Poetry is a verbal art form. I was awed by the young poet Amanda Gorman who wowed everyone at President Biden’s inauguration. I always try to start my podcasts with a poem, as I feel it is important to push poetry out further into other mediums. When I was in grade school we had to memorize a poem and recite it in class. I remember learning The Children’s Hour, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and was so nervous about going in front of the class because I thought I would flub the lines. In an online article in herculture.org Poetry and Social Change Richa Gupta said that “poetry doesn’t solely have a literary dimension; it has a religious one, a social one, a cultural one. An often neglected aspect of poetry is the power it can have in initiating social change, or in raising awareness about different issues people would otherwise remain oblivious to.” Poetry surrounds us daily, especially in the form of lyrics by songwriters (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell from boomer land, and Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Michael Kiwanuka from Z and Millennial generations. The Internet has been a spring board for poetry making it more accessible online with a click of a button. Our guest on this episode is Susan L. Pollet, a poet, artist, author and attorney who has written thought provoking poems which are now available in her most recent book Susiku, and More: a collection of poems. The poems focus on life moments, struggles, conflicts, as well beauty and the environment. The book is divided into two parts. Part One is called Seeking Connection, However Tenuous, and Part Two, Redemption and Renewal, On Occasion. It is available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel and other book retail outlets. Go to SusanPollet.com for more info.
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