April 19, 2008

Help wanted

At the start of the month I signed up to the Academy of American Poets' Poem-A-Day service.

Today, they sent me a link to "Ferrum" by M. NourbeSe Philip. They didn't send me the poem itself "in order to remain faithful to the adventurous formatting".

If anyone has the faintest idea what "Ferrum" is about please let me know. Not because I'm trying to appreciate the poem - I've already given up on that - but just because I'm curious as to the poet's intention. I really don't have the faintest idea what Philip is up to.

In general, I'm fairly open minded about what constitutes a poem (see this performance here or even this) but "Ferrum" - really, I don't know what it is.