Your Favorite Poem?

[paintnolish]

With one catch...the author must still be alive. I am going to a poetry night and must read aloud a poem by an alive author. That's pretty difficult! Every poem I think of is by someone long deceased! Can you help me out?

 

[LeeLee'sMom]

Maya Angelou has some great poems Phenonenal Woman...love that one

 

[Tinkermommy]

My favorite living poet is Brian Andreas. Here's his website: storypeople.com. I should mention his poems are very short. Not sure if you can read several if you like his style. He puts his poems on artwork, so you can read many of them on this website. Here's one for flavor:

I'd like to think that things are getting better, he said, but my eyes are getting worse, so maybe I miss a lot.



Then there's the ever popular Maya Angelou.

 

[MushyMushy]

It would help if you'd tell us what kind of poetry you like. Are you a dramatic reader? Do you want something with a light subject or heavy?

I love Linda McCarriston, but her themes are STRONG. She writes in a feminist perspective, often about child abuse, domestic abuse, etc. If you read something of hers, I'm sure everyone would be in a hush when you were done!

Rita Dove is great too. She was (I believe) the first black poet laureate.

Naomi Shihab Nye -- love, LOVE her. I was fortunate enough to meet her at a book festival when a class I was in did a dramatic reading of an excerpt from one of her books.

 

[paintnolish]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I am studying to be an English teacher- isn't it sad that I can't think of any live poets? What a commentary. We just study dead white guys (for the most part).
MushyMushy- Thanks. I looked them up. I really liked Nye!

 

[pperfectmom]

Are Alan Ginsberg and Charles Bukowski alive still? Both of them have/had some really good stuff.

 

[pperfectmom]

Oh, and Wendell Berry who I know is alive still, has beautiful poems.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

Are Alan Ginsberg and Charles Bukowski alive still? Both of them have/had some really good stuff.

Ginsberg died in 97 I believe. One of my favorites.

 

[Sorsha]

I was going to suggest Shel Silvertstein, till I looked him up and discovered he was dead. I LOVE his works. rats...

Forgotten Language

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .
How did it go?
How did it go?

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

John Giorno has some strong poems if you're into heavier poetry.

 

[paintnolish]

I was going to suggest Shel Silvertstein, till I looked him up and discovered he was dead. I LOVE his works. rats...

Forgotten Language

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .
How did it go?
How did it go?

Yeah. I thought of him! I thought it would be different, but unfortunately it won't work. R.I.P. Shel!