As afore (in Part 1), the only way to freedom is song.
I enacted this recently:Song is whatever you make of it, which is its power (you), even the star-spangled one of the doomed empire, as in one of my cocurator Michael Ruby’s interruptions:
O magic property say the stunning can people perform you break and see the svelte
Many American poets have written poems about presidential elections, and many are likely to write about this 2020 election, which was frightening. For years, I have written poems about elections, some of which can be found in my recently published book, The Star-Spangled Banner, including the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections. I took somewhat different approaches in these poems, which are linked here to recordings on PennSound.
Yes, the word politics leaves me colorless and blech in the playground — so, I’m grateful to Sam Truitt and Michael Ruby for the invitation to play with something that I don’t understand.
Personal, political, and climate conditions change continuously, as does poetry, its syntaxes, and uses of metaphor. Within certain ranges, readers simply accommodate change.
I offer two spontaneous pieces back-to-back, Catskill Mountain patchworks, because I am distracted these days, letting surface what will, and because Sam and Michael asked. Much thanks to those who speak and challenge via “the socials” (as my students say) and face-to-face, mask-to-mask.
The pleasure of the text is that moment when my body pursues its own ideas — for my body does not have the same ideas I do. — Roland Barthes, The Pleasure of the Text
Poetry and the 2020 election