TalulaZoeApple

Paul Laurence Dunbar -Dawn

I ran across this little gem via Morphological Confetti. Every time I visit his site I sift through the posts to reread it.

As you all know, I am a writer of fiction novels primarily. I have tried my hand at poetry but I get too bogged down in rhyme and meter. Then I read something like Dawn that has less than 30 words and I am blown away.

Dawn

An angel, robed in spotless white,

Bent down and kissed the sleeping Night.

Night woke to blush; the sprite was gone.

Men saw the blush and called it Dawn.

~ Paul Laurence Dunbar

A Poem - My Inspiration

A little tree

with tiny roots

bends in the wind

A little girl

with tiny feet

runs, falls, gets up again.

                                              By ME!!

The Best Thing I Ever Won

Back in undergrad, I went to an African Arts Festival with my roommates. I remember they were selling raffle tickets at the door. Feeling really lucky, I bought two. After perusing the wares for a while, it was time to announce the winners. I don't remember all of the prizes but I won. I was so excited that i actually won. My prize? A wonderful book of short stories and poems called I Hear A Symphony - African Americans Celebrate Love. I love all of the poems really but I will include two short ones. They both happen to be about hearts.

See The Heart by Jean Toomer

Those who have ceased to love

Have not ceased to need

Those who have ceased to care

Have not ceased to bleed;

Do Not weigh the words that

Never ask, the minds that never

Seek, nor mark the averted faces.

     But see the heart.

.......

Valentines by Henry Dumas

Forgive me if I have not sent you

a valentine

but i thought you knew

that you already have my heart

Here take the space where my

heart goes

I give that to you too

Nikki Giovanni

American poet, activists and famous Afro wearer, Nikki Giovanni has contributed to the landscape of American history. I am not going to rewrite a biography here but you can read more about her here.

I would like to highlight some poetry though. I have been craving poetry lately.

kidnap poem

ever been kidnapped
by a poet
if i were a poet
i'd kidnap you
put you in my phrases and meter
you to jones beach
or maybe coney island
or maybe just to my house
lyric you in lilacs
dash you in the rain
blend into the beach
to complement my see
play the lyre for you
ode you with my love song
anything to win you
wrap you in the red Black green
show you off to mama
yeah if i were a poet i'd kid
nap you

Bit O' Trivia: Nikki Giovanni is a professor at Virgina Tech and actually taught Seung Hui-Cho, the shooter in the Virgina Tech Massacre. She actually went to the department chair to have him removed from her class.

A Muse, Me?

A muse, me?

Pretend we are free,

Flowing breeze,

Pear blossom trees.

A muse, me?

Love bound in ink,

Defying convention,

Female intuition,

A muse, me?

Clown like mockery,

Imagination runs wild,

Awaken inner child,

A muse me?

Amuse me!

Anything to

Enliven me.