Vox Populi
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Frank O’Hara: Autobiographia Literaria
When I was a child
I played by myself in a
corner of the schoolyard
all alone.
I hated dolls and I
hated games, animals were
not friendly and birds
flew away.
If anyone was looking
for me I hid behind a
tree and cried out “I am
an orphan.”
And here I am, the
center of all beauty!
writing these poems!
Imagine!
~~~~
From Selected Poems of Frank O’Hara (Knopf, 2009).
Frank” O’Hara (1926 – 1966) was an American writer, poet, and art critic. A curator at the Museum of Modern Art, O’Hara became prominent in New York City’s art world. O’Hara is regarded as a leading figure in the New York School, an informal group of artists, writers, and musicians who drew inspiration from jazz, surrealism, abstract expressionism, action painting, and contemporary avant-garde art movements. (bio adapted from Wiki)
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Imagine! ❤️
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How simple and yet how inspiring.
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exactly!
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I admire O’Hara’s nerve, the way he struts his stuff and does not blame. Marvelous!
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Yes. His nerve.
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O’Hara’s poems face the world with wit, sass, vigor, and love. We need more like him. Yay, Frank!
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I didn’t know the poet Frank O’Hara. And I still haven’t read many of the important and wonderful American poets. Some, of course, were ‘must reads’, others I came across by wonderful serendipity. This is one of those occasions.
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Love Frank O’Hara. I am glad that this post lead me back to your Quotidian Poem prompt. Quotidian is my one word prayer.
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Wonderful, Donna!
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Being late to the game, I get to enjoy this poem for the first time. Unless, of course, it was in the dark area of the after stroke scan, then I get to enjoy it for the first time again.
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Again for the first time!
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It is indeed a miracle for poet, readers, and founder of this site, indeed a miracle for any and all of us to be here!
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Yes, a miracle that we have this time together to raise our voices and sing.
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Well, you take the prize today, Michael! “Raise our voices and sing!” “A miracle!” Yes!
Since debating and reasoning and pleading with all these hateful, greedy, evil and failed human beings—who have, for a while at least, taken over our country—isn’t working, we should “Raise our voices and sing.” Yes! This should be our strategy!” And, we will pray for a miracle! Overwhelm them with love!
And, forgive me for this “run-on” sentence.
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I like run on sentences. They reflect my run on brain. 🤣
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I love your run-ons, HC. Piling up excitement!
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I’ve loved this poem for years and used to use it in my poetry workshops with nine and ten year olds. They loved it too! Thank you for posting this. A joyous respite from the news.
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I’ve loved this poem for years as well. It gives me joy and hope. Eventually Trump, Putin, Netanyahu and the other fascists will be gone and what will remain is song.
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Amen to that, along with the fact that poets will outlast them, as the Bard has both proven and eloquently underscored in Sonnet 18:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
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