#NationalPoetryMonth 1/30

There is no storyteller like a storyteller with a broken nose.

Martín Espada. “A Million Ants Swarming Through His Body.” Vivas to Those Who Have Failed: Poems

Today I took care of different parts of myself. I have always believed that being fit in the gym meant that I had my head on straight and that I was walking into a workout ready to give a hundred percent. The only way to do that is if there is some kind of order and care to much more than my ability to squat or do burpees.

In addition to maintaining my commitment to working out every day, I am going to participate in National Poetry Month by reading a poetry book every day in April. I am not going to be doing any kind of detailed critique or review. My minimum spec it to share a line of poetry that really connected me to the work.
We have also been doing much more home cooking than we have before. This has also been sustaining my fitness more so as a creative outlet than in any kind of strict diet way.

There you have it. Some poetry, some workout, some eating. That’s what is helping me get through the days.

Cover photo by Frank Espada

1) I read Martín Espada’s Vivas to Those Who Have Failed. The last section of the book, a series of elegies written to Espada’s father had the deepest impact.
Favorite line in the book, “There is no storyteller like a storyteller with a broken nose.” #nationalpoetrymonth

2) I did 50 minutes of Guardian Gym boxing via Zoom. This kicked my ass something good. This is the first boxing class of any kind I have taken since 2016 so I am curious which muscle groups are going to be sore tomorrow. #FitInTheTimeOfCorona

Yes, we used TJ’s taco seasoning.

3) Mise en place everything. This is the start of my beef chili recipe. You will find some classic ingredients and you will also find some non-traditional ones here. Some behind the scenes commentary, there are a bunch of items here that I picked up two weeks ago when supermarket shelves were looking really thin around these parts. I was so happy to find some of these items that I said: Ok, guess we eatin chili for the next 20 days then. #SurvivingInPandemic

NaPoWriMo #10: Pigeon Speak


Pigeons
Originally uploaded by Danko :)

My pigeon fascination continues. If this poem survives revision, I think it would be my fifth poem where the venerable city bird takes center stage. And why not? Pigeons deserve hella love. All survivors do.

Shout outs to my dude, Roger Bonair-Agard, his list poem “The All-Black Penguin Speaks: 17 Facts You Did Not Know About Me” was definitely in my head as I was putting this joint together. Like the pigeon, the all black penguin deserves his place in contemporary poetry.

Final shout out to Penina Taesali, her poem “Hummingbird” was the foundation of yesterday’s NaPoWriMo offering. Thanks to some forward thinking folks at Mills College, I’ve had the pleasure to work with Penina and its been an honor to have her share her work with me and broaden my perspective on some political/poetry issues.

Shout outs done, time for the poem.

Pigeon Speak

[Poem was here.]