Ryan Mergen

When I saw this quote, I immediately tought of Ryan. At the time Jim and I got married Ryan was already back in the US. One day, Ryan's surprise package showed. It was filled with all the little things Americans miss in the Czech Republic - angel food cake mix, a can of Sloppy Joe's, several packs of Kraft's Macaroni & Cheese, Pink Lemonade and ... Bak-Os.

It was a riot! This is not like the early 90's when you couldn't get fresh food. The supermakets here are drooping with stuff, but not this kind of stuff. This was a package of pure concentrated America - bright chemical colors, artificial flavors, high dosages of sugar and fat, fake foods. It was so funny and so tempting. Ryan won - here I was baking Angel Food Cake with pink and blue bits of - of what? I'm not sure, but it was fun. I have to think about him every time I sprinkle Bak-Os on my salad - and I have to admit, that if you don't study the label too much, they are great. Alright, Ryan, you got me, I love 'em!

But funny things are to be expected from Ryan. He's a slam poet. A very talented slam poet, the kind that uses words sharp as sword and in the fast pace of his rhymes, you get the glimpses of light as it reflects. He has performed his work at poetry venues across the U.S. and Europe, including our living room on Christmas Eve. In Prague, he hosted Poetry in the Twilight, an English language poetry and music showcase.

I was also very inspired by his poetry. As far as I know, there is no such thing as performance poetry in the Czech language and I'm not sure how well it would sound. I know rap sounds awkward. But I remember the stunned look on my Czech friends' faces when I requested a poem and Ryan, just sitting on our couch, started to spin it off the top of his head. Performance poetry is really amazing.

I hope he stays in touch, because his letters keep me sane.