Co-inka Dink

Imaginary background music: "Inka Dinka Doo" as sung by Jimmy Durante. Actual background music here, or video here!

And a tip of the hat to Wikipedia for this public domain image of Jimmy Durante, a favorite singer, actor, narrator from my childhood. Snippets of "Inka Dinka Doo," particularly "inka dinka dink," are permanently folded into my origami brain!

I met with a poet pal yesterday to plan a future reading, and she'd just been to a family reunion in New Orleans with a nephew who'd just graduated from high school, here, and was talking about a poet who'd read at graduation, and was actually quoting phrases from the poem! That poet was me. Co-inka dink #1!

My daughter wandered into the kitchen for breakfast, and, not only does she know this nephew, she just helped him get a job at the restaurant where she works! Co-inka dink #2!

As our meeting progressed, my poet pal called to confirm with another poet who'll be involved in the reading. She said a friend of hers has a grandson who just graduated here and was enthusiastic about a poet who'd read at graduation. Co-ink #Mee!

I think this may be the biggest moment of my literary career.

Speaking of sweet co-inka dinks, yesterday I posted a review of Inksuite, by Sarah J. Sloat, over at Escape Into Life. I love her work--smart, short, often funny poems, and also beautiful, heart-punching poems with indelible images--and this chapbook from dancing girl press is unified in being about typeface and printed matter. Check it out. Or, better yet, buy it!