We loooooove April. Sure, the weather’s a little unpredictable and it’s allergy season for some, but it’s also National Poetry Month! Our friends at Poetry.org suggested “30 Ways to Celebrate“, and we’ve got our own way to honor the art, craft and joy of poetry. We call it 30 for 30 (Twitter hashtag #30for30), and over the course of the month, we’ll be posting one poem a day from community celebrities to poets with enduring legacies. Granted, we’re two days behind, but consider the Arabian proverb:

“All mankind is divided into three classes: Those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.”

 

DianaBui

So here we are, movin’, with our a-little-belated-selves. Today’s Poem of the Day comes from Diana Bùi, the featured poet at 14th & V for Tuesday, April 3, 2012:

This is my erotic
by Diana Bùi

Queer is my sacred
unwavering boundless self
This is my erotic

Erotic is my own
it is the thoughts of climatic touch
The primal innate lust
The tongue of pleasurable radiating communication
between another and self
The love that transforms the sexual into sensual
all over mind, body, and soul
The foreplay of accepting embrace
into mind-blowing all encompassing passionate

orgasms.

I would love to have orgasms
as my political power to my identity
In question
How many times have I’ve been ambushed by
self-righteous militants of homophobia
Invading my queer with fear’s artillery
Waging war on my sex
when my sex is necessary
when this is who I am

Queer is standing right here.

PHOTO 2024 02 01 07 10 14

For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals.  He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.”  … Continued

PALESTINE WEEK 1920 x 1080 px 2

Palestine Week 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

BlackLivesMatter2

Black Lives Matter

We at Busboys and Poets are distressed at the senseless violence against Black men, women, children, and Black people of all genders that has become all too commonplace in this country. Not a day goes by that we don’t see a video, a Tweet or a Facebook post of a Black person facing assault or … Continued

dinner

Xmas Eve Service at New Beginnings

Every Christmas Eve Busboys and Poets gathers a group of volunteers to go to New Beginnings Juvenile Detention Center to prepare and serve a special meal for youth serving time. A way of giving to our young people who may struggle particularly around the holiday season. Big thanks to all our volunteers! New Beginnings is … Continued

7. Cuba – the unveiling of the plaque

Follow along for the Busboys and Poets Travel Tribe’s Cultural Exchange trip to Cuba (July 6-13, 2022) By Andy Shallal (@andyshallal CEO/Founder, Busboys and Poets) Nicolas Guillen’s office overlooks the lush gardens of the Union of Writers and Artists. It is frozen in time. The rotary telephone. The Royal typewriter. Even the original chair and desk. … Continued

The Impact: Mass Incarceration

The Impact: Mass Incarceration

The Impact of Mass Incarceration is the first of “The Impact” series hosted by Busboys and Poets Books.  Our weeklong program delves into the impact of mass incarceration and will address the inequities of the criminal legal system. The series will explore The Impact on victims, their communities, their families, and the lack of resources … Continued