Tag Archives: North Shore poets

A soon-to-be published poetry book by Melissa Varnavas

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I met Melissa Varnavas when she came to work at the Beverly Citizen newspaper back in the late 1990s. She became a great friend, joining the North Shore Poets’ Forum and sharing with fellow Forum members much that she was learning in her Master of Fine Arts program.

She then reached out to others in the poetry community of the North Shore, including the Tin Box Poets and the Salem Writers Group. She was full of joy and information and talent. She died much too soon, in August 2022, from cancer, at the very young age of 48.

With her husband Chris Terrell and Tin Box poets Javy Awan and Margaret Eckman, I helped select some of her marvelous poems for a book that will be off to the printer soon. We know her family, friends, fellow poets and others she met through the years will enjoy this upcoming book of Melissa’s poems. Until that is available, however, I hope the attached interview with Reach Arts member Agatha Morrell, with remind you of how charming, talented and wonderful she was.

The Ides of March Meeting

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The North Shore Poets’ Forum is meeting on March 15 in the Barnet Gallery of the Beverly Public Library at 11 a.m. We obviously weren’t thinking about Julius Caesar or Brutus when we chose the date! However, I expect no one will be in a murderous mood, since Spring is definitely in the air. (Or am I delusional?)

If you are at all like me, you are finding the politics today a bit overwhelming. So, I found a neat website that invites writers of all sorts to submit work on politics and society. Here’s a quick summary:

“Writers for Democratic Action is thrilled to announce our … new online publication (which) is an opportunity to submit your writing on politics, society, and the world. We welcome and encourage diverse perspectives from across the US and abroad. No minimum publications or experience–we want powerful writing relevant to our time.”

Check it out and submit something of your own, perhaps.

March isn’t just about traitors and murder. It also celebrates the Irish, and I will bring a few poems. If you choose, please bring a favorite poem either about the Irish or Spring, which is really, per the Farmers’ Almanac, on the way. Also, bring a poem of your own to share at the meeting for gentle critique.

I usually end with a poem for you to peruse, but I am finding the changes to WordPress too hard. I just can’t figure out how to format a poem, since there is no poetry format. Sorry! So, I’ll leave with good wishes for a nice spring and an invitation to join the Poets’ Forum.

Meeting in the not-quite-spooky time

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The North Shore Poets’ Forum will meet Saturday, Oct. 19, in the Barnet Gallery of the Beverly Public Library at 11 a.m.

The group last month decided to return to the 11 a.m. start time, which had been in effect for a kagillion years. They decided it would give everyone an extra half hour to wipe the sleepies from our eyes and gather a poem or two for gentle critique.

In addition, Cathryn gave away many of her poetry magazines which had been bursting off her book shelves. She may bring a few more this month.

She hopes on Saturday to share the origins of the American Halloween — with spooky monsters and ghouls, dress-ups, and lots of candy. Most of us know it has to do with the Christian ceremonies of All Saints Day, November 1, and All Souls Day, Nov. 2. But why candy? Why Trick or Treat?

To set the tone, here’s a poem for the season.

The Black Cock

By Ishmael Reed
 for Jim Hendrix, hoodoo from his natural born

He frightens all the witches and the dragons in their lair
He cues the clear blue daylight and He gives the night its dare
He flaps His wings for warning and He struts atop a mare
for when He crows they quiver and when He comes they flee

In His coal black plumage and His bright red crown
and His golden beaked fury and His calculated frown
in His webbed footed glory He sends Jehovah down
for when He crows they quiver and when He comes they flee

O they dance around the fire and they boil the gall of wolves
and they sing their strange crude melodies and play their
weirder tunes and the villagers close their windows and the grave-
yard starts to heave and the cross wont help their victims and
the screaming fills the night and the young girls die with
open eyes and the skies are lavender light
but when He crows they quiver and when He comes they flee

Well the sheriff is getting desperate as they go their nature’s way
killing cattle smothering infants slaughtering those who block their way
and the countryside swarms with numbness as their magic circle grows
but when He crows they tremble and when He comes they flee

Posting hex-signs on their wagons simple worried farmers pray
passing laws and faking justice only feed the witches brew
violet stones are rendered helpless drunken priests are helpless too
but when He crows they quiver and when He comes they flee

We have seen them in their ritual we have catalogued their crimes

we are weary of their torture but we cannot bring them down
their ancient hoodoo enemy who does the work, the trick,
strikes peril in their dead fiend’s hearts and pecks their flesh to quick
love Him feed Him He will never let you down
for when He crows they quiver and when He comes they frown

 

 

Happy New Year at the Poets Forum

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The North Shore Poet’s Forum will meet Saturday, Sept. 28, at 10:30 a.m., in the Sohier Room of the Beverly Public Library. This is a bit unusual since we normally meet on the 3rd Saturday of the month, but I couldn’t make it last week, and members voted to postpone one week. You may bring food, but be discreet, as usual.

I had no great ideas for a program this month, but I do have lots of poetry magazines that I decided to give to any of you who may want them. They include Poetry, Rattle, Ploughshares, Alaska Quarterly Review (one copy….I don’t know why I have it), and The Sun. There may be more. I have too, too many. And, I thought, it might be fun to read a few and vote on whether we would have chosen to publish them. I think that would be a refreshing and heartening exercise. Oh, I also get The New Yorker, and we all know how many great poets have had work published there. I’m not that impressed with many these days, but it could be because I’m not that smart.

It’s Autumn! Today! First day! So, I’ll leave you with a Fall poem, by Robert Gibb, For the Chipmunk in My Backyard. I like this one so much, I might look up more of his poems.

For the Chipmunk in My Backyard


I think he knows I’m alive, having come down
The three steps of the back porch
And given me a good once over. All afternoon
He’s been moving back and forth,
Gathering odd bits of walnut shells and twigs,
While all about him the great fields tumble
To the blades of the thresher. He’s lucky
To be where he is, wild with all that happens.
He’s lucky he’s not one of the shadows
Living in the blond heart of the wheat.
This autumn when trees bolt, dark with the fires
Of starlight, he’ll curl among their roots,
Wanting nothing but the slow burn of matter
On which he fastens like a small, brown flame.

Thinking in images

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The North Shore Poets’ Forum met on Saturday, April 20, and enjoyed a very interesting workshop by Sandy Hokanson entitled, “Turning abstract terms into concrete images.”

Her inspiration was a book she read years ago entitled “Writing Poetry: Creative and Critical Approaches.” Written by Chad Davidson and Greg Fraser, she credited It with changing her approach to writing.

She had a worksheet with 50 or more abstract terms such as: courage, happiness, kindness, anger, beauty, etc. Members then thought up and shared descriptive words or phrases to convey those terms.

We then shared our own poems for gentle critique.

Our next meeting is May 18 in the Sohier Room of the Beverly Public Library, 10:30 a.m.. to 12:30 p.m. I will do my best to present a program, to be announced.

Cheers!

Spring dreams

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North Shore Poets’ Forum members gathered at the Beverly Public Library on March 16, an almost-spring day, for our first meeting since last year. Susan Hathaway presented information about self-publishing her lovely children’s book, “Who will Speak for the River,” focused on the Ipswich River.

The Ipswich River has been recognized as the eighth most endangered river in the US, serving as the water supply for 14 North Shore communities and as a very popular recreation area for canoeing, fishing, picnicking, hiking. Susan is a member of the Middleton Stream Team and knows the issues — too little water for too many people to rely on for day-to-day living. She hoped to garner more attention to the need for conservation with the book and to inspire children to cherish and care about this precious resource.

Actually, she has two version of the same book, one in English and Spanish, the other in English and Vietnamese. She found a high schooler, Molly, and a seventh grader, Jack, to draw colorful and graceful pictures that capture the beauty of the river and environs.

Susan is now learning how to market the book. As a first step, you are invited to email her at schmwl02@yahoo.com. Put your interest in the subject line. Cost is $13.95 plus shipping. Profits will go toward conservation of the river.

After much discussion, we then read our poems for gentle critique. Our next meeting is Saturday, April 20, 10:30 to 12:30, in the Will Barnet Gallery of the Beverly Public Library. Sandy Hokanson will give a presentation, topic to be determined.

A new season begins

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The North Sore Poets’ Forum will meet on Sat., March 16, in the Barnet Gallery, Beverly Public Library, from 10:30 to 12:30.

Susan Hathaway will give a presentation on self publishing, with which she has experience. We will discuss future meetings, a possible Round Robin, and share a bit of Irish poetry, since St. Patrick’s Day is the next day.

Spring is on our doorstep, and even though it was a pretty easy winter, Spring is always a welcome respite from cold and dreary landscapes. I hope you all bring good cheer and  your poems — with copies — for gentle critique.

Until then, here’s a poem by John Hewitt

The Ram’s Horn

I have turned to the landscape because men disappoint me:
the trunk of a tree is proud; when the woodmen fell it,
it still has a contained Ionic solemnity:
it is a rounded event without the need to tell it.

I have never been compelled to turn away from the dawn
because it carries treason behind its wakened face:
even the horned ram, glowering over the bog-hole,
though symbol of evil, will step through the blown grass with grace.

Animal, plant, or insect, stone or water
are, every minute, themselves; they behave by law.
I am not required to discover motives for them,
or strip my heart to forgive the rat in the straw.

I live my best in the landscape, being at ease there;
the only trouble I find I have brought in my hand.
See, I let it fall with a rustle of stems in the nettles,
and never for a moment suppose that they understand.

May meeting: a Spring treat

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The Noth Shore Poets’ Forum met on May 15 in the Sohier Room of the Beverly Public Library, with 8 of us in attendance: Cathryn O’Hare (me), Jennifer Revill, Sandy Hokanson, Mary Miceli, Ellie Nelson, Beverly Barnes, Susan Picole, and Nancy Pantano.

Susan introduced us to the extraordinarily poignant poetry of Warsan Shire, born in 1988 in Kenya to Somali parents. She was brought to England as a one year old and grew up there. She now lives in the U.S.

Shire focuses on abuse, love, war, and more. Susan read a number of Shire’s poems, including “Home.”

I found this You Tube clip of Shire reading that poem.

Shire has published three volumes of poetry to date, and her poems have appeared in many journals. Here’s a fun fact: her poems were adapted to music for Beyonce’s album Lemonade. Quite a resume for this 25 year old!

After this wonderful introduction to such a proficient poet, we then shared our own poems for gentle critique.

We also decided to have a summer outing. However, the Mass State Poetry Society is meeting on June 17 at the Beverly Public Library, which some of us forgot (me). Therefore, if there is enough enthusiasm, we would have to choose a different date. Please let me know your thoughts.

Cheers!

Poets’ Forum welcomes members

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The North Shore Poets’ Forum met on March 18, 11 a.m., in the Barnet Room of the Beverly Public Library and welcomed the promise of Spring and a new year of poetry meetings.

In attendance were Director Cathryn O’Hare (me), Nancy Pantano, Susan Piccole, Tom McDonald, Ray Whittier, and new members Kate Boyle and Ellie Nelson. Unfortunately, some others were discouraged from coming because of the warning that an ongoing library HVAC project might take up much of the parking lot. Beverly patrons must have been warned off, too, because there was plenty of parking. We hope you can join us on April 15, again in the Barnet Room.

One of the first items of business was deciding what time we wanted to begin and end our meetings within the four hour time slot given to us, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. NOTE: we have changed our meeting time! We will now meet from 10:30 to 12:30 or so, due to popular demand — not too early or too late. Members can still bring a sandwich and soda to enjoy discreetly (food is generally not allowed).

We also set up program schedules. New member Ellie jumped right in and volunteered to present a program on April 15, 10:30 a.m., for National Poetry Month, in the Barnet Room.  She will research the when and why of the creation of this month honoring poetry.

Susan Picole will present the May 20 program, topic to be decided. We will meet in the Sohier Room at the Library, as we have in the past.

We will have a June outing, possibly in Beverly at Gillis Park, a quiet one near the Bass River with lots of parking, per Susan. Because we are not in the library, we can choose a date that suits the majority.

Nancy Pantano will present a program for the September 16 meeting, also in the Sohier Room.

We hope other members will volunteer to present programs for October 21 and November 18. If you are very shy, you could team up with another member, which might be fun.

For the March meeting, I presented a brief program on Eavan Boland (1944-2020), a distinguished poet who was one of the first female Irish poets to be honored in Ireland and internationally.

We then took turns reading our own poetry and offering helpful (one hopes) tips and suggestions.

Please join us April 15. Bring a poem of your own creation for gentle critique. Remember, the meeting will be at 10:30 a.m., Barnet Room, Beverly Public Library.

And, here’s a little Spring-time poem.

An Earth Song

Langston Hughes – 1901-1967

It’s an earth song,—
And I’ve been waiting long for an earth song. 
It’s a spring song,—
And I’ve been waiting long for a spring song. 
    Strong as the shoots of a new plant 
    Strong as the bursting of new buds
    Strong as the coming of the first child from its mother’s womb. 
It’s an earth song, 
A body song, 
A spring song, 
I have been waiting long for this spring song.