Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem, I AM WAITING, is the inspiration for Cathy’s poem, I AM LOOKING. Ferlinghetti, in his notes, wrote: ” This poem was conceived specifically for jazz accompaniment and as such should be considered as a spontaneously spoken “oral message” rather than as a poem for the printed page.” If you or I read or speak I AM LOOKING, in that way, the poem is subject to change. How might you or I read this poem and then write our own poem?
Tim
I AM LOOKING
I am looking for someone
who can tell me the difference
between fake news
and bad press
and how many lies
can dance on the head of a pin
and I am looking for someone
to tell me how many headlines
can spark a revolution
and I am looking for a rainbow.
I am looking for an honest man
or woman – with a lantern
to tell me why
they hold children in cages,
and hold rallies for rifles
and hold vigils for victims
but I’ve been put on hold
and I am holding on
to my American dream
and I am looking for a rainbow.
I am looking for someone
with change to spare
who can change the channel,
change the tune
change the climate
and I am looking for voters
to look up and notice
and I’m looking
for the stone in the soup
the sword in the stone
the stone unturned
and I am looking for a rainbow.
To read Cathy’s previously published poem – click here
