A Guest Series Curated by Nicole Rollender. Intro to project here.

Call and Response: “Ballad”

Sonia Sanchez is one of the most important writers of the Black Arts Movement and is the author of 16 books. She’s the recipient of the Robert Frost Medal for distinguished lifetime service to American poetry and the Langston Hughes Poetry Award. The lyric poem “Ballad” is from Sanchez’s book, Homegirls & Handgrenades.

Ballad
(after the spanish)

forgive me if i laugh
you are so sure of love
you are so young
and i too old to learn of love.

the rain exploding
in the air is love
the grass excreting her
green wax is love
and stones remembering
past steps is love,
but you. you are too young
for love
and i too old.

once. what does it matter
when or who, i knew
of love.
i fixed my body
under his and went
to sleep in love
all trace of me
was wiped away

forgive me if i smile
young heiress of a naked dream
you are so young
and i too old to learn of love.

RESPONSE #2: by Rafael Dosman

I chose this video because I feel nature in all of its glory is very symbolic. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with nature but will never fully realize or be able to understand the power that is Mother Nature. We cry to release the joy of great happiness or the pain of great sorrow but will never fully realize or understand the gift of being able to feel those emotions is truly love.

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Rafael Dosman is originally from Almirante, Panama and self-proclaimed night owl who resides in hipster haven of Fishtown Philadelphia, where he spends most of his late nights pondering the essence of humanity, mental balance and kindness.