Poetry Corner: Regional Reading – Creativity in Difficult Times

POETRY CORNER – The Regional Reading

– 11/08/17

Hosted by Kathabela Wilson

We complete the regions today, with Barbara Ellen Hay, who noticed at our Regional Reading performance in Santa Fe, that she was the only one from this state and no one had spoken for it. So, not only will she speak for Oklahoma but explain how she has widened her scope and nurtured her creative spirit by leaving home in a camper and traveling the regions!

~ Kathabela

Moon over Yellowstone Lake (Photo – Barbara Hay).

Barbara Hay

One thing humans have in common is there is no escaping difficult times. And yes, I have to agree that these times have felt especially dark. I have been depressed and angry every single day since long before the election. How we cope with the times can make all the difference. As writers and poets, the difficult times are precisely when we should be working to bring to light the thoughts and feelings, the conundrums, the rights and wrongs that we see in our daily lives, in our homes, in our communities, in our society, and in the world. It is our obligation as purveyors of the written word. How does one pull oneself out of the mire when it feels as if we are being bombarded on a daily basis from all angles?”

high noon—
black angus neck deep
in a ranch pond

coyote calls—
night presses against
the kitchen window

longhorn trail—
the scent of bluestem grass
takes wing

Barbara Hay’s book trailer.

While Barbara​ calls Tulsa, Oklahoma her home, where these haiku were written, now with her children grown she says: “I can focus on sharing my love of reading and writing with young people​, by writing and publishing books for children. ​To do so, I have challenged myself in a whole new and different direction. I bought a 34’ travel trailer and a pickup truck to tow it around the country. My idea is to mosey, to take life a bit slower. To have time to talk with people. To be able to write in some of the most beautiful places in North and South America. I have seen how quickly life can change, and I do not want to waste one single day​. ​I challenge myself every day with this: Keep your eyes open. Go outside. Write every day even if it hurts. Even if it makes you cry.​ ​I encourage you to do the same.​”​

strawberry moon—
white herons fish on
a still pond

summer lightning—
the first squabble
of our vacation
Oxford, Iowa

orange traffic cones
counting the miles
to dinner
Pierre, South Dakota

vibrant pink striations
watching for
elk crossing
Sundance, Wyoming

Pride Parade—
the scent of weed
colors the air
Chicago, Illinois

Shoshone National Forest—
playing peekaboo
with the moon

Wyoming moon
feeling small in
Bighorn Mountains

Barbara Hay​ says: “​The camper allows me to separate from home obligations and focus on writing. When I wake up in a beautiful spot, I can sit outside in the shadow of the awning at my picnic table and soak in my surroundings—the bird song, the sound of a creek, or the peacefulness of the woods. I’m miles away from the rest of the world even if I am staying in an urban campground. It seems to open up my senses and clear my mind.​..If you see my rig rolling down the road, please honk and wave! Or maybe we will get to share a cup of coffee and good conversation. You can reach me through my website“.​

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