National Poet salutes next American President
National Poet of Wales Salutes Next American President
Academi has posted a special letter to President Barack Obama containing poems by the National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke, and Bardd Plant Cymru (Welsh-language Children’s Laureate), Ifor ap Glyn.
The two poems are sent to mark the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States which took place today (Tuesday 20 January) in Washington. Barack Obama will be the first African American to hold this office. Gillian Clarke, of Talgarreg, Ceredigion, was “delighted” to be commissioned by Academi to write a poem in honour of the historic occasion.
Gillian explained: “A few days after his election I was performing in front of 2,000 schoolchildren in Birmingham. Academi’s message that they wanted me to write a poem for Obama came through and I was introduced by the Chief Examiner as the National Poet of Wales who will write a poem for Obama. Immediately all the children stood up cheering and hugging each other and I was astounded. If 15 year old kids get excited about Barack Obama winning the election, then it gives me this great feeling of hope, a hope that we can all share in."
She continued "We’re on his side and we’ll try to make it work. We’re all black now. And it’s taught us all – from schoolchildren in Birmingham to poets in Wales – that if you’re black, you can do it; if you’re a woman, you can do it; if you’re young, you can do it. And if you’re Welsh, we can do it.”
Gillian Clarke’s work is read and enjoyed by thousands around the world. Her work is studied in schools across the UK as part of the English Literature course and from November 2008 to February 2009 she will have performed her work in front of over 100,000 schoolchildren as part of the highly successful Poetry Live! events. In February she will read and discuss her work with 900 English literature students in Dubai.
The post of National Poet of Wales was established in 2005 by Academi with Arts Council of Wales Lottery funding. Gwyneth Lewis was the first incumbent, followed by Professor Gwyn Thomas in 2006. Gillian Clarke is the third National Poet of Wales.
Both Gillian and Ifor ap Glyn will be visiting Washington DC this summer to participate in Wales Smithsonian Cymru.
For more information contact Academi:
029 2047 2266 / post@academi.org
New Year, 2009
Venus in the arc of the young moon
is a boat in the arms of a bay,
the sky clear to infinity
but for the trailing gossamer
of a transatlantic plane.
The old year and the old era dead,
pushed burning out to sea
bearing the bones of heroes, tyrants,
ideologues, thieves and deceivers
in a smoke of burning money.
The dream is over. Glaciers will melt.
Seas will rise to swallow golden islands.
Somewhere a volcano may whelm a city,
earth shake its skin like an old horse,
a hurricane topple a town to rubble.
Yet tonight, under the cold beauty
of the moon and Venus, something like hope begins,
as if times can turn, the world change course,
as if truth can speak, good men come to power,
and words have meaning again.
Maybe black-hearted boys in love with death
won’t blow themselves and us to smithereens.
Maybe guns will fall silent, the powerful
cease slaughtering the weak, the rich
will not gorge as the poor starve.
Hope spoke the word ‘Yes’, the word ‘we’, the word ’can’,
and a thousand British teenagers at Poetry Live*
rose to their feet in a single yell of joy –
black, white, Christian, Muslim, Jew,
faithful and faithless. We are all in this together.
Ie. gallwn ni. **
Gillian Clarke, National Poet of Wales 2009
* A day of poetry readings for school students
** Yes, we can. Welsh