We’re reaching into our archives to get the ball rolling over here once again. We’re looking for poets and artists to submit their works as a Ghent Reader feature. Jeff was one of the first poets we met around here.  This piece is republished from May 1, 2006:

Jeff Hewitt, in his own words, “is a 15-year veteran of the Hampton Roads performance poetry scene. He has published over half a dozen volumes of poetry, and has a new book soon to be released. He is a proud single father of a stunningly adorable four year old little girl. He has never been to South Dakota, and couldn’t possibly have been involved in that unfortunate incident.”

Read four samples of his work – $39.99 “100 in 1 Electronics Kit” and other useless tales, ode for love, the bloody chords are all ya hear and 7:32 pm:

$39.99 “100 in 1 Electronics Kit” and other useless tales

i tried to kill my mother once
as a child
with a dry cell battery
a stool
a glass of water
a copper doorknob
and a $39.99 “100-in-1 Electronics Kit”
from radio shack

i was seven
and it almost worked

(i swear, i almost got that bitch)

and when i was eleven
she made my father
take my bedroom door off its hinges
i couldn’t fathom what she
could possibly think i was doing in there

(figured she thought i was smokin’ dope)
(but i wasn’t)

and so i ended up years behind
everyone else i knew
when it came to figuring out
what goes on
behind closed doors

and i wonder if that’s why
i’m so damn awkward
with love? or lust?
or whatever combination
thereof…

(if only my father hadn’t opened the door first)
(i could have saved myself, a normal childhood)

then again…
“hi. i killed my mother when i was seven”
maybe ain’t such a great pick-up line
either…

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