Poetry 101

Once upon a time,
for a class taught by a very funny man
I wrote a poem
about
plums.

Cornered him after class
in a hallway, to show
my work.  I
wanted
praise, genuis,
something.
I didn't know
how awkward that was
(then.)

He liked the line about cool refrigerated fruit.

We learned that a sonnet is a 14 line poem
(I missed that question once on game night--
argued it could be a 16 line poem, too.  English majors
are too
annoying.)

We learned that slugs
just need a good PR campaign.
Lawn dolphin entered my vocabulary forever.
But I still squish them beneath my shoes
(and sometimes with a squeamish stomach
between bare toes at night).

I think about him every time
I post my magazine.  Think about sending him a link to see
my work.
Know (now)
how awkward that might be.

Forever a student,
forever a little bit wrong.

Forever waiting for praise.
And eating plums.

KAW January '10

for Jim Bertolino