What’s the point?

It is a legitimate question for some to raise in terms of the ongoing global Coronavirus plague. Does poetry make a difference?

We are advised to maintain recommended social distancing whether we walk, run, dance in front of our homes, talk to neighbors via open windows, or do necessary shopping. To curl up with one’s notebook, laptop or sitting in front of a desktop, we routinely depend on and welcome the ability to enrichen our spirits; lift our hearts and remind us that we are a humane people.

Poetry does that.

James Burkett [photo provided]

James Burkett is new to poetry and recently discovered aaduna and its annual effort to celebrate National Poetry Month. Bruce Bennett encouraged him to submit a couple of poems for this annual poetry feature. (And that is what community does best…share and open up avenues for folks who may not already know…to enable them to establish pathways that work best for them.) A resident of Aurora, New York, aaduna joins with you in welcoming an emerging poet, Jim Burkett.  

Mr. Burkett is a retired social service administrator, having worked with emotionally disturbed, behavior challenged children and their families his entire life. Only recently (three years ago,) he  began to write poetry in a challenge to write a poem a day. It is during the summer when he can go barefoot all day that is the best season of his life.

The Veteran

He would appear at the station

where I worked as a gas jockey

to earn money for college.

Dark complexion and short graying hair

a wrinkled face with kind brown eyes

and always a smile.

He never asked for much,

occasionally bought a pack of cigarettes.

He never offered much,

just the smile.

He walked slowly 

with a slight limp.

The guys gave him wide berth,

said he fought in the Great War.

I don’t recall that he ever mentioned it.

I do recall his smile.

* * *

Gentrified Neighborhood

Three billion birds gone

Lost their home

Expelled!

Their neighborhood - gentrified

Property values increased

Couldn’t pay the rent

Oak Towers, torn down

Hedge Row, bulldozed

Insect Diner, closed

Seed Smorgasbord, gone

Clear Water Bar, a toxic mess

There’s no reason to stay

There’s nowhere to go

Neighbors are in the same boat

Ergo, fade away!

* * * * *

As we present past visual glimpses of New Orleans, aaduna remains mindful that African-Americans make up approximately 33% of the Louisiana population but account for 70% of Coronavirus deaths throughout that State.

* * * * *

In New York City, after ongoing (and relentless) pressure for the City and State to release data, here is the April 8, 2020 available data regarding the percent of COVID-19 deaths by race versus percent in the NYC population:

Race/Culture                           % of COVID-19 Death                       % of NYC Population

Hispanic                                34                                                        29

African American                    28                                                        22

White                                    27                                                        32

Asian                                    7                                                          14

How you decipher this data and what is means is up to you. With that said…

Poets, here is data and possibly the opportunity to make your work even more socially conscious, if that is your proclivity.

aaduna will always walk the path of truth. It is part of our Mission, philosophy and role as a multi-cultural progressive institution. We continue to have a penchant for advancing the interests of people of color and other groups who have been traditionally left out of literary and visual art publishing while maintaining our embrace of all “tribes” regardless of racial/socio-economic/political/cultural/religious/sexual orientation/ability backgrounds.

Truth.

“Nough said.

Stay safe.  Be well.

bill

* * * * *

aaduna - an online adventure with words and images - a globally read, multi-cultural, and diverse online literary and visual arts journal established in 2010.  Visit us at www.aaduna.org where we put measurable actions to our words.

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