Richard Ivanhoe
I live in the Haight Ashbury in San Francisco and am involved with the local community. I regularly perform at a few open mics in town. I have had a few poems published in the 2007 Poets 11 Anthology (Published by the Friends of the San Francisco Library).
“This poem was written for the second annual “Poem-Dome” in 2007. Poem-Dome is an annual event in San Francisco, although it only began in 2006. April is National Poetry Month. There are a number of events in San Francisco to celebrate National Poetry Month. At the end of April there is a city-wide open mic poetry reading in San Francisco’s City Hall. City Hall is topped with a large dome. Although the poetry reading itself takes place in a room off to the side of the dome, there is an opening ceremony that actually takes place under the dome (an eight and a half minute video of the 2006 ceremony is available on You Tube). Poem-Dome also has a website, www.poemdome.com, although it apparently hasn’t been updated since last April.
“Since part of my poem is about the dome in San Francisco’s City Hall, I gave a brief introduction, asking the audience to imagine that we were actually under the dome. I did actually receive a bulk e-mail from the Mayor’s re-election campaign site.”
I’m on Facebook as Richard Ivanhoe, and part of a group there, “Poetry San Francisco,” but otherwise don’t have any links to myself or to my work.
POEM-DOME TWO / CITY RANT
Poem Dome Two,
Here again with you,
For the remaining few,
Here is something new:
Poem-Dome
Bemoan unknown windblown gravestone;
Condone homegrown halftone trombone;
Dethrone ingrown hotzone cologne;
Poem-Dome
It’s not the pleasure dome in Xanadu,
The Pantheon, or Dome of the Rock,
Not the Taj Mahal, St. Peter’s,
St. Paul’s, nor the Blue Mosque
Not Geodesic, Millennium or Astro
But still a wonder, this rotunda we’re under.
A dome higher than the U.S. Capitol,
Built just nine years after the
City was left shaken and burning.
Medallions at the four corners, for
Equality, for Liberty, for Strength, and for Learning
“Glorious City of our Hearts that Has
Been Tried and Found Not Wanting”
Your people and your streets
I always find quite haunting.
The Mayor sent an e-mail asking for my pet peeves
So here they are, before everybody leaves:
Why asked in a campaign site, and not by the mayor’s office, I contend?
Why are important city meeting mostly held during working hours,
when working citizens can’t attend?
Why isn’t “affordable housing” defined by what someone earning the
City’s minimum wage can afford?
Why are the homeless harassed instead of given consistent room and board?
Why don’t “quality of life” crimes include incessant car alarms,
or parking that blocks wheelchairs and strollers?
My guess is that it all depends on who has the dollars.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Richard-Ivanhoe/1628377765
