THREE-PART CELEBRATION OF POETRY!
Preparing for the NTID Big Read with Ilya Kaminsky, Deaf Republic
I: Pittsford Library: special guest Kenny Lerner at the Pittsford Library February 1, to talk about ASL techniques. I sent out these links with other poem choices.
a) 4 arms/snowstorm: (3:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nMqYym4Mws&t=1s
b). Old Wise Corn #1 (metaphysical poem focussing on wisdom growing from an ear of corn into the universe, as at the same time, a reminder of our humanity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqcUqTke7u8&t=198s
He also performed the ASL Version of this poem by Constantin Abaluta, The Intruder
II. poems/poets mentioned in this interview: https://www.thewhitereview.org/feature/interview-with-ilya-kaminsky/
Every Day by Ingeborg Bachmann (Translated from the German by Monika Zobel) Factory of Tears by Valzhyna Mort (see https://www.valzhynamort.com/)
III. Black History Month
https://www.pbs.org/video/reginald-dwayne-betts-for-the-city-that-nearly-broke-me-1459471572/
Factory of Tears by Valzhyna Mort (a poet from Belarus, who lives in the US. https://www.valzhynamort.com/
You Reading This, Be Ready – William Stafford
If It Was a Snake by Louis Jenkins
Comments on the poems:
If you knew the first poem came from Kaminsky's book, "Deaf Republic", does that help better understand it? What makes a poem? As Joyce put it, "A Toast" is not a poem for beginners.
For the Valzhyna Mort: Both poems are laden with sarcasm and show a world we cannot guess.
Every Day: If you wrote a "poem" about American society in 2022, 2023, what is no longer "declared"
but continued? Which heroes do we want to return? What does our "uniform" ressemble? Perhaps indifference rather than the patience Valzhyna describes as the nothing that comes to pass, continues,
and yet is filled with "unheard of".
Do we also award "sorry stars" of hope over the heart as solutions?
A most depressing poem and commentary.
Factory of Tears: As metaphor for the broken system, including the "Dept. of Heart Affairs", economically advantageous technology recycling of the wastes of the past (memories mostly) and the physical abuse, it is hard to believe the last line, "Happy with what you have"
The contrast of Reginald Betts take on America, is a different take on "Every Day"-- but his last line is haunting -- as if asking us and just what are you going to do about this? How does a society "strangle itself?"
This is definitely an "oral delivery poem" so do listen: https://www.pbs.org/video/reginald-dwayne-betts-for-the-city-that-nearly-broke-me-1459471572/
The fact that he uses real names, "Malik" and Sal, confirms "real people". His "toast" as opposed to Kaminsky's rather odd and scathing irony, is to those buried too soon.
"You know the truth /of the talking, of the quarrels & how/ history lets the blamed go blameless for/the blood that flows black in the street."
You can hear those "b's" .
Stafford has more uplifting language... even the verb "lift" rhyming with the noun, "gift" of what paying attention -- even a glimpse, makes possible. I love that the title engages, invites... it is simple... "Be Ready"... he offers sight, sound, scent, in the opening stanza, calling on us to be open and mindful of the possibilities in each moment, indeed, associated (if we choose) with "breathing respect" for this.
Jenkins looks at loss, equating the everyday, more anondine version of misplacing keys, to the implied bigger sense of loss -- and irony of the cliché started in the title: "If it was a snake," it would have bit you.
Perhaps a different take on the importance of mindfulness, taking a different look. Those liquid "l's" at the end, slide just like a snake... "everything you have lost is lurking there in the dark, ready to strike."
Not sure, if this is a comforting thought, but, there is a certain wisdom knowing whether good or bad,
nothing we experience is ever "gone for good".
**
Since there was no internet... I read aloud:
Reading Symborska at Friday Harbor by by Patrycja Humienik
Poem #53 (EE Cummings
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