The Wall

By Catherine Giordano

A marathon is about 26.2 miles. Many marathon runners report “hitting the wall” around mile 20. The body is exhausted, yet they must push on.

I feel like I have “hit the wall” with news print poetry. It’s been almost 11 months of doing at least one poem taken from a news paper story every day. Every single day.

On Thursday I just didn’t want to do it anymore. None of the stories in the newspaper that day inspired me. Maybe , it was just time to quit.

I forced myself to push on, and I found a poem. On Friday, I got my second wind. I felt a new burst of energy because I found this marvelous story about a mysterious planet-like celestial body. The “celestial seas” and the “orphan planet” are such beautiful poetic images.  It worked on me like a dose of carbs works on a runner.  Read "The Orphan Planet."

Today I was back in the doldrums.

When I lived in New York City, I used to walk over to Central Park to watch the race just a few hundred yards from the finish line. Sometimes I was there to see the winner, but many times I’d be there for the 4^th and 5^th hour. The runners approaching the finish line at that time were really hurting.  

The viewers, like me, would stand on the side of the road and shout encouragement. It was wonderful to see how it perked the runners up. It gave them the strength to finish.  They picked up the pace and crossed the finish line. 

That’s where I am now with this year-long project. Could somebody cheer for me?  Shout out a few words of encouragement? Help me get across the finish line?

This picture is from http://wallpaperswa.com/

Two Weeks Later

by Catherine Giordano

It’s two weeks after the presidential election and republicans (and everyone else) still don’t especially love Mitt Romney.  

My news print poem, written way back in June, has been, and still is in the top ten posts with respect to the number of hits in the past 30 days.   

If you haven’t seen it yet, click here: Republicans Don’tEspecially Love Mitt Romney

 

What I love about this poem is that this poem was taken from a news paper column that was advocation for Mitt Romney's election.

 

 

You Never Know

You never know what is going to catch the public’s eye. 

I write some great poems on serious subjects with  important messages, and people pass them by. I write a silly poem about Twinkies, mainly because the newspaper has given me nothing else that day, and it gets a whole of hits. It even generates comments.

I review “Real Time with Bill Maher" (Episode 267 11/16/12) and it leaps to the top of the pack. I look at my stats to see why. Maybe someone linked to it. I discover when I look at the search terms people used to land on my page that the reason is Ana Navarro. This silly twit made a stupid comment about horny men, I mentioned it in my review, and evidently everyone wants to read it.

Poems from months ago, like NBA, Nascar, Traffic and Sandscapes, that never made the top ten, suddenly show up in the list of the top ten posts with the most hits in the past 30 days.

 

I never know what is going to catch the public's eye.

 

Click the links to read the poem and review that everyone else is reading.

 

 

If you like this essay, please share it with others.

Update: Good News

It appears that Showtime is once again linking to my reviews on the Dexter homepage at www.sho.com.  It's nice to have the recognition. 

I put a lot of time and effort into doing the reviews.  It's nice to know that more peole will read them.

Read my latest review. Dexter "What I Did for Love."

I've read the other reviewers and bloggers that are linked in "In the News." I think I offer an unique viewpoint. It's part review, part recap, but the most important part is commentary.  I identify a theme in each episode and that becomes the subject of the piece. I bring in real-life isues related to the theme. his unique approach is why some readers have told me they have enjoed my reviews even though they have'nt seen the show. 

by Catherine Giordano

 

 

The Political is Poetical

I saw Obama give his victory speech on TV in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.  It was a very inspirational speech that sought to heal the divisions of our country.

Today, I read the transcript of Obama’s victory speech. I was impressed at how poetical it was. 

I decided to try the techniques of news print poetry on the speech.  The result is below.

 

Obama’s Victory Speech

The task of perfecting our union moves forward;

it moves forward because of you.

We are an American family;

we rise or fall together,
as one nation,
as one people.

For the United States of America,

the best is yet to come.

We believe in a generous America,

in a compassionate America,

in a tolerant America.

 

That's the future we hope for.

That's the vision we share.

That's where we need to go—
Foward
That's where we need to go.

I've never been more hopeful about our future.
I have never been more hopeful about America.
Something better awaits us—
so long as we have the courage
to keep reaching,
to keep working,
to keep fighting.

We are more than a collection

 of red states and blue states.
We are, and forever will be,
the United States of America.

Together
we will continue our journey forward.
Together
we will remind the world
that we live in the greatest nation on Earth.

Thank you America.

 

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

 
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH.

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News Print Platform

News print poetry uses newspaper stories to create poems. This year, a lot of stories were about the 2012 election. That makes this blog a platform for me to advocate for my political views.

On this Election Day eve, I thought it would be interesting to link to the political poems I did this year. Even if you only read the titles, it’s the “year in review.” (Click on the titles to go to the webpage with the poem on it.

Monday November 5      Down to the Wire

Monday October 29      Souls to the Polls
Sunday October 28      America   
Saturday October 22    Insight
Wednesday October 17   Obama Up
Tuesday October 16     Malarky
Friday, October 12     War on Reality
Thursday October 4     Debate
Monday September 24    Switching to Dems
Wednesday September 19 Romney Controversy
Saturday September 15  GOP Lacks Blacks
Wednesday September 13 Libya, Obama, and Romney
Monday September 10    Do Little Congress  
Sunday September 9     Dueling Conventions
Friday September 7     Four More Years
Tuesday September 4    Two Peas in a Pod
Saturday September 1   The Empty Chair
Wednesday August 29    Nominee Romney
Thursday August 23     Legitimate Lunkheads
Sunday August 12       Romney’s VP Pick
Friday August 3        Obama Talks Taxes
Tuesday July 31        Romney Rouses Outrage
Friday July 13         Politicians Drone On
Saturday July 7        Obama on the Road
Tuesday June 26        #DontDoubleMyRate
Friday June 15         Stop the Voter Purge
Wednesday June 13      Republicans Don’t Especially Love Mitt Romney
Tuesday May 29         Obama Delivers for Veterans
Thursday May 10        Obama Endorses Gay Marriage
Saturday March 24      Obama on Trayvon
Monday February 20     Obama Will Win Florida
Sunday February 5      Obama Focused
Wednesday February 1   Florida Romp
Sunday January 22      Beating Obama
Tuesday January 24     Black Voter

PSA Poetry Today

It's been a long campaign.  I know Obama is favored to win, but there's no such thing as a sure thing.  So I'm reminding my readers to vote for Obama, especially if you live in Ohio and Florida.

Get Out the Vote

Obama’s campaign,

Romney’s campaign,
chasing every last vote
in the Sunshine State—
the precious votes. 

Regular voters

Occasional voters
New voters
Early voters
Election-day voters
Armies of volunteers

It’s going to come down

to who comes out.

A long campaign will come to an end on Tuesday.  Cast yur precious vote for Obama so this country can continue to move forward.

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

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This picture is from

http://realismhargrave.com

Gridiron Girls

by Catherine Giordano

Someimes I write a news print poem that just begs to be rewritten without the restrictions of the form.  You can read the original Gridiron Girls and compare it to my rewrite.


Gridiron Girls

Girls are sugar and spice and everything nice?
Girls are all frilly and pink?
Girls are all dainty and sweet?
Forget the stereotypical image.
Meet the Gridiron Girls!

These girls don’t care what you think.

These girls love the punishing pursuit of football—
Tackle football.

These girls love blood-stained uniforms.
They love the dirt, the sweat, the spit,
the feel of their muscles, flexing, contracting, pulsating.

These girls give it their all.
These girls love it all.

These girls are women,
women who have the gall
to play the gridiron sport
in an all-women’s league
crossing the line of scrimmage.

Oh the horror; the unspeakable horror.

Why on earth would women want to play tackle football?
Why on earth would men want to play tackle football?

They enjoy it.

Let your little girls play tackle football,
and when they are women, they will be unbreakable.

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

The picture is meant as an ironic comment on the poem.

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