Dallas, Texas
Thurn & Taxis
Barns & Hexes
Phones & Faxes
Friend & Axis
Wheel & Axle
Spears & Axes
Horns & Saxes
Credit Maxes
Wanes & Waxes
Death & Taxes

~George Held

No, no, no no no!
I can’t do this, I must be crazy.
You must be crazy!
How in the living heck can you expect me to write a love poem?
Love poem…
love poem!
I could NEVER write a love poem!

“Once upon a time, my half-fiancé, half-cheated on me with that
half-marine when she was at her half-assed college half way up the
east coast!”

Blah, doesn’t sound too good, does it?

“Oh the mystical magical marvelous evening meetings by the
seashore, with the sparkles and rainbows glistening in the spring air…”
What are we, fairies!?

Maybe I’ll get down on one knee and confess,
my deep, unyielding, unrepentant, guilty, jealous,
burning, burning, deep, jones, obsession, desire,
undeniable love,
for cheese fries!!

How could I ever write a poem to express something as complex
and unimaginable as the Lword?

How can I hope to write about…my own experiences?
No way to describe that feeling deep down in my bread basket,
the tingling anticipatory reaction I get just seconds before
I see her.
I could never explain that her kiss still lingers on my lips
deliciously for ages after we part.
How the hell am I supposed to say that I, a grown man, can
sit there, in his comfy chair,
curled up with a hankie, tearing as tale as old as time from
Beauty and the Beast dances before my screen just because of the
feelings she has breathed into me?

I didn’t just say that out loud just now, did I?

No way!! That’s it! I can’t do this!

I cannot explain to people that feeling of unequivocal
contentment when she’s there with me, arm in arm, hand in
hand,entwined in a cuddle cloud,
on the couch with the fire in the fire place burning.
Not even needing the Lord of the Rings on the TV screen to
take us to the fantasy realm that we are already in, in our embrace.

No, yo no tengo las parablas,
tidak
salamat,
terima kasih
No way to convey
in English,
Spanish
Indonesian or Tagalog.
I’m done,
that’s it,
I can not write
a love poem.
I just don’t have the words,
to do it right.

Alright, I admit it, I can be a serious nerd. And like millions of other nerds I have always loved the concept of the super hero. Batman always tended to be my favorite because of the fact that he didn't have any inherent super powers (unless you count an unending cash flow as a super
power--which these days, most people probably would) so he had to rely on his cunning, his intelligence and desire to do right in order to make a difference.

The thing that always stood out to me the most about superheroes was the idea of the “Clark-Kent”persona to borrow a specific from Superman. I was always fascinated by the idea that during the day someone can put on the face and act out being someone who is totally different from the person they actually are—a disguise, a ruse, a way to blend into the world and be accepted as ordinary.

 “What does this have to do with poets or poetry?” you might be asking yourself already. Don’t worry—I’m getting there. I would make a bold claim that almost anyone who dares to be a poet in the 21st century has some familiarity with the notion of a day-job. Let's face it—most poets for one reason or another don't have a lot of money and if they do happen to have a lot of money 99 times out of 100 it does NOT come from the poetry (at least not directly, although there are exceptions.) Poets also have a tradition of coming from all walks of life and all different professions. That’s part of what makes the various poetry communities so fulfilling and enriching—the fact that all different sorts of people come together to take part of a common interest. 

But of course, most poetry events happen at night-time. Why? Because of the previous reasons we just talked about—poets need to work to make a living! The events wouldn’t be too crowded during the daytime when most of the poets are working. But when the night comes and the events open, they take off the mask they wore during the day—store clerk, cashier,
doctor, lawyer, consultant, auto-worker, bookkeeper, student, mother, father, ordinary Joes and Janes going about unassuming lives—and they sprout into an entirely different personality. 

Now granted I’m generalizing here—but the transformation from ordinary citizen to poet is something that can be very extreme. I have lost count of the number of people I have known on the poetry scene who tend to be meek-mannered and mild during the daytime, but at night in front of that podium, sprout their wings and fly into a brave personality unafraid to divulge to the audience the thoughts and feelings on their mind in lyrical mastery. Some of us even go so far into the personality change we have our own stage-names, performance personas, even articles of clothing, or props we wear to cement the change into our mindsets while we’re performing. Jane McRegular during the day can very easily become Janet SUPER Planet, Performance Poet extraordinaire in front of the poetry podium past eight. 

But don't super-heroes fight crime!? Well, yes they do. And some would argue that this is the most important function of a superhero. But once you get past the love of the action and the powers we all wish we had, looking at the concept of the superhero as a metaphor and a mythology, I have always personally seen the fighting crime as just an extension of what it is they are REALLY trying to accomplish. After all—one doesn't just do something for the sake of doing it—they are trying to achieve something. What is the one thing that Superman, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, The X-Men, Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and all the rest of them have in common? They are trying to make the world a better place.

Yes, yes, I know that still doesn’t explain the whole poetry angle, don’t worry, I’m getting there!

Examine the major-changes in poetry in the last decade or so. Poetry is no longer, in most of the active circles, just something that people do for the sake of commenting on how lovely a flower looks or how much they love their nice new shoes (although there is certainly nothing wrong with poems like these.) But I think you will find that in many circles poetry has become about something much more than a simple commentary on the finer things in life but has instead shifted to a movement—something I like to call poetic-activism.

Imagine 50 poets gathering at a mansion hall to read writing to raise autism awareness—the audience consisting of those directly affected by the topic, roaring with applause at most of the verse being performed—many rushing to the stands to buy copies of the book thrown together
and pins, posters and other merchandise associated with the brand. Imagine a poetic journey chronicling more than 30 years of the life of a breast-cancer survivor thrown into a collection that not only inspires others but donates profits to raise money for breast-cancer research. Or envision a poetry reading from a book thrown together in less than a month after a disaster at a charity event where all the proceeds from the raffles and the book sales and the admission are all being donated to a relief fund for hurricane Sandy. These aren't just figments of an imagination—these events actually happened (see below)—and quite a bit more is real too.

Poets aren't just writing—they're writing for a reason. Many poets consider themselves a small voice behind a major cause—they rally together for specific purposes and travel from event to event to read their work to as many people in as many different audiences as possible. Poets
traveled into New York city to be part of the Occupy movement. Poets have gathered together to raise money to help poverty—and for the hungry. There are even poets out there who rally behind specific causes—HIV awareness, LGBTQ issues, disability-rights, and much, much more. And whats more—poets are making an impact—in ways that previous generations had labeled very unlikely if not outright impossible. Take the popularity of performance poet Taylor Mali for example—who became a champion for teachers and education with his poem “What Teachers Make.” His poetry has been taught in classrooms, and his performance videos on YouTube have millions of views. 

For a long time many people have dismissed poetry and those who wrote it as members of (what one poet calls it) "the longest living dying art"—keeping relics of something no longer interesting or relevant. But a new wave of poets in a new time have turned it around completely. New poetry readings attract people of all ages, all demographics, all groups and all interests—sometimes the venues that host them have a hard time accommodating the number of those interested—a far cry from the poetry readings where the featured performer would have to say “thank you both for coming.”

The poets of the 21stcentury might not dress up in ridiculous costumes (although some do) and they might not fight crime (then again I'm not tracking them 24/7 so who knows)—at least in any way other than verbally. But they have tapped into a power that had been forgotten for quite a long time—poetry has sprung out of being trapped onto the page, and has evolved away from being something only the academics could appreciate. By making poetry about something that other people care about, poets have found the super-power of resonating with people through words. Their words inspire, their words educate, and their words slowly but surely are proving to make just a little bit of a difference. Words as Dumbledore says “Are our most inexhaustible source of magic.” and in an age when people are learning that technology does not have all the answers to all our problems (and in some cases make new problems) they are turning back to the power of words. 

Normal, unassuming people in any variety of careers by day, super-poet do-gooder, cause fighter, activist and helper by night? Sounds a little bit silly when put into those exact words. But the truth of the matter is that more and more people are coming along down this path—and gathering quite a following while doing it. Maybe poets in the 21st century aren't exactly super-heroes, but some of them are working very hard to make the world a better place—just like Batman, Superman, the X-Men, and any super-hero that ever dared to put on a mask tried
to do as well. Most of us might not have the power of flight, super-strength, or telepathy (although I can't say I've personally interviewed everyone to make sure) but we are armed with words. And the power behind words is the superpower to change the world.

~James P. Wagner (Ishwa)

I am nearly invisible
yet seen and felt

I permeate and spread
yet am depleted by ignorance and indifference

I build bridges and doors
but am dismantled by pride and exclusion

I long to be the example
but am often censored by fear

I am carelessly promoted by impostors
who deceitfully wield  my power for their own means

But I am
and will continue to be
as long as there are those who praise me

I am Toleranceand I will live on

~Amy Caraballo

If it weren’t for the twisting willows
constantly brushing across my face,
I could have loved you.
If it weren’t for the illicit yellowness
of the sun interrupting the pale ocean
currents in my mind.
I could have loved you.
If it weren’t for oceans being used or alluded
to in every damn love poem ever written,
I could have loved you.
If it weren’t for the green and white needles
on the snow drenched terrain of your
emotional psychie,
I could have loved you.
If it weren’t for the hammer of the gods
pulsing through your veins,
if it weren’t for me having to wind my
way through the war zone of waterfalls
and moose crap, bears attacking me while
I’m just trying to empty out all this garbage
from the back of my car,
I could have loved you.
I tried to love you-
Through Moroccan villages and mint tea
strewn across Main St.
Through suicidal lust of journals on the
campus of the poetic goddess of the dark
where young girls want to be lesbians,
but only until graduation.
I tried to love you even through the barren
fields of the Kali Ghandaki river valley.
Shaggy Mongolian Ponies trying to knock
me off mile high cliffs, just like you used
to do to me, with your stare. Laughing at
the yack shit on my shoe, wondering how
it is I put these shorts on backwards.
I remember you smirking at that half blownout
ruin of a mountain on the Pacific,
blasted apart from just the flick of your hair.
I remember the shapeliness of your breasts. 
They melted entire continents.
The Rockies reduced to one vast liquefied
erogenous zone. I remember. I remember -
I remember you.

~ Russ Green

The art of poetry is something that has been tried and true, tested for thousands of years. And despite some misconceived popular beliefs, it is more relevant than ever. In fact, in a fast-paced world where the most common complaints are that people are moving too rapidly, that people feel more connected through technology but less connected than ever and that people don't seem to listen, poetry is the perfect remedy--especially for the younger folks of generation Y.

Let's face it--there have been quite a few advantages and disadvantages of growing up in the Y generation. Some of the advantages include the fact that the Y generation is in many respects one the most educated and most skilled generations that has yet existed. Yet for all of the abilities they also seem to lack motivation or at the very least suffer from a confusion of where to put their skills, usually suffer from a depression resulting in lack of community or fulfilling relationships, and have poorer social skills because of so much time spent around a computer screen. Many of them also seem to reject the idea of a work-a-day lifestyle because of an itch...the itch to do something and be part of something bigger and more fulfilling.

What does poetry have anything to do with any of this, you might be wondering. Quite a bit more than one might think at first glance. Let us first clarify what we are talking about when we mean poetry. When talking about poetry here, we do not mean a lone person writing pages and pages of verse that they hide away in a filing cabinet or a computer folder for years--although there can certainly be reward in that. We are talking about a person being part of one of the many emerging and growing poetry communities that have been popping up and roaring all over. The communities are notorious for hosting poetry readings and open-mics on a regular basis. Attending standard poetry open-mics on a regular basis has the potential to be a great remedy for many of the issues that the younger generations suffer from.

First and foremost: writing poetry itself is very therapeutic. The younger generations have more on their minds today than practically any generation (or possibly any generation) ever has before. With so much mental activity one of the biggest stress-related factors has to do with having too much going on and no way to get it out. So often younger people have so many things on their minds flowing around in a soup of complexity in their brains--and too often it stays there, adding up, becoming too much. Sitting down to write poetry helps to funnel one's thoughts into something coherent both for themselves and for other people--and it helps to get things off the chest/mind/etc.

Secondly: the need to be heard in a world where no one listens. Everyone at an open-mic gets their 3 minutes. For those 3 minutes, everyone respects you, everyone listens, and everyone
cares. In addition--everyone who gets 3 minutes has to give the same level of respect for everyone else for their 3 minutes. It goes both ways, and helps to teach respect.

Third: The ability to be social and share. Reading poetry in front of an audience establishes confidence, and in some cases gives the people listening a chance to get to know a little bit about the reader. In a world where social skills are declining, the ability to be in front of a live audience is quite a blessing because the reader knows that everyone is listening--the floor is on them, and they can use the time to talk about some of the many things that have been on their mind by using poetry as a proxy. Poetry readings in many ways have become the modern-day juntos that Ben Franklin was so enthusiastic about.

More importantly, in a world where the small village community where you knew your neighbors is quickly becoming a myth told in the storybooks, poetry and the community it creates becomes a breath of fresh air where friendships based on respect and listening and sharing are formed and last for years. And the best part? Poetry readings are low-maintenance. All one needs is a place, a podium, and people to share the poetry with. No worries about financial hardships and no worries about budget cuts. The good news about poetry? Poetry has lasted through thousands of years and it still exists in the world of smartphones, the internet, virtual reality and talking cars. And the even better news? It's not going anywhere anytime soon.