Morning Talk
BY ROBERTA HILL—for Melissa L. Whiteman “Hi, guy,” said I to a robin perched on a pole in the middle of the garden. Pink and yellow firecracker zinnias, rough green leaves of broccoli, and deep red tomatoes on dying stems frame his still presence. “I’ve heard you’re not THE REAL ROBIN. Bird watchers have agreed,” I said.”THE REAL ROBIN lives in England. They claim your are misnamed and that we ought to call you ‘a red-breasted thrush’ because you are indigenous.” He fluffed up. “Am I not Jis ko ko?” he cried, “that persistent warrior who carries warmth northward every spring?” He seemed so young, his red belly a bit light and his wings, still faded brown. He watched me untangling the hose to water squash. “Look who’s talking!” he chirruped. “Your people didn’t come from Europe or even India. The turtles say you’re a relative to red clay on this great island.” Drops of crystal water sparkled on the squash. “Indigenous!” he teased as he flew by. |
Ballpark Talk
BY Ethan Engdahl “Good Morning,”I said to the Hall of Famer calmly standing in a chalked circle next to the dugout the powerful sunshine, blue sky, fresh cut grass and desire to be the best, frame his powerful presence. “I’ve heard you’re not A TRUE HALL OF FAMER. The other players in the game have agreed." I said, "A TRUE HALL OF FAMER lives in Cooperstown. They say you are misnamed and that we ought to call you ‘St. Paul Famer’ Because you are local.” He popped up. “Am I not Paul Molitor?” he questioned, “that energetic small man who brought skill and joy to every game?” He seemed so old, his face so wrinkled, his goatee now white and his eyes filled with intelligence. He watched me timidly twiddling my thumbs and biting my lip. “Look who’s talking!” he declared strongly. “You don’t even live in St. Paul but yet you wear the colors purple and gold like you own them. The blood that was once in my lip now fell to the floor. “Local,” he teased as I sprinted away. |
Poem Description
As I wrote “Ballpark Talk” I was inspired by a poem written by Roberta Hill Whiteman called “Morning Talk”. From the beginning I tried to write “Ballpark Talk” using the same stanza structure that Hill Whiteman used in “Morning Talk”. I did not on the other hand used the same tempo or meter that Hill Whiteman used in her poem. “Morning Talk” was written about a ‘Real Robin’ which was really the ‘red-breasted thrush’ because it was from the U.S. and the the real robin is from England. So I pondered through a series of different things that mean something to me, but something that I could also relate to this poem. I landed on baseball because I care a great deal about baseball and it is indigenous to my culture as a human being. Indigenous is the word that Hill Whiteman uses to describe the robin, something that represents her Native American Culture. I chose the word local as a substitute for indigenous and to also describe Paul Molitor a local baseball hero of mine. I used Hill Whiteman’s message of indigenous things and set it to my own life. I said to Paul, “You don’t even live in St.paul yet you wear the colors purple and gold like you own them.” This sums up the connection because I don’t even live in St. Paul either so neither one of us is indigenous.
As I wrote “Ballpark Talk” I was inspired by a poem written by Roberta Hill Whiteman called “Morning Talk”. From the beginning I tried to write “Ballpark Talk” using the same stanza structure that Hill Whiteman used in “Morning Talk”. I did not on the other hand used the same tempo or meter that Hill Whiteman used in her poem. “Morning Talk” was written about a ‘Real Robin’ which was really the ‘red-breasted thrush’ because it was from the U.S. and the the real robin is from England. So I pondered through a series of different things that mean something to me, but something that I could also relate to this poem. I landed on baseball because I care a great deal about baseball and it is indigenous to my culture as a human being. Indigenous is the word that Hill Whiteman uses to describe the robin, something that represents her Native American Culture. I chose the word local as a substitute for indigenous and to also describe Paul Molitor a local baseball hero of mine. I used Hill Whiteman’s message of indigenous things and set it to my own life. I said to Paul, “You don’t even live in St.paul yet you wear the colors purple and gold like you own them.” This sums up the connection because I don’t even live in St. Paul either so neither one of us is indigenous.