Poetry from Ivan Jenson

One-percenter 

Let me decide 
for myself
if success is as empty
as they say 
and I will let you know 
if dating a Swedish model 
in the French Riviera 
is vapid and will 
rapidly lead to 
my soul's decay 
and when my 
pretty bank teller 
sees my current balance 
and her pupils start dilating 
don't tell me this 
won't feel like 
a spiritual awakening 
because I have been 
chasing that star-studded 
gold-leafed, sugar-coated 
gift-wrapped, jackpot
since I was old enough 
to watch 
the Beverly Hillbillies 
on TV 
so don't you even try 
to stop me from 
sipping on some
good ol' Texas tea


Lonesome Dove 

I don't share 
my life with 
one particular 
person in the 
traditional sense 
instead I have built 
an amazingly effective 
invisible fence 
that keeps my dogged 
pride from running away 
from this private property 
and possibly getting run over
and once in a great while 
I let in the unexpected 
visitor who happens
to be in the area
and just thought
they'd stop on by
and we have 
cookies and coffee 
and when they leave 
I wave goodbye 
as their car 
pulls out of the drive 
while holding my
caged heart 
yet it somehow 
escapes like 
a parakeet 
into the skies
and that's when 
I remember that 
time flies 


Spring Cleaning 

I still saved
everything you 
gave me 
and I have 
stored all that 
nothingness 
in an empty room 
in the attic of 
my consciousness 
next to undeveloped 
negatives of what 
could have been 
positive 
if only you 
could have lived up
to the hype 
of being 
what I wanted 
so much 
but can now 
live without 
I guess 
that is what 
dandruff and dust
is all about 



Hook Up 

It's official 
this whole 
thing is superficial 
and based solely 
on mutual distraction 
from emotional depth 
or even worse
spiritual meaning 
because sometimes 
it's fun to downgrade 
expectations and indulge 
in soft-core 
consensual conversation 
consisting of 
nonintellectual innuendo 
and zero love 
so tomorrow 
don't even wait 
for my text
instead when you 
think of me
just whisper the word
"next"




The Big Comeback 

I was
once beautiful 
respected far and wide 
the toast of the town 
considered the next big thing 
expected to stay on top
traveled first class 
pursued by women and the press 
mentioned in the tabloids 
paid handsomely 
young as roses in bloom 
whispered about in certain circles 
the life of parties uptown and down
loved to the moon and back 
dressed in Versace 
with both parents alive and proud 
now I'm 
living in a modest home 
walking like a zombie at a local Mall 
disappearing into a crowd
learning old friends have become somebody
driving while listening to 80s music 
lost in fantasy at the pharmacy 
a has-been who would-be if could-be 
and yet just offered a major new contract 
given a new lease on hope
checking with a lawyer if this is 
too-good-to-be-true 
assured this is a legitimate opportunity 
pinching myself to make sure it isn't just a dream 
not even worried if this time it will or will not last 
just ready to once again kick fame and fortune's ass 

Ivan Jenson is a fine artist, novelist and popular contemporary poet. His artwork was featured in Art in America, Art News, and Interview Magazine and has sold at auction at Christie’s. Ivan was commissioned by Absolut Vodka to make a painting titled Absolut Jenson for the brand’s national ad campaign. His Absolut paintings are in the collection of the Spirit Museum, the museum of spirits in Stockholm, Sweden.  
Jenson’s painting of the “Marlboro Man” was collected by the Philip Morris corporation. Ivan was commissioned to paint the final portrait of the late Malcolm Forbes.  Ivan has written two novels, Dead Artist and Seeing Soriah, both of which illustrate the creative and often dramatic lives of artists. Jenson’s poetry is widely published (with over 600 poems published in the US, UK and Europe) in a variety of literary media. A book of Ivan Jenson’s poetry was recently published by Hen House Press titled Media Child and Other Poems, which can be acquired on Amazon. Two novels by Ivan Jenson entitled, Marketing Mia and Erotic Rights have been published hardcover. His website is: http://www.ivanjenson.com

Ivan Jenson’s thriller “The Murderess” is now available hardcover and as an eBook on Amazon.  Ivan Jenson’s new thriller, “The Widow” will be released in March 2022.