Friday Southern Poetry

Two pieces from Southern poets today. This first piece, "Deep Water," is by poet Ron Rash. He did a reading for a summer program I was in many years ago and I still remember the very soft, sonorous quality of his voice. The second piece is from Nikki Giovanni who, unfortunately, I did not get to see the last time she visited my institution, but whose bold and sassy style I enjoy (and I love thumbing through her stuff for children at work).

Deep Water--Ron Rash
The night smoothes out its black tarp,
tacks it to the sky with stars.
Lake waves slap the bank, define
a shoreline as one man casts
his seine into the unseen,
lifts the net's pale bloom, lets spill
of threadfin fill the live well.
Soon that squared pool of water
flickers as if a mirror,
surfaces memory of when
this deep water was a sky.


Charting the Night Winds--Nikki Giovanni
The first poem...ever written...was probably carved...
on a cold damp cave....by a physically unendowed cave man
...who wanted to make a good impression...on a physically
endowed...cave woman...But maybe not...Maybe it
was she...trying to gain the notice...of a hunk....who
was in demand...Or perhaps...it was simply someone...
who admired the motion...of a sabertooth tiger...and
wanting to capture the beauty...picked up a sharpened rock
...to draw...We know so very little...about the origin of
the written word...let alone the language...that all con-
jecture deserves some consideration...

The fears...of the human race...are legion...Perhaps our
size...strength...and speed...coupled with our ability
...to see our weakness...have made us an anxious species
...There are smaller mammals...There are more vulner-
able life-forms...Yet we alone can give vent to our under-
standing...of the tenuousness of Life...

Nature is a patient teacher...She slowly changes...winter
to summer...by proper use...of spring and fall...That's
kind...of nature...Humans fear...sudden change...
Hurricanes...Volcanos...Earthquakes...Tornados...
all are generally percieved...as aberrant...Blizzards....in
winter...Electrical storms...in summer...are a part of
the season...But change...both gradual...and violent...
is a necessary ingredient...with Life...

Art...and by necessity...artists...are on the cutting edge
...of change...The very fact...that something has been
done...over and over again...is one reason...to change
...Everything...must change...if only through perception
...Honor thy Father and Mother...does not change...
though the understanding of long life has...Do unto others
as you would have them do unto you...has not changed...
though the application must move from the individual to the
nation...What goes up must come down...will not change
...though our rock stars and superathletes seem impervious
...to the lessons of Telstar...There is...in reality...very
little that is new...under the yellow sun...We have only re-
arranged the matter...and reconceptualized the thought...
Greed...is a terrible thing....Envy...is not an acceptable
emotion...Jealousy...is dangerous to your emotional life
...and the physical and mental well-being....of your loved
one...Though people say...they cannot change...change
we do...in our abilities...desires...understanding...
The need to force...humans to change...may be one rea-
son we all gro...older....though there is no corresponding
gene...to make us grow...wiser...

In the written arts...language has opened...becoming
more accessible...more reponsive...to what people really
think...and say...We are now free...to use any profane
word...or express any profound thought...we may wish
...Sexuality...once a great taboo in language...and act
...is fully explored...through fiction...and nonfiction...
through poetry...and plays...Different and same gender
...different and same age...different and same race...re-
ligion...or creed...all take their places...on the book-
shelves...Ideas that once allowed the Church to force Ga-
lileo to recant...Ideas that once encouraged McCarthy to
destroy the lives of men and women...are now as ac-
ceptable as a stop-and-go light...or at least as well under-
stood...as fluoride...While there is surely much...to be
done...some change has rent...its ways...I changed...
I chart the night winds...glide with me...I am the walrus
...the time has come...to speak of many things...

friday poetry blogging