Season’s Greetings from Poetrymind

The Coming of Light*

Even this late it happens: the coming of love, the coming of light.
You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves,
stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows,
sending up warm bouquets of air.

Even this late the bones of the body shine
and tomorrow’s dust flares into breath.*

Dear Friends (known and unknown) and Family, 

Best Wishes for the Holiday and warm wishes for your good health and well-being.  Everyday, I am grateful for the many gestures of kindness and support you all give me.  I offer each one of you my deepest aspiration for your happiness in this time of the rising light and coming New Year

Much Love Jacqueline

 

Photo Credit: Dharamsala candle by  Rosemary Rawcliff

*Poem by Mark Strand Reprinted from the Academy of American Poets website www.poets.org

Meditation and Poetry Writing Group Recap for Saturday December 5

The following meetings will take place each first Saturday of the month at the Shambhala Center in Shelburne Falls, MA 

71B Ashfield St
Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts 01370

Jan 2

Feb 6

Mar 5

Apr 2

May 7

There is currently room for one or two more individuals. In order to facilitate a meaningful amount of time for each person, we are restricting each group to 6-7 individuals. Please contact Jacqueline at jacqueline.gens@gmail.com or 413-522-1125

Today December 5, 2015 five of us met for discussion and sharing our work. 

Here is Barbara Paparazzo's fine poem for the month : 

WILD BERRIES

We hear Chapel Falls before we see it

a trail in the woods

then snow water

glacier green

red berries

daggar sharp clarity

mosquito larvae in pool

a dead mouse in 2 inches of water

thinking of the immortal Tufu

escaping the An Lu Shan rebellion

on foot with his family

by river and paths

eating berries

to stay alive

arriving starved, exhausted at the house

of his old friend

they share a few poems

the desperation of the times

how words 

come down to us

poems like red berries

to pick and eat

I love this poem for its artful simplicity that creates vivid imagery to arrive at the conclusion that words are sustenance in these desperate times. The reference of Tufu fleeing with his family is particularly poignant given current events. 

We discussed a variety of writers including Gary Snyder’s new book -  This Present Moment, Frank O’Hara’s "To the Harbormaster”, and John Keats’ Negative Capability.  Terry read song lyrics she wrote. Vince read a Haiku like poem from memory. Next month we will focus on Haibun and Haiku. Resources forthcoming.  

***

Here's a poem I wrote earlier this morning following a day sorting through old family photos. 

THE TELLING

Planetary orbits sundry forces pulverize matter down to the minute particles as centrifugal forces gather all to naught sucked into matrix of unbecoming

Stardust breath

Tonight I sort through old family photos for whom there are no heirs. Me at one, two, three and so on, visits with grandma to the San Diego Zoo, Lake Tahoe, in Malibu. Photos make loving memories but generations heaped up gone now ……..gate gate paragate*…Time slip a moment 

All gone into flames into the unknown
As I enter no-name
Once again

December 5, 2015
Early morning

*gone, gone, gone beyond, classic mantra of prajnaparamita

An Exquisite Corpse from our September Writing Group

Shall I postpose the  Acceptation (and realization)
            and scream at my own eyes?*

“Cherchez La Vache” ....Look to the cows if you want to know....
         Look to your mind

Look into your own eyes, see the inner world within

As self-protecting fantasy dissipates blazing disc
        in the Western horizon

Where in the eye does the I begin?

Azure Sky, iridescent grass, lone rose
      of sharon hangs in the summer breeze

The eye of the daisy, the mouth of the black-eyed susan
    fingers of fern reach out accepting our presence

Merging infinite symmetry in all its asymmetrical glory
     and time battered legacy of untold truths

We braid ourselves into pleasure, amid crickets, cookies
  and chat, tales of color and comedy

Fresh earth, matrix mana, kind-hearted
           stars explode

Raining sparkling dust covering the mirror of the soul 

To find out more about an Exquisite Corpse, visit here. 





*A line from Walt Whitman

New Meditation and Poetry Group Begins December 5 in ShelburneFalls, MA

WHEN: Beginning Saturday, December 5, 2015 (ongoing)
Meeting every first Saturday of the month

TIME: 11:00 AM-2:00 PM

WHERE: SHAMBHALA CENTER OF SHELBURNE FALLS, MA
71B Ashfield St
Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts 01370
United States

COST: By donation [Recommended $5-$20.00  per session]

APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE:
11:00 AM Guided Sitting Meditation
11:30 AM Walking Meditation
11:45 AM  Check-in/where we are with our writing
Noon - 1:00 PM: Brief Presentation by Jacqueline or guest
followed by writing prompt or exercise
Break for Lunch
1:00-2:00 PM - Share our work

A Picture from the Meditation and Poetry Group Outing to Visit Chard deNIord

[Sarah, Chard, Terry, and Marilyn, S. not in photo by Jacqueline Gens]

Chard deNiord, newly appointed Poet Laureate of Vermont, regaled our November writing group with his stories about the late Ruth Stone. DeNiord read a number of her signature poems followed by several of his own poems inspired by her from his new book INTERSTATE (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015)

His TED talk below resonates with some of our themes, in particular, Keats’ Negative Capability as a base.