by Katy Knapp
Daily Lobo
Poet Danny Solis wrote a haiku about Mayor Martin Ch†vez's dog.
"Dukes the dog jumps. Don't be scared. It's not a muffle. It's a head collar," he recited.
Ch†vez announced his plan last week to put slam poets on Rapid Ride buses after Memorial Day. He also donated $10,000 on behalf of the city to National Poetry Slam, an event taking place in Albuquerque in August.
Solis was grateful for the donation.
"Poets are poor," he said. "We need money."
The event is part of the city's Poetry in Motion contest, which is sponsored in part by the Poetry Slam Council and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Winners of the contest will be selected to perform on one of the Rapid Ride buses.
Ch†vez said he's excited to have slam poets on the bus.
"These guys are good," he said. "And here's a real scoop, we're also announcing in two weeks that were going to have musicians as well."
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Carlos Contreras, slam poet and UNM student, said putting poets on buses is good exposure for members of the community who might not be familiar with slam poetry.
He said he would recite poems a lot of people can relate to.
"I would probably do something that is acceptable by a diverse crowd," Contreras said. "You owe people that common courtesy I think."
Student Kiyun Lynch said putting slam poets in Rapid Ride buses is a good idea.
"I think for college students, it's good," he said. "It gets our minds off things."
Ch†vez said 75,000 more people have been riding the bus in the past year. He said it is proof of the hard work that has gone into promoting Downtown. Poetry in Motion is just another way to help promote it, he said.
"Downtown is here to stay," he said.
Ch†vez said he hopes putting slam poets on the buses will help promote the arts in Albuquerque.
Student Janine Vita said the whole thing is a terrible idea.
"I don't think people that are trying to get to their destinations need to deal with all of that," she said.
Vita said there are more appropriate places poets can perform, especially slam poets.
"It might bring about too many mixed emotions," she said.
Contreras said he's not too worried about people not appreciating his poetry on the bus.
"That could happen pretty much anywhere," he said. "You've got to take chances once in a while. Taking a chance isn't always bad."
