You Should Create

If you think poetry is boring or out of reach, you’ve never heard Aaron Belz. I recently met Aaron at a conference near Charlotte. When he took his stand at the podium, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I enjoy reading poetry from time to time, but a 45-minute reading (right before lunch)? I clutched my recently refilled coffee cup – just in case I needed emergency attention span support. Who could have expected poems about shampoo, an avatar, and self-righteous worms. His poetry is full of life and wit. Aaron has graciously written this poem specifically for the Story Warren community. Read it with your kids. Print it out and hang it up. Live it. Enjoy. –Julie

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You Should Create

by Aaron Belz

In this world filled with confusion and hate
and funny animals and all sorts of food
you should take a moment to create—
a poem, a drawing of some weird old dude

eating a barbecued chicken wing at sunset.
People love that sort of stuff, really.
People smile when they see that,
because they want to remember what’s silly

and also what’s extravagant and pretty.
They want to know that even in the hard times
there’s a barking puppy and the cutest kitty
waiting in music and pictures and rhymes

to surprise them and make them laugh.
They want to know that you, my friend,
are inventing worlds more interesting than math
and homework, imaginary kingdoms that send

them back to their own childhoods,
when everything was magical and fair
and the new smell of morning was in the air.
You, young person, can send them there.

 

 

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Aaron Belz is the author of Lovely, Raspberry (Persea, 2010) and The Bird Hoverer (BlazeVOX, 2007). His new collection, Glitter Bomb, comes out from Persea this summer. For more information please visit http://belz.net.