Interviews by Carla Martin
Photographs by Ezekiel Espanola
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Interview with featured poet, Larry Etue, by Carla Martin
These are three poems selected from the ones that Larry read at Dagny’s Open Mic on March 1, 2019:
The Time of Now
Night begins to thaw
and light melts
over the landscape
illumination uneven
trickling through the forests, quietly
trickling among the
buildings, quietly
fulfilling the mythological promise
as the bones of Osiris
are again mended
sending long shadows stretching westward
as the arc of day begins
and begs the question
that greets all who have choice:
what to do with this
the given
this the time of now
the only time of importance
of all the time
that has ever been
Slowin’
Why do you hurry so?
To what do you run?
From what do you flee?
Is rest your foe?
Is silence to be shunned?
To hurry is to blur
To hurry is to miss
Why do you hurry so?
At the end of your race
Is the grave
Didn’t you know?
Why do you hurry so?
Alley Riches
The downtown alley remains in shadow.
Light never breaks through the buildings
of business and commerce.
This place is a concrete swamp of fetid odors,
a mossy north wall dampness ever present.
It is from here in the predawn that the city’s bedraggled exiles fan out with purpose.
Tenacious as raptors scrapping over road kills
they dumpster shop with pole and sack.
There they find boxes and boards for shelter, bottles and cans for cash. All goes in the cart
and its plastic saddle bags.
Grab and go. No waiting, no checkouts.
Two hours later a day’s work is in before
the sun begins to search for them.
Then its time to sit with fellow exiles,
share a smoke and the narrow-necked sack
and tip a grateful salute to the side glances
and shaking heads of the city’s eight-to-fivers.
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Q. What inspired you to write poetry?
A. Working towards my BA in Liberal Arts and experiencing a down period in the process, I came upon the lines, ‘ The woods are lovely dark and deep, I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.’ by Robert Frost. The simple message of promises to keep rekindled the energy to continue towards graduation and continues to inspire me in the present.
That experience taught me that the right words at the right time can be a life changing alchemy. Since then I have found inspiration in the poems, or stanzas within the poems of Dickinson, Tennyson, Heaney, Sandburg, Shelly, Emerson, Akhmatova, and so many others.
Q. Some of your poems are social commentaries. Do you think poets have an important role to play in bringing certain issues to light?
A. I strongly believe that bringing attention to the plight of others suffering from our many contemporary social outrages falls within the purview of poets and others for comment. Even if a poem or piece of writing or song doesn’t affect a change it demonstrates that there is at least one person who says, “This is not right,” and that one poem, writing, song joined by others
may contribute to a movement and shift towards the better….maybe.
Q. What advice would you give to people wanting to write poetry? What is your modus operandi?
A. I try to see the ordinary, the prosaic, the literal, beyond the sight lines of everyday vision and give words to the experience. I work from a sense of inspiration: source is immaterial; when something moves me I set it to words in figurative language. Most of my writing is done in coffee shops and often the ideas, fueled by an inspiration, have to be quickly captured on a napkin or in a notebook if at hand. I then will develop the theme into a poem.
Rule #1 then is to always have something to secure your inspiration.
Once my thinking is firm about the theme the writing begins with a very messy melange of words that needs a bit of sorting out. After the sorting process I turn to the formatting or structure of the poem. I want it to be pleasing to the eye and invite the reader for at least a momentary scan. The thematic content can be lost to the reader if not supported by the ‘bones’ of the poem.
Rule #2 then is to attend to the format once the content has been satisfied.
I never use cliches…unless writing a poem about cliches, which has yet to happen. Word choices and clauses to present the theme can take some time and frequent rewrites. But I find ‘working the poem’ and attending to details an adventure. Also, if including factual material in your poem…be certain of the facts.
Rule #3 then is to never use cliches or hackneyed phrases.
I try to say a lot with as few words as possible. After completing initial drafts I look for ways to eliminate the extraneous while leaving the core theme intact. Let succinctness be your writing muse. A poem, to me, is determined by the cohesiveness and clarity of its content.
Rule #4 then is less is best…let every word support the theme…if not, then delete.
The capstone for me and for you as aspiring poets is to write for yourself…do not write to please an imaginary audience. Authenticity is important.
Rule #5 then is Authenticity… it is your poem, your theme, your structure. Please yourself but always be ready to revise.
When you have finished to satisfaction and titled your poem, read it aloud. What may flow in silence may not flow when spoken. And, let’s face it, despite writing for yourself, you and I know you would like to do a public reading. For experience and confidence I suggest that you find a group of like minded writers with whom to share your work.
One final comment: Get a copy of The Art of Reading Poetry by Harold Bloom… it is in paperback and I found it to be indispensable for both reading and writing.
Interview with Cori Love by Carla Martin
Here is the poem that Cori shared at Dagney’s Open Mic, March 1, 2019:
Black Love
Black Love is bold and beautiful
Difficult and Dramatic
And like my hair,
It can be unmanageable and full of kinks
Yet, its able to flow naturally.
Black love can be crunchy, sweet and salty but like caramel popcorn you always want seconds.
Black Love leaves a permanent stain.
It will never fade to a funky Shade of Grey.
Black is love is always what’s trending what’s new and sexy!
Black Love, when dressed up, stays red carpet-ready.
Go ahead, Tweet that!
When a girl falls in Black love,
that’s when you’ll notice her walking down the street with an extra sway in her hips
While wearing his favorite colored lipstick,
Deep burgundy number 19.
When a guy is in Black love
He will begin to walk down the street with a bit more Swag in his steps.
He is walking to the Rhythm of Black Love.
Black love is fueled by its music..
Luther Vandross sang, “It’s never too much.”
Anita Baker sang, “Sweet Love, hear me calling out your name, I feel no shame.”
And Sade said, “Your love is King, Crown you with my heart.”
So I do not want to fall in just any kind of love,
I want love that’s Dramatic, Crazy, Bold and Beautiful.
I Want Black Love.
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Q. What inspired you to write this poem?What is your back story?
A. I was inspired to write this poem. I want to share why Black Love is real to me and why I call it that. Yes, Love is universal but from my afrocentric point of view, Black Love has more attitude, drama and boldness and beauty to it, than any other kind of love that you can have, and that’s why it’s real to me!
Q. Do you enjoy reading poetry?Who are some of your favorite poets?
A. I love to read poetry. My favorites are Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni. They both speak of liberation and their lyrical phrasing is phenomenal. But more often I enjoy watching poets performing live on stage. Seeing poetry come to life is when I get inspired the most!
Q. What advice would you give to people wanting to write poetry?
A. My advice to those who desire to write is simply believe that your stories matter. Write about topics that truly matter to you.
Interview with Ruth Handy by Carla Martin
This is the poem Ruth shared at Dagney’s Open Mic Night on March 1, 2019:
May the Oceans Be Freed of Plastic
What’s on TV?
How important is it?
May the oceans be freed of plastic.
Who’s in love with whom?
Are the children okay after the divorce?
May the oceans be freed of plastic.
Did you register to vote?
Do you care what happens?
May the oceans be freed of plastic.
How much debt do you have?
How much does the country owe?
May the oceans be freed of plastic.
Do you care about yourself?
Do you care for others?
May the oceans be freed of plastic.
Does your soul have breathing room?
Are you at one with all life?
May the oceans be freed of plastic.
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Q. What inspired you to write this poem?
A. I am very upset by the photos of animals and fish suffering and even starving from swallowing plastic in the ocean. Also I learned that there are 5 huge piles of plastic, miles wide, in all of the oceans with no solution in sight to clear them away. Somehow I feel that this pollution is connected to the fact that we are not managing our lives well as human beings – we are careless emotionally and financially, and the consequences can no longer be ignored.
Q. What poets do you admire? What kind of poetry really speaks to you?
A. I am moved by Portia Choi’s poems about her childhood experiences in Korea when the war was at it’s height. I love Haiku, especially Basho’s poems about nature. He wrote these a couple of centuries ago in Japan.
Q. What advice would you give to people trying to write poetry?
A. If people are interested in writing poetry, it might help to come to the First Friday readings at Dagney’s Coffee Shop. There will also be an Open Mic and Poetry Reading on April 6 at 11:00 am in Artworks in the Pine Mountain village. You can hear what concerns people have. Also poetry allows a person an opportunity to speak from a different plane and perspective, from in between worlds as it were.