undivided attention

Ahhhh finally I have time for Taylor Mali! I found out that he was going to read his poetry at The Green Mill last Sunday!

I had planned to go with a girlfriend, but that day she cancelled. So right away, I asked the bf, but he says, "Poetry isn't my thing. Don't any of your friends want to go?"

So I text like 13 people. And I wait. and I wait. One person is at her lakehouse. Another has plans already. Another just says no, but thanks for the invite. One tweets me later in the day saying she wished she could make it.

So I tell the bf that I'll go alone and I pout a little, but then he comes, stomping his feet along the way.

I read the details wrong, so we end up there an hour early. That did not go over well with the bf. He was kinda mad, but I order a few drinks and then it eventually starts, and he starts to feel better.

We start with an hour of open mic. Some of them are good, some not so much. Hour two, Taylor Mali is set to come on. Celebrity status....it's soo cool to see him right before me. He makes a comment first thing about his green pants being really loud, but I appreciate him for it!

He starts with a new favorite poem of his that I had never heard (it's #2 below, because What Teachers Make will always be #1.) Here are five poems from his set, brought to you by youtube. (I was too busy living in the moment to spend time taking videos!)

On Girls Lending Pens - This is a rhyming couplet poem, so the audience got to fill in the rhymes. It's cute and it was fun :-)

Totally like whatever, you know - Super cool poem about speaking with authority - we need to remember....say what you believe and speak with conviction!

Undivided Attention - a beautiful poem about the way all teachers strive to teach...with all our student so engaged, so enthralled with what we have to say. A little excerpt:

So please.

Let me teach like a Steinway,

spinning slowly in April air,

so almost-falling, so hinderingly

dangling from the neck of the movers' crane

So on the edge of losing everything.
Let me teach like the first snow.............falling.

(ahhh, so beautiful!)

This is one of my new faves - Why falling in love is like owning a dog. It' super cute and so right on. I was glad that the bf got to hear this one (even though he remembers my number 1 poem more) but we have been talking about getting a dog and one day we will...and this poem just makes me happy :-)

What Teachers Make will always be my favorite. When he was doing this one, I laughed and I cried. I think it's just so beautiful and so right on. It was after this one that Hektor said, "You're like a little girl at a Justin Beiber concert!" He's so right. I was crying like a little girl...crying because someone understands exactly what it's like to be a teacher.

Afterwards, I waited in line to get his book:

and asked if we could take a picture, to which he said, "As long as it's quick." So I hand the phone to the lady behind me, and right as the flash is going, she moves the phone. So mad!! How do you screw up a pic with a flash?!?! But, even thought it's a little blurry, it's still a pic, and I'm thankful that I was there to see this amazing poet:

Kinda makes me want to write a little poetry! Still in the thought process of that one though!

Which is your favorite poem of his? Am I missing anything great?

Thanks to Doodle Bugs for hosting Five for Friday and anyone who wants to join in on the BigTime Blogging Challenge - click the picture below for the details! Happy Friday!

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