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Poem by Hal Sirowitz

Eyewear is thrilled and happy (not always a combination you'd expect) to welcome Hal Sirowitz as the Friday poet. Sirowitz (pictured) is the former Poet Laureate of Queens, New York. His latest book, Father Said, was recently translated into Icelandic. He's the most popular translated poet in Norway. He is also one of the greatest of the first wave of American slam poets, whose work arose during the heyday of the Nuyorican readings. His Mother Said poetry collection is a best-selling classic, merging humour and poetry in a new key. Time Magazine has called him "a bit of a cult hero". He's one of the truly unique voices in contemporary American writing today. I've included him in as many of my anthologies as I could, from Poetry Nation, to Short Fuse, to Babylon Burning. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome, Hal Sirowitz...


Pride Not Deserved

You can't have
a sex life unless
you have sex,
father said. You
can't have a post-sex
life either. All you can
have is a pre-sex life. But
that's nothing to be
proud of. Every one has that.

poem by Hal Sirowitz
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