The BlueIris Semi-Nightly Poetry Break, 7/22/08 Bonus (one from our new Poet Laureate)

[BlueIris]

"Latents"

Just the hints, say
the side ridges of
fingerprints that
don't rule out
innocence; or
the loose approaches
to tightening mazes;
ambiguous, smudgy
places. The dilation
dark absorbs; the
thing we don't
think through
before it happens:
all the early
stations of desire—
the first slight tug
against the string
that threads the
wire that threads
the cable that
guys the bridge
that alien traffic
plies.

—Kay Ryan

[Chan790]

1. I like this one better than the other one today.

It feels like it's a secret I can't explain. There is a hint of scandal there, human nature and base instinct that can't be defined.

[BlueIris]

2. Re: a secret you can't explain; Kay Ryan is sometimes compared to Emily Dickinson.

Whom I think of as the ultimate "secret keeper" of American poetry.

[BlueIris]

3. Kick.

[RetroLounge]

4. Another "safe" poet laureate

not going to offend or intrigue much with this.

I'll have to look up more of her stuff.

thanks

RL

[BlueIris]

5. I noticed that, too. I keep hoping someone talks Yusef Komunyakaa

into considering the office.

[truedelphi]

6. I like this one that he did

http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/komunyakaa/tu_do_street.php

It left a ripple inside my soul

[BlueIris]

7. Komunyakaa is excellent.

Komunyakaa links to pieces in the poetry breaks:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7432005

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7696135

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7868548

[RetroLounge]

8. He would be a good choice!

:hi:

RL