August Poet: Alice Walker

As you know ever since Phylicia Barnes's body was found,  http://iwannalearntowrite.blogspot.com/2011/04/tales-from-under-middle-aged-colored.html  I have been using poetry to get me through the horror of realizing and accepting the violence that sometimes happens to beautiful young women by the hands and will of other humans. 

This is what has been happening in the search for her murderer or murderers:



Rally for Phylicia Barnes in Baltimore

As I said, I was inspired by this beautiful young woman to read more poetry.  As Alice Walker's short stories have always caused me to brood and focus in wonder, I decided to read more of her poetry and the poems had the same exact affect.  Surprisingly it is not that easy to find most of her poetry on the Internet.  I thought she was famous; she is to me.  Since I own ten of her books I found enough of her work for this blog post, but if I get some money I will be doing some book shopping.:)  Now I have a legitimate excuse.  You book heads know what I mean.  Whatever the case, I shall now turn to the matter at hand which is to ponder exquisitely turned out words and phrases that for the moment help us to see the world somewhat more clearly.

"My Friend"  By Alice Walker

My friend
Calls
From her front porch
That overlooks
The ocean.
She is sitting
In her sky
Chair
Her feet
Up
Watching
The World
Go by.

How I love
The joy
Ringing
In her voice
The satisfaction
I feel
In her smile.

She calls
Because
Gospel music
Is on the air
Where she
Lives
Angels
Are on her mind.
From the book Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth. Random House, 2003. 

"Balance" By Alice Walker

She is
not
dead
who left
her
giggle
in
your
empty
field.

From A Poem Traveled Down My Arm.  Random House, 2003.  Alice walker wrote "This is a strange little book."

Have you noticed how Alice Walker formats her poems like a planter's row?

"I Will Keep Broken Things" By Alice Walker

I will keep
Broken
things:
The big clay
Pot
With raised
Iguanas
Chasing
Their
Tails;
Two
Of their
Wise
Heads
Sheared
Off;

I will keep
Broken
things:
The old
Slave
Market
Basket
Brought
To my
Door
By Mississippi
A jagged
Hole
Gouged
In its sturdy
Dark
Oak
Side.

I will keep
Broken
things:
The memory
Of
Those
Long
Delicious
Night
Swims
With
You;

I will keep
Broken
things:
In my house
There
Remains
An
Honored
Shelf
On which
I will
Keep
Broken
Things.

Their beauty
Is
They
Need
Not
Ever
Be
“fixed.”

I will keep
Your
Wild
Free
Laughter
Though
It is now
Missing
Its
Reassuring
And
Graceful
Hinge.

I will keep
Broken
Things:

Thank you
So much!


I will keep
Broken
Things.

I will keep
You:

Pilgrim
Of
Sorrow.

I will keep
Myself.



From Hard Times Require Furious Dancing, New World Library. 2010

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