And by illustrated, I mean with stick figures. Because that's the only illustration that will work. Minimalist stick figures. So terrible they're funny stick figures. I know a girl if you need one. That girl is me. Talentless stick figure queen, me.
Erika Dreifus shared your post and hey, you are a poet after all. I wrote the following poem after Trump was elected the first time. Still totally applicable this time around. Hoping the last few lines offer some grace?
Post-Election Poem for the People
Come, let’s not harness the hyperbole,
advance more blame into this new day
where ego blots out reason.
We name our murderers
with a stark, passive regularity.
In the face of our fear,
That old past is reborn in all
its disgusting glory, every insult
shredding our mother
tongue, the dialects of difference
bleeding into the gutters.
This is a delicate effacement of ourselves,
like a slow, stupid fog.
Our country needs a pair of linguistic crutches,
now that every intonation is a challenge.
How can the words rebirth us?
Let us find some courage to keep parsing the phrases,
Let’s layer the world with language,
incanting against the inanity that we all live in.
When I was in the throes of depression in college, I read Shelley's 'The Revolt of Islam' and was struck by the following passage. I memorized it and have referred to it often over the last 50-odd years. It offers me comfort and strength. Hopefully, it can provide a bit to others.
So without shame I spake:--'I will be wise,
And just, and free, and mild, if in me lies
Such power, for I grow weary to behold
The selfish and the strong still tyrannize
Without reproach or check.' I then controlled
My tears, my heart grew calm, and I was meek and bold.
What a difference a week makes! And how different the world feels going from the ridiculously nuts prospect of Trump being our next president to all the amazing support Kamala is getting! We need a new poem!
I need this book to be illustrated and turned into a picture book for adults a la Go the Fuck To Sleep!
And by illustrated, I mean with stick figures. Because that's the only illustration that will work. Minimalist stick figures. So terrible they're funny stick figures. I know a girl if you need one. That girl is me. Talentless stick figure queen, me.
Ooooh, I'm liking this idea...
I need a rhyme
to make this time
quickly align
from slime
to sublime
when politics allows freedom
to chime
xx to you Jane
Erika Dreifus shared your post and hey, you are a poet after all. I wrote the following poem after Trump was elected the first time. Still totally applicable this time around. Hoping the last few lines offer some grace?
Post-Election Poem for the People
Come, let’s not harness the hyperbole,
advance more blame into this new day
where ego blots out reason.
We name our murderers
with a stark, passive regularity.
In the face of our fear,
That old past is reborn in all
its disgusting glory, every insult
shredding our mother
tongue, the dialects of difference
bleeding into the gutters.
This is a delicate effacement of ourselves,
like a slow, stupid fog.
Our country needs a pair of linguistic crutches,
now that every intonation is a challenge.
How can the words rebirth us?
Let us find some courage to keep parsing the phrases,
Let’s layer the world with language,
incanting against the inanity that we all live in.
Amazing and gorgeous. You have the poem.
When I was in the throes of depression in college, I read Shelley's 'The Revolt of Islam' and was struck by the following passage. I memorized it and have referred to it often over the last 50-odd years. It offers me comfort and strength. Hopefully, it can provide a bit to others.
So without shame I spake:--'I will be wise,
And just, and free, and mild, if in me lies
Such power, for I grow weary to behold
The selfish and the strong still tyrannize
Without reproach or check.' I then controlled
My tears, my heart grew calm, and I was meek and bold.
This is the greatest poem ever. I love you, Jane.
I love you too!!
Amen amen amen.
#secretpoet 😘😘😘
This is most definitely not nothing.
I’m still in the freaking the fuck out stage but your wonderful “poem” helped me to smile a little bit today. Thank you.
I need one too.
Let me know if you find one!
I like Ellen Bass’s “Relax” in moments like these (although there have been no moments like this in my life).
I'll look it up - thank you
What a difference a week makes! And how different the world feels going from the ridiculously nuts prospect of Trump being our next president to all the amazing support Kamala is getting! We need a new poem!
YES!! In fact, I’ve been thinking of writing one…
damn fine line breaks too.
Thank you! One or two were made in jest…
even better. :)
Thank you for that/ yes that was most definitely a poem.
From Ogden Nash:
The trouble with a kitten's that
Eventually it becomes a cat.