A Prairie Home Companion from American Public Media: Spring Lyric Contest

Poem: "Bribe" by Emily Rodgers-Ramos of Loveland, CO
(Emily's Bio)

Seven years ago, late April
you nearly floated out of my
uterus. We convinced you to stay.
Told you about tulips, Spanish,
and poems. Your father said, "I'll
buy you cowboy boots. You can
teach me how to swim."

Today, seven
years later, your head emerges
dripping blue pool water.
Your father leans against
the side, cheering you on.
"It's easy, Papi! Just
put your hands together
then push apart, like this."

About the author:
I live in Loveland, Colorado, a great town for artists of all kinds, because we have sculptors galore, and of course Veronica Patterson. My husband, Agustin, sculpts beautiful designs out of cement and bosses people around. My son, Max, is 8 years old, and is also above average. He wants you to know he recently went indoor sky-diving and has read all the "magic tree house" books. The three of us live colorfully together, as we are all very differently colored. I teach social studies to high school students, who love to debate immigration and the Iraq War. I am licensed as a minister by a church on the internet to perform certain ceremonies such as weddings (who better to marry you than a poet?) but cannot perform circumcisions or exorcisms, in case you are wondering. I have some poems published in a few small literary journals, the smallest being The Lilliput Review, which fits into the palm of my hand. If you gave me a choice between a brand new bed and having my poem read in Garrison Keillor's voice, I would take the latter. So, I have already won.

Read about all the Spring Lyric finalists...