Help Me TNL: Poems to Read Aloud

[bbobb]

Well, I need some help here TNL. I was asked to do a short poetry reading demonstration at a Cafe tomorrow night, so now I'm looking for some good poems to read aloud. I'm not a big poetry person so I don't know much, and also most of the people listening will not understand english very much so the best thing is to have poetry that just sounds nice.

So, any suggestions?

[Cowutopia]

Robert Frost, e. e. cummings, Shel Silverstein, Maya Angelou Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot

[Cowutopia]

if you want slam poetry I can't help you, I'd rather listen to good hip hop.

[bbobb]

Robert Frost, e. e. cummings, Shel Silverstein, Maya Angelou Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot

Ooo Eliot... there's one I didn't think of.

[cigsthecat]

Do a bunch of Onyx songs.

[YellerDog]

As most of them will not understand English, you should throw down some really angry, heavy shit about the state of race in America, from your perspective as a young black male.

[Jason]

How did Shel Silverstein get lumped together with the others... he's the Dr. Suess of poetry.

"There's too many kids in this tub.
There's too many elbows to scrub.
I just washed a behind
That I'm sure wasn't mine,
There's too many kids in this tub."

yeah that'll hold the crowds attention.

I say Maya is a good choice.

[bbobb]

Being that 99% of the people there won't speak a word of english, it very well may.

[Jason]

you know now that I think about it Shel was a bit more deep then Seuss, I take that back. I just remember the goofy shit of his... and you're right a group of non english speakers may do better with the more simple.

This one may go over well bbobb.

"I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head."

also I never realized Shel wrote "A Boy Named Sue" holy fuck, brilliance.

[ChaoofNee]

Edwin Arlington Robinson. 1869–
 
45. Richard Corey
 
WHENEVER Richard Cory went down town,	 
  We people on the pavement looked at him:	 
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,	 
  Clean favored, and imperially slim.	 
  
And he was always quietly arrayed,	         5
  And he was always human when he talked;	 
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,	 
  "Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.	 
  
And he was rich—yes, richer than a king,	 
  And admirably schooled in every grace:	  10
In fine, we thought that he was everything	 
  To make us wish that we were in his place.	 
  
So on we worked, and waited for the light,	 
  And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;	 
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,	  15
  Went home and put a bullet through his head.