Thursday, January 24, 2019

Bits of Inspiration ~ Poet Discovery

Hello Toads and visitors! I'm excited to introduce you to a poet I discovered over the holidays. Her name is Jessica Helen Lopez. I am currently reading her poetry collection, Always Messing With Them Boys, and she hit me with wow from the first poem. She is sassy, bold, frank and was the former City of Albuquerque Poet Laureate and the Poet-in- Residence for the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History from 2014 to 2016. I could go on and on about her, but for brevity you can learn more about her here.

Image result for jessica helen lopez

Today I want to focus on her poem, Mama is a Poet

"oh silly mama 
why are you always scratching
words out of your head,
like nighttime pulgas, like old-school
rollers wrapped around the pelos of your bangs,
pink little pieces of crazy?"

(Translations: pulgas - fleas, pelos-hair)



And again I say Wow!  For today's challenge I want you to express why you write poetry. There are so many ways to approach it. What it means to you. How you began. Critics who don't get your journey. Be bold about it. (In case you don't know it. You are already bold. Anyone who places their work on the internet knows it is available for the world to read. Kudos to all of you!)

As always share a new poem inspired by this challenge, drop it into Mr. Linky, and visit your fellow poets to read why they write poetry.


18 comments:

Kim M. Russell said...

Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful poet, Susie. I was surprised when I read her poem that she describes writing poetry in a similar way to I have in a couple of poems I wrote in the past. So I picked up the commonality and wrote a short, simple poem while it's still itching in my head.

Fireblossom said...

I love what you say about poets already being bold!

Kerry O'Connor said...

Wonderful! Thank you for the intro to a strong female voice!

Susie Clevenger said...

@kim @Kerry .... You are welcome! I love discovering poets who are new to me.

@Fireblossom .... It takes a lot of guts to pour yourself into word and read.

WildChild47 said...

Bold and/or audacious is this poet. I can definitely see her slamming some of her other works - such colourful imagery and definitely a performer.

Odd thing isn't it, at least to my mind - but many moons ago, say about 47 or 48, and speaking/acting out like this, would have been labeled histrionics and wholly inappropriate .... at least that's what I was told when I was 2/3 yrs. old.

thanks for the intro to this poet and it was certainly welcomed in the wee and rough hours of the morning -

my offering is small, short - not very poetic for the pain, but it's what popped into my head when I thought about the question you posed: why write poetry?

I apologize to everyone for being slow to visit - medical emergency.

Fireblossom said...

Forgive me for being a link-hog. But this prompt is so good.

Susie Clevenger said...

@wildchild...Goodness, I hope you feel better soon.
@fireblossom...write on..so happy it has inspired you!

WildChild47 said...

thanks Susie ... I'm trying ... and yeah, this prompt does make you want to word burst all over the place ... I'm considering it, but it might get a bit too odd (maybe that's not such a bad thing) ... see how it goes ...

tonispencer said...

I like this poet. No bullshit. No flowery phrases. No long wordswordswords. Thank you Susie. This is how I want to write. How I am striving to write. Going back to my Japanese roots.

annell4 said...

Thank you so much for introducting us to Jessica Helen Lopez, Taos, NM has it's first Poet Laureate, Swanie Morris, we are very proud!!!

annell4 said...
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brudberg said...

Love this poets... and the prompt of being bold... I think most people think I'm mostly weird though...

Linda Lee Lyberg said...

Thanks for the introduction to Jessica Helen Lopez- she's marvelous! Joining in with with what being a poet means to me.

Susie Clevenger said...

@wildchild...go for it. I love odd. :)
@toni ... There is just something about the impact of saying so much with such few words
@annell....You are welcome. How exciting!
@brudberg... Weird is awesome..I love it when people call me that.
@Linda...You are welcome!

Pratibha said...

I really like the poem ! Wonderful prompt.

Susie Clevenger said...

@Pratibha...thank you

Margaret said...

Boy, is she fun to watch and listen to!

Susie Clevenger said...

@Margaret...She sure is!