NWU member Zigi Lowenberg’s poem, “The Ridiculous Optimism of the Daffodil,” was published in Rabbit and Rose, an online poetry journal.
A poet, performer, and co-leader in the seminal jazzpoetry ensemble, UpSurge! Lowenberg lives with her husband and creative partner in Harlem and Oakland. Follow her @ZigarinaZigi and learn more at upsurgejazz. Here is Lowenberg’s poem:
The Ridiculous Optimism of the Daffodil
An Interwoven Poem in Two Voices
Voice I
The ridiculous optimism
of the Daffodil
mocking torrential downpours,
relentless rain
Pollyanna yellow
and impudent green
bulletin bursting from this urban corner
A bugle’s blast
announcing spring’s arrival.
Voice II
This poem is not a speech
Not a tidy manifesto,
with marching orders
Columns of strident syllables
saluting
This is not a soldier’s battle cry
but a plea, a prayer,
a rally for the soul,
a down-on-my-knees begging chant,
“Come, come,
let’s gather together.”





