The prodigal blogger has returned to poetry and now is trying to get caught up. We met at Frances’ house (last November) and discussed the upcoming election. Of course, since we all seem to share the same political sentiments, there wasn’t a whole lot of spirited debating, at least not about who to support for President. So we meandered into the politics of poetry.
Jan started us off with:
A jingle to help us recall the order of Presidents from Washington to Wilson
And this little gem which I could not find online. It’s from 1972 when Nixon won reelection in a landslide.
The election is over, the results are now known,
The will of the people has clearly been shown.Let’s all get together and show by our deeds,
That we will give Dick all the help that he needs.Let bygones by bygones and all bitterness pass,
I’ll hug your elephant if you kiss my ass.
Robert Hayden (1913-1980) – bio
from Words in Mourning Time – part I which opens with
For King, for Robert Kennedy,
destroyed by those they could not save
Read an analysis here.
Billy Collins (1941- ) – bio
Carl Adamshick
Our flag
Madeleine Begun Kane – bio
Langston Hughes (1902-1967) – bio
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) – bio
Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005) – bio
The Poets' Notebook 