront. The idea was to get the other person to ask to see the poem, but how? What if we printed up pocket T-shirts that said “Ask what I've got in my pocket?” Okay. Great. So we're in the fashion business now? Let's include poems. Poems and a pocket...seems logical. The project has gone through several stages of revision. I reached out and personally invited all the poets who have donated words to the cause. We now have 25 poets each contributing a poem. The poems will be printed on cards that you can slip in the pocket of your swanky new Poem In Your Pocket T-shirt.
Things like this...unique events, special days, new ways of presenting the art...that's what we want to be a part of. What we want to be known for.

Q: Thanks so much for taking the time to indulge me today, Jason. I’ve loved watching your journey so far, and can’t wait to see where you’re headed. How might I and my readers best help PunksWritePoemsPress LLC reach their goals?

A: Um...give us all your money! Seriously, though. We take bags of money, no questions asked.
Support the art and artists you love. Buy their books or paintings (insert plug for how truly awesome Janelle Rainer's paintings are ... www.janellerainerart.com ) or whatever it is that they produce. Attend events, if possible. Post reviews online. Write about them on your social media sites. Reach out to them and tell them why you like what they're doing. Talk their work up to friends and co-workers. Start a small press book club (shit, now that's an idea!). Start a reading series in your garage. Basically, do something. The internet has made us passive consumers of content, break out of that and seek out worthwhile art. Value creativity!

Get to know Jason with the Fast Five:

Top 5 Authors:

I have a soft spot for scifi and fantasy. Philip K. Dick fascinates me. David Eddings introduced me to fantasy before I ever read Tolkien. William S. Burroughs makes me want to create. Douglas Adams taught me how to laugh out loud by myself. And Stephen Crane has had more influence on me than any other author.

Top 5 Books:

I'm going to try to list books not written by the 5 authors I just mentioned. Just to give some page space to some others. King Dork by Frank Portman. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. These next two might seem odd but...The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler.

Top 5 Albums:

Full Collapse by Thursday. Incesticide by Nirvana. Exile In Guyville by Liz Phair. Anthem for a New Tomorrow by Screeching Weasel. Surfer Rosa by The Pixies.

Top 5 Movies:

Empire Strikes Back. Swingers. Halloween (John Carpenter's original. Rob Zombie's take was good, but I grew up on the original). Speaking of Mr. Zombie...The Devil's Rejects. And I'm gonna have to call a tie between Tommy Boy and Wayne's World for the final spot.

Visit The PunkswritepoemsPress Bookstore and show your support for the writers and creators that have made this not-a-movement possible. It will also go a long way to help me say "thanks" to Jason for visiting with me today. It's projects and endeavors like this that we, as a community of creatives, can ensure succeeds.

Connect with PunkswritepoemsPress LLC

on Twitter

on Tumblr

on Facebook

on instagram

Swing by the KickStarter Campaign for PoemInYourPocketDay...one of the most clever and creative ways I've yet to see to let the world know it's very punk to carry PocketPoems ;)

Support!

Dead Fish

2016-02-06T13:24:00.001-04:00

Too long among the shadows

Leads one to doubt their form.

Comparisons are muddled at best.

Distorted figurines of faith

Over exaggerated

Start to sound like truth

When stretched.

The mud was suitable for hiding

Buried among denied existence

Universes we'd rather not confront

Ecosystems dangerously tethered to our own,

Thriving in spite of our best efforts

To smother worlds

We never bothered to learn

Need no air to guarantee life.

Shutting down

The only light

Dead stardust dancing

Behind open eyes that will not see

The body becomes host

Habitation

Organic

Sustainable

Mutation

We barter our existence

Based on the weight of dead fish

In the barrel.

Natasha Head

It's the Return of the @BlueSkyHwy by @ChasingTao

2016-02-04T09:48:00.001-04:00

"Blue Sky Highway" ~ Frank Webster

Metro Detroit, Michigan (Global) - The Creative Nexus is pleased to announce Season Two, [episode 004] of the Blue Sky Highway (BSH), entitled "Valentines, Hearts & Epiphanies," and will be aired Sunday, February 14th.

The BSH, continues to evolve its approach to internet radio into one that is more theme oriented, in depth, and contemplative in nature. The BSH strives for a quality listening experience.

Each episode will be without an excessive amount of talking or comments, so the listener will not be distracted from the music, songs, sound, or spoken word. The focus of the BSH continues to be placed upon the music, and the artist.

The fourth in the Season Two series, and a special edition, will air Sunday, February 14th, at 2:00 p.m. EDT on Blog Talk Radio (BTR), and 2:15 p.m., EDT, on SoundCloud.

"Valentines, Hearts & Epiphanies"

BTR Player
Click on link to go to player

Artists appearing on "Valentines. Hearts & Epiphanes":

♥ Owsey & Resotone

♥ Marek Iwaszkiewicz

♥ .jack

♥ Jessica Kristie

♥ KOTXETXE

♥ Natasha Head aka TASHTOO

♥ Pino Rastovich

♥ Alexander Axion

♥ Susie Clevenger

♥ GMaks fea Deb D

♥ Chasing Tao

♥ Johnny Jewel & Chromatics

♥ Lo-Fye fea Niko Chan

"...a stone, a leaf, an unfound door; a stone a leaf, a door. And of all the forgotten faces.

Naked and alone we came into exile. In her dark womb we did not know our mother's face; from the prison of her flesh we have come into the unspeakable and incommunicable prison of this earth.

Which of us has known his brother? Which of us has looked into his father's heart? Which of us has not remained forever prison-pent? Which of us is not forever a stranger and alone?

O waste of lost, in the hot mazes, lost, among bright stars on this weary, unbright cinder, lost! Remembering speechlessly we seek the great forgotten language, the lost lane-end into heaven, a stone, a leaf, an unfound door. Where? When?

O lost, and by the wind grieved, ghost, come back again."

Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel

In Memoriam:

Jonathan Matthews,
host, Southern Progressive Revival,
Indie Media Weekly Radio

Please note: Neither The Creative Nexus, Nexus Café, Blue Sky Highway, or any of its various participants receive any financial remuneration from any of its' episodes. It is simply about showcasing the brilliant artists who appear in our various shows.

Please take a moment to like, share, and repost this episode so these talented artists may get a broader range of listeners!

Maze Runner

2016-01-29T09:51:00.001-04:00

This illusion of "happiness"

Keeps me miserable.

Chasing this man-made myth

Through a labyrinth of lies

Piled with the bodies of gods

Who died while claiming to be

The answer.

Natasha Head

Tethered

2016-01-28T13:57:00.001-04:00

When you've tethered your self worth

To the thoughts and opinions of others

Lifelines unravel quickly

Leaving your faith

In yourself and in others

Stretched far too thin.

Natasha Head

Let's Listen

2016-01-27T09:55:00.001-04:00

We must acknowledge the cracks

Before they become crevice

Heal with the gentleness of understanding

Seal with the salve of compassion

And wear the scars of empathy with pride.

No one need suffer the stigma

When we take away the illusion of shame.

Let's not just talk...

Let's listen

Natasha Head

#WanderLust only on @RadioKC

2016-01-26T12:02:00.000-04:00

It was quite sometime ago when #RKC approached me regarding putting together a program for their radio station based around my words. The thought, quite honestly, was a bit overwhelming. If there is one constant in my life, it is crippling self-doubt, especially in regards to my words. It's one thing to throw up a poem that may or may not get read. To post a recording to soundcloud that may or may not get played. To send my words and my voice to a station with a vibrant and active following, with real people who really listen...okay...I choked.

But #RKC was incredibly patient, something that I will be forever grateful for. Thanks to that patience, I am proud to say we have two episodes of #WanderLust in rotation every Sunday...and a third is on it's way (That whole self-doubt thing)

It would be an absolute honor to have you tune in, and perhaps explore some of the amazing programs this team of creatives have brought together to showcase to the world. There's something for everyone, no matter where in the world you're listening.

Click to explore #RKC

Cliff Hanger

2016-01-25T09:11:00.001-04:00

I was

I am

I will be

I am my one constant

Unraveling

Mystery

Natasha Head

There are days....

2016-01-19T14:05:00.000-04:00

There are days without words.
Days where no amount of prodding or payment could summon the vile beasts that so often leave me chained and hungry.
Days they forget about me. Fill my head with nonsense.
Leave my tummy empty with the aftertaste of hate.
Something's slightly off
When you turn to poetry for sustenance and it leaves you with nothing more than hollow growls of doubt and loathing.
Still...
I turn to it.
Bread and water or a cornucopia
I will not complain of feast because I have felt the pangs of famine
Similar to the void that gluttony leaves in its wake

Natasha Head
2016

There are Things....

2016-01-18T14:47:00.000-04:00

There are things that cement you here.
They bury your feet, beyond ankle deep, and keep you from letting go.
There are things that attach themselves,
to the very words used to define "you"
Rewriting your story, your battles and glory
Until you can no longer trust the words.
We become text books
Written to build faith in the lie.
Convincing others
That the struggle is to be expected
Another's truth is to be rejected
and no matter the pain
as long as we do what we're told
We'll be rewarded in the end.
There are things
So many things
that in the end
amount to no-thing.
Still...
We choose to live for them
Dying all the while.

Natasha Head
2016

T A S H T O O

Self Aware

Willful Blindness

Tired

Pretending

Eternal

Whimsy

Tapestry

Flow

A Vote For Fairness

Losers Like Us

#RunningWithCrayons and Edgar Allen Poe

A Poetry Reading...

The Nexus Cafe Preshow Spotlight

The Nexus Cafe

with hostsRoger Allen Baut & Natasha Headare pleased to bring you

Jamie DedesThe Poet by Day

Airing LIVESunday, February 28th, 20162pmEST

About The Poet by Day

The Poet by Day on Facebook

The Nexus Cafe

Click to browse our archived episodes

(also available on itunes)

Paint the Wind

Coffee With Skim Milk on a Rainy Morning

Choice Words with Punkswritepoemspress LLC

Dead Fish

It's the Return of the @BlueSkyHwy by @ChasingTao

Maze Runner

Tethered

Let's Listen

#WanderLust only on @RadioKC

Cliff Hanger

There are days....

There are Things....

with hosts
Roger Allen Baut & Natasha Head
are pleased to bring you

Jamie Dedes
The Poet by Day

Airing LIVE
Sunday, February 28th, 2016
2pmEST