Category Archives: Poetry

Common Threads

Poetry

Wordcrafters poets, an affiliate of the Massachusetts State Poetry Society, hosted a lovely meeting last Saturday at the Salem home of Beverley Barnes. Roberta Hung directed the group in a reading excercise spurred by the Massachusetts Poetry Festival dubbed “Common Threads.” The purpose of the program was to get as many people in Massachusetts to read the same seven poems (written by Massachusetts poets); to have a community which could speak to these common points in a series of common poems. As there were just seven poets in attendance we each picked a poem to read. The poems included:

The “Common Threads” project offered several questions to help get the conversation about the poems going such as:

  • What do the dog and its name, Blizzard, suggest in the poem “Vita Nova” by Louise Gluck?
  • James Tate crafts the poem “The Lost Pilot” in tercets (three line stanzas) what effect does this have on your reading of the poem?
  • In the poem “Occupation”, by Suji Kwock Kim, the poet uses the metaphor of a house to describe something else. How does that metaphor connect to you, individually? What images does it foster? What is the impact of those images on your understanding of the cognitive meaning of the poem and your emotional awareness of its intent? 

We had a lovely, lively discussion of the poems and enjoyed Beverley’s hospitality. One thing I am still looking forward to doing from the project is taking another look at Pinsky’s poem “Samurai Song”. One of the discussion questions indicated that, as the title states, the poem is actually a song. Apparently, we should be able to count the number of syllables in each line and examine the number of stressed syllables and see the pattern to the beats that Pinsky created. Evidentially, there is a careful consistency of stressed syllables in each line although there is a slight differentiation of the number of syllables in each line. Roberta, who had attended a previous “Common Threads” discussion, said some poets thought the beat structure was reminescent of Cat Stevens. At any rate, I’m looking forward to taking an even closer look at this poem when I get a chance. Jeanette C. Maes, however, said she didn’t care for this example of Pinsky’s work but recommended we read “The Green Piano”.

Louise Bogan

Unfortunately I was unable to make it to Reading today, Saturday May 7, to attend the Massachusetts State Poetry Society meeting. If you were there please let us know how it went and send Cathy or I a few tidbits or lessons’ you may have garnered from the event. On the schedule was a morning workshop by Jeanette C. Maes on “Using Predictions” followed by an afternoon workshop by MaryEllen Letarte, director of the Louise Bogan Chapter, on the works of the chapter’s namesake. Letarte says that Bogan was a poet and critic who valued her privacy and was largely unknown to the general public but was held in high esteem by her peers. Listen to Bogan read her poem “The Dragonfly” online at The Academy of American Poets.

Wordcrafters meeting Saturday, April 30

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Wordcrafters will discuss the creation of a contest in honor of Gloucester poet Amy Dengler when it meets on April 30.

Wordcrafters (like NSPF, a subset of the Massachusetts State Poetry Society) usually meets at the Peabody Library but this month on Saturday, April 30, at 11 a.m., will meet at the Salem home of Beverley Barnes due to construction efforts at the library. Roberta Hung will provide the presentation and there will be some time set aside for gentle critique and reading of one another’s poems.

 
Although she hasn’t finalized her presentation, Roberta had been considering joining in the Massachusetts Poetry Festival’s efforts to get more than 10,000 people to read the same seven poems during the month of April. The effort, dubbed “Common Threads”, features poetry from Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Pinsky, and Kevin Young, among others.
 
Also on the agenda will be a discussion of ways to honor fellow North Shore poet Amy Dengler who passed away earlier this year after a courageous battle against cancer. Roberta has been in touch with Amy’s family and was able to obtain a copy of Amy’s final collected works. The family gave Roberta permission to disseminate copies to beloved friends of Amy’s. Discussions are also planned for a possible memorial contest in Amy’s name. For information, e-mail Roberta, or leave a post here and we will forward along information as it becomes available.

Congrats to contest winners, thanks for wonderful meeting

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Congratulations again to the winners of the 2011 Naomi Cherkofsky Memorial Contestaward. We were blessed that so many of the winners were able to attend the NSPF meeting and open mic in honor of National Poetry Month last Saturday, April 16, at the Beverly Public Library. Awards went to:

  1. Lee Eric Freedman of Swampscott won first place for his poem “I Salute Myself,” a whimsical re-interpretation of Whitman’s “Song of Myself” retold from this unique poet’s musical dynasticism. We’ll see if we can’t get his permission to publish the piece here.
  2. Suellen Wedmore, of Rockport, earned second place for her poem “At Foley Stadium: Afghanstan-Bound”, as well as an honorable mention prize.  With her own son having served overseas on three tours, Wedmore says she penned her winning poem after reading a newspaper article regarding a gathering of hundreds of supports who gathered in Worcester’s Foley Stadium last year as a send-off for more than 600 service members in what the Boston Globe called “the largest deployment of Massachusetts National Guard troops since World War II.”
  3. C.H. Coleman, of Salem, earned third place for his poem “Absolute Last” which imagines the procreations efforts of the last man and woman on the planet and bizzare prediciament of needing assistance. Coleman, like Wedmore, also earned an honorable mention.

Additional honorable mention prizes were given to Diane Giardi, of Gloucester, for her poem “As Snow Falls”, Claire Keyes, of Marblehead, for “Sanctuary”, Richard Samuel Davis, of Byfield, for “Heaven to Heaven”, Maryellen Letarte, of Lunrnburg, for “Dragonfly”, and to Lucille Morgan Wilson of Des Moines, IA.

Don’t forget, the next NSPF meeting will be held Saturday, May 21, 11 a.m., at the library!

Don’t forget about Saturday’s reading and award ceremony

Poetry,

Greetings everyone,

I hope you are all looking forward to the annual Naomi Cherkofsky Memorial Contest award celebration and open mic in honor of National Poetry Month. We’ll be meeting this coming Saturday, April 16, 11 a.m., at the Beverly Public Library. This is always a joyous and entertaining event as members gather to celebrate the gift of poetry and congratulate our talented contest winners. So tell your friends and relatives, spread the word, polish up some of your best work and head on down.

This year’s winners include:

  • C. H. Coleman
  • Richard Samuel Davis
  • Lee Eric Freeman
  • Diane Giardi
  • Claire Keyes
  • Maryellen Letarte
  • Suellen  Wedmore
  • Lucille Morgan Wilson

Congratulations everyone!

I also wanted to let you know about a few other poetry events that are taking place this week.

The Gloucester Writers (GWC) hosts a local poets reading tonight Wednesday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m., at 126 East Main St., featuring readings by a few NSPF friends including: Nathan Cohen, Ruthanne (Rufus) Collinson, Ruth Maassen, and Sage Walcott.

The Tin Box Poets hosts their 13th annual open mic and National Poetry Month celebration at the Swampscott Library on Thursday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. (doors/sign-up starts at 6 p.m.) This annual event draws spoken word artists of all abilities and disciplines from Swampscott, Marblehead, the North Shore, and beyond. The Tin Box Poets’ goal is to promote and encourage the appreciation of poetry in our lives.

Also on Thursday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m., at the Paul M. Scott Library in the main building of Montserrat College of Art, NSPF member (and contest winner) Claire Keyes hosts a poetry reading and fundraiser for the Massachusetts Poetry Festival featuring the work of Boston resident Fred Marchant and Rowley resident Carla Panciera. Suggested donation is $20, $10 students. For additional information, visit http://masspoetry.org/2011/03/13/a-pre-festival-celebratory-reading-and-fund-raiser-on-april-14/.

On Sunday, April 17, from 3-5 p.m., Elizabeth McKim hosts a house concert of Poetry/Story/Song at her loft in Lynn. The event features Kato Mele, Rozi Theohari, Eliz McKim, Don White, Walnut, Mike Mele, and others. Tickets are $15. Reservations are available by e-mail at jocelynalmy@tlguts.com or call 781-715-1445.

In honor of National Poetry Month

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There are a plethora of activities to celebrate National Poetry Month. Besides the one hosted by the Massachusetts Poetry Festival folk on April 14 (see prior post), the Tin Box Poets are also hosting an event that evening. Here’s the scoop:

Come celebrate National Poetry Month with Tin Box Poets of Swampscott’s 13TH annual open mic. The Tin Box Poets of Swampscott will host their 13th annual open mic reading on Thursday, April 14th, at 6:30pm. This annual event draws spoken word artists of all abilities and disciplines from Swampscott, Marblehead, the entire North Shore and beyond. The Tin Box Poets goal is to promote and encourage the appreciation of poetry in our lives.  
Hope to see you there!
Thursday, April 14, 2011: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Open mic for poetry, and spoken word
(a song if you desire – please provide your own instrument)
Doors open at 6:00 pm for SIGN UP. Reading @ 6:30 pm
Public welcome and All AGES, free admission, refreshments, accessible
Swampscott Public Library, 61 Burrill Street, Swampscott, MA (2nd floor)
More info: swa@noblenet.org, 781-596-8867.
 
*** Due to time restrictions we do ask for a limit of 2 pages or 4 minutes for all open micers. If we have time, we always have a second round. Please be kind, let everyone have their moment in the spotlight. ****
——————————————————————————————————————————————-The next week, we have this information from AGNI Magazine (agni@bu.edu)

CCAE’s Writer’s Life Series

 

Our popular series for writers and readers continues. Join us for three Wednesday evenings of informal discussions with local writers, focusing on a) anthologies and group publishing;  b) writing about one’s own family; and c) narrative journalism.
A) When:    Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 at 8:00pm

Who:     Doug Holder, Dan Mazur, and Barbara Ross

What:    Anthologies and Group Publishing: Learn about what’s behind group publishing from three writers who

        have both edited and contributed to anthologies of poetry, comics, and  crime stories.

Where:   56 Brattle Street, Harvard Square , Cambridge , MA , 02238 -9113

Price:   $6

Phone:  617-547-6789 x1

Web:    http://www.ccae.org

 

B) When:    Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 at 8:00pm

Who:     John Freeman, Katrina Kenison, and Marianne Leone

What:   Writing About Your Family: Respecting Boundaries, Taking Risks – An intimate discussion of the choices, challenges,                              and rewards these authors faced when writing about their loved ones.

Where:  56 Brattle Street , Harvard Square , Cambridge , MA , 02238 -9113

Price: $6

Phone:  617-547-6789 x1

Web:    http://www.ccae.org

C) When:    Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 at 8:00pm

Who:     Ethan Gilsdorf, David Valdes Greenwood, and Paige Williams

What:   Narrative Journalism: Not Just The Facts, Story Too – Whether it be immersion journalism or creative non-fiction, this deeply personal genre transforms everyday reporting into a captivating novel. Discover the worlds inhabited and paths traveled by these writers.

Where:   56 Brattle Street, Cambridge , MA , 02238-9113

Price:   $6

Phone:  617-547-6789 x1

Web:    http://www.ccae.org

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————– And, most importantly, from the standpoint of the North Shore Poets’ Forum, is our own event, on Saturday, April 16, 11 a.m. to 1 or 2 p.m., at the Beverly Public Library. Hope to see you there.

 

 

A festival invite

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 Claire Keyes, who is well known on the North Shore for her own poetry and for her years as a professor at Salem State, sends along this invitation:

You are cordially invited to a poetry reading and fundraiser for the Massachusetts Poetry Festival on Thursday, April 14th at 7:30 p.m. at the Paul M. Scott Library in the main building of Montserrat College of Art,
23 Essex St. Beverly.  Fred Marchant of Boston and Carla Panciera of Rowley will be the featured readers.   Donation: $20 or $10 for students.
   You can read more about Fred and Carla on the Masspoetry.org website. Here is the link:

http://masspoetry.org/2011/03/13/a-pre-festival-celebratory-reading-and-fund-raiser-on-april-14/

We will also have some scintillating raffle items for the poetry-obsessed, so please bring your wallets!

Claire Keyes
cjkeyes@verizon.net

National Poetry Month

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 April is National Poetry Month, and the North Shore Poets’ Forum is celebrating on Saturday, April 16, with readings by the winners of our Naomi Cherkofsky contest followed by an open mic. We have been doing this for probably six or seven or eight (how many?) years, and it has always been a wonderful time. We hope you will join us at the Beverly Public Library, from 11 a.m. to about 2 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. And, if you write poetry, please bring up to three to share.

In the meantime, you can discover new poets and enjoy a poem a day in celebration of National Poetry Month by clicking on this website, provided by Knopf Poetry, a division of Random House:

http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2011/04/01/welcome-to-poetry-month/?ref=poemaday_email

Enjoy!

Updates from the Forum

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 Our next meeting is Saturday, March 19, at the Beverly Public Library, 11 a.m. to 1 or 2 p.m. Melissa Varnavas will  give a workshop about finding your creative inspiration. 

Melissa received her MFA in poetry last summer and is full of fresh ideas and breadth of knowledge. She had given a terrific program this fall on imagery. Here’s hoping you will all come.

We expect to have time to have gentle critiques of one another’s poetry, so bring along a pesky poem or two to share.

This has been a tough winter, both in terms of raging weather and of personal losses. I offer two poems for contemplation — one that shows anger with, the other acceptance of, the end of things.

The following poem speaks specifically about the poet’s father, but it is universal in its plea…

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

     by Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
…
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
…
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
…
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
…
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
…
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

….

This next poem is so quiet, with the repetitions reminiscent of prayer.

Let Evening Come

By Jane Kenyon

Let the light of late afternoon
shine through chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.
…
Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.
…
Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn.
…
Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.
…
To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to air in the lung
let evening come.
…
Let it come, as it will, and don’t
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come.

…

Missing Gertrude

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In addition to our friend Amy Dengler, we recently lost our good friend Gertrude Callis, for whom there will be a memorial service on Saturday, March 12, 2011, at 10 a.m., at the Swampscott Church of Spiritualism, Burrill Street, Swampscott. 

Her family invites you to join them.

The church is next to the Swampscott Public Library and across the street from the Swampscott Fire Station.

Melissa Varnavas is writing a poem to be published soon in this blog in memory of Gertrude, who gave to new poets and new members the encouragement to stand up and be heard. Those of us who knew her feel lucky, even while we miss her.

Gertrude has not been coming to meetings much in the last few years because of failing health. Mostly, she just didn’t want to be a bother to anyone. She hated to talk about her ailments, wanted nothing to do with doctor-talk or health advisories. She was a stubborn, proud, independent, feisty woman with a sweet, soft voice and a huge heart.

When you looked up, there she was — in your corner, smiling and sending good wishes your way.

Thanks, Gertrude.

Remembering Amy

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UPDATE: one more poem added, from Marcia Molay.

The North Shore Poets’ Forum gathered at the Beverly Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 19, for its usual February meeting, but with a different plan than usual: we would spend part of the time remembering our dear friend Amy Dengler, who died the week before.

Some of our members had gone to the Celebration of her Life the prior Thursday morning in Gloucester, and were able to share the beauty of the service, which was planned entirely by Amy.

“I felt as though Amy was my hostess,” said Beverlee Barnes about the care and attention to detail evident throughout, which was typical of the graciousness intrinsic to Amy.

Claire Keyes had felt a tiny bit reconciled to Amy’s death when various people chosen by Amy read some of her poems. Keyes then led Forum members in reading from Amy’s book “Between Leap and Landing,” so that we all would know Amy is always with us — in our memories and in her poems. (See some excerpts from her book on this website under “Introducing Amy Dengler.”)

Amy had also put together another volume of poetry, which we are hoping to receive soon and share with some of you, if her family permits. In the meantime, here is one of Amy’s poems that was read at the celebration of Amy’s life, which Roberta Hung has forwarded.

Valentine

It was only a button, a device

to fasten one side to another yet

it kept reminding me that my winter coat

was missing its middle fastener.  The coat,

still draped over the kitchen chair,

was one button short, brown thread trailing

from the empty space like a memo:

get to this soon.  Instead

I wore the blue jacket with the zipper.

On Wednesday while I was out,

he found the sewing kit, brown thread, a needle,

and reattached the button, size of a quarter

and made of bone or horn or something durable

that didn’t mind fingers, didn’t mind the in and out

of its intention, didn’t mind the simple work

of holding things together.

 

                                                            February 2008

                                                            Amy Dengler

……………………..

 Here is a poem by Roberta that she shared with Amy and the other Forum members at our annual summer outing in Gloucester:

 

Shelf Life

 My bulging bookshelf threatens to mutiny

      against the crowded conditions.

Some amigos will have to go

      where expatriots get sent.

I hope they’ll be valued in their new homes.

 …

A fellow poet recently humbled to Amy Dengler.

He’d paid a pittance at a resale

      for her book, Between Leap and Landing.

His apologia suggested that he rescued it

      from landing in the fire.

 …

Personally, I think it leapt to a new shelf

      to set more hearts aflame.

Good books are like the phoenix.

Amy, mon amie, my copy is a signed keepsake

      of a lovely mentor and friend.

                                                             4/17/10

                                                            Roberta Hung

 

And, we also have the poem to which Roberta is referring, by Lee Eric Freedman:

 
 

 

 

 

AMY AT ANY PRICE
                                          For Amy Dengler

I purchased your book, Amy Dengler.
On Saturday, the final day of             
Swampscott Public Library’s used book sale
when all remaining titles are
reduced to 10¢ apiece.
… 
Shelved in the section “Poetry & Essays”
among copies of Mary Oliver, Charles Simic,
Vincent Ferrini and Czeslaw Milosz,
Between Leap and Landing
lands in my hands.
… 
I shudder, when upon examination
the cover price reveals itself: $8.95.
A sargasso sense of guilt—
should I tell you what I paid?
Will you demand restitution?
Call your lawyer?
 …
Could you please autograph it for me?
I try to laugh it off
but comedy begets tragedy begets fear,
like biting one’s tongue,
that familiar salty blood taste.
 …
Look at it this way my poet friend
I rescued your book.
Snatched it from the fiery furnace
the great maw of death
delivered it from the killing floor.
 …
Please forgive me Amy,
at any price
your poems leap into my hands, enter my heart.
Your skein of geese
going somewhere.

 (© 11/16/2009: Lee Eric Freedman, Tin Box Poets – Swampscott, MA) 

A Remembrance of Amy Dengler
          By Marcia Molay

Amy wrote poetry that made you smile.
There was a message but it never
hammered you; instead it made you aware
of daily tasks as you use simple kitchen tools…
a mixer, a chair, a spoon to lick.
…
She teased that she wrote about
the usual poet’s themes: crows, the moon,
utensils, family.  Despite her persistent,
recurrent illness, she wrote poetry that
delighted and read them with a soft,
soothing voice that made us smile back at her.
…
Her generosity was legend.  Encouraging
less experienced writers was part of her character.
No worry about who would shine,
she helped, based on her long experience with words
and her intuition about what the new poet
could absorb.
 … 

 
 
Amy was a blessing to those of us who knew her. We wish her well on her new journey. CKO