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Sometimes the quiet observer, sometimes the kid in the center of the messed-up carnival, these poems are the fireflies you’ve missed all winter

Ada Limon

You know how we are when a new book of poems is at last coming together – all frenzy, distraction, and bounty? It’s as if I’ve turned into summer itself.
ADA LIMON

Attention Book Currently Intent New Place Reading Write Writing
There’s so much rage in the world now and I’m finding poems to be the place where I want to stay. I rage and rage and then write a poem and return to breathing.
ADA LIMON

Finding Place Poem Rage World Writing
Sometimes the quiet observer, sometimes the kid in the center of the messed-up carnival, these poems are the fireflies you’ve missed all winter
ADA LIMON

Deep Firefly Graceful Messed Observer Poem Precise Quiet Suoer
I’m always telling my students that the weirdest thing is the truth. I mean, the fact that we get up in the morning and put on clothes is weird.
ADA LIMON

Fact Mean Morning Student Telling Truth Weirdest
I kind of hate it.” Or, “Oh you wait tables? I didn’t know that was something people did.” I say it can be invigorating because, on some level, we have to evaluate what we do and why we do it almost daily.
ADA LIMON

Believe Funny Hate Kind Old People Poet Position Something
Moving away from “useful” doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary. You can still need poetry while also needing money or food or physical health.
ADA LIMON

Beauty Language Mean Moving Music Rage Useful Grief
The more I am aware of my mortality the better person I am and the better I am at choosing a life that is aware of its beauty.
ADA LIMON

Aware Constantly Doubt Fascination Mean Mind More Mortality Play Realizing Role Talk
I have been writing. Even when I intend not to write, I find myself writing. I’m currently in a place where I should be putting together the fifth book, but then more poems are coming. It’s exciting and somewhat daunting.
ADA LIMON

Book Currently Intent Place Summer Write Writing
I mean, it’s hard to talk about death without realizing that’s our end too, right? I am constantly aware of death.
ADA LIMON

Constantly Doubt Mean Mind Play Realizing Talk
I think, as poets, we are in the odd position of constantly defending our art form. Which is funny and also sort of invigorating, too. No one really says, “Oh you’re a lawyer? I’ve never understood the law. In fact,
ADA LIMON

Art Believe Funny Hate Old Poet Position
We have to explain ourselves to people all the time. We have to say, “Yes, I am a unicorn, believe in me.”
ADA LIMON

Believe Explain Funny Old Ourselves Poet Position
I’m always talking about how the poems I am most obsessed with are like people: complex and unknowable and with a huge capacity for many different emotions.
ADA LIMON

Complex Different Emotion Obsessed People Talking
Precise, graceful, and generous, the poems in SuperLoop, seem to be born out of a deep, careful attention and a profound compassion.
ADA LIMON

Deep Firefly Graceful Kid Moving Poem Precise Suoer
One of the reasons I’ve felt so connected to poetry throughout the years is because it’s the only art form that has breath built into it. And I need that breath now. I need that breath so much. So, yes, it is a refuge for me. Absolutely.
ADA LIMON

Answer Art Connected Place Question Reason Refuge
I can only hear the frame saying, Walk through.
ADA LIMON

Bird Bonfire Door Dream Frame Ghost Man Night Saying Through
Language can also be play and music and beauty and desire and grief and rage and truth without always having to be message-driven or purely functional.
ADA LIMON

Beauty Grief Language Mean Moving Music Rage

Sometimes the quiet observer, sometimes the kid in the center of the messed-up carnival, these poems are the fireflies you’ve missed all winter

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Sometimes the quiet observer, sometimes the kid in the center of the messed-up carnival, these poems are the fireflies you’ve missed all winter

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