← The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
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I'm Major Jackson and this is the Slowdown. My grandfather was one of those grandfathers that sang in the house full throated bluesy songs about bad luck and trouble, songs about helpless love and beautiful women. He sang to no one, yet he projected as if to an audience at a grand concert hall. Every day, every day I have the blues, he crooned. When you see me worrying baby, yes you I hate to lose When I was not yet a teenager, he took me to see the blues singer B.B. king on stage. King told the story of playing a small nightclub in Twist, Arkansas. Early in his career, a fight broke out between two men, causing a fire. The great musician ran into the flames to retrieve his Gibson guitar. He named it Lucille, after the woman the men were fighting over as a reminder to never risk his life. Much like the trope of the face that Launched a thousand ships, I did not appreciate the depth of emotions behind the songs my grandfather sang until one morning when I arrived early to high school for track practice to see my crush holding hands with my best friend. I could have sung 100 blues songs and would have felt none the better. But I came to understand something about love. We are creatures with wild hearts. We hurt to the core when done wrong, the ones we love may not love us back. Still, very little satiates our appetite for companionship and affection, and thus we are vulnerable, prone to passionate behavior, from loyalty to fierce protection, from devotion to possession. From the outside, such emotions might appear irrational, but it always makes for fiery art. Today's poem illustrates how encompassing and identity forming it is to love another person. That's My Heart Right There by Willie Perdomo. We used to say, that's my heart right there as if to say, don't mess with her right there as if don't even play that's a part of me right there. In other words, okay, okay, that's the start of me right there as if come that day that's the end of me right there as if push come to shove I would fend for her right there as if come what may I would lie for her right there as if come love to pay I would die for that right there the Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. This project is also supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. On the web@arts.gov to get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter and find us on Instagram. Slowdown Show Give your loved ones the gift of Poetry this year with Poetry Magazine. Poetry's gift bundle includes a one year print and digital subscription to the magazine, plus a limited edition tote bag. Your loved ones will receive 10 beautifully curated volumes of contemporary poetry and unlimited digital access through the Poetry Magazine app. It's a gift that lasts all year. Subscribe today@poetrymagazine.org slow that's poetrymagazine.org slow.