We all go smash to the floor

Happy Birthday, Mr. WIllis...Art got birthday pecks from all the ladies, and then Dan chimed in to say he was having a birthday on Saturday, so he collected some, too.

"Smash to the floor..." is a line from Duma Key by Steven King, which I just finished reading and really got into. Plebian tho my taste may be, I love Steven. My poem reverberated with King images, being naked and pursued by monsters from the ocean who want to devour our tasty, salty morsels.

Tom had spitoonias in his poem (basically about Cate Blanchett in various incarnations) The guys all talked about the dreamlike quality of it, bringing dreams to the page and other interpretations. I just thought it was Cate as Harry Potter. Silly me.

Alan (now found although I didn't realize that he had been lost) steadfastly refused to change anything in his poem after everyone made suggestions and we debated about the capitalization of Arctic (arctic?).

Bless Joyce. She vented about Eliott Spitzer (Tom said that his poem was about Switzer, too), but did it so cleverly that no one knew what she was talking about. Narcisscism disguised as a "Traffic Violation" - "(sex) traffic", get it?

I learned a lot from Dennis. I did not know that the "Celtic Tiger" was the economic and technological boom which brought Ireland into the modern ages, but benefitted so few. The moral was that money corrupts, at least it didn't help the Irish. As the reader, Edie had a bit of a problem deciphering his elegant handwriting.

I will be away for the next meeting and see you all on April 10, which is two days before our brunch. Bring spouses and friends, bring juice, donuts, quiche, bagels, egg dishes, store-bought or home-cooked...whatever your imagination inspires. I have ordered a fruit platter and will have coffee, tea, cocoa, etc. It starts at 11, so I can use set-up help around 10:30 if anyone can come early. I am inviting anyone with a talent to bring a musical instrument for a (short) performance or just background music.

Passed on from Alan (not his): "I didn't know if I was a man dreaming I was a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming I was a man." I like that.

BTW, Tom and I were at Dan Wilcox's house on Sunday, visiting with Charlie Rossiter who was here from Chicago. Charlie was instrumental in starting the V'ville poetry revival back in the early 90's and it was good to see him.

Dan is bringing some of his thousands of poet photos for our display case in April.

I am hoping to see Larry and Susan and Ron and other old friends at brunch. I have been reminiscing and remembering what a great writing thing we've got going here.

There follow

...a few photos from the Perfect Blend. Art is with his grandson Abe, Dennis is exiting the Ladies Latrine, the unfamiliar face is Larry the Great Rapant.

Just a note to tell you that people are here and not here for the next few weeks. Philomena, the Beach Boy, the Glebe Homie, Ally Cat and Olliesmom are all having vacations. I will be in Florida on March 27th, am hoping Tom will take charge. The April 10 meeting is only two days before our brunch, so we need to go over the arrangements next week.

See you on the 13th.

at the Perfect Blend