I'm glad I spent my Friday night at the Acentos Writers Workshop at Hostos Community College. Poet Martin Espada led an interesting and inspiring workshop. He dramatically read poems from Edgar Lee Masters' "Spoon River Anthology."
He told us to notice the titles, which were the names (and sometimes occupations) of the people speaking from the dead in the poems. We heard such poems as "Trainor, the Druggist," "Minerva Jones" and "John M. Church." He shared what the poems were about and the time period they were written. Espada also shared some history on the real writer behind the poems as well as some character similarities between the writer and his poems.
My favorite part of the workshop was when Espada had us write.
Images of 112 headstones were posted all over the room and participants were asked to visit the dead. The headstones were photos taken at St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx. Our assignment was to pick a headstone and write a poem inspired by that headstone.
Espada asked us to really look at the image and notice the deceased person's name, age, birth and death years, the epitaph, the headstone, the statues, the surroundings and whether there were flowers or objects on the grave. He stressed that the title was important.
He asked us to be creative. We could think about how the person lived and died or whether he or she had any secrets. We could also write a poem from the point of view of another deceased person.
I roamed the room and saw many images. Some headstones were decorated with photos of the deceased. Some were fancy and others were simple. There were many names.
I thought about picking a Gonzalez like me. I also thought about picking a woman.
But I chose Wade.
And, I wrote three pieces. I thought I'd share them with you.
My first piece
WadeI'm just Wade.
I have no age.
I have no place.
I have no loved ones.
I have no history.
All I have is a cross and
flowers engraved on a gray headstone at a Bronx cemetery.
And, my name.
My name above all.
I'm just Wade, and
I'm now just
"In God's care."
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My second piece
Wade, the nobody
I'm "in God's care," they say.
But why am I still as alone as
I used to be.
My headstone is as bare as
my life used to be.
It doesn't say the important details
the other headstones here say.
I have no place of birth.
I have no age.
I have no time of death.
I have no age.
All I have is a cross and flowers engraved
on a gray headstone
with my name at the center printed boldly,
"Wade."
But I'm a nobody.
I'm just here.
I'm alone with a message that says "In God's care."
But where is this God?
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My third piece I decided to do it as someone who knew Wade.
Wade, my loveWade is the man I visit every Sunday afternoon
at St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx.
His headstone is humble.
It provides no details.
It doesn't say he had a wife and children.
It doesn't say how long he lived.
It doesn't say he was loved.
It doesn't say anything other than "In God's care."
But those three words are meaningful to me.
You see I was his lover and he always told me
our love would last forever "In God's care."
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The Acentos Writers Workshop was established with the purpose of nurturing the newer voices in the poetry community. With writers from several genres donating their time, the workshop encourages newer writers to hone their craft, establish and create community, and perform their work in front of an audience. The workshop accepts writers of all backgrounds and skill levels to foster growth. Acentos usually meets on Sundays with a different writer leading the workshop. Acentos is actually planning a Latino poetry festival for April 17, 2010 at Hostos Community College, and the group is currently seeking volunteers. For more information, visit www.louderarts.com.
--
Clarisel Gonzalez
