Sometimes You Get What You Need

Yolanda Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni

"Because, no matter what else is wrong with you, good wine and good sex will make you feel better." --- Nikki Giovanni

***
My salvation came in the beautiful form of Nikki Giovanni.
I'm lucky enough to have friends that understand me (A challenging task, ask anyone!) And yesterday during my terrible horrible no good very bad day Katie sent me a link to new podcast called the Bill Moyers journal and told me to look up the interview with Nikki Giovanni. I did. And not only does this feed my podcasting obsession (especially since The Devil and Me is on an inexplicably long hiatus) but it calms me deep down in my soul. Firstly, beacuse I find poetry so soothing and the two poems she reads in this interview are right up my alley. And secondly beacuse it's hard to stay mad at a rainy snowy cold day when I remember that my mother is still alive and cooking a pot roast and that I get to home tonight and tell her how much I love her and eat her good cooking and talk to my dad about the Sox losing to the Orioles in Spring training yesterday.

Big Papi's. David Ortiz with his youngest and Julio Lugo with little Julio. Aww, Cuuuute.

(He will say "So what, it's spring training."
And I will say "Yeah but they are playing the Reds today."
And he will say "Come on, who cares? It's the Reds.")

So what's a little lousy weather, anyway.

****

Here is one of the poems Nikki read to me.
I think it's called Sources and I did my best to get the spacing right.

If I can't do
What I want to do
Than it's my job
Not to do
What I don't want to do.

It's not the same
But it's the best I can do.

If I can't have
What I want
Than my job is to want
What I've got.

And be satisfied
That at least there's
Something more
To want.

Since I can't go.
Where I need to go.
Than I must go
where the signs point

Though always understanding
Parallel movement
Isn't lateral.

When I can't express
What I really feel
I practice feeling
What I can express

And none of it is
Equal, I know.

But that's why mankind
Alone
Among the animals
Learns to cry.