St. Paul poet Kevin Fitzpatrick reads numerous poems.

Transcript:

(00:00:00) I write poetry for a number of reasons one. I find it a way of exploring and communicating what is important to me people and situations. I also find it a way of incorporating and unifying a variety of experience that I've had either an actual life or or reading or you know dealing with other people. It seems to me that being a writer or a poet. It just opens up the world to pay attention. Attention to another reason I write is that I think I'm good at it and I've been encouraged by others to write and I think was the poet Luis Rodriguez who said that after he gets done writing a poem that he thinks works for him. That's a good poem that he feels like he can walk through a wall and I've had that experience to I think poetry writing is probably one of the few Peak experiences that a sedentary person like myself. Of can have doesn't feel like riding a bicycle over Mount Everest. So those are a number of reasons why I write poetry currently. I work as a disability claims examiner. I've done this for 14 years and I'd like to quote Wallace Stevens on was a vice president of The Hartford insurance company as far as work and he's he said it gives a person character as a poet to have this daily contact. T' with a job and I've never felt that as a disability claims examiner that I have not been enriched by by the job the job deals with people in crisis everyday. I deal with doctors lawyers politicians and you know other legal systems Etc government, so it's something I think that's added to my to my poetry and I think I'll start with a poem I've written. Call Rush Hour, which is part of the work series. I'm doing on different work situations. I've had over the years and then I'll read a couple other poems. Rush Hour a hot day's end. I'm stopped at a long light and anxious car swerves into the right lane to Surge ahead when the red changes green his revving engine jostles my migraine, who does he think I am some pencil Pusher who drives a Ford and wouldn't dare exceed in anything even the posted speed he steps on it, but doesn't gain the lead. I flicked my mirror down blotting them out. Then think of stopping having a calm talk telling him how this street was once a trail that Pioneers would ride on a horse or walk for days to get to town to buy supplies. And if the store were bare of seed or salt, they plotted home again not sputtering blame. How could the ice clogged River be at fault? I let him pass but watch him carefully and try no triggering move like breaking fast pointing. He Squints one. I like a marksman taking dead aim, who knows where he's been last perhaps he's just been downsized from his job cleaned out his desk and hit some Downtown Bar. I slow way back recalling last week's news a man found shot beside his idling. car Neighbors at the Big Top Liquor Store My neighbors watch he says watch me come watch me go a short thin black Mane 6 to your soul in front of me at the checkout wearing a twins cap and gray United Auto Workers jacket coaxes his purchase a case of Old Milwaukee and cans into the largest Brown Bag the popcorn eating clerk offers. The man had quipped earlier makes you want to quit drinking. When I was pondering prices down a long various aisle of Whiskey's now I wonder if I caught his drift as I remarked to him about neighbors. I don't like my neighbors either see me bring alcohol home. But with my neighbors he smiles as he flips the bag case over and digs through to grip it's handle I get too much

(00:04:35) company.

(00:04:37) Leaning sideways. He loves his suitcase out the coveted contents only partially concealed. I think of my neighbors and his how I barely know mine how uneasy I'd be drinking with them. Stars water win time 14mm. I hardly remember those months of winter before I met you

(00:05:03) mornings pacing the neighborhood the sidewalk a long hallway tonight. All the traffic lights are green going my way driving to you.

(00:05:15) I am snow reflecting these City star's snow melting running along curbs toward the Mississippi and if some pranksters damn backs the Eat up or more likely my bald tire blows flat. I'll get out and walk under real stars this warm March wind which tonight could topple fields of eroded monuments gusting behind going my way closer to you.