Monday, February 16, 2009

Poetry Is a Trestle

Poetry Is a Trestle
by Nikki Giovanni

poetry is a trestle
spanning the distance between
what i feel
and what i say

like a locomotive
i rush full speed ahead
trusting your strength
to carry me over

sometimes we share a poem
because people are near
and they would notice me
noticing you
so i write X and you right O
and we both win

sometimes we share a poem 
because i'm washing the dishes
and you're looking at your news

or sometimes we make a poem 
because it's sunday and you 
want ice cream while i want cookies

but always we share a poem
because belief predates action
and i believe
the most beautiful poem
ever heard is your heart 
racing

3 comments:

  1. Amanda, I really like the way you did the last post.

    I found this poem yesterday, and it made me think of an experience in another class last week. I'm working on a visual interpretation of a poem (I'm torn between "Sit and wait" or this one using powerpoint). Be that as it may, I was saddened sitting in class while 3/4ths of the room talked about how they hated--- well hate is a strong word---extremely disliked poetry. I mean we can all get something different out the same poem, "ice cream or cookies" so to speak. It just requires an open mind :-)

    But to talk about the poem I really love the ending, the last stanza just strikes me. I love the way that she uses words so simply but creates so many vivid images to describe a poem. What do you guys think?

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  2. before I read your post/comment I was going to comment on the last line. I LOVE IT. I agree that it was so powerful :/ and it saddened me as I think about people/loved ones that have left my life recently. I miss that beating heart. What class was this that hated poetry? I think a lot of people are just intimidated by it or think they have to "figure out" the meaning of it all. To be honest, I have been sitting down with Nikki and my coffee just trying to soak up her first the first read through. I think MOST of the time I am lost about what she is saying, but certain words or phrases or lines catch my attention and push me to read further. I kind of wish Nikki could be a part of this on going blog conversation, because I have a question on every poem it seems!:)

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  3. This poem was so real and so beautiful. It reminds me of how when we write poetry, how it is almost always linked to someone important in our lives. when I was in high school, I wrote poems like crazy. I was so into it that I lost track of what was happening in my classes at school. However, I always thought about poems in the sense of strictly using words. I think I naturally created a beat, but beat is so important. this brings us to the last stanza, which I agree was striking. This line made think about how we define a poem and how a beat can be beautiful, especially if it is coming from someone we love. It shows how a poem as life, a beating heart, and this is what draws us in. Erika is right, people are scared of poetry because they feel like they don't "get it," but what they don't realize is that they bring the meaning in, without that, it isn't a poem.

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