Talking about violence can be uncomfortable and hard. Especially when violences in a community are so numerous, where does one begin. Carney's poem America's Pastime is able to encapsulate so many violences over a long period of time and weave them together. Carney uses these acts of violence to give the reader a clear picture of just how much racism (violent, not just passive, if there even is such a thing) is still active in america and while it may morph and adept, not much has really changed. His last line "Not much changing going on around here." Remind me of the quote "how much time do you want for your progress?" from James Baldwin which is also used in Danez Smith's Dear White America.
Tarfia Faizullah has a very different way of writing about violence. In some ways it seems more gentle, but it gives me a feeling that sits low in my gut. I think her poem You Ask Why Write About it Again" is really important for this weeks theme of 'feeding the protest'. It deals with violence and a grief which she must write about again and again because its is important and must not be lost. I think an ideal which I find vital to protest is never forgetting. Never forget violence, or grief, or those left behind. The last line of this poem is "praise the ailanthus moth spinning its coarse silk because it cannot stop and it must. " This moth is named after the ailanthus tree which is commonly called 'tree of heaven' and is species that grows in polluted or difficult areas. In protest we must be like this moth because we cannot stop and we must.
John Rodriguez's poem Bronx Bombers has some of the most interesting uses of violence. He uses war imagery to talk about graffiti. This poem makes me want to learn more about graffiti culture in the 80's in NY cause I do think there is some terminology and references going over my head, but this poem still speaks to me. It's about fighting back and being visible and it's beautiful. I love the line "nothing else fuels artistry like rage" That line feeds the protest.
Your comments about not forgetting the violence are spot on, that's what I appreciate most about her work. Fueling the protest isn't always the violent act, it's the emotions and grief that is left behind that often gets overlooked. Carney seems to be the fire, but Faizullah helps ignite the flame
ReplyDeleteRose, you connect lines across poems and writers to illustrate the ideas about violence that these poets assert. I appreciate the recognition of the imagery in Bronx bombers and in Faizullah's work.
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