Tupelo 18/30: My Poetry Is My Hammer

Dear Reader, 

If you had asked me at the end of May, before I embarked on this poem-a-day project, if I honestly thought I could write a poem every day, and not just some shitty draft, but one I'd be willing to share with *anyone* with an Internet connection, I would have grimaced and said, "I hope so." 

I know I'm not done, but I'm eighteen (18!) days in, and I am really excited about where this project has taken me, specifically because of your prompts. Those of you still waiting on yours, hang tight: I have a spreadsheet; I have not forgotten you. 

Today's poem is a donation incentive title prompt from my husband, who is not a poet. When we first started dating, he asked to read some of my poetry. 

My writing friends and those of you following my poetry this June know that I don't write light verse. I do not shy away from politicized or controversial subjects, and though I am compassionate, I have strong opinions. When I handed him a print-out of an early version of my now soon-to-be book, I thought, "Oh, boy. Hope he's a feminist." 

His response: "It's poetry with a hammer." 

And whenever I leave for a reading, he'll say/text: "Give 'em the hammer." 

So it was no surprise when one (yes, he purchased more than one) of my donation prompts was to write a poem with this title.  

Here is an excerpt from "My Poetry Is My Hammer" (read the full poem on Tupelo Press' 30/30 blog): 

"There’s are ways
to play a xylophone
with a mallet without
cracking the keys,
and we can sing
in harmony,
but sometimes
it’s the music
of excavation and
demolition I am
wooed by tremolo,
crescendo because
I want to take down
walls, this fence,
want to build
something like a bridge
from this isolated 

colony to yours."

Readers, thank you for continuing to read these posts and my poems. There are twelve days left in the month. I still have FIVE remaining titles available. If you would like to claim one of these, please see my first posting for incentive amounts and make your way to the Tupelo Press donation page. Be sure to select my name from the scroll down tab titled "Is this donation in honor of a 30/30 poet?" After you've donated, be sure to email (edigiorgio@gmail.com) or Facebook message me your requests.

Of course, once I am out of titles, you can still select five words for a poem, give me a potential theme/topic, offer a formal challenge, or receive a chapbook at the end of this project. And if you're enjoyed reading poetry this month, you might consider a subscription to Tupelo. You'll receive 9 books for $99, which is a steal! You can also *gift* this subscription to someone else (including me!)...I have friends and students who would be delighted to be the recipient. 

Yours in poetry,

Emari