Today's 30/30 poem inspired by small town life, Snowden, and privacy

What a beautiful weekend! Today's poem is inspired by the small village I live in on the Eastern Shore of VA (pictured above).  One of the other 30/30 poets, Rachel Kubie, who wrote about Manning and Snowden yesterday, and both were knocking around in my head when I wrote today. Of course I wanted to think about how does privacy matter to me, in my little world? And of course, there is none, or nearly so. On a nightly walk one can learn so much about their neighbors, way more than what you could learn from a facebook status update, or an email.  The final line is both ironic and earnest, and funny at the same time, or as I read it. Lots of imagery of carnivals and small town fairs pop up at the end. A future edit would see a tightening up of the verse, and possible reworking of the food imagery. But I'm wiped. As my neighbors could tell you, I've been sneezing, and playing with kids at the Y all day.

FYI: I probably won't blog too much this week. Lots of things happening at the school level. But I will be writing every day. Please stop by.

Here is a snippet from today's poem:

Privacy in a Small Town

Ask someone who lives in a small town.

and they can tell you whose lawn is mowed

and why. It is the same knowledge a child

knows about a ball. Privacy? Perhaps high summer

and winter, when the windows are clapped shut

for air or heat, otherwise the frequency our rooms

are transmitted on the tide of air that flows and waves

from seaside to bayside and the channels between.

“Happiness was something I thought I could buy

in a store,” or “This is why we cannot own nice things,”

the stereo of two parents coming down on a son

everyone knows is cheating at school, and life.

His grandfather whored a heart to stone

and why should he be any different?


Read it here when it is posted.