I didn't really practice.
I don't know what kind of reading you're going to get.
I didn't say this, but I got a BA
from the U of A in oriental studies
and master of fine arts and poetry
from University of California at Irvine.
I know they'd want me to say that, Irvine.
I call myself Ai, [SOUND OF FEEDBACK]
because for a long time I didn't want to use my own name,
and I don't like it and I studied Japanese.
But I totally forgotten when I decided what name
but it means love in Japanese.
But actually I was doing numerology and a means--
is one and eye is 10.
Together they make 11.
And that means spiritual force.
And so that's the name I want to be under.
And it also for me means impersonal eye.
The eye of the universe.
I was trying to get rid of my ego.
And I can also write it as an Egyptian hieroglyph.
Now I'll start.
And you know my dress comes unbuttoned.
So just let me know while I read.
And just I want to mention one other thing.
There's this magazine out now called Ironwood.
It has some poems in there.
I don't usually read poetry magazines,
but it's really good.
And if you see it, you should get a copy of it.
There are some fine poems in there.
OK.
I don't like to read sitting down.
I don't know how this will be.
And my poems are harsh.
But they're meant to show the truth which a lot of people
are afraid to face.
And then a lot of the poems are sort of just
psychological studies really.
The first one is called "Abortion."
"Coming home, I find you still in bed.
But when I pull back the blanket I
see your stomach is flat as an iron.
You've done it as you warned me you would.
And left the fetus wrapped in wax paper to me to look at.
My son.
Woman, loving you no matter what you do, what can I
say except that I've heard the poor
have no children just small people,
and there is room only for one man in this house."
Now every-- people really like this poem.
This line second to the last line is from a commercial on LA
television which says the poor have
no children just small people so I stole that line.
But I thought it was really nice commercial.
The picture of the child on there was really, really good.
There's a few new poems in here and a few real old ones
that I won't let people see.
But I have this friend who's a poet,
and he saves them, all my poems.
And he sends them back.
And he likes them.
So I thought, oh well, so I looked over a couple
and I revised them and I think they're OK.
I'm going to try them out on you.