1. [identifying]
Who can be the poet for the State University of New York at Geneseo?
�A wishy-washy question. But, c'mon, who can be the ambitious
answer on a hillside campus shaped as our state? Who in the valley?
Is it one whose close friends are all White, or all Black,
or Asian, or Latino, or Indigenous?
Who never had a roommate of another socially
constructed race? Wasn't homosexual or homophobic?
Or Christian? Catholic? Jewish? Islamic? Buddhist?
A Jehovah Witness? A Mormon? A Wicken?
A die-hard Republican or a die-hard Marxist?
Had dyed hair or a very large afro or blond dreadlocks?
Had a disability? How about a transfer or exchange
or a back to school student? Or maybe a super senior (to the second power)?
A young parent? Upstater, downstater, or outstater? Lazy, messy, or clean?
How about a poet who hasn't resided on south side
or north side of campus? Off-campus or commuted?
Hasn't been to any of the cultural, political, activist, academic, religious,
artsy, or game-loving student meetings? A student council? A hall meeting?
Joined an advisory board to Campus Auxiliary, or to the college president?
How about a GOLD workshop? Or the Greek RUSH?
Competed in the annual window painting, the lip-sync contest,
the talent show, the Homecoming Parade; Midnight Madness?
Embraced Multicultural Week; Siblings Weekend; Spring Fest;
Artist Fighting Aids; the progressive Tree of Life Festival?
How about any of the open mics on and off campus?
The cultural dinners? Ever rehearsed so hard for a cultural dinner's showcase
after spending long hours in the MacVittie kitchen?
Ever swing-danced or square-danced in the Union Ballroom or at Holcomb?
Played in the NCAA or represented your posse ("Whut-whut!") in Inter-mural?
Ever lost a game of ping-pong to a Biology student from India,
or to a hard-hitting English professor from Brazil?
Knew people who hated them for their spiritual gifts?
2. [common bumps]
Did this poet ever speak to a counselor about emptiness;
have physical therapy while walking around in crutches;
reporte a loss item at University Police;
have problems with financial aid;
couldn't get the desired courses on KnightWeb;
was hungry one night and got pissed off when the popcorn
burned in the microwave? and ate it anyway?
Ever got a tattoo on Main Street? At least stared at the iguana
in the parlor window? Hated the long line at Sundance books?
Felt cheated when they brought back your books?
Or complained about the required meal plan on your SUNY card?
Bored with the annoying picture taken Freshmon year?
Despised that higher-level dancer in DANC 103?
or was that despised dancer in DANC 103?
Failed any class you never wanted to take?
3. [seeking outward]
But to spill out love, played the piano with a funky jazz vibe,
giving the Muppet anthem a Haitian twist in the college union,
upstairs and downstairs, in the ballroom and in the Hunt room,
in the dorms; and in the dance rooms while a best friend tap danced
and the friend's very cute lady-friend beautifully sang a scat-
all together re-defining poetry; and alarming one or two musical theater people?
Jammed on some other instrument with townies in the local bars
or local churches? Shot the jive with either Buzzo or Pastor Dave, if not both?
Chatted with that former cocaine addict/ alcoholic biker
who rumbled at Kelly's years ago but is now worshipping Jesus
at the Inter-Faith? Ever kissed Ray on the cheek?
Attended the weekly mass or watered someone's hands at the weekly Shabbat dinner?
How about had lunch or dinner or drank in a tavern with a professor who transformed
his or her class audience into an intellectual and emotional circle of support?
Maybe hung out with a coach or a dean or another faculty member?
Hugged and played with either of their wonderful children?
Received wisdom through any of the hard-working White, Black, or Puerto Rican
janitors from nearby Perry, Mount Morris or Lakeville?
Laughed and joked with those townies at the Valley Dance School
taking an adult yoga class, or picking up their pre-school ballerinas,
or those 1st grade tap dancers in love with their exotic teacher
because he has a real life afro and (strategically) calls himself "Tree"?
The elders who hang out at Bank Street Bagel every weekday morning-
where three pastors discuss God's love and severity in light of each other;
the loud troop of grandfathers rapping about town politics and high school sports;
retired Carl who just moved from Las Vegas with his lovely wife
because she grew up in Geneseo; or Annie who 15 years ago
was a campus janitor for 25 years?
Or winked at Charity behind the caf� counter of Destiny's Door
while some pastor's wife interpreted a single mother's dream?
How about left a fine tip at the Geneseo Family Restaurant?
Dipped Buffalo wings in blue cheese at Mia's?
Drove a buddy up the strip to Dunkin Donuts at 3 am on a school night?
Made a romantic reservation at the fancy Big Tree?
Sat longer at one of the outside tables provided by either of the caf�s
or pizzerias to debate the pros and cons of NYPIRG?
Or, one afternoon, walked around the town cemetery because it was serene?
4. [ ]
Been to the tanning salons, the gift shops; the clothing stores;
the second chance thrift; the courthouse; the police headquarters;
the prison; the DMV? Haven't bought gas or a six pack at Sugarcreek?
Never voted for a town resolution? Nor sat on a bench waiting for
the greyhound or the town bus? Never scrubbed messy apartments
all summer long and paid less rent for the year?
Never been to Wadsworth Library or The Historic Society off-campus?
The archives room at Mline or the attic at Frasier dusting ancient magazines?
Never been to the planetarium at Greene? The copy center at Welles?
The television center in Newton Hall; at least its old picture exhibit-
one with Theodore Roosevelt flying supreme on a horse;
or of the old football team, dating back a hundred years, that included
one black student named "Ben"?
Is there a simple poet who never saw purpose?
5. [seeking inward]
One who never had a car and successfully adventured without?
Climbed high the black oak in the arboretum with a best friend
and just l-a-u-g-h, i-n-g? Got stuck so high had to perform the slow butt-slide?
Possibly joined others in the south side gazebo every Thursday afternoon
and (possibly) passed around the nod?
Well, definitely on a clear night had an astronomy lab?
Or outside of Sturges, sat and watched the red late-August sunset;
photographed a friend in that perfect light;
water-painted for an afternoon class;
impressed with the holes squirrels chewed out of the plastic trash covers;
impressed with the frats camping in the icy cold for Mothers Against Drunk Driving;
or listened to classmates vent against the war with sophistication and humor;
watched them, with their faces painted, lay on the ground like dead corpses?
Walked the Take Back the Night March all around campus and off?
Wrote a female name on a small square of colored cloth and pinned it
on a clothe line dangling in the wet wind? Glad when President Dahl did the same?
Congregated in a circle around Bear Fountain or the Upper Quad
cradling a candle? Courageously prayed around the flagpole at noon?
6. [not expecting]
Can you crown a poet who had a first kiss while an undergrad?
Maybe had sex for the first and last time before becoming celibate?
Learned that not everything that feels beautiful is right?
Or�has been raped? or�was the rapist? or�knew either victim?
Can't forget who lived in that apartment
and can't forget what was first done in there?
Did the poet make love to someone for months until that partner realized they
never loved back, or paid more and more attention to another person
or persons before the heartbreak? the soft let down? the terrible cheat?
Thought he or she wanted to resume but was really a friend who felt guilty?
How about a poet with an affinity for revision?
Or, pencil broken, understands how to receive love, but it's too late?
Had a long distance relationship?
Whose partner moved to Geneseo to be closer?
Found, after tasting thick or thin lips, the country persists?
Got mad when accused of having "jungle fever"?
Still loves that person-oh, yes, still does-no matter how ugly it got?
Noted (again) the anniversary of that first kiss?
Took a leap of faith and decided, with a new love, to save that very first kiss
for their wedding day (during sunrise)? Keep each press wholly?
Or, in a packed cafeteria, sat alone after giving blood to Red Cross?
7. [homeplace of resistance]
How about someone who got homesick during orientation week?
Jumped from one social clique to another?
Been surprised by the similarity or dissimilarity of another student's relatives?
Was even shy about his or her family? Proudly a foster kid?
How about a student who, while at school, grieved over a death in the family?
Or learned that a best friend back home was pregnant?
And later celebrated so much hair-wow-and that pudgy face of the newborn?
Prooved that hearing that cry in person is better than a GPA?
How about a classmate who worked hard to make Geneseo home?
Maybe received a scholarship or an award for academic achievement,
sportsmanship, creative talent, or for social & political advocacy?
Maybe missed the award ceremony while over-sleeping and, as a result,
felt the lovely eyes of Dean Sancilio?
Had always sought wisdom through Kelly Clark, Director of Multicultural Affairs,
and Isom Fearn, Director of the Access Opportunity Program?
Wrote for the college or town or county paper or a department or student journal?
Saw a play or a dance or an orchestra or a choir perform
at Brodie, Wadsworth, Sturges Aud., or in the Union?
On stage, wore neon gloves in black light, signing "now" for Deaf Awareness?
Or wasted time playing an on-line video game all-day long?
Maybe draft a poem cuz no one last year cared for a yearbook?
8. [the last hurrah]
Who can't picture riding a bike around town, or on roller skates
or on skateboard or by jogging; or traveling the bumpy landscape
on a wheelchair or on a golf cart? How about on piggy back?
How about being drunk or high on some drug, vomiting or pissing
in an alley way or in a upper-quad bush; or high on some inspiration from
watching a stage performance, or pumped up by some religious assurance?
Welcomed the fresh morning smell of alfalfa?
Could it be one who remembers people throwing a football or a frisbee
around at Doty or at Highland Park, or a rugby in the rain outside your dorm?
Used a lunch tray to slide down a snowy hill on campus?
Walked around in a large plot of snow and spelled out a giant haiku?
Let the joyful dog loose or maybe cart-wheeled on the upper-quad lawn?
Chalked colorful protest all over the upper-quad pavement or the tarred pathways
between Frasier and South Hall, or on a wall outside the College Union?
Sprayed painted the Greek Tree or painted on the mural wall?
Designed and posted fliers for an event?
Made sure to get permission before they were taken down again?
Reminded the apathetic in class about the school elections?
Argued "soda" or "pop" until the New Zealander argued "fizzy drink"?
Talked about living in NYC with a smirk against the culture shock-
talked about NYC with pride and humility in regards to 9/11
and the recent blackout?
Ever went cow-tipping? Secretly stargazed for the first time?
Hiked with friends in nearby Fall Brook or Letchworth State Park?
Shared a pomegranate with a friend outside of Wegman's
one fine evening in the middle of October?
Someone who knows what will happen after May, or doesn't know
and pretends to not be afraid?
(Sadly) noticing younger classmen are really ignorant of senioritis?
And no matter how late, reading the words of David?
And no matter how early, playing the djembe?
9. [the lost hurrah]
How about a poet recognizing a student who survived cancer?
Or was in an accident? Was that student, or one of them?
Knew a student who, for whatever reason, suddenly died in a brawl?
Been to that person's funeral?
Or just heard about the tragedy and then forgot?
Like those on Saturday who forgot last Tuesday's 9/11?
10. [still here?]
Walked around like an exhausted young scientist, a sensitive Hamlet,
a frustrated revisionist, or some over-worked student manager?
Drank too much caffeine and/or smoked too many cigarettes for one
or a few lousy all-nighters?
Suddenly remembered gotta work tomorrow-CIT, the library or some department
office? Cover someone's RA duty? Give another tour to middle class families?
Student teach? Or wash cafeterias dishes? serve on the hot line?
Cook up some omelets, or bubble teas and espressos?
Watch a couple of spoiled freshmen boys purposely mess up
the self-service station so someone's grandma could work harder
for social security? Was one of them boys?
Called out a derogatory term or was called one?
Had his or her dorm room door vandalized?
Read or added to what one frat replied to another on a bathroom stall?
Hated that perverted pencil drawing with arrows pointing from here
to somewhere in there?
And was the poet annoyed when other students misused the word "ghetto,"
or excessively say "Oh, that's gay," or in vain say "Awe, Jesus"?
Then realized Harvard shares the same habits here? And why it's still secretly so?
11. [the answer]
Who can write a poem about Geneseo without mentioning beautiful moments
and ugly moments in light of each other?
A freshmon needing reasons to stay, or a senior needing reasons to let go?
Is it anyone who can claim either of these descriptions,
or the many not mentioned?
How about the person writing this poem,
or the one reading it out loud for 19 minutes?
Or any of the other Geneseo hedonists?
(This may sound loddie-dah, but most students & faculty still forget,
or never learned why, to delight in the answer:)
No, not one person can be the geographer
of all its outer and inner rhythms.
Not when we come from different roots
and aim to branch out exponentially (with so much power,
a duo-degree in always shedding and growing out)
from the Tree of Life.