Poem from Kathryn Waddell Takara’s 2019 book
RED DREAMS, VOLCANO VISIONS
An exciting pocketbook of poetry

Takara’s firsthand observations and reflections of the 2018 Kīlauea eruption

Poem from Kathryn Waddell Takara’s 2015 book
ZIMBABWE SPIN: POLITICS & POETICS

MELTDOWN

Under the rule of a zealot
Opponents beaten and discouraged
Thwarted elections
Forgotten revolution
The meaning of democracy.

Wild animals near extinction
Illegal hunters
Heedless, greedy poachers
Elephants and rhinos at high risk
Rare tusks for ancient Chinese remedies
Jewelry, decorative art, piano keys
Endangered even on animal preserves
Where empty nests dot the abandoned trees in leafless intricacy
All Nature a sunset witness.

Ignorant collaborators
Hungry, envious of Western wealth
Commit unspeakable acts of cruelty to feed their families and greed.

Awesome independence corrupts
Distorted collective vision of progress
Ignores economic meltdown
As policy supports political intimidation
Social unrest dominated by bully tactics.

Discontent rumbles under the drought of inequality
Like magma inflates before an eruption.

Copyright 2015 Pacific Raven Press, LLC

This poem, originally published in Zimbabwe Spin: Politics and Poetics by Kathryn Waddell Takara, refers in part to the then-President of Zimbabwe, the late Robert Mugabe (Feb. 21, 1924 – Sept. 6, 2019).

Review of Zimbabwe Spin: Politics and Poetics:

“Poets forge and foster hope. Is present-day Zimbabwe worth a song? Well, Kathryn Takara forces us to believe so: ‘Creative melodies of possibility flash across the darkening horizon lit by evening fires.’ She predicts that the Great House will rise again from its current political mess. Listen to this great American poet, and you will realize Charles Baudelaire lives on. Takara’s dexterity in offering us Zimbabwe on a sweet and sour plate tells us that poetry is sister to photography.”

–George Gnapka, PhD, author and professor in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Copyright 2015 Pacific Raven Press, LLC

Brown.

I imagined it was such an ordinary color

the color of my skin.

Brown, the color of Mother Earth,

rivers rain-swelled,

a variety of tones, sharps and flats, like people:

Africans, Indians, Asians, Pacific Islanders.

Don’t mind.

Apple Brown Betty, pie crusts, brown gravy,

coffee, caramel, chocolates,

walnuts, pecans, peanuts, cashews,

brown wrapping paper for Xmas packages.

Brown, the color of my skin. Don’t mind.

Kaleidoscope of kids brown-nose the teacher,

preppies scuff their brown penny loafers.

Brownstone elegance fights decay

creeping blight in New York City,

reminding of another time—resurrecting.

Browns of tapa cloth, batik, wood carvings

carved brown doors to places

and events memorable,

the brown doors, usually forgotten.

Brown owls, chipmunks, squirrels, dogs,

horses, elks, bears, giraffes,

gazelles, lions, and other creatures

around the globe. The color of me, brown.

Don’t mind.

Browns are as natural as breath,

as varied as grains of sand.

To think, I imagined it was such an ordinary color,

the color of my skin.

Email kathryn.takara@gmail.com to order.

featuring…

Kathryn Waddell Takara Ph.D.
Visiting Author
Thursday June 19th, 2014

The English and History Departments and LIT Center welcome you to an end of year Poetry Jam and Dialog with visiting author Dr. Kathryn Waddell Takara.

Dr. Takara is renowned as a Poet and Author and is the recipient of the 2010 American Book Award, two Fulbright awards, and a board of Regents award for outstanding teachers. She has also received a lifetime achievement award for her research and contributions to the Hawai`i community, for her research and teaching of Black history. Please join us for the following events:

Period 1:  Poetry Jam with Dr. Kathryn Takara

A POETRY JAM with Dr. Takara, and Upper School Student Readings from Transitions, the ICSA School Anthology

• Intro with Dr. Takara
• All Upper School students are invited to read their poems
• Open to all Upper School students, Grades 6 -12

Period 2:  Women and Literature — A Dialog

WOMEN AND LITERATURE:  A Scholarly Exchange of Ideas

• Dr. Gnakpa dialogues with Dr. Takara
• Readings from the writings of Dr. Gnakpa and Dr. Takara
• Open to High School students, Grades 9 – 11

Note to Teachers:  Please RSVP to bring an entire class, for the whole or part of the period OR send students independently — no more than 3 students at one, with a signed pass.

Presented by the ICSA English and History Departments and the Library, Information, and Technology Center.