WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.440 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:00:06.440 --> 00:00:09.200 align:middle line:84% Well, I'm very honored to be here, very honored 00:00:09.200 --> 00:00:11.810 align:middle line:90% to be presenting to you. 00:00:11.810 --> 00:00:14.510 align:middle line:90% 00:00:14.510 --> 00:00:17.150 align:middle line:84% I'm going to read a few poems in a minute, 00:00:17.150 --> 00:00:19.220 align:middle line:84% and I'll probably say at the end what 00:00:19.220 --> 00:00:23.510 align:middle line:84% I'll say at the beginning, which is I hope what you've 00:00:23.510 --> 00:00:26.420 align:middle line:84% got from your experience so far today is 00:00:26.420 --> 00:00:31.280 align:middle line:84% the importance of language, the importance of being 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:38.300 align:middle line:84% thoughtful with your language, and the importance of how 00:00:38.300 --> 00:00:40.730 align:middle line:84% language can open up worlds to you. 00:00:40.730 --> 00:00:43.190 align:middle line:84% And that's a lot of what poetry can do 00:00:43.190 --> 00:00:45.110 align:middle line:90% is open up worlds to you. 00:00:45.110 --> 00:00:50.570 align:middle line:84% So I'm going to read a few poems out of my book, 00:00:50.570 --> 00:00:53.000 align:middle line:90% and you may have-- 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:56.480 align:middle line:84% most of them hopefully you've seen and maybe one I'll 00:00:56.480 --> 00:00:59.720 align:middle line:84% give you new to see how that experience goes. 00:00:59.720 --> 00:01:03.710 align:middle line:84% And I'll tell you a little bit about the poems 00:01:03.710 --> 00:01:06.920 align:middle line:84% before I read them, so to give you some context because I 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:08.600 align:middle line:90% think that might help a little 00:01:08.600 --> 00:01:11.340 align:middle line:84% So the first one is called, "Colors." 00:01:11.340 --> 00:01:14.400 align:middle line:84% And we've all played board games, 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:16.160 align:middle line:90% and we've all played games. 00:01:16.160 --> 00:01:21.690 align:middle line:84% And this poem is about playing a game. 00:01:21.690 --> 00:01:25.940 align:middle line:84% And from my perspective because usually 00:01:25.940 --> 00:01:30.350 align:middle line:84% the poet is writing from their individual, very individual 00:01:30.350 --> 00:01:35.210 align:middle line:84% perspective not necessarily right or wrong, 00:01:35.210 --> 00:01:39.500 align:middle line:84% asking myself why are we playing this game. 00:01:39.500 --> 00:01:42.170 align:middle line:90% So it's called, "Colors." 00:01:42.170 --> 00:01:46.010 align:middle line:84% How is the wine and book and women stock club 00:01:46.010 --> 00:01:48.350 align:middle line:90% transformed tonight? 00:01:48.350 --> 00:01:52.970 align:middle line:84% What possesses you to disguise your desires to collapse 00:01:52.970 --> 00:01:55.550 align:middle line:90% our natural divisions? 00:01:55.550 --> 00:02:00.780 align:middle line:84% Is it too much for me to hide in the study watching television, 00:02:00.780 --> 00:02:03.980 align:middle line:84% watching the eternal season of sport? 00:02:03.980 --> 00:02:07.790 align:middle line:84% With pretzels and beer, I am whole. 00:02:07.790 --> 00:02:10.009 align:middle line:84% Do I need to understand the matrix 00:02:10.009 --> 00:02:12.620 align:middle line:90% of my neighbors' personality? 00:02:12.620 --> 00:02:16.340 align:middle line:84% Isn't it enough if I think he is a nice guy? 00:02:16.340 --> 00:02:21.620 align:middle line:84% She, a tempestuous ditzy-eyed siren. 00:02:21.620 --> 00:02:23.900 align:middle line:84% Their needs and struggles, values 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:27.260 align:middle line:84% and stresses are enough for them. 00:02:27.260 --> 00:02:30.650 align:middle line:84% As you mouth secrets under compelled oath, 00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:35.390 align:middle line:84% do not take my tight silence as arrogance or fear. 00:02:35.390 --> 00:02:39.950 align:middle line:84% What I know is that your soft, orange heart cannot bear 00:02:39.950 --> 00:02:44.390 align:middle line:84% the gold truth made blue by the fact of our long, 00:02:44.390 --> 00:02:46.926 align:middle line:90% green experience. 00:02:46.926 --> 00:02:50.120 align:middle line:84% I'll talk about that one in a little while.