Dark Election Night, Goodreads Semifinalist Voting, Okay Ophelia, Aimee Mann and a Reading Tomorrow in Port Townsend

Wow. Last night was rough. I cried, starting at about 8 PM Pacific. I couldn’t sleep, and when I could, I had nightmares about rape and guns and Donald Trump’s face twisted with anger. I wrote a post on Facebook describing how gutted I was at the revelation that America was so racist, misogynist, and charmed with a man who was a tax-dodger who can’t speak a coherent sentence, that so many would rather vote for an unqualified evil man that mocks and hates people different than myself, than a much more qualified, intelligent woman. I felt hated, invisible, that as a woman and rape-victim I was always going to be ignored and marginalized, and how my friends who are people of color, LGBT, disabled, or immigrants must feel what I felt times ten. I felt betrayed by Christian voters who turned out in droves to vote for someone who is the opposite of what Christ stood for, in fact, pretty much the embodiment of the seven deadly sins, plus stupidity and crudeness.  I wrote about how useless I felt all my teaching and poetry work seemed to me in the face of such hatred and ignorance. (Especially the message of my first book, which was literally that our culture turns every woman with any power into a villainess. Right? Did anyone even read that?) But this morning, despite the sleepless night, I felt that poetry maybe could do something, maybe shine a light. Here are two poems I posted there that are worth reading – June Jordan’s Poem About My Rights and Lucille Clifton’s Won’t You Celebrate with Me. May their voices be heard and not forgotten.

This is much less important that yesterday’s election, but in a small victory, my newest book Field Guide to the End of the World has made it to the semifinalist level in the Goodreads Choice Awards, and I’d really appreciate your vote. This round only lasts til November 13, so go vote. May it make more difference than my last vote did!
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-poetry-books-2016

I’m reading tomorrow with Sally Albiso in Port Townsend for the the Northwind series at 7 PM at the Northwest Arts Center. Beforehand I’m meeting up with some poet friend for what is hopefully a consoling and cheering dinner. Northwind readings are always good, too. If you’re in or around Port Townsend, please come out and say hi! I’ll be reading VERY appropriate poems from my new book, Field Guide to the End of the World, and maybe this one from my first book, that also seems appropriate for our times.

Okay, Ophelia

We’ve heard you were a victim.
Stop crouching in shadows, chewing your hair.

You can be graceful, not like a ballerina,
like a hedge of coral,

built up and eaten and worn down
yet alive, carving the rhythms of the seas.

You can be a threshing sledge,
new and sharp with many teeth.

This song from Aimee Mann seems apropos as well. Comfort and peace and love to you, my friends. The America that spoke in that election is not my America. Donald Trump does not represent me. Racist and misogyny, hatred and ignorance may have won the election, but we are not going to accept that as the new American way. There are a LOT of us. We will not be silent.