I started this poem when I was 17 years old. I wasn't able to finish it until I reached my early thirties, and the language found its proper frame. Once finished, I knew it was the best way to open "Owed." With the language of blackness and value, commodification, debt and reparation, care.
Joshua Bennett on "Token Sings the Blues" |
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"The Generous Spirit of Marvin Bell"
"We will remember him every time we pass the plaque with his poem, 'This Library,' in the foyer of the Iowa City Public Library, when we stop at the wall in the Pedestrian Mall that bears his poem, 'Writers in a Cafe'—written to celebrate Iowa City’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature—or stroll by his spot on the Iowa Avenue Literary Walk."
via THE GAZETTE |
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| | Poetry Daily stands with the Black community.
We oppose racism, oppression, and police brutality.
We will continue to amplify diverse voices in the poetry world.
Black Lives Matter. |
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What Sparks Poetry:
Chris Beckett on “My Silly Stomach”
"But Zewdu’s poem is all about lightness and wit: he mixes 12 syllable yewel bet lines with 6 syllable half-lines, making the poem very light and quick on its feet; he subverts the traditional aabb rhyme scheme and keeps readers a bit off-balance with a/bb/ccc/d/ee. So the task of translating this poem is to convey Zewdu’s clear message while staying true to his wit and lightness." |
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