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The phone rings, I wasn’t ready,
when you get the call, you say yes,
It was Annie MacNaughton, feeling me out,
good producer, will you challenge
Sherman Alexie, he’s won three bouts,
he beat Jimmy Baca, on home Taos turf
Came back against Slam Champeen Patricia Smith,
many thought she’d been robbed,
When she lost to Baca, but in New York,
Peoples Po-Gathering,
Sherman reigned
Including an improv poem that was played,
in toto, on NPR, 5.5 minutes
Then last June, he beat Wanda Coleman,
High Priestess of Word, sez he wants
A white guy, for this Indian to whup.
Whoops. That’d be me,
In this high octane nonintention,
mock competition Bout’n’Slam,
I’m happy to draw attention to center ring:
poetry’s revival, spoken word’s new lift
I’m happy to let you in on my deep training
secrets: Alhaji Papa Bunka Susso,
My griot, lessons on the kora,
and new poems galore and physically
Cut down on intake, esp. alcohol
thanks to Eileen, renew the past,
Thanks Bob Rosenthal and Phil and Doris
at Two Boots who got me back
Into the producerial vein -- and young
poets at Bar 13 and Urbana,
Now loop back now to Annie
as I board the plane
To work out with Catullus,
with Baca/Smith/Coleman,
acclimatize to neighborhood
Taos, Pilar -- Gary Glazner as coach,
read Sherman’s new book,
I love him as brother, as writer,
as friend. Now for the po-hype,
I’ll take on competition, this
fellow poet fighting for po future
The bell rings now -- and
I’m ready. I’m ready to read!
© 2000, Bob Holman
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