Etheridge Knight calls the Poetry Crisis Line

NEF (counselor): Poetry Crisis Line, what is your emergency?
ETHERIDGE KNIGHT (caller): Soft songs, like birds, die in poison air.
NEF: Right. Maybe stop singing until you’re out of the gas?
KNIGHT: So my song cannot now be candy.
NEF: Not unless you want to eat your words.

Adapted from “Apology for Apostasy?” by Etheridge Knight

Charles Simic calls the Poetry Crisis Line

ROSIE (counselor): Poetry Crisis Line, what is your emergency?
CHARLES SIMIC (caller): What I need is a seraph and a pig.
ROSIE: Uh…okay. Care to elaborate?
SIMIC: The pig to eat and the seraph to ask questions.
ROSIE: Like whether it’s OK to eat pork?

From “Back at the Chicken Shack” by Charles Simic

Rest in peace, Charles Simic (1938-2023)

 

Winnie the Coup

Happy 138th birthday to A.A. Milne!

CAPTION

POOH: The election was stolen from us, by which I mean that they counted all of the votes, when if they had only counted some of them, we would have one, and oh bother, that didn’t come out the way I intended, by which I mean that it is what I meant but not what I wanted you to hear, but if we all throw a big enough tantrum, then maybe they might just let us win?

OWL’S SIGN: I can spel 2sday!

Emily Dickinson calls the Poetry Crisis Line

Happy birthday to Emily Dickinson, who is 190 today!

Also, happy Chanukah.

KIM (counselor): Poetry Crisis Line, what is your emergency?
EMILY DICKINSON (caller): There’s a certain slant of light
KIM: Is it in your eyes?
DICKINSON: Winter afternoons—
KIM: So how is it a problem?
DICKINSON: That oppresses
KIM: Uh…how?
DICKINSON: like the heft of cathedral tunes.
KIM: That sounds heavy.

Diane di Prima calls the Poetry Crisis Line

Rest in peace, Diane di Prima (1934-2020), who passed while we were distracted by the election.

NEF (counselor): Poetry Crisis Line, what is your emergency?
DIANE DI PRIMA (caller): My friend wears my scarf at his waist.
NEF: Is your neck cold?
DI PRIMA: I give him moonstones.
NEF: Did he give your scarf back?
DI PRIMA: He gives me shell & seaweeds.
NEF: That’s no good. If they’re dry enough to keep you warm, they’ll be too brittle to wear.

Read “An Exercise in Love” by Diane di Prima here.