30 Poets/Day 12 - Nikki Grimes and Kathi Appelt

Nikki Grimes and Kathi Appelt! Like, on the same day! See, as predicted, I've run out of adjectives and here on day 12, I just become the babbling fanboy I really am without the pretense of objective poetry host. But, I mean, come on now. Nikki Grimes and Kathi Appelt! And on the same day!!!!

All Eyes
by
Nikki Grimes

I stood at the altar
twitching in God's shadow
dizzy with
the scent of lilies,
fear a broom
that swept away
the Easter poem
I'd memorized.
I blinked back
at twenty rows
of eyes, wondered
How does it go, again?
Then, always reckless,
opened my mouth.
But all that came out
half sung,
half whispered was
"Christ the Lord
has risen today.
Haaaaa-leee-luuuu-jah!"

©2009 Nikki Grimes. All rights reserved.
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---

The Ouija
by
Kathi Appelt

It scared the bejesus out of us
two at thirteen, no former
experience with spirits,
especially ones who had
such a command of spelling.

Words like ramose,
which look simple on the page,
but when you have to spell
it goes right out of your head,
even if you ask for the definition--
“having many branches.”

Our arms were like that,
our fingers thin buds
on the edge of its
round, plastic eye.

One of us asked when
the other would die, and when it
gave an actual date,
she blanched, and ran
to the toilet, knelt
down in front of it
and begged for mercy.

I can’t remember which
of us was sentenced, only
that we loved each other so
it didn’t matter. One death
would have meant two.

© 2010 Kathi Appelt. All rights reserved.
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Yesterday we had poetry from Avis Harley and Charles Waters. Tomorrow... Lee Bennett Hopkins and Kurt Cyrus.

Please click here for more information about this year's edition of 30 Poets/30 Days, including how to follow along.