Maya Angelou

On NPR I heard Maya Angelou being interviewed by Tavis Smiley, and, as a tribute to National Poetry Month, she recited the following poem:

On Aging
When you see me sitting quietly,
Like a sack left on the shelf,
Don't think I need your chattering.
I'm listing to myself.
Hold! Stop! Don't pity me!
Hold! Stop your sympathy!
Understanding if you got it,
Otherwise I'll so without it!

When my bones are stiff and aching,
and my feet won't climb the stair,
I will only ask one favor:
Don't bring me no rocking chair.

When you see me walking, stumbling,
Don't study and get it wrong.
'Cause tired don't mean lazy
And every goodbye ain't gone.
I'm the same person I was back then,
A little less hair, a little less chin,
A lot less lungs and much less wind.
But ain't I lucky I can still breathe in.

_Maya Angelou

Tavis also interviewed an up and coming poet, Evan Brown. You can listen here. He made the point that this generation seems be more connected to poetry with all the poetry slams in coffee houses.