US Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera on a year of gun violence
A hand is raised in worship at the Metropolitan Community Church one week after the Pulse night club shooting in Orlando, Florida, June 19, 2016.
As the nation mourns the massacre in Orlando, Florida, America is taking a moment to remember another tragedy: One year ago today, nine people were murdered in a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
Grief is something that Juan Felipe Herrera knows well. He was named United States Poet Laureate last June— the first Latino to hold the position — and he's been credited with capturing the consciousness of America with his writings on immigrants and gun violence.
A year after the shooting at Emanuel AME and on the heels of the Orlando massacre, Herrera explores tragedy, grief, and how as poet laureate, he uses language to help gain understanding of these moments in American history.
Herrera writes that this poem is "for all our 49 LGBTQ brothers and sisters massacred at the Pulse Dance Club, Orlando, Florida, RIP, and their families and all the 53 injured and their families, for all seeking the end of homophobia and mad gun machines— for Orlando, Florida. 6-2016." Listen to Herrera read his poem, "i Will Lov U 4Ever, Orlando," below.
i Will Lov U 4Ever, Orlando.
“Please come get us.” Someone said — from below
“Bullets as big as this…”
talking about that angular jeweled thing tearing through
the soft-petaled arm as if in search of more death.
Another voice:
from above — “It is heroic to save others lives.”
(O yes it is – if you can love)
through the dark
in the mist in the blood through the glass jagged & split.
Another voice (from above): “It could have lasted a whole song.”
Listen: Lissen —
49 are — no longer
they have multiplied into our voices your voices
if you let them burn & unfold inside of U — they make us
speak somehow ( i
was going about my poetry business — just returned
from giving a keynote at OSU
the next morning – 49 gone 53 hit).
The morning itself has lost
something mornings wear
the fanciness of clouds the romantic clock by the curtains.
Listen again:
1000 voices in ricochet & another 1000 calling
the trauma unit — OR # 1
OR # 2
OR # 3 & OR again & again.
Surgeons flow their hands across soapy bodies nurses nurses —
“Am I going to live” — one asks
“Am I going to live”
“Here comes another patient”
“Here comes
another patient” —
Text Twitter
video news statement text twitter last video
last very last tex t —
Night at the Pulse Orlando at the Pulse U @ the Pulse
Holes in the walls
Gun pointing down the stalls
Holes in the walls
Gun pointing down the stalls —
“I was prepared,” says Angel Colón — (up above)
about his friend in red floating toward the roof
2 in the morning
2:15 in the morning
LGBTQ
LGBTQ & U
LGBTQ & U the names the names & the sirens
“My son is missing,” after he count — says his mother from above
to CNN
(i thought we had taken care of the issues – U & me –
straight – gay – LGBTQ
freedom – equality – w/o violence
Stonewall Gay Pride Parade — of course
it was not enough what is enuf what is missing
is it freedom what kind of freedom)
Just U
& the shredded wind that crashes in from the ocean &
scarring tender heat from nowhere
the sleeveless that belonged to her …
no longer there
just this ache
in everything (even though i am writing you are reading
it is impossible to read now or to lissen)
just this ache everywhere &
this hate at each end of the shores
this body wrapped in white
tied at the feet
knotted at the breast
then a knife-black
blanket
then an ambulance any color then gone
just this absence
in search of an impossible touch how can it be so
in this big sexy life the one that covers us all no matter our letters
LGBTQLGBTQQQLLBBGGBBTTQQ U UU danced
for a moment the pulse danced with U — yes
with the universe this celestial dancer that cannot
be described only danced danced
merengue
mambo
guaracha de Puerto Rico & El Caribe y una canción de amor
something free free like that
Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love dance
Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love
Kiss his lips that are gone
Kiss her lips that are gone
Kiss his thighs that are gone
Kiss her thighs that are gone
Kiss the small of
his back that still dervishes
somewhere over there —
Kiss the small of her back that
still magnetizes somewhere over here
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Queer in whatever order you want
Gay Lesbian Bisexual Trans Queer Wait
we have not (i have not)
mentioned the guns the tiny-jacket—man-guns the guns that do not
want to be guns the guns forced into the hands the ones jammed through the door
into our identity into our kindness.
Let us go let us go it is time now
from here to there & become all
from polished hate to raw love & love all
from lips to lips from love to love
— in full freedom libertad tuyamía yoursmine in bongó & bolero
Orlando present presente para siempre 4Ever Orlando in conga & timbales
lift her body in all color in red in yellow in white in black in brown in red
cuerpo de ella en color total en rojo en amarillo en blanco en negro en café en rojo
how i love U
lift his body holy in brown in red in white in yellow in black
levanta su cuerpo bendito en café en rojo en blanco en amarillo en negro
como te quiero quiero con maraca y chékere
in blur in blur to blur
entre uno en medio entre otra nace uno sale otra
como te quiero quiero in rhythm eternal ritmo
No hate no shoot no flames no screams on screams
No shoot no night inferno night of crimson-blue & apart
4EverNight
It could have lasted a whole song
It could have lasted w/ U & me going round & round —
Who is going to brush my arms up against the sky hermanito
who is going to shake my hips against the wavy light hermanita
who is going to leap rounder than these tumbler bullets striking tu y yo
who is going with the woman flying out the narrow crystals you & me
toward the flooded yellow-green exit
who is going to kiss kiss her shrapnel wounds sharpening
& catch her body twist & face down
at the Pulse — lov
loving life is that a crime (i ask you from here)
loving live is that a crime this time next time
we shall not forget U Orlando
(we shall march for U — Orlando)
i will lovU 4Ever