Today the Philadelphia is blessed with Marion Wren’s presence, who is the director of NYU’s Abu Dhabi writing program. The discussion started with the flu epidemic hitting Philadelphians, which Marion even said made her feel as if she was “swimming in a petri dish”. Then, Kathleen once again, regales the listeners about CBD and the miracles of a concoction of B12 and Vitamin C that has saved her from catching any kind of sickness going in and out of the hospital to visit her father. Moreover, she vouches that CBD has helped her with sleep after “15 years of sleep meds”. Talk about a miracle drug!
Then, without further adieu, the gang jumps in to the poems for the day. The three poems discussed on this podcast were written by Emily Cousins, a teacher and poet in Denver, Colorado.
The first poem was titled, “Refuse To Write You”. The gang discussed how some lines were a bit awkward, but were masterfully saved by the following lines. Hilariously, Ali compares Cousins writing “I’m not going to write you a love poem” to “I’m not going to write you a love song” by Sara Bareilles. You just cannot un-hear something like that. Thanks for the valuable input, Ali! We are so sad to see you go in three months!
They discussed the meaning of the poem, in which Marion thought it represented a rocky` relationship, while Kathleen got that it portrayed the author’s hesitation to commit.
Next up were two short poems, the first being “To Make Space.” Marion suggested that it read like a prayer, which Ali echoed sounded like a mantra. The crew discussed the freshness of the piece and the originality of ideas. Also, an issue discussed was the lack of images, the barely seen image of the seed. Although, Marion did argue that the poem promotes mindfulness so the images should not be focused on too much.
The last poem discussed was “With Fruition”. It raised up arguments from the weather around the world to its “meditative” qualities.
Finally it came time to vote, did these pieces earn their love songs, or will they wilt into obscurity, listen on and find out!
*“Two Out of Three” by Meat Loaf plays*
TO MAKE SPACE watch the clouds move fast at sunrise gift myself the moment— a place to try to be grounded imagine self—a seed to fold forth from within no—to go back to unknow to unfind to make space for change not progress to let it come WITH FRUITION a fly makes its way inside in January fat like the hot nights with fruition comes decline put the self through a sieve await a messenger REFUSE TO WRITE YOU you weary of me I pull back fade we fight something petty get mean pull the blankets between us let our dreamless bodies push up a mountain to divide us give you all the ugly I can muster refuse to write you a love poem for fear it will be the last one the things we do to each other in the name of heterosexual love in the name of the parts we play your breath a slow exhale into the night now we start another year together and I will tell you I am happy and you will fall asleep and the fireworks will pop in the distant sky we vampire plunder our past selves and feeling gray backlight night gray curtain sleeplessness as you turn in dream after six years I do not know if I will leave you if I will leave here so little interest some days will you be the one to hold my leaving in you hold the room with me gone from it none of me in it none of you in me none of the taste of me on your mouth tenderness is no longer easy to find just wait for someone to linger with to keep the loneliness to make the want a little less
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