Excuse Me As I Kiss The Sky

by Rudy Francisco

Excuse Me As I Kiss The Sky is the third installment of the Rudy Francisco poetry collection. With every book, the author utilizes various tools and methods to excavate his experiences and find poetry in everyday things. Rudy believes that poetry can be found in our immediate surroundings at any given moment and poignantly includes this idea as the foundation of his work.

In this book, Rudy Francisco bravely explores poetic forms such as the contrapuntal, golden shovel and the ode, while offering explanations and his approach to using the aforementioned. Excuse Me As I Kiss The Sky is meant to inspire its readers, expose them to different avenues of approaching the act of writing poetry and invites them to try it for themselves. Francisco takes the nuances of the craft that feel esoteric and breaks them down so the average person can engage and enjoy poetry in ways that feel familiar.

The author uses this book to further explore subjects such as love, heartbreak, identity and healing. Rudy takes feelings, turns them into vehicles that tell stories, exhibits how multifaceted the human experience is and how connected all of us actually are.

Excuse Me As I Kiss The Sky is insightful, commanding but also comforting in a myriad of ways.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Adult

120 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2023

About the author

Rudy Francisco was born and raised in San Diego, California. At the age of 21, Rudy completed his B.A in Psychology and decided to continue his education by pursuing a MA in Organizational Leadership. As an artist, Rudy Francisco combines activism and poetry to enlighten the minds of those who witness his performance. Rudy eloquently absorbs the experiences of those around him, synthesizes them and converts their stories into poetry. Furthermore, Rudy has made conscious efforts to cultivate young poets and expose the youth to the genre of Spoken Word Poetry through workshops and performances at schools and community centers. Rudy has also received admiration from institutions of higher education. He has conducted guest lectures and performances at numerous colleges and universities around the nation.

In addition to his contributions to education, Rudy Francisco is also the co-host of the largest poetry venue in San Diego and has featured at countless venues and won the hearts of many with the honesty and conviction held in his words. Ultimately, Rudy's goal is to continue to assist others in harnessing their creativity while cultivating his own. Rudy Francisco is the 2009 National Underground Poetry Slam Champion, the 2010 San Diego Grand Slam Champion, the 2010 San Francisco Grand Slam Champion and the 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion.

Reviews

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book of poetry. One thing that set it apart from other poetry collections is that they are broken up by style and each section starts with labeling the style and then with the author’s experience with the style. I really liked that. There were a couple I hadn’t heard of, but found interesting particularly contrapuntal poems. They were so lovely the way they could three things depending on how you chose to look at it. I loved “Why are you still in bed” (both of them) the best. The first one completely resonated with me and made me put down the book to just sit with that resonance for a minute. I hadn’t heard of Rudy Francisco before this but I will be making a point to find more of his work now.

[India M. Clamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excuse Me As I Kiss The Sky the third addition of the award winning Rudy Francisco collection. Francisco has a most profound way of finding poetry in everyday scenarios. This premise is the foundation of his work. He searches for beauty in things most would overlook.

“…voice, a stampede of sunflowers trampling my anxiety. I breathe, close both eyes… I let the song drive me home. Maybe all the things we have been through exist in a melody.”
—Rudy Francisco

Themes explored are love, heartbreak, personal identity and the journey we take to find healing. Feelings becomes messages in envelopes that accelerate to tell a story. This one is how distance may be an illusion and how the light spews forth by how connected we are to one another.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one!

I’m rarely able to convey the way Rudy Francisco’s poetry makes me feel. I love the way he explored his poetic talent with different forms of poetry in this collection. Of course my favorite style by Rudy is still the “free verse”. He has a way about turning a phrase that is unmatched.

As per usual, I can’t wait until the next collection.

[Karen Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rudy! I just want to chant his name because his poetry is so good. I look forward to sharing this with teens , even if I only have 1 that shows up!

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection! I also loved the structure— it’s broken up by poetic form (ode, contrapuntal, free verse, etc), and I’m dying to find a way to fit it into my curriculum because it makes writing poems feel so accessible.

It also felt more polished and grown up than Helium. He still has a bit of that Rudy Francisco angst, but not as much as some of his other work 😂

[Michael Tavon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not his best work but it’s still a very strong collection. Sometimes it’s hard to gauge if he’s being humorous or heavy handed. He really shined in the OBIT and ODE section. Overall, Rudy never disappoints.

[Malak Souama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always writes with literary urgency, stunning.

[Grace Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this before his event tonight!!!

[josie ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the best poetry book i’ve read all year!! if i could give it 1000 stars i would 💗💗

i loved how he explored different types of poems and every poem he wrote was just as beautiful as the last.

he handles being a part of the black community with such gentleness and care, and i can’t even express how these poems made me feel as a black girl. i felt so loved and seen, and was also given a peek into his life. literally my new comfort poet🫶🏾

[Sabrina A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rudy Francisco is always a treat to read. His poems are so hopeful and poignant, would recommend this collection to everyone. I also liked how it was broken down by poem style with a brief background into how that form works, I love learning something new about poetry while seeing great examples right after.

[Godwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love getting taken to class. Some sections & poems felt like exercises rather than something I’d be expecting to be shared but I loved this through and through regardless. Truly a collaborative masterclass in poetry that makes inspires me to live life poetically. Some of these poems just stick to you :)

[Chelsea Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very strong poetry collection from Rudy, this one is interesting as Rudy tries his hand at a collection of different poetry styles and gives us a heads up as to what the different styles entail. It is very open and poignant and honest, and some of the poems pack a surprising and heartfelt punch (if that makes sense!). Only a star less because some of the poems felt slightly watery, but overall it's a great addition to the poetry book shelf.

[Clara Kersten · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve been sleeping on Rudy Fransisco - consider this your wake up call. Get out of bed head to the next bookstore, library or wherever you get books and dive into the poetry world of Rudy. A magician of words he captures the art of describing the human condition so delicately with only a few letters. A piece of work I will, like his previous titles „Helium“ and „I’ll fly away“, come back to many times. A definite must for your bookshelf.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rudy Francisco is such a fantastic poet! I felt all the emotions while reading this book and could really feel the heart and soul that was put into it.

[Christine Yeck fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

While teaching ELA to somewhat reluctant high school students, I tripped and fell into the captivating spoken word poetry of Rudy Francisco. Reading this collection of poems brought sweet memories of students finding joy in the poetic form. This collection is relatable, yet it weaves together unique feelings and moments which allows a reader to imbibe these feelings as they read this eloquent text.

[Fannetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Moving. Educational. Art. I’ve been a fan of Rudy Francisco for ages and seeing his skill remain between page and stage is a blessing. This makes me want to write again and now I know several types of styles to attempt.

[Shannon A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Rudy and had the wonderful pleasure of seeing him perform last year in Dallas, TX. He’s such a talent and kind man. I quite enjoyed this installment of his poetry and cannot wait for me. The structure of this book was nice, I enjoyed learning and delving into different poetry structures.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An English teacher's dream: this collection is sectioned by poetic form and each form is introduced with some background and Rudy's approach (so like...a "how to" followed by a bunch of accessible mentor texts).

[Kate Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Rudy Francisco’s poetry! His work helped me realize all there is to love about poetry, and this collection gives us a peek behind the curtain of his process.

[Adam Werley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Rudy. It's great.

[Rusha Thapa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book Rudy explores different forms of poetry writing and expresses himself in form of words. Absolutely remarkable.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the exploration of different styles!

[Laisea (grayscalebooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my least favourite of his, but his mediocre is still leagues above others’ best

[Steve Thomasma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very hesitant to read this book. I am not familiar with poetry. Rudy showed up on a YouTube video and I wondered if his poems were as good as him performing them. This man is honest and it was an absolute pleasure and a burden to read these poems. All of the poems in this book made me think. I’m hooked!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rudy Francisco did his thing with this one!!!

[Veronika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very playful act by the author in various poetic forms. It’s pleasant to see himself embracing new forms with a great variety of topics.

[Briana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Rudy Francisco’s poetry, and this compilation is my favorite yet. I love the sections and the way he explains them. Golden Shovel and Contrapuntal are my two fave sections!

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been in the mood for happy literature lately. You don’t see enough of it, especially in poetry. As Rudy Francisco says, “We don’t see a lot of poems about happiness because when we are happy, we’re just out being happy, we’re usually not thinking about writing poems.“ When I saw the yellow spine of Excuse Me As I Kiss The Sky, some part of my brain flagged it as the target of my aim. The title fit perfectly. I opened to the first page and smiled, then felt the tears. The second page, same thing. The third one, I laughed. It went on and on like this, happiness and sadness coexisting side by side. I’m beyond happy I picked this up, and so freaking sad I’ll never be able to read it again for the first time. Poetry is a wonderful thing. I vote for more happy literature. 🗳️

[Normandie González · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Francisco's previous collections, and I was so excited for this one. I enjoyed the "Literature 101" style, but I couldn't connect with the poems like I did before.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Rudy Francisco, so I'm not all that surprised that I enjoyed his third collection of poetry as much as I did. In this collection Francisco plays with different types of poetry, each broken down into their own category/style that he explains first the concept of, then provides us with a short reflection of him discovering/using the concept and then a grouping of poems that follow that style.

You have:
-Odes
-Obit
-Golden Shovel
-Contrapuntal
-Question & Answer
-Free Verse
-Page to Stage
-Love Poems

I particularly enjoyed the Obits, Golden Shovel and Contrapuntals. I hadn't ever really heard of or experimented with these structures before so I found them especially intriguing. The Golden Shovel was probably my favorite and I'm interested in looking at other creators who have used this/ try it myself.

Once again, Francisco jumps right in and delivers strong and poignant pieces.
I marked just about every poem in parts 2 & 3 and starred several in the last part. There's just something about his love poems for me. Absolutely recommend for your shelf.