“Happy Circuitry” is among the Day Nineteen offerings of the Tupelo Press 30/30 Project (9 poets have agreed to write 30 poems apiece in 30 days, to raise funds for Tupelo Press, a non-profit literary publisher). Many thanks to Kris of the Crumpled Paper Cranes blog, who sponsored and provided the title.
Happy Circuitry
for Margaret Rhee
The body’s landscape defines its genealogy: my father was a board,
my mother, an integrated circuit, my great-grandmother, an abacus,
and her progenitors, tally sticks. In the third century the artificer…
To see the rest of the poem, click here
Tomorrow’s poem is titled “Tuning the Beast,” thanks to the kindness and generosity of Sunshine Jansen.
I hope that the sponsored titles and my responses to them have been entertaining, but other sponsorship opportunities abound. For information on these and their corresponding incentives, click here.
“Name That Poem” sponsorships are still available for Saturday and beyond. Conjure up a title (be creative, be weird, be gentle, be poetic, oh, heck, be mean if you wish), donate $10 to Tupelo Press, let me know what the title is, and I’ll write the poem. The sponsored poems thus far have been a blast to write, and the titles have led me to poems I’d not otherwise have written. If you’re so inclined, please visit the 30/30 blog at: Donate to Tupelo. Scroll down to “Is this donation in honor of a 30/30 poet?” and select my name, “Robert Okaji,” from the pull down so that Tupelo knows to credit the donation to me. And please let me know as soon as possible what your title is.
Thank you for your support! Only 11 poems to go!
O at the Edges 
This made me so…happy! Thank you for writing it, and thank you again for telling us about Tupelo!
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Then I have done my job! And thank you, Kris! The poem would not have been written had you not provided the title.
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Congratulations on meeting this 30/30 challenge with such verve!
A couple years ago I polished a book-length collection of my poetry for submission to Tupelo Press. Besides the slim chance of my being selected, I saw it as a means to contribute to a small press. It certainly a contributed to my focus on my writing!
When I think of a title (that I don’t “snatch away” for myself), I’ll send it to you!
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Thank you! This month has contributed to my focus! Boy, has it ever. 🙂
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I’m enjoying Tupelo’s great idea and I’m following your instructions at Tupelo’s sponsorship page.
What might you compose in response to this title: “Ode to Being Placed on Hold” ?
(Ode may have come to mind because I often read from “All the Odes” by Pablo Neruda)
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Wonderful! Thank you very much. I’ll try to do it justice.
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This one blew my mind, RO; sharing it with my programmer friends who “don’t get poetry” as sort of a “gateway poem”… 🙂
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Thanks, SJ. Maybe we can bring them into the fold.
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Just finished reading over at Tupelo. You all are an amazing group of writers. I am refreshed from reading and looking forward to making my own marks on the page. Can’t wait to read more, but I must not binge too heartily my first days back from a long break. It’s not called binging if I visit several times a day and read only a poem or two at time, is it? I ❤ Tupelo and its poets!
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Thank you, Jilanne! I’ve passed your comments on to my fellow marathoners, who will be very appreciative.
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