A video of a poetic love letter to Whataburger is going viral.
Houston poet Amir Safi recently performed ‘Ode to Whataburger’ at the Texas Grand Slam Poetry Festival. “Oh Whataburger,” he says. “Texas-born titan, A-frame shelter, pilgrimage for the south. Church of meat, grease and longer waits. Perfectly-salted pulpit for the hungry. We are knelt before you in drive-through, in car seat or strangely-shaped table that consists of half-booth, half chairs. We have come to receive your honey butter chicken blessings.”
Safi told the Houston Chronicle he’s been trying to push himself “to write about everyday things we often overlook.” “Sometimes the everyday things are life-changing,” he said.
You’ve gotta watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WKQimdJsoc
[We know you love Whataburger -- what else do you love about Texas? Explore our bucket list of 39 (or more) things you should do in Texas before you die.]
Whataburger loves it!
Whataburger loves 'Ode to Whataburger' -- of course! -- and sent out this tweet:
When your boi @AmirSafi kills it
— Whataburger® (@Whataburger) October 15, 2015
[drops mic]https://t.co/twyPfn3tC8
Everybody loves it!
And here's more social media love:
When your @Whataburger poem gets so much attention Manny from Modern Family asks to take a picture with your dad. pic.twitter.com/E0zmtgB5gW
— Rupi Bars (@AmirSafi) October 21, 2015
Yasss @AmirSafi's "Ode to @Whataburger"
— deep fried kudzu (@deepfriedkudzu) October 19, 2015
'We have come 2receive your honey butter chicken blessings' @TexasGrandSlam https://t.co/8tM9WYGyos
This is Texas living. This is truth -->Amir Safi - An Ode to Whataburger @WANPOETRY (TGS 2015) https://t.co/thpbjkl57z via @YouTube
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 17, 2015
@tommycummings @AmirSafi HOLY SMOKES AMIR YOU'RE TOTES FAMOUS! Can we get an autograph?!?!?!?!?
— Whataburger® (@Whataburger) October 16, 2015
This “Ode To @Whataburger” Slam Poetry Is The Highest Form Of Art: http://t.co/k5B5ox7imb pic.twitter.com/PA5MECod9b
— Total Frat Move (@totalfratmove) October 15, 2015
More about Safi
Safi talked with Texas Standard, the statewide public radio newsmagazine, about his viral poem.
Safi hosts a poetry night called Write About Now. One day, there was a food-themed open mic. Safi thought: “What food do I want to write about?”
“Naturally, Whataburger came to mind,” Safi says. “And I just start to write ‘What are all the things I like about Whataburger?’ and then this poem came to fruition out of that.”
Safi made the leap from biology to poetry.
“Biology in its essence is the study of life,” Safi told Texas Standard. “What can be more poetic then discovering how life works? I did study biology. It was a passion. I also had Iranian parents, who pushed met toward the sciences and the maths.”
Video: Watch Safi read 'Brown Boy. White House'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr0IVQ4b9TE
Note: We've corrected some of the words in the Whataburger poem.
