Slowly coming out of
the valley of broken dolls
after my soul took
a Niagara fall into
the abyss of an after-
a-first-date cheek kiss
which was a blatant dodge
from one that was
meant for the lips
a phenomenon that has
sunk a thousand
potential relationships
and now I am second-guessing
all my early on over-confessing
of my insecurities rather
than showing my best self first
unfortunately I go into things
totally unrehearsed and wind up
blowing my best lines and
the best days of my life
and get bested by beautiful besties…
the following metaphor
illustrates exactly what I mean—
I am but a castaway adrift
on a raft in the vast
sea of the dating app
singles scene
About the Author
Ivan Jenson is a screenwriter, fine artist, novelist, and widely published contemporary poet based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His artwork has appeared in Art in America, Art News, and Interview Magazine, and has been sold at auction at Christie’s. Notable commissions include the final portrait of the late Malcolm Forbes, and Absolut Jenson, created for Absolut Vodka’s national advertising campaign.
His Absolut paintings are held in the permanent collection of the Spritmuseum (Museum of Spirits) in Stockholm, Sweden. Jenson’s painting of the iconic Marlboro Man was acquired by the Philip Morris Corporation.
As a writer, Jenson has published three novels—Dead Artist, Seeing Soriah, and Punky’s Inferno—which explore the inner lives of artists with wit and psychological depth. He has published over 1,000 poems in literary journals across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
His poetry collection, Mundane Miracles, reached #1 on Amazon’s American Poetry chart. He is also the author of several thrillers, including Not Nice Wife, Weeping Beauty, and The Great American Navel.
Jenson’s feature-length drama screenplay, Mom Has 7 Days to Live, is currently in production, with plans for worldwide distribution.
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