Hello, blog readers! Do you know what today is? It's Poem in Your Pocket Day!Poem in Your Pocket Day was launched in 2002 under the leadership of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs as part of National Poetry Month. It was designed to celebrate literacy and excellence in New York public schools and cultural organizations.
What you're supposed to do: Carry a poem in your pocket -- either one that you've written or one by a favorite poet -- all day today, and share it with family, friends, and colleagues!
Here's the poem in my pocket, from our new issue, hot off the press:
What I Gave the 20th Century
by Kevin Prufer
I gave it thirty years. It wanted more.
I loved its mad perambulations
through the outlet malls, its runs
of horror movies and its discount stores.
I poured my thoughts into its internet
and watched them swim like cave-blind carp
milky and quick in the thrilling dark.
Such years and love I gave, in retrospect.
And through it all I had good laughs, and cried
no bitter tears. And as my waistline grew,
so grew my heart. And if a noisy few
enjoyed it less, I say that’s sad. I hear they died
and took their dull complaining to the grave.
As for me: I loved it, and I gave.
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We'd love to hear what poem you're carrying!
1 comment:
William Stafford's "A Ritual to Read to Each Other" I've been reading various stanzas in various combinations today. There are 5 stanzas. Here are two that are speaking to me in the afternoon light:
And as elephants parade holding each elephant's tail, /but if one wanders the circus won't find the park,/ I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty/ to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.//
For it is important that awake people be awake,/ or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;/ the signals we give--yes or no, or maybe--/ should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.//
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