C. K. (Charles Kenneth) Williams

Charles Kenneth Williams was born in Newark, New Jersey on November 4, 1936. He spent his childhood in South Orange, New Jersey and after high school in Maplewood he attended Bucknell College where he played basketball,

Zebra

by C. K. (Charles Kenneth) Williams (1936–2015)

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16

Kids once carried tin soldiers in their pockets as charms

against being afraid, but how trust soldiers these days

not to load up, aim, blast the pants off your legs?

I have a key-chain zebra I bought at the Thanksgiving fair.

How do I know she won’t kick, or bite at my crotch?

Because she’s been murdered, machine-gunned: she’s dead.

Also, she’s a she: even so crudely carved, you can tell
by the sway of her belly a foal’s inside her.
Even murdered mothers don’t hurt people, do they?

Click here for complete poem

Poets Book of Days

November 26

Robert Browning's Dramatic Lyrics is published in 1842.

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Poetry Trivia

Question:

Dubbed "the poet of the Revolution" and editor of the National Gazette , which poet was particularly disliked by President George Washington?

Answer

Friend of Thomas Jefferson, Philip Freneau was called a cur, rascal and dog by George Washington who was the object of many of Freneau's barbs for the Federalist Gazette of the United States ' rival paper.

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