Month: July 2014

Prompt #36 : On Time (and Poems on Time)

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While thinking about how to get this prompt posted on time, it occurred to me that time is one of the central organizing themes of poetry (and of art) — time probably has more poems written about it than just about anything else except love and death. Time, Love and Death. The big three. Wouldn’t you say that poems of place (longing for a time past or a future perfect?), poems of heroic deeds and odes (remember the time that so-and-so did whatever-that-was), elegies (lost times with ones loved), and even the lowly limerick (there once was a —) are all about time?

The Academy of American Poets has a whole section of their newly redesigned website (I am NOT a fan, btw) on the subject: Carpe Diem: Poems for Making the Most of Time. Directing you there today, to read poems by poets as various as Robert Herrick, Horace and Tony Hoagland (to only name the poets whose names start with H), saves me a lot of time to write my own poetry. What a deal. There are dozens of poems that this link, go for it!

And then, write your own poem about time. Does its passing frighten you or please you? Remember a time when you laughed, when you cried, when you were with friends. Are you young and wishing you were old enough for — ? Are you old and wishing time would unwind, reboot, just stop for once??

Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote a tiny poem that many of you may not know, but you’ll recognize the image she uses. She could have just said, “Why isn’t there enough time for all the things I want to do with my life?” but she didn’t. She did this. Enjoy.

First Fig

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-
It gives a lovely light!

(I think there is a reason she named this poem “First Fig” but I can’t remember it now. Someone look it up and report back. Please! )

(Photo of Miss Millay from Wikipedia, by Arnold Genthe.)

Prompt #35 (Only a teeny bit late) : Kenneth Koch on Beauty

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Inspired by a great article (by Heather Altfeld at the North American Review) on the challenges of teaching poetry and teaching beauty, I came here to re-post said article and realized I’d forgotten to post poetry prompt #35 this past Sunday (July 20). Sigh.

To atone for the errors of my ways, I’m giving you a chance to read a really great (and quite long) poem by Kenneth Koch, a giant of American poetry during the 1950s, and a devoted and important teacher who taught teachers of poetry how to teach poetry. I was introduced to Koch’s best-known book on the subject, Rose, Where Did You Get That Red, during my training to be a poet/teacher with California Poets in the Schools. It’s a great little book. You can read mine anytime you want. (Altfeld’s article talks about Koch and his methods.)

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The method Koch taught is about imitation: pick a great poem and get kids to imitate its essential qualities. “Rose, Where Did You Get That Red” is the name of a poem written by a child who was imitating William Blake’s “The Tyger” — a poem which essentially asks a creature of God how and where it acquired its power and beauty. (The image featured with this blog is Blake’s poem and illustration.) You can read an excerpt of Koch’s book here.

Your task today is to read Kenneth Koch’s poem “On Beauty by Kenneth Koch” and then imitate it. Just write for a while about what beauty means to you. Be as free-wheeling and long-winded as you like. Be colorful and descriptive and don’t hold back. Call it a poem and call it a day. Or, if you’re inspired, share your efforts with us!

Here’s the last stanza of Koch’s poem, and I think the sentiment is fine.

Capture

On the Feeble Attempt to Teach Beauty By Heather Altfeld

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A must read. A lovely article. Poetry, teaching, beauty, children, yes.

On the Feeble Attempt to Teach Beauty By Heather Altfeld.

Photos from the San Mateo County Fair

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Wow, “Running of the Poets” was completely fun. I had a great time with a group of truly fine poets and one little boy: Keith Ekiss, Robin Ekiss, Maurine Killough, Kalamu Chaché  and Santa Clara Poet Laureate David Perez. The audience was good, too, which I didn’t really expect at an event known for livestock and screamer rides. The quilts were stunning. David Perez and I had lime cake, which was divine, courtesy of some cute 4-H-ers. I hope I get asked back next year.

The featured photo here is of our hostess, Caroline Goodwin (San Mateo County PL), with David Perez and me. We were exhausted from running and having our picture taken, I think.

This is a shot of Poetess Kalamu Chaché — poetry spiritual leader and laureate of East Palo Alto.

photo by ann of jsb pkc and cg

This is the wall of poem entries. Dazzling.

poets against the wall of poems

Here’s one of me painting a “poem” on an art exhibit elsewhere at the fair. Photo credit by David Perez.

poem with jsb hand smc fair

Here’s a great pig.

fine pink pig

Here are some awesome jars of mango and lemon jam.

mango lemon jam and jsb

 

The rest of the photos can be seen on my Flickr album.

Prompt (Late) #34 : Dragons!

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I wrote this prompt late, and I’m posting it even later. But I didn’t want to waste the work I’d done, so here you go.

My daughter is in love with dragons. She’s working up a fellowship proposal about them, so in the spirit of solidarity, I looked up some dragon poems.

Many people are in love with dragons, and not surprisingly, there is a lot of great dragon poetry — some ancient, some Chinese, some Nordic, much American. Lots of dragon poems are for kids, but not all.

Here is a sampling. Read about dragons and then think about why you might be scared, fascinated, ignorant, or in awe. Then write a dragon poem yourself. What’s in the dark with a flaming breath? Who will bring you good luck or death?

custard-the-dragon

From The Poetry Foundation:

drag_warrior

 

 

Loving Day Reading Photos

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Almost a month later, I’m finally getting around to posting photos.

The second in my series of “Unsung Holiday” poetry readings, the Loving Day reading (June 12, 2014) was a lovely event — we had a great turnout and the venue was perfect. Here is a photo of me with my featured readers, (left to right) Michael Cross, (yours truly, Jennifer Swanton Brown), Erica Goss, and Bob Dickerson.

I opened the reading with Natasha Trethewey‘s poem about her parents interracial marriage, “Early Evening, Frankfurt Kentucky” — which of course has the important quality of not mentioning their races. When she was born in 1966 her parents’ marriage was illegal in Mississippi. Her birth certificate listed her mother’s race as “Colored” and her father’s as “Canadian.”

This photo is “of me in my element” taken by my friend Ellen.

ellens photo of me cropped

The Euphrat Gallery at De Anza College is a great place for a poetry reading and the staff there were friendly, helpful, attentive and smart. Just what you need when you’re a nervous M.C.

Amanda Erica Dave Denny Adrian

Joining Erica (second from the left) in this photo are (left to right) Amanda Williamsen, Dave Denny, and Adrian Kolb. Amanda (who was a featured reader at the April Fool’s Day event) read a riotous poem during our open mic session. Dave Denny, is of course, my friend and Cupertino’s first PL, and Adrian is a member of the Cupertino Library Commission and the captain of my Poetry Posse — without whom most Cupertino PL events would be a mess or non-existent.

Behind us is a whirling sculpture of nails — a remarkable work of art. I wish I had jotted down the name of that De Anza student artist.