My name is Aida Nique and I financially support the slowdown because the show

allows me to understand poems on a deeper level. I love the thoughtful lead in

major provides before each poem. Join me in making a gift to the slowdown

today. Head to slowdownshow.org slash donate.

I'm Major Jackson and this is the slowdown.

Long ago, after a poetry event at Fergie's pub in Philadelphia, my father approached

me to say he really enjoyed himself. He'd never attended a live reading. I

thanked him and shot back my appreciation for his support. Then he leaned in

and whispered, my shoe size is 11, not 10. Excuse me, I fumbled. In the poem,

you mentioned my feet, he stated. My stepmother looked off and took a sip of wine.

I was flummoxed for a second. Then realized he misconstrued the phrase, my father,

and one of the poems written as a persona, as a reference to him. How could he

think otherwise? But then, how to explain the intricacies of taking on the voice

of someone else? A truth revealed itself to me that day. Whether I intend or not,

those close to me will seek themselves out in my poems. Early in my writing

career, my mother attended one of my readings, only one. She was already ill and

fragile. The room at Robin's bookstore was packed and I was nervous. She set up

front and smiled throughout to hear a world familiar to her in my poems. With

her eyes closed, she rocked and smiled. My mother did not live long enough to

read my poems about her. I'd like to think that she would have appreciated how I

processed our shared history and relationships, even the difficult moments. I'd

like to think she'd have granted me the latitude to craft the poems I needed

...