THIS BLOG IS NO LONGER OPERATIONAL. PLEASE ENJOY WHAT IS HERE, AND DO LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU WISH. NORTH CAROLINA'S NEW POET LAUREATE IS CATHY SMITH BOWERS. SHE WILL SOON HAVE HER OWN WEBSITE THROUGH THE NORTH CAROLINA ARTS COUNCIL SITE. I WILL BE SHIFTING MY ATTENTION TO HERE, WHERE I AM, (SEE SIDEBAR)USING IT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO WRITERS WHOSE WORK DESERVES ATTENTION. I INVITE YOU TO VISIT ME THERE.

For a video of the installation ceremony, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xAk6fOzaNE.

HERE, WHERE I AM HAS BEEN NAMED ONE OF THE 30 BEST POETRY BLOGS.

How a Poem Happens: http://www.howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/

Go to http://www.yourdailypoem.com/, managed with finesse by Jayne Jaudon Ferrer, who says, "Our intent is to make visitors to Your Daily Poem aware of the joy and diversity of poetry."

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

INAUGRATION DAY POEMS from North Carolina Poets: Lenard Moore



Lenard Moore's new book of poetry, A TEMPLE LOOMING, was featured in a December post on this blog.
http://ncpoetlaureate.blogspot.com/2008/12/templ


Sunday Reader: The Raleigh News & Observer
Published: Jan 25, 2009 06:17 AM
Modified: Jan 25, 2009 08:07 AM


Letterpoem, November 4, 2008

By Lenard D. Moore

Comment on this story

It was in boyhood that I first listened to my maternal grandfather speak wisdom while I stood attentive in my mother and father's front yard. He also spoke wisdom while working in his garden. My grandfather told me how he had worked for 50 cents a day. In short, he didn't have much opportunity in a segregated world, nor was he allowed to vote. Therefore, I thought it was only fitting for me to address this poem to my grandfather. I wanted to express my jubilation about this new era in American history, this time when we have elected Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States of America. On Tuesday, I watched Obama's inauguration on television, knowing my grandfather smiles from heaven, nodding.

LETTER POEM



Dear Granddaddy,

Did you see the star

eleven and a half years ago?

I know you hadn't heard about the new nova

illuminating the global landscape.

I write to tell you that I don't know what

to say at this moment when a black man

has risen like a flag into the sky.

He's just been elected the President

of this country where your grandfather slaved.

I remember you telling me

before I became a teenaged boy,

just how tough it was in Hoover days

when you plowed fields,

dug septic holes, graves, drainage lines,

carpentered houses with your hands.

All day rain didn't stop voters from voting.

I know you would be a century now.

I am a half-century old, seeing

the dream walk across the stage this fall night.

Your grandson,

Luke





Lenard D. Moore, the first African-American president of the Haiku Society of America, is the author of "A Temple Looming." Learn more about Moore at wordtechweb.com/moore.html .

© Copyright 2009, The News & Observer Publishing Company
A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company

2 comments:

Nancy Simpson said...

Thanks for this poem. Lenard D. Moore's poem is a strong election day poem, good to be read on 2009 Inauguration Day, good to be read any day. I like it. I favor letter poems and hope we will see a revival in that form. Writing to someone who has passed on as Lenard D. Moore wrote to his granddaddy, is one way for a poet to quickly connect past with present.

Kathryn Stripling Byer said...

Thanks, Nancy. Lenard has done so much for the literary community in NC, and I'm glad to be able to post this poem.