In this episode, guest Vincent Cooper welcomes host Aaron Tyler Hand into his home to discuss being inspired by the places they grew up, fostering a dedication to poetry without taking any college classes, finding time to write when you have a life outside of writing, and the ways in which writing can help bring people closer together.
Vincent Cooper
[Poetry] gives me that release that I need, that fulfillment.
Poems:
My Friend David
The man who tears me from the streets of
Hell into his home of hope and safety
He became a Priest but died too soon as
a father figure that will be missed
Untitled
WE FACE THINGS IN LIFE THAT SEEM HARSH AT TIMES
AND THE CLEAR MESSAGE IS HINDSIGHT, THE LESSON AND MEANING
SO WHEN LIFE TAKES YOU PLACES YOU DIDN’T INTEND TO BE
JUST KNOW YOU’LL SEE LESSON AND REASON IN THE FUTURE
I Remember
Stronger than life itself, softer
than a baby’s milky breath
always so kind and tender
dear grandma I remember. Sitting
in the kitchen in the early morn
the smell of frying bacon blesses
my nose fresh juice dancing
in the blender through blurry
eyes I remember. Hard to
believe that it has been so
very long, but still you’re
larger than life, mystique
carries on through many
trials to navigate without
your wisdom
and truth, I won't falter
or surrender because
of what I remember
Deep Circle
The good old Deep Circle
A street that always has movement
this street located in the south part of
town in its own little town of Austin
where kids can ride up and down the
street, everyone basically knows everyone
with its easy access to the other major streets
that provide an outlet from the simple
life where trouble can begin
Elderberry
The street is long
The trees were abundant
We had a basketball hoop
Where I cracked my head
Across the street from the
Lady with the silk worms
In her tree that blocked the
Sidewalk. Kim and Jeff
Lived in the cul de sac
They taught me how to roll
Cigarettes on a legal pad and
Do flips on their trampoline
The C-Mart was
Behind us and the store
Owner chased us off for
throwing condiment packs
Against the side wall.
That was my street…
Elderberry
Writing Prompts:
Vincent Cooper uses his Untitled poem to reflect on the street that he grew up on. While times might have been rough, he uses the sights and sounds of his neighborhood to celebrate it and the joyous times that were had there. What was the street/neighborhood like that you grew up on? Talk about the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of that street/neighborhood at that time. Write a poem that focuses on the happy moments so that you live in them once again.
Do Not Resuscitate is a poem about the emotional weight associated with losing your loved ones. In sharing the losses that his grandma has faced, Cooper is giving insight into many tragedies that have faced his family. With this in mind, write a poem about the important people in your life who you have lost. While you talk about the pain of losing them, don’t forget to celebrate their lives and share how important they were to you.
In Barrio in Heaven, Cooper imagines a party or family reunion with his loved ones that are in heaven. He imagines conversations he would have with him if/when he gets to meet them again. He focuses on the delights that they would share and the traits that he misses of theirs that he knows they would still have. Use this concept to write a poem about what you would do with and say to a loved one who has passed if you got to see them again.