Here we are...

...a group of Baby Boomers of sundry religious,
political and cultural orientations, who have been
meeting at the Voorheesville Public Library since 1991
to read and discuss each other's poems.

We include old fathers and young grandmothers,
artists and musicians, and run-of-the-mill eccentrics.
Writers are welcome to stop in and stay if they like us.


Some of Us

Some of Us
Dennis Sullivan, Beverly Osborne, Tom Corrado, Edie Abrams, Art Willis, Alan Casline (all seated); Paul Amidon, Mike Burke, Tim Verhaegen, Mark O'Brien, Barbara Vink, Philomena Moriarty

Monday, April 16, 2007

Glory Days

A few of you remember them - back when VPL was packed with poets reading Patterson and Tom and Larry Rapant and I were on the road with our poems about state workers and the Altamont Fair, with Tom and Brian Kennedy providing musical backup. Well, Saturday felt like a glory day again, didn't it? There were some lean years in between - when there were just six of us for Poetry Day reading to each other. This is infinitely better. I had a great time. I appreciate our poetry. I appreciate the way we all have grown. We write a lot of good stuff and are striving to get better. Thank you all for being good writers and good friends.

Steve, Amy and Tim from Comhaltus, made the day very special. I loved the good music, Tim's fascinating instrument, Amy's red hair and Steve's commentary. Thanks totally to all of them.

Thinking about good friends, I am glad that Dan was with us on Saturday and that Carol Graser came for the first time to check us out- Carol's image of the stripes peeling from the flag is still with me - and the writers from the Bethlehem group. Dan always wins my heart with his politically oriented slant on things; this one was particularly good. I missed Larry and Susan Riback and Ryu and Mildred, but was happy to have relative newbies like Alan and Catherine and Tim with us. I saw Ron Pavoldi slip in at the near the end of things but didn't get to chat with him.

Thanks, Tom, for remembering the Tall Poet. We miss you, John Rankin. Mike B. read two award-winning poems, one of his own and one that his granddaughter Morgan wrote about the beach. I really liked Alan's selection of poems and tribute to Kurt Vonnegut. I loved Mark's hat and Ally's costume. Her headpiece was gorgeous, and her rendition of Billy Collins' candle hat appropriate and funny. Timmy wore his anthology shirt. I was wearing my pajamas, by the way - black satin with red hearts. I guess my Prelude to Love (spinach and croutons) piece was a laugh and my ruminations on death and war pretty depressing in an otherwise happy day. I found my old copper-turn-your-arm-green POW/MIA bracelet from forty years ago and I have been wearing it and contemplating young men dying. (Don't go pc on me. I have two sons and five grandsons, so I am always thinking young men.)

The ten-year-old grandson was there early with his mother helping with the kitchen coordinating and setup. Thank you to both of them and to Mike Burke who lugged chairs and microphone, etc., to all who helped with clean up, and the significant others who made supportive appearances. To judge by the consumption, the food was fantastic - I think we need to incorporate eating into more of our interactions. It certainly drew a crowd. Maybe obeedude's chocolate chip pancakes.

Some of us finished up the day at Smitty's. I missed Ally, who was too tired to join us. I managed to pack away a root beer, then went home to take a nap myself.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous4/17/2007

    Barbara, thank you again for all your efforts in keeping our rag-tag group together. The poetry brunch was quite memorable, and your salad poem, as well! Sometimes words fail us - how can we face another campus shooting spree? Sometimes, like Saturday, words fill us with hope - and I left feeling hopeful and lucky to be surrounded by such talent and inspiration. So to everyone - thank you.

    Mimi

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  2. Anonymous4/18/2007

    Great job on posting new stuff on the blog. Great comments; great photos.

    And thanks again for your wonderful job of organizing a great day Saturday. Five people told
    me they thought it
    was great and I am sure you heard from them.

    The food, music, poems were wonderful. Sorry I took so long with my last poem; what was I
    thinking that that
    would not take long, oh well. Always keep your audience riveted!!

    I was also impressed with the overall quality of the poems; I think we as a group are getting
    better, no?

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  3. Anonymous4/18/2007

    I concur, it was the pancakes and friends...

    I miss Mildred too! Maybe next time I should offer to go and pick her up if she is up to it.

    BLACK SATIN PAJAMA MAMA!
    "You Looked Mauvelous!"

    Good to see some new Pictures too!
    "Everyone looks so good but me...
    I just gotta get a hat that fits!"

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  4. Anonymous4/18/2007

    Thanks to Lily Alyse for all her har work and planning to make Poetry Day '07 the huge success it was. We attracted a lot of folks & hope to lure even more next year. I had a blast!

    Ally

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  5. Anonymous4/19/2007

    A very nice day, Barbara, thanks for setting it up. See, that meltdown you had a couple of years ago after a lackluster Poetry Day fired everybody up and brought in new blood. Great job.
    Dennis, I must say about your last poem...I haven't been that anxious for an ending since the nuns used to make us stand at attention on Palm Sunday for the entire reading of the Passion.

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