Last class, we discussed Dada art, and how the Dadaists thought all art was random. Today, we compared that with Jamila Woods “Blk Girl Art.” The students had terrific insight on Woods’ poem and talked about how she believes that art should be able to make big feelings in people and comfort people and change things. We then discussed what superpowers we would want our poems to have. Please enjoy these superpower poems!
Close Your Eyes
–Riddhi
All poems are words simply printed onto a
page…unless they are uncomfortable and new.
Unless they remind you of running through the burning
sand looking for the sea. Unless they melt
all clocks and slow down their haunting rhythms.
Unless they cloud the moon’s light so you can
run and trip in the regrown jungle of your
mind, so the straight paths are uprooted.
All poems are words simply printed onto a
page unless they flutter up out of the
page and land on your eyes so you can see.
To be itself
–Abdi
I wish my poem could write itself
Choose whatever it wants to write on its self
and have its own freedom.
No pen pressing down on the form.
Just whatever it thinks appears on the paper.
Be like a person who gives tattoos.
Let them have their own choice of what goes on them.
Let the poem unravel itself like a folded map.
Breathe
–Aphrodite
Stop.
Breath in…
out…
Breath slow…
Just breath…
Take a break
and picture the
blue of the sky
and the gentle
breeze and the
smell of fresh
rain.
Take a moment to
notice the fresh cut
grass your mind is
standing on…
Take a moment to
hear the silence…
Just take a moment.
Try to pick up the pencil
and make it
move.
The more you leave
work sitting
the more that stress
will grow.
Take it one
by one.
Take your time
It will all be done soon.
