poetry

The Leaf Blowers

Some trees in Texas never really lose their leaves — but others are shedding dramatically right now. The inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem came from what some neighbors may do with those leaves.

Texas Standard: October 26, 2018

What some are calling the most drastic move to date against would be immigrants: a shutdown of the southern border. Preparations underway to send up to a thousand U.S. troops to the border to stop a caravan of thousands of would be migrants, all this days before midterm elections. We’ll hear what the leaders of Texas border cities have to say. All that and then some today on the Texas Standard:

No Mask? … No Mask!

Don your face paint, costumes and masks for Halloween, but don’t forget that it’s not always movie monsters or villains that are the scariest ghouls to haunt our waking days. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Texas Standard: October 19, 2018

As Midterms approach, so do thousands of migrants from Honduras and Guatemala en route to the U.S. We’ll have the latest on not one but now two caravans of Central Americans headed north. Mexico sends its military to stop them, as many in the U.S. ponder the political implications in a heated election year. Also the Khashoggi affair hits home for a Texas based journalist and author. Lawrence wright on the death of a friend and the threat to freedom. Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more on today’s Texas Standard:

Running

The Typewriter Rodeo takes requests — and this one came from a Texas Standard listener training for a marathon.

I’m An Autumn

In some places, fall means colorful leaves, warm jackets or even a coat of frost on pumpkins in the patch. In Texas, it means we get to turn of the air conditioning?

Addiction Recovery

This Typewriter Rodeo poem came about as a request by Texas Standard listener Vicki.

Midterms

As newscasters and other political junkies are fond of pointing out, only a few weeks remain until November’s midterm elections. And fewer reamin until the deadline to register to vote. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Texas Standard: September 19, 2018

You’ve heard of the Friday night lights? On this September 21st, the main event across Texas: the Friday night fight: Cruz versus O’Rourke. It’ll be live nationwide, will you be tuning in? R.G. Ratcliffe of Texas Monthly joins us with a cheater’s guide to tonight’s first of three debates between democratic congressman Beto O’Rourke and the GOP incumbent, Ted Cruz. Plus, you’ve heard about the wall? As arguments continue over funding, legal walls go up in the nation’s most diverse city: we’ll explain. Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

How None Of Us Read The Privacy Notifications

You know the feeling, you need to use an app or a piece of software and, suddenly, you encounter a big, legal document asking for your consent. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

What To Do On A Rainy Day

Texas has had a rare streak of rainy days lately. So what to do when it’s wet outside? That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Texas Standard: September 14, 2018

The Harvey effect: as Florence bears down on the Carolinas, meteorologists say theres an shift in how major hurricanes are doing damage, we’ll have the latest. Also, Walmart bets big on high end out door gear, but some brands are telling Walmart to take a hike, we’ll hear why. And remember smokin in the boys room, or girls room? Nowadays its vaping in the classroom, for real. Texas teachers trying to get students to kick the habit amid calls for a federal crackdown on the marketing of vape pens. Plus the police chief leading the charge to make Corsicana the Hollywood of Texas, and it appears to be working. All that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

A Poem Of Hope For A Sad Kid

Sometimes, a kid needs permission to feel sad for awhile. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Texas Standard: September 7, 2018

The Trump Administration wants changes to a long-held agreement affecting young immigrants held in detention. We’ll take a look at what that would mean here in Texas. Also, it’s been quite a week in Brazil. An attack on a political candidate, a major fire, and now it’s Independence Day. We’ll talk to a Brazilian with a Texas perspective. And do you know what a gun is? It’s actually a lot more complicated than you might think. Why the question may be more important than the debate over 3D printing weapons. Plus we’ll question some of the common narratives about Texas history. And we’ll take a little escape to the movies. All that, politics, the Typewriter Rodeo and so much more on today’s Texas Standard: