"I think all times are turbulent—it’s just that they’re turbulent in different ways, and for different people. Poets are always swirling around in the maelstrom, whenever there is one, and in a way we know there always is one. Take everything going on, for just one example, in Syria. Poets have been writing about that forever. And our problems in this country, long before they entered the debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton—the poets were writing about what goes on in Flint, and in Detroit. A poem we published a couple of years ago, Jamaal May’s 'There Are Birds Here,' was saying that what the media show us is often the bad side of something, but poets are here to say, 'There’s beauty here, there’s life here, there’s brightness, redemption, love for the landscape here—there’s potential here.'"
Don Share, in this article from the Atlantic, "Why Poetry is Viral in the Aftermath of Trump's Election."
Jama has the roundup here today. I can't wait to see the beauty, life, brightness, redemption, and love for the landscape that everyone is sharing today!
3 hours ago
10 comments:
Great message. Thank goodness for poetry!
Loving the optimism of poets, Ruth. This line will stay with me: "There’s beauty here, there’s life here, there’s brightness, redemption, love for the landscape here—there’s potential here."
Thank goodness for poetry, there whenever we need it! Thanks for sharing Don Share's quote. Will check out his entire article.
Thanks for sharing this ray of hope, Ruth. Poetry will help assuage some of what we are feeling these dark days.
Well said, Ruth. I agree that poetry can help, and can inspire others to consider others' lives too.
Thank you for sharing this! I had not heard, "campaign in poetry, govern in prose" before. But, it's quite a truth. And, I always love poetry.....today more than ever. I'm shouting an Amen!
Nature and poetry are great sources of comfort in times of turmoil. I look forward to reading the article you linked.
What wisdom: "...poets are here to say, 'There’s beauty here, there’s life here, there’s brightness, redemption, love for the landscape here—there’s potential here.'"
I hope I live up to that!
Thanks for spreading the word about this article. My blog feed showed it to me, but I enjoyed reading it again. Poetry matters!
So true. So very, very true: "all times are turbulent—it’s just that they’re turbulent in different ways, and for different people." You know that well, living in Haiti, don't you?!?
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