I Could Be A Poet...

If you have never seen the movie Slam Nation, I strongly encourage you to do so. Once you get past the bad eighties haircuts and the hideous clothes we actually adorned ourselves in, it really is a passionate and powerful movie.

In this movie, poet Taylor Mali shares his creation "I Could Be A Poet". This got me thinking of you.

In my pursuit of a degree as an English major, I have written many a poem in my day. Now, however, I am being graded on them. Part of the classwork requires critiquing one another on our work.

Unfortunately for me, my writing group always says the same thing. "Great job!" I am not patting myself on the back. Oh, no...quite the contrary. In their youth I am sure they are saying to each other, "Ya' know what? She's old...throw her a bone." This patronization, while understandable, does not actually help me.

So here is where you come in! As you know, Oprah is eventually going to call me to be her selected author and come sit on her couch. With her praise millions of my books will be purchased and I shall become a philanthropist the likes the world has never seen. Once I pay off my house. And put my children through college as teens so they don't hafta to this well into their forties like I am.

In preparation for Oprah's call, I need you to give me your feedback on these poems. They will start dribbling in and I want you to be honest. But don't make me cry. Okay, maybe a little.

And when I win my first Pulitzer Prize, you will be among the first I acknowledge with my most sincerest thanks. You and Oprah ~ I couldn't have done it without you.