POETRY CORNER
Beneath the surface of ice (Photo – Kat Lehmann Blount).
– 3/14/18
Hosted by Kathabela Wilson
Today we probe beneath the surface of life. to find more life, glowing, inspiring, dreamlike, but all the more real. Alex Nodopaka, who begins today’s corner, is a fine artist and poet who manipulates found imagery and adds his own geometric symbols. He has written a wonderful cherita, a very short story form, one line, two lines, three lines. Lois P. Jones, a beautiful free verse poet finishes the corner with a stunning cherita based on a recent strong experience. Joan E. Stern, who attends our local poets meetings in Pasadena every week, except when on her worldwide adventures, writes a cherita inspired close to home. Our other three poets, Briony James, Kat Lehmann Blount and Devin Harrison span the distance with their powerful short songs, tanka, like gems found in the deep.
~ Kathabela
Bird skimming water – Artwork by Alex Nodopaka.
Alex Nodopaka
She flies under the water
without flapping a wing
when in realityshe grazes its depthless abyss
gliding over a mercurial surface
perfectly mirroring herself
Artist and writer Alex Nodopaka lives in Lake Forest, CA. He says: “Catching a bird grazing waters is like hooking two fish with one hook.”
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Joan E. Stern
creatures of the deep
flash light in dark sound
lure mislead and mateworld of dancing beams
explodes in blue-greens and reds
sea’s living light show
Joan E. Stern says: “I am inspired by living on the Pacific coast in Malibu and also realizing that 76% of sea creatures make their own light.”
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Briony James
the great murmuring
ageless and ceaseless
roar
of water dragons
beneath the waves
Briony James, who lives in Altadena, CA, says: “Art is often inspired by the grandeur and beauty of nature, and sometimes, the resulting art can further inspire other artists becoming a chain of creation that links artist to poet. Here the Great Wave washes over words.”
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Kat Lehmann Blount
The surface
and the surface beneath –
we live
in the sky
of dinosaurs
Kat Lehmann Blount loves to consider life beneath the surface of our daily doings, from our emotional underpinnings to the tapestries of our interconnectedness. She lives in Connecticut near her favorite river and is the author of two collections of poetry.
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Devin Harrison
diving with you
into darker waters
bubbles rise
to the surface
of our lives
Devin Harrison, a haiku poet, lives on Vancouver island where he hikes in the rain forest and practices a minimalist lifestyle. He says: ” I dive down inside and find what I need there, then bring it to the surface.” His latest book is “Meeting Myself at the Gate”.
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Good Bye Hour (Photo – Lois P. Jones).
Lois P. Jones
good-bye hour….
you’ll sink below the surface of my dreams
and I will wonder whether you ever existedI do not grieve your passing
you take with you the rush hour darkness
and the lethargy of wintering
Lois P. Jones, host of Poets Cafe on KPFK radio, lives in South Pasadena. She was recently featured in the Blue Whale Series at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Before she left, she took a whale watching tour. And so… a look at what emerges from the deep. Lois recently published her book of poems called “Night Ladder” with Glass Lyre Press.
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♣ We welcome and encourage your response especially in the form of short poems. You may reply by leaving a comment below.
Bravo Alex , your art is endless , you make the letters dance with the uncatching birds . Linda from Paris
Thank you. BOTH of you!! Thank you,, Alex, you belong in the round corner! Your beautiful image and writing inspired this corner, in fact! I have been loving to create these corners more and more, finding what is just below the surface of our minds, in a way that resonates, echoes in this beautiful chamber concert space!
How can one not respond to such glorious writing. My grateful thanks to all the poets.
I couldn’t be luckier than being in the only corner of the world that is otherwise all round! What nice company to be in!