In·ter·punct
In·ter·punct shares book reviews, art news, lit theory and daily musings from the intimate lives of writers. It seeks to highlight, in an edgy and sprightly fashion, the poetic moments that punctuate our lives.
Disgusted; I wrote a poem! Upset; I wrote a poem! Depressed; I wrote a poem. A poem, I took it out: For poets to think about, To mourn our nation’s loss; I belong here; Race belongs here; We belong here.
![]() A Page I read my poem to a security guard who asked me to read it at Wordism (Buffalo’s non-competitive poetry slam open mic). Not yet ready to share it at an open mic but still wanting to go, I came to the monthly open mic. Many shared poems but I remember a youth shared his piece about the concern for his race. I took my poem, Mourning for All to the Allentown Poets’ Workshop. The feedback helped me to put it aside until now and really think about what the questions really mean for the reader. The questions were really more about mourning. A Painting Then I met Alice and interviewed her about her new painting that was part of the Anne Frank Project. It highlighted race issues and very difficult times for youth. I thought about a book, Go Ask Alice; a movie, Alice in Wonderland and now Alice’s painting, Nine American Boys. One boy was Haywood Patterson, age 17 who looks at me well dressed as if he graduated from high school instead of a mug shot. He was one of the falsely accused Scottsboro boys from the 1931 case of the rape of two white American women. Alice’s decision to take out race in the painting’s title, focused on the boys being American and emphasized that America needs to take care of its people, no matter their color but this did not happen in this youth’s case. Mourning for All In my poem, this encouraged me to take out words like black or white, not because race is not important but the focus was about grief and empathy. Empathy for the community mourning. When Nathan Moore and Woogee Bae organized a memorial reading at Bidwell Park, it was time to share with empathetic ears. Mourning for All Some folks grieve more quiet Some folks grieve more loud Here are questions that have no answers. Can civil servants protect all rights? Can the legal system heal what’s been done? Can love find peace after crime? I've seen videos Ones support some cops Ones oppose some cops Here are questions that have no answers. Can civil servants protect all rights? Can the legal system heal what’s been done? Can love find peace after crime? I know cops Witnessed struggles The bad, good, and ugly Here are questions that have no answers. Can civil servants protect all rights? Can the legal system heal what’s been done? Can love find peace after crime? Some folks grieve more quiet Some folks grieve more loud All mourning is grief All mourning is grief All grief is mourning What are literary work with themes relevant to race? The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; the novel, Black Girl/White Girl by Joyce Carol Oats; the play, The Mark of Cain by Gary Earl Ross. Safety, belonging, love are shared human qualities. Remember them, write to them, call out their names, sing for them. Ask questions even when the majority denies, suppresses and does not think it’s ok to ask. Ask. Why not?
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AboutIn·ter·punct shares interviews, expositions, poems and daily musings from the intimate lives of writers. Like the interpunct, which is a middot used to separate syllables, this blog seeks to highlight, in an edgy and sprightly fashion, the poetic moments that punctuate our lives. Archives
October 2019
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