Flapper Press Poetry Café: The Poems of Hiram Larew

By Annie Newcomer:

Flapper Press Poetry Café continues to feature the work of poets from around the world.

Today, we feature the poems and projects of Hiram Larew.

Hiram Larew's poems have appeared recently in journals such as Contemporary American Voices, Poetry South, and Honest Ulsterman and have been nominated for several Pushcart prizes.

We reached out to Hiram to ask him about his influences and inspirations.

AN: How and when did you come to Poetry?

HL: Poetry has been my favorite teacher. Why? Because of its power to change words into skies.

AN: What do you hope people will take away from your poems?

HL: I'm always looking for a poem with wings.

---

Below, Hiram shares some information on several of the projects he is involved with:

The Poetry X Hunger Initiative:

The Poetry X Hunger initiative is bringing poets from around the world to the anti-hunger cause. I've led a number of workshops, college classes, and the like in discussions about poetry that speaks back to hunger.

Voices of Woodlawn:

Voices of Woodlawn is a poetry homage to the mostly unknown enslaved people at historic Woodlawn Plantation in Virginia. I invited three African American poets to join me for a day at Woodlawn, and some of the resulting poems, combined with harmonica music, have been presented multiple times over the last several months.

The Poetry Poster Project

Now completed, this project, as supported by a local arts and humanities council, featured poems by five African American poets and one American Indian poet as framed artwork. The Project was displayed widely: in museums, office buildings, galleries, cafés, houses of worship, wineries, and the like. Its final showing was at the Maryland House of Delegates.

You can find Hiram Larew on Facebook @Hiram Larew, Poet and at PoetryxHunger.com.

Any Moment Of

O for smooth and flow

and bending towards

O for over vines and dripping bright

like eyes that whistle through

O for lights and hearts

their turning so

to more and more

O for smooth or near

on winds of where

O for any moments of

all silence said

then ever on

O for thus until

and then

for every shining breath

Ferment

What if fruit got left out too long

for love of course but better?

And what if beans were put down in jars as

children grab swings

but tart as well

and lids at last?

Or what if summers all walked back in time

like sour milk perhaps for years and years

to froth?

And what if joy

turned into this and more --

as worlds of fresh

were made to change

And open crocks brewed such grins

for peering in?