A poem in response to “A Dream of Toast”
“A Dream of Toast” by Kimiko Hahn in the American Poetry Review.
I don’t know why, but I was inspired by Kimiko’s poem (linked above) after I read Lantern Review’s fantastic interview with her. I started thinking of the poet’s role with language and culture, and how one imbues such motifs of identity politics with the fluidity of language. So I came up with a poem, and though it needs to be edited, I sort of like it. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
A Poet’s Words
To be a poet means twisting words
out of context, dripping water, towel
A poet lives in translation, bastard child
of our country, escaping homeland, diaspora
I am a poet who walks between two lines
On my left, there is a city with questions, on my right,
there is an ocean, dripping water, twisting words
If I wake, I will tell you one thing only:
My home has forgotten its words so that I may
speak in tongues of another land
Twisting, twisting words, believe me when I say
I have forgotten what an ocean means
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[...] the APR interview that Wendy references) that she wrote a poem in response! She’s shared it on her blog. Thanks, Melissa, for your thoughtful engagement with Kimiko’s [...]
I love this, particularly the third and fifth stanzas. I’d love to see you develop the third stanza even more… based on things you’ve talked about on your blog and on the Draft before, I think there’s a lot more to be discovered there!