Poetry, after all

So, when I said several weeks ago that I wasn't a huge poetry fan, I just wasn't thinking.  One great reader emailed me a Mary Oliver poem and I had one of those head-slap moments.  Of course.  Mary Oliver.  Which got me thinking about other poets whose work I've enjoyed:

David Whyte

Billy Collins

Adrienne Rich

Rumi

Emily Dickinson

My favorite poet, however, is Taylor Mali.  I first encountered him on a mix CD Meaghan gave to me.  (OK, what really happened is that she left it in the CD player of my car when she borrowed it, and I was so transfixed by Taylor Mali's performance that I kept it for weeks.)  The piece that grabbed me that day is called: Seventh Grade Viking Warrior.  It came up on shuffle on my iPod today, which is what prompted this post.  There I was, cleaning the bathroom and listening to tunes, and suddenly, I was weeping.

He's primarily a performance poet - and many of his pieces are on You Tube.  I'm not a giant You Tube fan.  I don't need to see babies doing strange things, or rollerskating cats.  But poetry, I like.  Poetry is a great use of You Tube.  Many of his poems are there; all you have to do is search.

So, here they are, my two favorite Taylor Mali poems.

Seventh Grade Viking Warrior:

Like Lilly Like Wilson:

The other cool think about Taylor Mali is that he is (or has been) a teacher.  He's passionate about teaching.  About teachers.  And about the high calling that teaching is.  Another great poem to watch is "What Teachers Make."