RITA DOVE

(at Furious Flower 2014)

A raindrop

A snowflake

A little bit of sun

A smile

A tear

A lover’s laughter

Some ancestor from

So far away

Whose dogged strength

Alone

Made the journey

Into freedom

On the strength

Of a song

What really is a poem:

Buttered Corn bread

A Pork chop browning

A Quilt being pieced

A Grandmother’s tears

Or maybe

A desire

For a new world

And a Granddaughter to

…in the words of my Grandmother…

“Show Them”

Shall we call her Rita

And let’s add an Eagle

No. a Dove

Both beauty and Ice

Shall we ask her to sing

Yes—Sing a Poem

For all of us

(from A Good Cry by Nikki Giovanni 2017; with permission)

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Nikki GIovanni

Nikki GIovanni is one of America’s most celebrated poets. A writer, commentator, activist, and educator, her work includes poetry anthologies, poetry recordings, and nonfiction essays, and covers topics ranging from race and social issues to children's literature. She has won numerous awards, including the Langston Hughes Medal and the NAACP Image Award. She has been nominated for a Grammy Award for her album The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. Additionally, she has recently been named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 "Living Legends.” Her latest book, A Good Cry, takes us into her confidence, describing the joys and perils of aging and recalling the violence that permeated her parents’ marriage and early life. This powerful collection looks inward: a rumination on her life and the people who have shaped her.

Make Me Rain: Poems and Prose (2020) on Amazon

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Poem-a-Day Virginia

In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, Virginia Poet Laureate Luisa A. Igloria presents a poem a day from Virginia poets.

See all poems

Books & LiteracySlover AccountsApril 15, 2021National Poetry Month, Nikki Giovanni