Poetry Month

If you’re finding it difficult to find a reason to laugh in this time of the coronavirus, please don’t feel alone. I’m having issues too. My friends know I’m a germaphobe. I carry hand sanitizer with me everywhere I go. It’s on my grocery list weekly. Hard to get along without purchasing it, but I’m doing it. Not possible to get along without poetry. Happy it’s poetry month. Today, I’m sharing a poem with you from my book Backpack Blues: Ignite the Fire Within, soon-to-be published by Taylor and Seale as a play titled Ain’t it a Shame.

Most of my poetry is more poignant than humorous. Usually, I write about the alienation, loneliness, secrets, one-sided loves, fears, hopes, dreams, and injustices young people face. We’re facing enough of that, so today, I’m sharing one of the humorous poems from the book. Can’t you just picture one of the characters from The Big Bang Theory writing it? But they didn’t I did. Enjoy. Smile. It’s okay to smile.

NOAH NEWMAN

by Melody Dean Dimick

Siri talks back.

Unlike the girl in calculus class,

she answers my questions.

She reminds me when assignments are due.

She places my phone calls.

She tells me the weather so

I know enough to wear a coat.

She doesn’t care that I’m a computer geek.

Thanks, Dad, for the personal assistant.

She was the perfect gift.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Deyon has said,

“Cell phones are not allowed in class,”

so I’ve turned Siri off.

Reluctantly, I must admit.

She’s not the first girl

I’ve turned off.