“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought, and the thought has found words.”
— Robert Frost
I have written about poetry before, during National Poetry Month in April, when we recognize the beauty and power of poetry. In high school and college, I did not recognize the significance of poetry while trudging through the required readings. Shakespeare, Homer, and others — I just didn’t get it! Sure, they told a story, but why didn’t they just tell it in plain language?
Lately, I have been reading about the history of poetry — from the ancients to modern works. It is one of the oldest forms of literary expression, being passed on orally centuries before it was ever written down. Many cultures used it to share messages of love, war, beauty, and introspection. It reflects a desire by humans to communicate with each other on a deeper level.
Over the years, I have come to enjoy the poems of Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, and Amanda Gorman. When Bob Dylan won the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature because, as the committee who awarded him the prize stated, he “created new poetic expressions with the great American song tradition,” as reported in a New York Times article, I realized I had been listening to poetry in music all along.
While writing this column, poetry started popping up everywhere! First was Amanda Gorman’s poem, “This Sacred Scene,” at the 2024 Democratic Convention. The following day, while tuned into an online seminar with my church conference, one of the presenters said he liked to read poetry to get into a rhythm while preparing his sermons. (Of course, many of the chapters in the Bible are really poems.) That night, we were discussing the book “The Women” by Kristin Hannah at one of my book clubs. In this novel about a nurse in the Vietnam War, she often refers to her favorite poem, “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann. I found a copy online and read a little to the group. Everyone was so taken with it that I ended up reading the entire poem.
“Desiderata,” published in 1927, was distributed later to soldiers and patients during World War II, according to a 1976 copyright lawsuit. It was also printed in poster form and became popular for the “make peace, not war” movement of the 1960s. The title, “Desiderata,” is Latin for “things to be desired.” The poem has also been used in devotional materials for Old St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Baltimore for many years.
Today, young poets everywhere are sharing their stories during poetry slams and open mic events. Fayetteville has embraced poetry slams, a type of competitive art event where poets perform spoken word poetry in front of a live audience and judges. The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is sponsoring the Detour Slam Academy, organized by poet LeJuane Bowens. The Arts Council also held the 12th Annual Southeastern Regional NC Poetry Slam on Sept. 28. You can find open mics around Fayetteville at least once a month where spoken word performers share their poems. Fortunately, many have put their poems together in books for us to enjoy. Here is a sampling.
Between Birdsong and Boulder: Poems on the Life of Gaia by Bob Ambrose Jr.
As the tagline of this book says, it is a testament to the awe and reverence for Mother Earth (Gaia in Greek). As a scientist and poet, and a Fayetteville High School graduate, Bob uses his poetry to share the unfolding of the universe from Creation to the developments of today and our role in preserving what a gift we have.
Love is by J. Anton Davis
Davis is a former magistrate who has performed thousands of civil weddings. He uses poetry to share the many ways these ceremonies reflect the most important aspects of love, and all the emotions a couple may face as they launch their life together.
Black Snowflakes Smothering A Torch: How to Talk to Your Veteran – A Primer by Ryan Stovall
Returning veterans from war can have a difficult time re-integrating back home. Ryan, a former Green Beret, found that using his poetry was a therapeutic outlet for his PTSD. As readers, we can begin to understand a bit more about what he and others went through by reading these hard-hitting, award-winning poems.
Before: A Collection of Poems by LeJuane “El’Ja” Bowens
Award-winning poet LeJuane Bowens has competed in three major Grand Slam Finals in North Carolina, according to UNC Pembroke, and organizes the Slam Academy at the Arts Council. His own poems are collected in this book for us to read, and you can read them aloud as if you are in a poetry slam yourself! In fact, many literary experts say reading a poem out loud enhances understanding. Try it, you might like it.
Deep Press On by Keith Edward Sowell
As a 2020 Duke graduate, Keith was captain of the university’s slam team. Now a rising star in the Fayetteville poetry slam scene, he has used his journey through depression and anxiety to let us know that when you fall, “Deep Press On.”
From The Heart of a Warrior: An Inspirational Chronicle of Poems for the Soul by Mendez Frith
U.S. Army Veteran Mendez Firth has found joy, peace, and healing during the process of writing these poems from the heart. The book is divided into six sections, each introduced with a quote from famous authors, poets, and celebrities. At the end of each section, Mendez has a page of “reflections,” a set of questions to ponder and explore their meaning for yourself.
Abstract Intoxication: An Expanded Journey by Lawrence Law Bullock II
Another member of the Fayetteville poetry slam scene, Law Bullock lives by the mantra, “art has the ability to build connections between generations.” He is not only a poet, but he owns a business offering photography, publishing, motivational speaking, and video recording services. One of his poems starts out:
“Kindergarten I learned that art is subjective, and that the artist will rarely find their work appreciated despite their best efforts”
To all our poets in Fayetteville and the region, thank you for expressing the subjective beauty that lets us see what we need to see, and touches us in the way we need to be touched. Thank you for sharing your vision so we can find ours.
Now, do you think I’m ready to try to tackle Homer’s “Odyssey” again?
Read CityView Magazine’s “Arts & Culture” October 2024 e-edition here.