My world has been full of poetry this past week. First I found the American Life in Poetry project, former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser’s website. Then last week For Colored Girls opened — the movie adaptation of Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. A choreopoem is Shange’s term to describe a performance blending music, dance and poetry. I’ve gotten the play from the library.
I had to drive to Albuquerque the other day — 60 miles one way, much of it pretty desolate. But on either (populated) end, I noticed stands of trees in glorious shades of yellow. On arriving home, I read these poems in the NY Times, celebrating fall and marking the end of daylight saving time.
Finally, catching up on the pile of New Yorker magazine’s by my bed, I read about a poetry contest sponsored by the Miami Herald. They asked people to write 6 lines in honor of the newest member of the Miami Heat, LeBron James. They got more than 1,100 entries from 31 states and Canada! And they gave out all sorts of awards besides “best” — including “best dinosaur poem”, “audience favorite” and “best poem attempting to get a date with LeBron.” And this groaner awarded “Best use of Akron” to Skully of Akron, Ohio
I don’t want to sound too Cavalier
Once he was ours And now he’s there
But The Decision
has created A local schism
And that aint no an-AKRON-ism
Read more from the contest here or the New Yorker article here.
Don’t you love it when these things catch fire? Last week an internet list I’m on for airedale terrier owners broke out in a spontaneous round of airedale-themed limericks. Not all of them scanned, and a haiku or two snuck into the mix, but it was amazing fun to see everyone step up and contribute to the melee.