Alexandria Arts Forum and the Alexandria Commission for the Arts Celebrate Summer

On Thursday, July 15th, Fort Ward was besieged by the Alexandria Arts Forum and the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. The annual picnic allowed for informal interaction between city council members, artists, commission members and members of the Alexandria Arts Forum.  For those who showed up, there was cold wine and lemonade, fried chicken and a savory array of salads. Dessert ranged from cookies and watermelon to ice cream cake. (I brought a summer blueberry pie, my mother's recipe). The real food however was in the exchange of creative ideas and the sharing of concerns.

I enjoyed meeting new and old faces and discussing the need for more collaboration between artists. In one conversation the possibility of having an edgier, creative space on the West End was raised, perhaps in a warehouse or vacant mall space, a place where creation as well as performance could take place, large enough for dance and installations, but also a place where the public could gather for informal poetry slams/open mics/arts showcases featuring photography, dance, film...a space for experimentation.

I had a couple of conversations in which the lack of creative space for teens was discussed. Kudos to Convergence for making headway in this direction. Where can creative teens gather to be among themselves, where they won't be judged by adults around them and where they can be safe? The school/rec center umbrella is often perceived as too limiting and bureaucratic. What is the arts scene in Alexandria doing to reach out to younger generations in general? Is the art in the city addressing the issues and concerns of residents in their teens, twenties and thirties? I don't know what the answer to that question is, but based on recent conversations I am sensing that there is something missing and that this may be something to strive for.

I was happy to share with a number of people, my progress in making a slam team in Alexandria a possibility. Regie Cabico, a nationally revered spoken word artist and the organizing figure behind the DC Youth Slam Team, is eager to help get a team going in Alexandria.

All-in-all there was much to celebrate. These conversations were upbeat and encouraging! Let's celebrate summer! And thank you Alexandria Arts Forum and the Alexandria Commission on the Arts for providing an informal opportunity to mingle and connect.

To see the summer poem that accompanied my blueberry pie (and that I was later asked to read) go to POEMS.

Welcome W.S.Merwin and Happy Birthday Alexandria

W.S.Merwin will be the next poet laureate of the United States. While my own laurels are the tiniest little green shoots, W.S.Merwin's leafy crown must be as weighty as gold. I have the Potomac River and a little bungalow in Del Ray and he has the Pacific Ocean and a pineapple plantation on a dormant volcano! The same ratio applies to our lives as poets, his being of far greater, depth, quality and quantity than mine. However, just as one person's suffering can not be compared to another's, one poet's passions and inspirations cannot really be equated to another's. I share W.S. Merwin's dependence on the natural world and his love of languages and translation. We both have a need to write poetry.

I was interested to learn that he credits his accomplishments in poetry to the discipline and art of translation, something he pursued in order to 'learn to write'. As poet laureate of Alexandria, one of my desires is to see some sort of cultural exchange of words occur between English speakers and English learners, much as the program Poetry Inside Out has accomplished out of the Center for the Art of Literary Translation in California. Translation provides a portal into other languages and cultures and by first translating works of established poets into English, non-native speakers can gain an appreciation for their own heritage and share their pride in their culture with others. Bilingual students who are native English speakers can engage in the new language and culture in an organic way. Eventually, the established poets serve only as models for the students to write and translate their poems with and for each other.

Mr. Merwin, I welcome you as my nearest poet laureate and am open to any advice you have for me in my role. Congratulations from this side of the Potomac!


On July 10th, Alexandria celebrated its 261st birthday and the skies paid homage, by opening up and pouring down on the city for much of the day without spoiling the afternoon and evening festivities. In fact, it was a beautiful evening with low humidity and gentle breezes.  The Army Band played and the Town Crier cried. The Mayor spoke and civic heroes received awards. The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra played (boy did they play!) and the fireworks went on forever!  I had the pleasure of reading "Praise Song for Alexandria" (See Poems) a poem written for the occasion. I used Mary McElveen's poem "City of Songs" as a departure point.

My hands began to tremble, something I had not anticipated and Mayor Euille stepped in to save the day, steadying the paper with the words of the poem on it for me. Thank you, Mayor! And thank you, citizens for joining in with your voices at the end:
"Let us sing.
Let us sing.
Let us sing!"

Poets in Our Midst

Wednesday, April 28th, I had the joy of attending the ACPS Poetry Awards ceremony. Sixteen 3rd-5th grade poets were honored. They read poems about everything from birds and depression to mothers and hockey. Fifth grader, Afnan Ali from John Adams Elementary School, was named ACPS Poet Laureate. Her family is from Somalia. Her poem was called, Only I Know Who I Am.  She wrote, "I am a Somali coffee with cream. / I am a brilliant green peridot gem shining in your eyes...."  And a few lines later..."I dance across the regions of Virginia with passion and rhythm."  I felt the passion and rhythm in everyone's hearts and in their voices as these poets let their words soar around the room. Congratulations to all of you! 

It is clear that poetry is alive and well in Alexandria, even if it is hiding from us much of the time. While I was away over the weekend a package arrived at my home filled with pages of poems, by a stranger. I believe this was the same man who quietly handed me a sheaf of poems as I was leaving the City Council meeting on April 13th. His name is Wavely "China" Brown and he calls himself 'the rhyming poet'. He writes wisely about life on the street, and qualities such as loyalty and respect among other things. He has also written many poems about Alexandria and landmarks in the Washington area. Here is a quiet man writing with passion and rhythm. 

Optimistic People

When optimistic people walk down the street

They establish eye contact and etiquettely speak.

When pessimistic people walk down the street.

They look the other way and seldom speak.

               

               - Wavely "China" Brown

We have poets among us! Thinking about the poets in our midst, inspired me to start this poem:

Have You Seen A Poet?

There are poets hiding everywhere, in closets and under beds.

There are poets wearing high heels, poets wearing Keds.

There are poets using keyboards and poets using pens.

There are poets using cellphones, texting poems to their friends.

There are poets in the schools and poets on the streets.

There are poets in the laundromat, folding poems in their sheets.

There are poets in the pulpit, there are poets in this town.

There are poets at the skateboard park. Have you seen one around?

There are poets in Arlandria; there are poets in Del Ray.

There are poets who write their words at night and drive their cabs by day.

There are poets by the Potomac and poets at the park.

There are poets in the alleyways whistling to the dark.

There are poets in the West End, there are poets in the hills.

There are poets at Gadsby’s Tavern, wandering with their quills.

There are poets at Seven-Eleven, slurping wild cherry twist.

There are poets hiding everywhere. Are you one in our midst?

Tell me where the poets are hiding in Alexandria by adding your own lines to this poem.

There is nothing like having your 7th grader help you set up a blog.  Thank you, Eliza.


Happy Earth Day celebration, Alexandria! I am very pleased to be extending these wishes as Alexandria's newest poet laureate (and probably most neophyte blogger).  As the city cleans and greens, our dog is barking through the screen at every Freecycler who walks up our steps. We are cleaning out our basement (or at least my husband is, while I try on the laurels).

Since receiving and accepting the appointment of poet laureate at the City Council meeting on April 13th, I have been looking at my city through new eyes and I do feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. I am honored to be entrusted with the role of bringing our city together through words. As I see it, the role of poet laureate is as much about poetry as it is about community.  I hope to be able to serve you no matter what language you speak, no matter what your relationship to poetry and the written word has been in the past. Everyone has stories to tell and sing and write.

April 29th is Poem in Your Pocket Day. Take the time to share a poem with your co-workers, your students, your children, your neighbors. Take a poem to the park. See POEMS above. Celebrate National Poetry Month!  http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41