'Poetry Is a Matter of Life'

 “Poetry is a matter of life, not just a matter of language.” – Lucille Clifton

Born in June, 1936 in Buffalo, NY Clifton both studied and lived in Washington, DC, before settling in Maryland where from 1979–1985 she was Poet Laureate. Common topics in her poetry include the celebration of her African American heritage and feminist themes, but she also is a powerful portrayer of daily life.    Her writing began as a hobby and outlet for her thoughts and feelings, but when a friend who also was a friend of the poet Langston Hughes passed along some of her work to him, he encouraged her to stop her job and concentrate on writing.  

 

 

She always attributed her success to her joy of writing about the world around her.  For Saturday’s Poem, here is Clifton's powerful,

I am accused

 

 

i am accused of tending to the past
as if i made it,
as if i sculpted it
with my own hands. i did not.
this past was waiting for me
when i came,
a monstrous unnamed baby,
and i with my mother's itch
took it to breast
and named it
History.
she is more human now,
learning languages everyday,
remembering faces, names and dates.
when she is strong enough to travel
on her own, beware, she will.

 

 

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