Tuesday, January 20, 2009

There Should've Been a Better Way to Read That Inauguration Poem

I was glued to my TV to witness history unfolding right before my eyes as my 5 month old baby slept like... a BABY!

Watching ex-presidents, the current one and the soon-to-be president all in one historic location was itself a sight to behold! Icing on the cake were performances by Yo Yo Ma and Co and Aretha Franklin. I was told that Charisse Pempenco was going to be there. My bad! She was at the Inauguration PARTY. Anyway, I was also anticipating poet Elizabeth Alexander, who was being raved at by different bloggers and different publications. I also read that during Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, she was there, being a year old and on her father's shoulders listening.

When they called her to read her poem, I kinda felt insecure about my ability to appreciate poems. Don't get me wrong. I like poems! As a matter of fact, I liked her "Stravinsky in LA" poem! So imagine my dismay when she got behind the pulpit to read her Inauguration Poem like a GPS asking a driver to "turn right" or "turn left". Where was the passion and emotion in her voice? I wanted to feel it but I wasn't. Half way through her poem, I had to force myself to appreaciate her poem delivery the way I used to force myself to swollow a tablespoon of COD liver oil!

*sigh*

I probably just expected much from her, I suppose.

1 comment:

pepagonz629 said...

Yes, I agree with you. If there is no passion with what you are saying it won't come across your audience.