Sunday, January 10, 2010

homage to my hips (Lucille Clifton)

A variation. Listen to this audio file for the poem 'homage to my hips' by Lucille Clifton. See if you don't sit a little straighter - emboldened by her pride. See if you don't crack a smile at how she describes her "magic" hips.

This poem is made better by being read aloud. If it were simply text, I probably would not have talked about it. Since I don't see it written down, I can't be sure, but I have a feeling I would not think it were anything great. There is no flash to the words - nothing makes me pause for being fresh or a fantastic turn of phrase. But man, in the right the hands - the right voice, layers are added. Or maybe they are simply expressed. I doubt she could have read the phone book with such panache.

Favorite line: "these hips are big hips"

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What do you think of today's poem?