Poet Nikki Giovanni Speaks at Busboys & Poets | NBC Washington



Nikki Giovanni outside of a bar in DC!



I was flipping through a 9th grade literature textbook desperately seeking a story that my students would enjoy, and at the same time, be able to review a few concepts for their upcoming final exam. As I was flipping through the textbook, I ran across this wonderful poem by Nikki Giovanni:

“The World Is Not a Pleasant Place to Be"

By

Nikki Giovanni

                                         the world is not a pleasant place 

                                         to be without

                             someone to hold and be held back

                             a river would stop

                             its flow if only
                                         a stream were there

                             to receive it

                             an ocean would never laugh

                             if clouds weren’t there

                             to kiss her tears

  
                                        the world is not

                            a pleasant place to be without

                            someone

Nikki is in DC quite often, and I see her just about every time that she is in town. I must admit that I am a semi -Nikki stalker. I have seen her so many times, that when I show up to see her, she gives me shout-outs. You just don't know how happy it makes me to receive a shout-out from someone whose writings are in textbooks.

Click on the link below to see Nikki at a great restaurant in DC called Busboy and Poet. The restaurant is named for Langston Hughes who was a busboy/poet. I am in one of the pictures with a CD that she gave to me.

Poet Nikki Giovanni Speaks at Busboys & Poets NBC Washington