Category: People

Hidden, Unseen

Here's another poem from Myths that I have been asked to share on the blog. Enjoy. 

 

Hidden, Unseen

 

The city below me

Paints a picture of progress

With unspoken miracles

So commonly ignored

They’re scattered among us

Hidden, unseen

 

This church around me

Painted a picture of peace

With oft-spoken miracles

Uncommon but ignored

I’m scattered among them

Hidden, unseen

 

These lives distant from me

Painting a picture of purgatory

Their soft-spoken miracles

Too commonly ignored

They scatter from me

Hidden, unseen

 

© Gayle Force Press 2009

 

 

 

Tomorrow Longs to See

This is among the most 'positive' poems included in Myths. And it's mostly true.

I’m looking towards the future

At peace and justice

Freely given

Joyously received

Setting my faith

On the world we’re building

The world

Tomorrow longs to see

© Gayle Force Press 2009

For Better or Worse


I didn’t remember his name

No, that’s not true

 

Mark Linn-Baker

 

What a funny, unforgettable name

I didn’t care to remember it I suppose

He didn’t matter to me

Really this Mark Linn-Baker was just there

Anchored in my brain

Alongside Dana Plato, Lisa Whelchel, Ken Kercheval, Roxie
Roker

 

And the rest of the litany of not quite stars

That worked so hard to barely imprint themselves

On my consciousness

The lot of them barely identifiable as individual entities

Except as who they pretended to be

And like me that’s the only important reality

The masks we wear for better or worse

 

 

© Gayle
Force Press 2006

 

 

 

 

Nikki Giovanni


I got to meet Nikki Giovanni this week! Okay, not really. I spoke with her for about 28 seconds immediately after she gave an MLK Day speech. I’m a total fanboy! I gave my best Walter Payton combo of sliding, diving and pushing through the crowd to reach her and was able to say all the critical things in those 28 seconds.

Things like:
Her critical inspiration for me to achieve a surprising level of openness in my poetry
Our use of her poem Resignation at our wedding
One of my student’s research project on Giovanni and the Black Arts Movement
The power and bravery of her continuing stands for justice and against inequality

I was also able to give her a copy of MOSAIC. I can only hope she enjoys it.

FDO