Poetry and Prose by Wess Mongo Jolley
Poetry and Prose by Wess Mongo Jolley
Sample Poem From “The White Porcelain Well”:
For tonight, Josef, I long again
to hear you speak to me in my sleep
and tell me things about myself that I don’t
know, in a language that I don’t understand.
Tonight, I long again
to pass you on the street, not recognize your face, and
never know that you turn and watch me walk away.
Tonight, I long again
to weep in the theatre, three rows in front of
you, an art film spoken in French, reading the
subtitles, unaware that after the movie you
only remember the shape of my shoulders.
Tonight, I long again
to wonder who it was that gave me this
scar, to touch it, scratch it absentmindedly,
while thinking of anything but you.
Tonight, I long again
to be defined by you refined by you, filtered,
purified and expelled by you, all through a dirty
cafe window, and all between desert and the check.
Tonight I long
for the universe to be so appalled that it will roll
back the sun to the moment your turned away from me
and disappeared into the crowded bar.
Sample Poem From “Smolder & Spark”:
“The front section is the realm of the dead, symbolized by inert materials – polished black granite and concrete. The back section represents the living.”
—Parc de l’espoir – AIDS Memorial Park, Montreal.
I’ve lost those cubes of half remembered dead—
not even half I’ve forgotten them completely
In favor of the mullet-headed sandal-toed lover
who picks his teeth in the coffee shop
In favor of proud meat market hookups
who won’t bother to feign interest or surprise
In favor of coffee so black and strong
old memories are strangled into myth
In favor of shared glances gelled Mohawks veined throbbing house
music pounding our spines until our hearts skip a beat in unison
In favor of a street filled with desperately handsome men I cannot
see through the haze of a new love’s breath on my eyelids
In favor of dying happy because of
last night and last night and last night
When spasms of ecstasy ended with
my tears spread across both his calves
As Featured in the Write Bloody Press book “The Good Things About America,” edited by Derrick Brown and Kevin Staniec:
As Featured in the book “Warrior Poets,” edited by Ko Shin Bob Hanson:
As Featured in the book “I’ll Be You When You Get There,” edited by Scott Woods:
20 Pieces of Advice, Sent to my Young Self, to be Opened June 15, 1978
As Featured in Tree House Arts
As Featured in Pank:
As Featured in The New Verse News:
As Featured in Dressing Room Poetry Journal:
As Featured in The November 3rd Club (no longer publishing):
* No longer available on line. Copies of these poems are available on this site.
“Manhattan’s Arms” performed live at the Bowery Poetry Club, as part of the IndieFeed Performance Poetry Podcast Showcase and Party, October 9, 2009. Introduced by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz.
“Emily’s Legacy,” As heard on the IndieFeed Performance Poetry Channel. Hosted by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz. February 2, 2009. Music by Ivan Chew.
“Eight Questions with Wess Mongo Jolley”
October 15, 2015.
Use this form to send Mongo a message.
If you’d like to join the mailing list (maximum one message per month), use one or both of the check boxes at the bottom of the form.
You can also follow Mongo on social media:
Website and all contents copyright Wess Mongo Jolley, 2021.
As Featured in 
As Featured in 
As Featured in 
As Featured in