Not only do I love to write and perform poetry, but I love even more reading and listening to other poets. I often make the mistake of comparing myself to these great artists. Then I snap out of it and realize that no two poets are alike and that it is not a competition. It is about the art. It is about learning. It is about expressing yourself from an honest place. It is about pushing through the conventional and finding your own voice. With all of that being said, I’d like to share some poems and performances that have touched me deeply, I present to yous ome of my favorite poetry:
Nikki Giovanni, my hero...
Nikki Giovanni, “Choices”
if i can’t do
what i want to do
then my job is to not
do what i don’t want
to doit’s not the same thing
but it’s the best i can
doif i can’t have
what i want . . . then
my job is to want
what i’ve got
and be satisfied
that at least there
is something more to wantsince i can’t go
where i need
to go . . . then i must . . . go
where the signs point
through always understanding
parallel movement
isn’t lateralwhen i can’t express
what i really feel
i practice feeling
what i can express
and none of it is equal
i know
but that’s why mankind
alone among the animals
learns to cry
ALICE! (great name, lol)
Alice Walker, “Gift”
You intend no doubt
to give me nothing,
and are not aware
the gift has already been
received.
Curse me then,
and take away
the spell.
For I am rich;
no cheap and ragged
beggar
but a queen,
to rouse the king
I need in you.
just a few that mean a lot to me… what is some of your favorite poetry?
One of my favorites is Death of a Hired Man by Robert Frost… it talks to me about accepting people for who they are and helping them to maintain their dignity through that acceptance. It's the source of one of my favorite quotes…"Home is the place that/ when you have to go there/ they have to take you in." That speaks to me simultaneously of security and despair… if that makes any sense at all.
Now aren't you just sooooo glad you asked?? lol
heart ya!
yes I am glad I asked, I always like to know what others love bc it might lead me to somehting new or to revisit something old
Nikki Giovanni and Alice Walker are my favorites. I try to get everything they put out. I'm sad that Nikki stopped performing with music like she did back in the day.
One of my faves is September Morning by Brandy Burrows. It's from a chapbook I picked up somewhere.
September Morning
in the morning
i am satin
on cotton sheets
i rise out of bed
walk to the window
where birds not only sing
but also dance on rooftops
sonia sanchez is a personal fave, pablo neruda, e e cummings, charles bukowski, alfonsina storni, dorothy parker, sandra cisneros…yeah i really like poetry
I love Sonia Sanchez, I got to hear her speak and meet her earlier this year at Duke, it was awesome and I left with a renewed sense of purpose, Definitely a highlight of my life.
love Nikki G. thanks for posting that poem
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