I’ve had so much fun sharing my love of poetry/spoken word with you these past couple of weeks. If you have missed any prior installments about National Poetry Month, slam and open mics follow the links to visit.

For this final installment, I will focus on how most people first encounter poetry through the written word.

This simple rhyme scheme and a powerful message delivered by Dr. Seuss is the first taste of poetry most hear or read. As we continue through school at some point, we are assigned to read Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer, Emily Dickenson and those writers only scratch the surface of poets who have been published into books. An English teacher will eventually lecture about poetic devices such as simile, metaphor or imagery. One day’s instruction will address poetic form, haiku, sonnets, iambic pentameter. Most poets write their work before turning it into a spoken word performance so poetry books are still being published today.

Our last featured artist is me, Simply Sherri as I can give permission to post the poem.

Simply Sherri has been spotlighted and featured in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington and Atlanta. In 2010, she released her debut poetry CD Liquefy. Her first book “Love Simply” was published in 2015. She is the host of several poetry venues including Heard Through the Grapevine, Baltimore, MD and Busboys and Poets, Washington DC.

Superman seems to be a recurring theme for me. I have a love poem called Kryptonite and the poem I’ve posted here  called Superman © 2008

What happens when we learn that Superman can’t fly
discover that all his great feats
And all his amazing deeds are nothing
more than the delusional dreams
of a reporter for the Daily Planet
Is the good feeling he left in his wake
washed away like sediment in the tide
are they re-deposited somewhere else
as we’ve lost hope living in these faithless times

What if Peter Parker snapped the pictures
that were spun a web of deception
that allowed us to believe
That we can be greater than any of our fears
Will the foundation crumble
Under the weight of newly discovered perjury
Or maybe with a little trust
Can it still grow stronger over time

Should a hero’s legacy be diminished because we discovered
That they are more human than GOD?

Maybe when the media stops trying
To shape the opinions of mindless minions
we stop building up fragile humans
be a little more merciful
find a little peace on earth
stop setting them up on granite pedestals in marble temples
Let them believe they are immortal
Only later to bring out the hammers and chisels
To slam them back down to terra firma

Then wonder why we have no hope
No faith
Why we have problems trusting
Ponder why the world has no spirit that is loving
When we are told that every hero
Is so flawed and imperfect
And how dare we accept it

We are spiraling towards expectations
So, unattainable
That everybody is breaking under the pressure
Running to the doctors to get medicated
because the can no longer get away with faking it

Tomorrow there will be another false idol in the making

Ready to take on the superficial benefits fame
lead to believe they are more god than human
but for me I will remember the truth
we are not perfect
we are just individual spirits existing plain
trying to make it and have something to believe in

so, for me
Superman will stay in the sky.

© Simply Sherri 2008

Poets are still publishing books through large and small publishing houses around the world. I suggest start with amazon.com and type in poetry.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me this National Poetry Month.