Poems

Possum Crossing -

Poem by Nikki Giovanni

Backing out the driveway

the car lights cast an eerie glow

in the morning fog centering

on movement in the rain slick street

Hitting brakes I anticipate a squirrel or a cat or sometimes

a little raccoon

I once braked for a blind little mole who try though he did

could not escape the cat toying with his life

Mother-to-be possum occasionally lopes home . . . being

naturally . . . slow her condition makes her even more ginger

We need a sign POSSUM CROSSING to warn coffee-gurgling neighbors:

we share the streets with more than trucks and vans and

railroad crossings

All birds being the living kin of dinosaurs

think themselves invincible and pay no heed

to the rolling wheels while they dine

on an unlucky rabbit

I hit brakes for the flutter of the lights hoping it's not a deer

or a skunk or a groundhog

coffee splashes over the cup which I quickly put away from me

and into the empty passenger seat

I look . . .

relieved and exasperated ...

to discover I have just missed a big wet leaf

struggling . . . to lift itself into the wind

and live

Answer these questions based on the poem above. Generally, your original response should be thoughtful, thorough, and well developed. Your original response needs to meet the minimum of 100 words. Please avoid the first person for the post (I, we, us).

1. Find two examples of imagery in the poem, quote them, and describe their effect.

2. Describe Giovanni's use of punctuation in the poem. What punctuation marks does she leave out? Which ones does she include?  What is the effect of her using ellipses (...) in certain sections--how does it affect the flow or rhythm of the poem?

3. What message is the poet trying convey in her poem? What is she asking people to consider and do?