This month the challenge was to write a poem inspired by four Lucille Clifton notes to Clark Kent. Our theme for the year is "in conversation," so this was a terrific mentor poem for talking to someone. I haven't written much lately because I'm finding it hard to put pen to paper in these strange and challenging times we are living in. Because of this, I decided to take on the #100dayproject and am creating some type of small artwork each day. It's been a good way to quiet my mind and nerves. While most participants work on one project for 100 days, I follow a different creative prompt every week. You can check them out on my Instagram.
I wasn't sure how to approach this poem or who to address my notes to. I toyed with writing to another comic book or mythological character (Thor, Spiderman, Batman, Zeus), but none of those sparked anything of interest. Since I can't seem to get politics off my mind, I thought I would try writing notes to a president. I tried writing to JFK and FDR, but finally settled on our 16th president. Here's my poem.
after four Lucille Clifton notes to Clark Kent
they call you honest
like it is easy to be
like the truth won’t split you
worse than an axe
but i have seen the weight of it
hunched in your shoulders
another note to lincoln
you wrote freedom down
penned it clean
sent it marching into history
but the confederacy would not yield
your paper trembled
before the ink dried
a final note to lincoln
they had it wrong
they say you held our country together
stitched it with your hands
bled for it in words
but i see it breaking
the torn places
the ones that never healed
a note to mary todd
you prayed over his body still
your house in mourning
while a nation watched
today, i see his face on pennies
heads up
waiting for luck
Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.
