I remember this poem from one of my first poetry workshops… from In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet’s Portable Workshop by Steve Kowit, who passed away this year. It was stunning and captured how I felt at that moment in a poetry workshop doing something I loved – the world of writing opening up to […]
Bullying
This poem touches on a variety of topics like acceptance and bullying, which are quite relevant in today’s society. I have shown this performance in class, and students really seem to relate to it and connect with it. It is another from the Ted Talks series, titled “To This Day… for the bullied and beautiful” by […]
Sheathed
I recently found this beautiful little poem from e.e. cummings, who happens to be one of my favorite poets. His writing is so fanciful and unique with beautifully odd pairings of words and fun syntax, movement, and presence on the page. In The Rain- in the rain- darkness, the sunset being sheathed i sit and […]
September
I find September to be a very introspective month. It calls to mind the start of a new school year and questions of what I can do to improve upon this semester from the last. It’s also a time of reflection because of the remembrance of the events of September 11th. Like many people, my life […]
Stripped
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned my first grad school poetry professor, Glover Davis. When I think of people describing a tough teacher as being their favorite, I start to wonder about how that can be, and then I think of Glover Davis. I’m pretty sure I cried after my very first poem was […]
Fun
It’s been a little while since I’ve included a poem in video form, so for PoeMonday today, I present this fun piece from the Ted Talks series. I hope you enjoy it!
Moon
Returning back to the MFA program at SDSU, Marilyn Chin was another poet/professor I had the honor of taking classes with. Although I love her most famous poem, “How I Got that Name,” particularly when she is reading it, this one is beautiful: Moon and Oatgrass The moon is not over the water, as you would […]
Gents
And for the gents, this week on PoeMonday, from Michael Blumenthal: Night Baseball [I] retrace by moonlight the roads where I used to play in the sun. — Marcel Proust At night, when I go out to the field to listen to the birds sleep, the stars hover like old umpires over the diamond, and […]
Ladies
In today’s PoeMonday, a couple of poems from Lucille Clifton that I’m sure the ladies will appreciate. Let me hear what you think, ladies! homage to my hips these hips are big hips they need space to move around in. they don’t fit into little petty places. these hips are free hips. they don’t like […]
Heat
On this first PoeMondaY of August, I thought it fitting to present one of my favorite poems of all time – this poem by Denis Johnson. I just love the contemporary feel in such a traditional form, the sonnet. What are your thoughts? Heat Here in the electric dusk your naked lover tips the glass […]