Your boy John Waters just became a real poet, hon!
Listen— I'ma say this once, and only once, 'cause my coffee's gettin' cold: John Waters. The Pope of Trash. Our very own Prince of Puke, if you wanna go there. Just got his first poem published in *The Atlantic*. *The Atlantic*! I mean, I know the man's been writin' books, makin' movies, doin' his one-man shows all over the wooder-front. But *poetry*? That's a whole 'nother level of highbrow, even for him. He's officially callin' himself a "beatnik" now, which, honestly, sounds about right.
You know, for a city that's always fightin' perceptions, havin' John Waters out there, doin' his thing, it's like a constant reminder that Baltimore ain't just one thing. He's the guy who puts Hampden on the map for more than just the Miracle on 34th Street Christmas lights. He's makin' us look cultured, even when we're just tryin' to get some lake trout on Liberty Heights. It just goes to show you, hon, that creativity in this city ain't got no boundaries.
### What This Means for Baltimore
* **Another feather in our cap:** It's a national publication acknowledgin' one of our own. That's a big deal. * **Showin' the world our flavor:** It reminds folks that Baltimore's arts scene is deep, diverse, and sometimes, delightfully weird. * **Proof you can be anything here:** From *Pink Flamingos* to poetry in *The Atlantic*? That's Baltimore, hon — we don't break, we just bend loud.
For real, this is why I love this city. John Waters is the embodiment of that gritty, artistic spirit you find in every rowhouse and corner bar, from Fells Point to Patterson Park. It ain't always pretty, but it's always *us*. And now, he's a poet. Go figure.
Kee Rawlings-Dorsey, MiTL Sports Desk.
You wanna hear more about this? Jamar and the crew on "The Morning Mash-Up" are definitely talkin' about it — catch 'em live at mornings.live.