High Contrast--Literature of the Digital Evolution 

January 19, 2007

Hello and Welcome!

It's been a few days since I have had time to get an issue out, and I apologize, but I believe that the quality of this issue more than makes up for it!

Today we've got three terrific pieces by people new to High Contrast, and another one by our very own Jon Sanders!

I encourage you to check out Mr. Sedlacek's website, as he has several eBooks and a recently published chapbook available for purchase.

Brian Newbill is the late husband of High Contrast contributor Theresa Garcia-Newbill, and I thank her for allowing us to showcase some of his wonderful writing, and we look forward to showcasing more of both of their works soon!

Mr. Anderson-Taylor is someone who I searched out a couple weeks back, as his book Urban Expressions I was published by another poet who I highly respect, Pearlie Harris. Little did I know he was also on Myspace, so it turned out beautifully! Here is a message from Mr. Anderson-Taylor:

"I was barely two year old when we came to DC and moved into a one bedroom apartment, we would all later move into the projects of East Capital dwellings in SE Washington DC. 

There I would attended Shad Elementary school were I exhibit a great propensity towards drawing By the age of five I could easily out draw many of the older children in the higher grades. Even though I could draw very well, I still struggled academically through out schooling.

I finally discovered poetry while enrolled at Washington Dix Street Academy in NE DC; there I would read the works of Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou, both of these writers would have a profound affect on my life and help me to discover my talent for writing. 

I continued to draw, but writing took on a whole new meaning for me. I would save many of my poems that I wrote back then, many of which I did not include in this first book. Look for some of them in some of my future books.

I'm still a DC Police in the Nations Capital today. During my career as an officer, I have never lost touch with my love of poetry and art, sometimes as I would patrol the streets of DC, I would find myself during down times just scribbling out some short poetry on blank pieces of paper that I would keep on my clip board in my police car.

I was appointed to the police department in 1989. I was recently diagnosed with colon cancer in 2002 and I'm currently a five year cancer survivor. People sometimes ask me, why did I become a cop in the first place? I became a cop to make a difference in this city, were I had spent most of my adult life growing up. 

Though much has yet to change? I continue to try and make a difference in this city today. I have a number of other books that I'm currently working on and I hope that if you buy this book Urban Expressions I? Then you will most certainly want to add my next book Urban Expressions II to your collection as well.

I would like to thank you in advance for your purchase of my book and your support!"

And we thank you Mr. Anderson-Taylor for your support and contribution to our literary adventure here at High Contrast--Literature of the Digital Evolution.

Please don't forget to leave comments and encouragments to our artists--I know we all appreciate knowing that our hard work has brightened someone's day, opened their eye's and mind, and made them think!

mB

The Wave that Crashes

Java night...

by Jay Andrew Anderson-Taylor 

To Chevelle, Happy Birthday!

Slowly I did creep down the stairs to see

what it was... Creak! Creak! Went the first

step. Me afraid? Never that, I just need to see

what was making all that noise downstairs

in my house... My heartbeat was now so loud

I could barely hear my own thoughts... Thump! Thump!

With each beat of my heart, my head did swell even more.

Closer towards me did the sound come and

as I reached the last step, I could see a shadow

pass in the light. Now I was scared and did start to sweat.

As I then turned the corner where the shadow last went...

I could hear a sound from the kitchen inside the sink. Clank!

Clank! Then, it sounded like pots falling from the shelves.

As I entered the kitchen and reached for the light...

Something knocked me off my feet as it pounced into my chest!

I did scream in fright... Ahhh! Only to realize, it was just

my silly old cat. Seems I've had too much hot java on a cold

Halloween night.

30 Second Tragedy
by LB Sedlacek

Sometimes the wrong mail
is placed in our P.O. Box
-- addressed to someone else,
and sometimes the names are
familiar, or even the last names
are the same as mine
or someone else at the office,
but most of the time there's
no connection ? no real reason
for the mix-up's;
we chalk them off to
carelessness or random mistakes,
or the whimsy of chance
which can be cruel or sweet
when the husband walks away
unscathed from a car wreck, or
when the daughter never returns from a
boat ride with friends
her parents leaving knee prints in the sand
as they beg the ocean for an explanation
that when it comes
is drowned by the roar of the surf,
the rage of the wind
that scatters mail around the sorting room
eventually ending up in the wrong box.

I will Remember
by Brian Newbill

for Theresa

I will remember
The first call I received
A voice so soft and beautiful
Almost too much to be believed

I will remember
The day that I proposed
And how she reassured me
We will never stand opposed

I will remember
How lonely I had been
Until we found the courage
To let each other in

I will remember our fist kiss
I will remember our first time
And Angel I will never forget
The day you let me call you mine.