In this all-new episode, Connor and Jack explore the incredible poem "A Stranger" by Saeed Jones. They discuss the poem's grappling with the loss of a mother, the use of distance and restraint, and the many strangers populating this short lyric. A Stranger By: Saeed Jones I wonder if my dead mother still thinks of me. I know I don’t know her new name. I don’t know her, not now. I don’t know if “her” is the word burning in a stranger’s mind when he sees my dead mother walking down the street in her bright black dress. I wonder if he inhales the cigarette smoke that will eventually kill him and thinks “I wish I knew a woman who was both the light and every shadow the light pierces.” I wonder if a passing glance at my dead mother is enough to make a poet out of anyone. I wonder if I’m the song she hums as she waits for the light to change or if I’m just the traffic signal holding her up. Find us at our website: www.closetalking.com/ Find us on Facebook at: facebook.com/closetalking  Find us on Twitter at: twitter.com/closetalking  Find us on Instagram: @closetalkingpoetry You can always send us an e-mail with thoughts on this or any of our previous podcasts, as well as suggestions for future shows, at [email protected].

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related