Katie O'Loughlin
Katie O'Loughlin is a published, award winning, Spoken Word poet based in Los Angeles, California. She has been said to be "a touch Little Red Riding Hood and quite a slap of Red Sonia." Katie has been featured on BBC and Eagle Radio in England and KXLU radio in Los Angeles. She has been in over 80 shows including features at the Nuyorican in New York, The Los Angeles Women's Theater Festival in LA and the Bristol, Paddington and Sheffield International Poetry Festivals in England. Katie was on the San Diego Slam Team at National Poetry Slam this year in Minnesota and she has won 15 slam awards in America, England and Scotland. Her work has been published in Europe as well as America and she is proud to work bringing poetry and ideas to schools. Katie has just returned home from a tour of England and Scotland.
Being Tempted to Fall from Grace
Comfort, comfort and warmth in a wasteland
the cost
falling from grace
stark dry bleak
brought water warmth surrender
but then I must fall from grace
fall far down tumbling fumbling down
I didn't know
I didn't know he wasn't free
I didn't know he wasn't free
and he kissed me up against a wall
and he kissed me up against a wall
and he said
different party tomorrow night
and he said
it wasn't fair to put up a fight
and he said
he only had a week in town
and he said
. . . he'd like to spend it with me
the next night
my heart a flutter
my knees were weak
I cleaned my room
I shined my shoes
and I came to the party all a glow
and I sat at his feet
and gazed up at his smile
and he kissed me
he kissed me and he said
girlfriend girlfriend girlfriend back home
he said
girlfriend girlfriend girlfriend back home
after I had stepped over the line
girlfriend echoing in my head
after I had stepped over the line
but now I held the knowledge
and was asked the question again
kiss me kiss me kiss me baby
and oh, it felt good
and oh, I was confused
body stirred
late at night
morals fighting with exhaustion and desire
ill equipped ill equipped
temptation
falling from grace
it can be as easy as a piece of knowledge
if I had never been told
if it had never been said
if ... I never would have known I was falling
maybe just one more kiss
to take away the pain of knowing
I could be tempted
even if just for a moment
even if just for a few kisses
even if just . . . I
almost wanted
almost stayed until morning
stayed for warmth surrender
but I had been told
and I have never I would never
there is another woman
I almost
forgot the pain of another woman
almost
so maybe just one more kiss, baby,
to take away this pain of knowing
I could be tempted
to fall from grace
© 1999 Katie O'Loughlin