Deborah Mouton - Poems
the water is the first to go then the bread then the eggs somewhere in there the chips fade away and people resort to munching on their own anxiety rising into fisticuffs in aisle 3 of Kroger or HEB or Randalls
no one thinks about looking in the frozen section the memories they will soon lose the pictures in stagnant water the playground cemented into 3 feet of rising murky, there is always something left off of the list
that you never knew you needed until you look down see all of the empty the plastic bags with a single day's clothes see the flashlight and raft in the distance
until you watch all that you call home conveyor into the bayou bed, by doorframe, by roof and you know the water will be the last thing to go
**********
el agua es la primera en irse luego el pan después los huevos en algún lugar allí las papitas se desvanecen y la gente recurre a masticar su propia ansiedad
creciendo en puñetazos en el pasillo 3 de Kroger o de HEB o de Randalls
nadie piensa en mirar la sección congelada los recuerdos que pronto se perderán las fotografías en el agua estancada el patio de juegos cementado en 3 pies de lodo,
siempre hay algo que queda fuera de la lista
aquello que nunca sabías era necesario hasta que miras hacia abajo ves todos los vacíos las bolsas de plástico con la ropa para un solo día ves la linterna y la balsa en la distancia
hasta que miras todo lo que llamas hogar es ahora un transporte en el pantano cama, marco de puerta, techo y sabes que el agua será lo último en irse
Deborah Mouton. The current Poet Laureate of Houston, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton has established herself as a notable force in the performance and literary world. Formerly ranked the #2 Best female Poet in the World, she has been impactful on and off stage. She published her first collection of poetry at the tender age of 19. From there, she went onto compete at CUPSI as a member of the 2004 University of Michigan Slam Team while simultaneously touring with the WordWorks Poetry Troupe across the Midwest. She released her first full-length album in 2009 titled "The Unfinished Work of a Genius". It is a collection of original songs and poems that explore ideas around spirituality and personal growth. Her sophomore album, "Beautiful Rebellion" was released in 2015. It explores more socially themed poems. She has been featured on Upworthy, Blavity, Button Poetry, Write About Now, and the National Poetry Slam Youtube Channel. She has also served as the opening acts for such artists as Talib Kweli, MC Lyte, Amiri Baraka, John Legend, Slum Village, Karen Clark-Shield, Def Poet Sunni Patterson, Def Comedy Jam's Rodman, Regie Gibson, Buddy Wakefield, Danez Smith and multiple local and national political figures. On stage, she has been a 2015 Finalist for the Individual World Poetry Slam, a 2016 Finalist for the Texas Grand Slam, and has served as a Final Stage Sacrificial Poet for the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam. Off stage, she has had the honor of serving as a Juried Poet for the 2012 Houston Poetry Fest. Her work can be found in Wicked Banshee Press' Survival Issue, Alight's Collection of Poetry, and in the 2012 & 2017 Houston Poetry Fest Anthology.