Every 4th of July in Gambier, Ohio–at least those that I have been a part of–the mayor (currently Kirk Emmert) usually makes a speech accompanying a festive parade, which typically includes some remarks in the spirit of the day. The parade is pure rural Americana magic (more to follow on this peculiar phenomena in the forthcoming installment of the KR Young Writers blogpost series). This year, he included naming a Poet Laureate of Gambier–fellow KR Young Writer instructor and current Stegner Fellow Andy Grace–and had asked Andy in advance to read a poem in honor of the day. The poem is lovely–it is entitled “Harvest”, and you can find it by following the above link to the Cortland Review, and then scrolling to the last poem on the webpage. Andy read the poem to what legitimately felt like the whole village. (The estimated population in 2003 was just under 2,000 residents.) The poem speaks to a ruralness not unlike the area the surrounds Gambier.
Mayor Emmert then read this proclamation:
“Whereas poetry and literature enhance life in the Village of Gambier,
and whereas Kenyon College has a reputation for the excellent teaching and writing of poetry and literature,
and whereas poetry touches us in ways that remind us of our connectedness as citizens and human beings,
and whereas Kenyon graduate Andy Grace is an accomplished poet who has written a poem to help us celebrate the 4th of July,
Now therefore, I, Kirk Emmert, Mayor of Gambier, do hereby proclaim Andy Grace to be the Poet Laureate of the Village of Gambier for the year 2007.”
What struck me most from Gambier’s celebration is how little we see poetry these days in public life, outside of a bookstore or library or academic building. Would that more mayors consider what Emmert recognizes as an intrinsic value of poetry: the ability it has to connect us to ourselves and each other, above class, race, gender and other everyday divisions that separate. As such, the true political value of poetry. May all elected leaders make more use of this abundant (and cheap) resource.
I invite you to crib from the above proclamation and send to your mayor as you see fit.