I have liked Nikki Giovanni for a few years now, I think she is incredible.

"i've not learned

the acceptable way of saying

you fascinate me

I've not even learned

how to say i like you

without frightening people

away"

I am so glad to see that I am not the only one afraid so say these things. If it's tough for Nikki Giovanni too, then I am A-ok!

PS

I think it was her who wrote " I Wrote a Good Omelet", it is goofy and sweet, check it out!

I am loving the twists and turns of phrase in this poem. Thank you for sharing it, Valentina!

It's even more interesting if you make this a dialogue....

And now I want to look up the omelet poem too! It's been years since I actively sought out a poet. My short stint in creative writing camp made me very self conscious of and for all poets somehow. (Mostly for the readings... which I find awkward, embarrassing, and uncomfortable most of the time.)

The current U.S. Poet Laureate, Ted Kooser, is effectively from the town that I reside in. (He lives in an acerage outside of town.) His poetry is very spare and I really do prefer his prose, but he's a pretty amazing guy.

I probably identify with the Giovanni poem entirely too much. It kind of freaked me out when I read it. I was just bitching in my blog the other day about people living in fantasy worlds, pretending to be something that they aren't, and Nikki does that in the poem.

So could someone who thinks they're the moth, but tries to live authentically, actually turn the tables and become the flame? The person who pretends to be something else (and thus is a pseudo-flame) could get burned by the flames of the moth's honesty.

And then who has the upper hand? It's something to consider. Sometimes I think people who try to live as authentically as possible don't give themselves enough credit for having power and integrity.

Please feel free to write back and tell me I'm full of shit!