Inspired by a Slam Poet

Traffic near the New Market shopping bazaar

Five Times a Day

an audio haiku written while in Dhaka by Taylor Mali

Five times [every] day

All activity ceases

Except the traffic.

Of course, I recommend listening to the poem by clicking on the link above.  I still like hearing sounds more than looking at words.

Dhaka rainy day traffic

Last week, thanks to the generosity of some good friends, Kim, Krista, Ben and Gemma, Mom and Dad got to go on two dates!  Kim and Krista watched me while they ran an 11K together one morning as a part of the DiffeRUNce series of races.  Then, last Sunday, Ben and Gemma watched me while my parents went to a Taylor Mali poetry reading at the American International School.

While the slam poet was in town, Mom even got to go to a poetry workshop with him.  Here's one of her poems from the class:

Hairballs and Blue Tack 

My heart is a neon green teething ring that fell to the floor after one good gnaw, was dragged across an unswept hairball and needs desperately to be boiled.

My heart is a calendar page, cut out and blue-tacked to the wall to recall frozen crystals and thin air.

My heart is an AC unit with yellowed Arabic lettering and mildewed grates that drip-drips through baby’s night wakes.