Home-Grown Gems: Santa Barbara Poets

 Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate

Flowers for Poets

*An earlier version of this column was published in the Santa Barbara Independent 

National Poetry Month ends with a city college poetry workshop and a reading at the Arlington with National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman. However, Santa Barbara poets, myself included, will continue to poet during the coming months. Santa Barbara will host at least four poetry events in May. We are blessed with a vibrant poetry community. At my writing workshop at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, every seat was filled. I was thrilled to see how many people came to spend a couple of hours writing ekphrastic poetry, poetry in response to art. An unlikely couple who attended was Santa Barbara Middle School student, Ellery Green and her mom. Ellery inspired everyone with her poetry and sketching skills. During the workshop, she had time to compose three poems. The future of poetry is safe. 

 

Another young, local poet, Takunda Chikowero, took to the stage on Saturday at our Poetry in the Parks event. He read his award-winning Earth Day poem. Takunda is in the fourth grade at Isla Vista Elementary and the winner of the 2024 MLKSB Poetry Award. The young student is in the process of writing his first poetry book. What I didn’t mention when I introduced him was that he is the younger brother of Kundai Chikowero, Santa Barbara’s Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador. For six consecutive years, Kundai won the poetry competition at the Martin Luther King Santa Barbara Essay and Poetry Awards program, from 7^th through 12^th grade. She was mentored by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle. I’ve also worked with her over the years to present her poetry at the MLKSB awards celebration. She was always a natural and needed little coaching. Every year, Takunda would watch his older sister prepare for her award-winning poem at the Arlington Theatre. Now, he is following in her footsteps. It’s a joy to see his progress as a young poet.   

 

Santa Barbara County is currently searching for its next Youth Poet Laureate. The program was established in 2022 with Madeline Miller serving as the inaugural Youth Poet Laureate and Kundai Chikowero as Youth Poet Ambassador. Applications are due May 20^th by midnight PST. Contact yplsbc@gmail.com for more information. 

 

Another fun poetry connection is with Joshua Alan Richardson (pronouns they/them) who attended my Día de los Muertos Poetry Reading at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art last November. At the time I didn’t know they wrote poetry. Later, when we met again at the Alhecama theatre, where Joshua was the event attendant, they mentioned being a poet. It’s nice to see the various poetry connections around town. When Joshua asked me for advice on how they might get published, I suggested the online submittable site, where you can send in poems to various journals, publishing houses, and contests.They shared some poems with me. This week’s poem and its translation in English comes from Joshua Alan Richardson, who publishes under the pseudonym Criollo. 

 

 

Joshua A. Richardson aka Criollo 

 

Naufragar en el amor

By Criollo

 

Te sigo buscando

en la playa, la arena

entre cada ola

y en la marea.

 

Esperaba que ya soñando

en mi mente te hallaría

tal vez en mis fantasías

o despierto por la mañana.

 

Aún sigo pensando

que en la luz del día

vinieras y me dirías

las palabras que tanto quería

oír de ti la última vez.

 

Pero ya al no encontrarte

fuera de las ganas

que yo tengo de amarte

en mis mareos

me hundo por mi estupidez.

 

 

 

 

 

To Drown in Love

By Criollo

 

I keep looking for you

on the beach, the sand

between each wave,

and in the tide.

 

I was hoping that once dreaming

in my mind I would find you

perhaps in my fantasies

or awake in the morning.

 

I still think

that in the light of day

you would come and tell me

the words that I had wanted so much

to hear from you last time.

 

But now that I can’t find you

out of the desire

that I have to love you

in my dizziness

I sink for my stupidity.

 

 

Bio:

Criollo is a California-born Salvadoreño. They recently graduated from UCSB with a Bachelor's in Anthropology and a minor in Spanish. Their previous works have been published by UCSF Mission Bay Hospital. They are currently working on a collection of poetry and looking to create comfortable and accessible spaces for Chicanx/Latinx art and literature in Santa Barbara and the Central Coast.

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Sojourner Kincaid Rolle

Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate

*This column first appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent

 

 

 

 

In my first year as Poet Laureate of Santa Barbra, I’ve witnessed the tremendous loss of Poet Laureate Emerita, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle. From writing about my personal connection to Sojourner and celebrating her 80^th birthday, earlier in this column, to this week’s celebration of her life, a day I never imagined because she was so vivacious. Sojourner leaves an everlasting legacy that in many ways is comforting. It’s as if she is still with us leading the way, sharing space in our community. 

 

When I spoke to a news reporter on Monday, I recalled how Sojourner immediately offered to share the stage with me upon hearing that I was a newcomer, interested in writing poetry. When I arrived in Santa Barbara, twenty years ago, I had yet to publish any books or poems, but she asked me to share the stage with her and read with her at the Carpinteria Arts Center. She was the featured reader and described herself as the People’s Poet.I admired her energy and commitment to the poetry community and to social justice. At the time, I wondered why she would invite an unknown poet to read with her. It wasn’t until years later that I realized the gesture was part of Sojourner’s generosity and personal mandate to mentor everyone, regardless of age or experience. 

 

On Monday, Santa Barbara’s Martin Luther King Day celebration was also dedicated to Sojourner. Thanks to her, I’ve been involved in judging the youth essay and poetry 

awards for over fifteen years. This year felt bittersweet as I took more of a lead role in her absence. When Sojourner was in hospice, she told me that she was not ready to say goodbye to me. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye either. In many ways, I am glad we saved our farewell for another time. 

 

On Sunday, I presented my poetry at the Santa Maria Public Library. It so happened that they were having their MLK celebration. One of attendees said that it felt appropriate to hear Martin Luther King’s, I Had a Dream speech in the background. I certainly had Sojourner on my mind this past week. 

 

It’s been nice easing back into poetry events after the break for the holidays. Last week, I attended the Blue Whale Series, which featured David Starkey and Mary Brown. Mary, myself, and Sojourner, along with several others, were longtime members of my poetry group, the Santa Barbara Sunday Poets. This week’s poetry connection features a poem by Mary, M.L. Brown.

 

 

 

 

M. L. Brown is the author of Call It Mist, winner of the Three Mile Harbor Press Book Prize, and Drought, winner of the Claudia Emerson Chapbook award. Her work has appeared in Valparaiso Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner, and Cave Wall, among other journals and anthologies including, Blue Will Rise Over Yellow: An International Poetry Anthology for Ukraine. When not writing, she devotes her time to raising funds for Planned Parenthood and curates the poetry section for their annual book sale.

 

 

Fierce, She Conquers 

 

The moment she enters the front door

the Amazon sheds her breast plate, 

slices the leather laces, drops it to the floor. 

 

Barefoot, she stomps across the kitchen, 

stocks my cupboards with everything she thinks

I need. She stinks of river mud and cardboard. 

 

Her voice disembodies from the Cloud.

She claims the living room, the TV remote,

and settles her boxy butt into the best chair.

 

At night, she breaks herself down, then spreads

the width and breadth of my bed, rests her head 

on her beloved pillows, all plastic and air.

 

She is building her own nation, carving it 

out of earth and sea. And yet, I asked her here,

gave her all my secret words, handed over my keys.

 

 

M. L. Brown

 

Photo Essay, MLK Events in Santa Barbara

Melinda Palacio

Santa Barbara leaders and citizens march hand in hand

I've always been on the shy side, but if you've heard me read poetry or speak to a filled room, you wouldn't know it. While I tend to be the listener when a performer asks for the audience's participation, in a situation such as Monday's march to honor our civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, I was up in the front chanting and singing loudly alongside Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo.

Saturday's poetry program

This year Santa Barbara went all out with a three-day program to coincide with the three-day weekend. I was honored to be included in the celebration. 

Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Poet Laureate Emerita of Santa Barbara

Every year Sojourner works around the clock, year round, to make the city's Dr. King Celebration special. I am always happy to help behind the scenes, but this year with the poetry events spread out, she asked me to lend my voice. 

Melinda Palacio

I started my set reading a poem about the situation at the border, before offering a few poems from Bird Forgiveness.

A highlight of our poetry and essay contest is the future, all the student winners whose poems and essay capture the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. This year's theme is "Together We Stand."

Briana Moffett, Rosalyn Y. Collins, Melinda Palacio, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle
A satisfied selfie after escorting our winners backstage.