National Poetry Month Addendum

A couple weeks ago, I wrote here about my 2008 application (written in the form of an epic poem) to be poet laureate of California.  It came after then Gov. Schwarzenegger was looking to name one for the state, and one of the conditions was that any poet willing to refuse the (small) stipend would be given extra consideration.

I noted in the retelling that --

"My friend Rich Capparela was the long-time host of the morning show on the classical music radio station in Los Angeles, KUSC-FM.  He's still on the air there, though wise enough to no longer have to get up before the sun starts to break. Anyway, at the time, he saw my piece, no doubt thought that it fit the fine arts culture of the station, and read the first verse on the air.  I will note that there were many other verses -- we poets highly prize the epic form -- but being a music show, I understood that some things must give way, even in the exalted name of poetry."

I wrote that and left it as is, because I couldn't find the audio of Rich's moving interpretation of the first verse, which I thought I had kept.

It turns out that I looked in the wrong places.  Because happily...it exists.  And I found it.  So, to raise the fine arts standards of this site, here -- to further honor National Poetry Month -- is the recording. 

​And the proof that I wasn't a-lying.

Here again, for those who might have missed it or are the kind of graceful people who regularly reread poetry to enrich themselves emotionally and artistically, here is the full ballade.

I'm applying to be poet laureate

Though I'm not sure what the job's faureate.

My rhymes aren't deep

But they're fast and they're cheap!

Which is why I've not been shown the daureate.

I so hope I become poet laureate.

I've got poems you shouldn't ignaureate.

Sure, the job pays no stipend,

But I swear I won’t gripe and

I’ll only give thanks I’m not paureate.

O if I become poet laureate

The surprises that you have instaureate.

I'll fill poems by the barrel

To be read at one’s peril.

And I promise I won't be a haureate.

I'd be a real good poet laureate.

This writing stuff isn't a chaureate.

I’ll do sonnet or haiku

Or whatever you like, you

Just tell me if you need some maureate.

So, please let me be poet laureate!!

There are worlds o’ rhymes left to explaureate.

And for better or worse

What you get with free verse

Is something you may not adaureate.