美国国家公共电台 NPR Memories Of Home: Share Yours As A Poem

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Our friend and resident poet Kwame Alexander is back with us for one of our regular poetry call outs. Hi, Kwame.

KWAME ALEXANDER, BYLINE¹: Hey, Rachel.

MARTIN: Did you know this? It has been two years since we started doing these segments together.

ALEXANDER: No way.

MARTIN: It has.

ALEXANDER: Get out.

MARTIN: The time has flown. And you are flying. You are flying across the ocean. You are leaving us.

ALEXANDER: Great segue.

MARTIN: Was it?

(LAUGHTER)

ALEXANDER: Literally²...

MARTIN: Right.

ALEXANDER: ...I am - and metaphorically³ - I am going across the pond, as it were.

MARTIN: And moving to London, which - I am sad, but I'm very happy for you because it's a great opportunity.

ALEXANDER: I am thrilled, Rachel, to be the innovator-in-residence at the American School of London for the next year. I'll be writing. But I'll remember this place, this time, this work that we'll continue to do.

MARTIN: I want to bring up a poem and have us read some of it because it relates to that idea, right? It is remembering where you're from in order to move forward. This is a poem by George Ella Lyon.

ALEXANDER: I know that poem.

MARTIN: Yeah.

ALEXANDER: It's a collection of memories from her past.

MARTIN: Right. So let's read this together. I'll start. (Reading) I am from clothespins, from Clorox and carbon tetrachloride. I'm from the dirt under the back porch - black, glistening⁵, it tasted like beets⁶. I'm from the forsythia bush, the Dutch elm whose long-gone limbs I remember as if they were my own.

ALEXANDER: (Reading) I'm from fudge and eyeglasses, from Imogene and Alafair. I'm from the know-it-alls and the pass-it-ons, from perk⁷ up and pipe down. I'm from He restoreth my soul with a cottonball lamb and 10 verses I can say myself.

MARTIN: Oh, I love that. That is an excerpt⁸ from "Where I'm From." It's by Appalachian poet and children's author George Ella Lyon.

ALEXANDER: And it's often used as a jump-off for kids and adults to share their own remembrances from family sayings to the smells that bring childhood to life. It's like a time capsule of memories.

MARTIN: So we want you, MORNING EDITION listeners, to write one of these yourselves. Draw on all five senses and use memories of your own to craft poems that reflect the people and the places that you came from.

ALEXANDER: You can do it. I mean, for example - I am from words and art and books. I am from discipline and hard work, the sound of coins in a jar. Your turn, Rachel.

MARTIN: OK. I am from wheat fields and combine rides, storytellers, long hugs and casual conversations with strangers.

ALEXANDER: Ladies and gentlemen, what a fine poem.

MARTIN: Do you like that?

ALEXANDER: I love it.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: I always find that a little hard. So just write the words that come to you. Tell us where you're from in your own words. Send your submissions⁹ in writing. Or you can record a voice memo⁴ by going to npr.org/myroots. Kwame, the next time you and I get back together, which might be remotely because, we should say again...

ALEXANDER: I'll be across the pond, but...

MARTIN: Across the pond.

ALEXANDER: ...I'll be here in my heart.

MARTIN: OK. Of course. So we will read or play a few of the poems that you all send us.

ALEXANDER: I can't wait for this.

MARTIN: Kwame Alexander is a regular contributor to MORNING EDITION and the inaugural¹⁰ innovator-in-residence at the American School of London. You are so fancy. Go innovate¹¹, my friends.

ALEXANDER: Cheers, mate.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

3 metaphorically   

adv. 用比喻地

参考例句：

• It is context and convention that determine whether a term will be interpreted literally or metaphorically. 对一个词的理解是按字面意思还是隐喻的意思要视乎上下文和习惯。
• Metaphorically it implied a sort of admirable energy. 从比喻来讲，它含有一种令人赞许的能量的意思。

4 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

5 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

6 beets   

甜菜( beet的名词复数 )； 甜菜根； （因愤怒、难堪或觉得热而）脸红

参考例句：

• Beets are Hank's favorite vegetable. 甜菜根是汉克最爱吃的蔬菜。
• In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上，大麦，苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。

7 perk   

n.额外津贴；赏钱；小费；

参考例句：

• His perks include a car provided by the firm.他的额外津贴包括公司提供的一辆汽车。
• And the money is,of course,a perk.当然钱是额外津贴。

8 excerpt   

n.摘录，选录，节录

参考例句：

• This is an excerpt from a novel.这是一部小说的摘录。
• Can you excerpt something from the newspaper? 你能从报纸上选录些东西吗？

9 submissions   

n.提交( submission的名词复数 )；屈从；归顺；向法官或陪审团提出的意见或论据

参考例句：

• The deadline for submissions to the competition will be Easter 1994. 递交参赛申请的截止时间为1994年的复活节。 来自辞典例句
• Section 556(d) allows the agency to substitute written submissions for oral direct testimony in rulemaking. 第五百五十六条第（四）款准允行政机关在规则制定中用书面提交材料替代口头的直接证言。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

10 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

11 innovate   

v.革新，变革，创始

参考例句：

• We must innovate in order to make progress.我们必须改革以便取得进步。
• It is necessary to innovate and develop military theories.创新和发展军事理论是必要的。