By special request of Rachel Bunting, Day 27 on Day 29
If you didn’t hear about the work Rachel Bunting has been doing for the Bullycide Project this month, you should check it out. She’s doing a much more important Poetry Month Project than I am. Here I have been just playing in the poetry playground, recording the work of people who inspire and delight me. Some of the poets this month were old favorites, others friends, and a few were newly discovered, at least by me.
Rachel asked if I was still taking requests that I read this piece by Reginald Shepherd. I thought it fit well here after Jerry Wemple’s poem of loss, “An April Funeral in Pennsylvania.” This one is about the loss of a mother, an experience of intimate familiarity for me. Shepherd’s piece was published in his book Fata Morgana, back in 2007. You can read the poem, as well as a bit about the book and how to get your hands on it, in this post on his own blog. Sadly, he himself died of cancer in 2008.
Thank you, Rachel for requesting this one. On an interesting side note, the R&B single at the beginning of this poem, “If This World Were Mine,” was released by Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye in December, the year of my birth, 1967.
Related articles
- National Poetry Month (bluemountain.com)
- David Reads “There are Things You Cannot Do in Space,” by Rachel Bunting (dadpoet.wordpress.com)
David J. Bauman 
So much love. A beautiful reading, David. Thank you.
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Aw, thank you! I actually thought there were two tiny places (just two 😉 where I could a have read it better. But you know how these poetry month deadlines are. And after reading it again a few times today, I did this recording in just one take. So I am at least a little proud that it turned out so well.
I’m thankful that you brought this one to me.
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Oh! I also just realized that in my haste I forgot to include the link to Reginald’s own blog post with the text of the poem. Fixed that. Thanks again, Rachel!
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This is a difficult time of year for the motherless. This poem and your reading of it are gifts of comfort.
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My own mother passed away on April 17th, 26 years ago. Every “Good Friday” is a reminder to me, no matter when the moon brings Easter to our calendar. Thank you for letting me know, HC.
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Another wonderful poem…you manage to capture the deeper essences of the poem in your voice…a truly fine month for us all.
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And you do this sort of thing with your own work nearly every day. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m featuring you soon, Charles. 🙂
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Another wonderful job of reading so there is even more demention to the poem. Bravo! Fine selection.
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Thank you. I hadn’t read that before until Rachel requested it. I should take requests more often!
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