e.e. cummings, 1894-1962
e. e. isn’t coming to your rescue
—Joseph Nolan, Stockton, CA
e. e. cummings
Isn’t coming
To your
Poetic rescue.
He’s not a muse to you
Nor would he likely
Choose
To be one
When you are
Turned upside down
Searching for
The verb
Or noun
With which to
Fill a line
The one that
Fits in perfectly
As though from
The Divine!
e. e. isn’t coming
To your rescue.
You have to write it
On your own
You have to sweat
And rack your bones
Sensitive to undertones
Of words
That drift off sideways
Into innuendo
You didn’t intend, Oh!
How hard it is
To get it right
In the middle
Of a writer’s night.
And e. e. isn’t coming
To your rescue!
_________________
Our thanks to J.N. for helping us celebrate the writing of poetry! For more about e.e. cummings, go to www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/e-e-cummings/.
Two road trips in poetry in our area today: Joseph reminds us how active the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center is, and they have a fundraiser this afternoon at the Barkin’ Dog Grill on 11th St. in Modesto, 2-5pm. And heading the opposite direction, Yuba Sutter Arts will present five readers this afternoon at the Burrows Theater in Marysville, 2pm, including Ladies of the Knight poet Angela James. Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about these and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.
—Medusa (Celebrate Poetry!)
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
