Author Archives: Laura

Poetry Wednesday 12/03/08: Leaning into the Afternoons

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Left: Mossimo Troisi and Maria Grazia Cucinotta in the film, “Il Postino”. Hello, and welcome back to Poetry Wednesday 12/03/08. You can sign in today and take the tour thru Thursday, so take your time. I’ll be your hostess again this week. My sister, Sans Souci, is on a break, putting together her own poetry book, but she will check in. Before we get started, please make sure that your post has a link to get back to this page to make it easier to … Continue reading →

Poetry Wednesday 12/17/08: The Most Beautiful Flower

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The Most Beautiful Flower by Cheryl L. Costello-Forshey A 5th Portion of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Stories for A Faithful Heart. The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown For the world was intent on dragging me down. And if that weren’t enough to ruin my day, A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play. He stood right … Continue reading →

Poetry Wednesday 12/10/08: Alison Steele, The Night Bird

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POST IS UPDATED WITH HER VOICE – very mind-blowing ! Alison Steele (January 26, 1937 – September 27, 1995) was a pioneering American disc jockey in New York City during the sixties. Born in Brooklyn, Alison Steele achieved her greatest notoriety as a DJ on WNEW-FM, where she spun records on the night shift, after a major change in station programming from a dull music format to progressive rock. Alison didn’t know much about progressive rock when she started at this, and neither, apparently did … Continue reading →

Poetry Wednesday 12/31/08: On The Pulse Of Morning

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Maya Angelou Oil on canvas by BRUNI Sablan On The Pulse of Morning by Maya Angelou A Rock, A River, A Tree Hosts to species long since departed, Marked the mastodon, The dinosaur, who left dried tokens Of their sojourn here On our planet floor, Any broad alarm of their hastening doom Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages. But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully, Come, you may stand upon my Back and face your distant destiny, But seek … Continue reading →

Poetry Wednesday 10/22/08: The First Night of Fall and Falling Rain

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The First Night Of Fall And Falling Rain by Delmore Schwartz The common rain had come again Slanting and colorless, pale and anonymous, Fainting falling in the first evening Of the first perception of the actual fall, The long and late light had slowly gathered up A sooty wood of clouded sky, dim and distant more and more Until, at dusk, the very sense of selfhood waned, A weakening nothing halted, diminished or denied or set aside, Neither tea, nor, after an hour, whiskey, Ice … Continue reading →

Poetry Wednesday 09/24/08: A poem by Judith Viorst

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Woman Combing Her Hair Before a Mirror, 1877 by Edgar Degas   I’m Too Young To Be Seventy by Judith Viorst Deep in my heart I believe I’m Too young to be seventy. There are times when I’m wearing my baseball cap and my jeans That I even can imagine that, glimpsed from the rear, I might be mistaken For someone who could still be in her teens. Late thirties? Early forties? Middle fifties? I think I could do the middle fifties just fine, Like … Continue reading →

Poetry Wednesday 03/05/08: I Never Saw Another Butterfly

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During World War II, when Pavel Friedmann was about 11 years old, his family was forced to leave their home in Poland. The Friedmanns and other Jewish families were moved into a walled-off, isolated area called a ghetto. While he was living in the ghetto, Pavel wrote a poem called “The Butterfly.” Part of the poem reads, “Such, such a yellow/ Is carried lightly way up high/ It went away I’m sure because it wished to kiss the world goodbye.” It was the last butterfly … Continue reading →

Poetry Wednesday 01/09/08: Ample Make This Bed

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In 1947, the movie’s narrator, Stingo (Peter MacNicol), a young writer from the American South, travels to post-World War II Brooklyn. He is befriended by Sophie Zawistowski (Meryl Streep), a beautiful Polish immigrant, and her lover, Nathan Landau (Kevin Kline). It is clear to Stingo from the serial number tattooed into Sophie’s forearm that she is no stranger to pain. One evening, Stingo talks with Sophie and learns some more about her past: that she was married but her husband and her father were killed … Continue reading →

Poetry Wednesday: 07/29/09: Song

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Song By Gwendolyn Bennett I am weaving a song of waters, Shaken from firm, brown limbs, Or heads thrown back in irreverent mirth. My song has the lush sweetness Of moist, dark lips Where hymns keep company With old forgotten banjo songs. Abandon tells you That I sing the heart of race While sadness whispers That I am the cry of a soul. . . . A-shoutin’ in de ole camp-meeting-place, A-strummin’ o’ de ole banjo. Singin’ in de moonlight, Sobbin’ in de dark. Singin’, … Continue reading →

Poetry Wednesday 09/07/08: A Small Green Island

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[mp3j track=”SUSAN_OSBORN-Small_Green.mp3″] For over 30 years, singer and songwriter Susan Osborn has held the high ground of vocal artistry. Her startlingly remarkable voice — powerful and rich with emotional expression — came to world prominence when she was lead singer of the Paul Winter Consort between 1978 and 1985, shining on such albums as “Common Ground”, “Missa Gaia.” and “Concert For the Earth”. Osborn’s voice has such power and soulful presence that she’s performed at the United Nations, the Berlin Wall, the Nagano Winter Olympics, … Continue reading →