Alameda POEM HOME project features cute little plexi-glass boxes painted like houses on portable poles to
move from place to place with poems inside. Wherever they are, currently in Starbucks and the Alameda Art Association Gallery
at South Shore, but soon to move to the Alameda Multicultural Community Center and Library, people raise the roof of the POEM
HOME box, choose a poem. Poets send their poems to share with the community, Alameda has invited poets from all over the world
to send poems (in English).
Poems will be reproduced many times and the POEM HOME boxes will be kept supplied with poems to impact the
community with poems from many countries to make Alameda known as a world poetry center, a silk road of poetry trade. People
can choose a poem to take to their own home or share with a friend. Authors retain copyright
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JANNIE DRESSER is launching "December Dalliance" -- a free online poem-a-day writing workshop -- with the
first prompt to go out by midnight tonight to send off the year with a flurry of new poetry activity. You can join Jannie
by using this class code: E3253Z3DZ8 and going to www.nicenet.org to sign up.
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BAPC member JEANNE LUPTON, hosts 2nd & 4th Saturdays Poetry & Prose Reading Series, features with
open mic, at FRANK BETTE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 1601 Paru St., Alameda, CA.
Also, BAPC member CATHY DANA hosts a Storytelling Swap
on 3rd Thursdays at FBCFTA.
Monthly Reading-- at Books Inc 1344 Park Street: TBA
Alameda Sunshine
The Journal's story, March 25th, of our newly published book The
Human Face of Love (Xlibris) of testimony from people who have, or who care about people with some form of
brain chemistry imbalance, is greatly appreciated.
Events such as the reading from this book at the Frank Bette Center
for the Arts could not succeed without media reports such as the Journal's. However, one correction; the story mentioned
tribute paid to Betty Romero (so well deserved), but said she was the "late" Betty Romero and Betty is still very much alive,
recently out of the hospital and in a care center, therefore unable to come to the event. Her new address\ is Betty
Romero, 1436 Clay St, Hayward, Ca, 94541, tel # (510) 209-4781. People can visit, call or send cards.
Many know Betty's well- publicized
story since she gave up her fabulous job at Candlestick Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, (Betty was chosen
the first Miss Candlestick Park) and her friendships with Joe Dimaggio, Lefty O'Doul, Willie Mays and
other famous sports figures and where the Beatles and other greats appeared, to work full-time for her
son and others who had various mental illnesses.
This book tells of attempts of Betty Romero, Eileen Malone and
others to find hope and care for their sons who had schizophrenia. People
in the book are making a brave sharing, such as Shannon Regan, writing of her father, shot in the head in Iwo Jima,
and how brain damage affected his life, family and community; Elizabeth Norris on effects of trauma
on American civilians interred in a university in the Philippines in wartime. AM Fonda also has
a moving poem about his war experiences. A variety of subjects are covered, Carrie Clinton wrote of a family member
with old-age depression, Caroline Rudge wrote how depression at any age can affect, a poem of trauma. And there is more.
My poem is in the book too, of my son's slow,
devastating dying of Huntington's, juxtaposed with Laura Bush's, (President's wife), telling that her
wealthy Texas friends would help rebuild the destroyed Buddhas of Bamiyan juxtaposed to a doctor's statement of lack
of funds to seek cure for Huntington's.
Thank you, Journal for telling the public of this book and our stories. This
can mean so much to the community because, as your story reports one in four families, statistics show, are touched by some
form of mental illness, whether stress, mood disorder, emotional breakdown, or brain chemistry imbalance due to nutritional
or other factors, leading to many physical conditions. All need information on the body/mind connection. and to know
of resources, research, care-giving, and personal experiences.
Mary Rudge
Scenes from the 14th, 16th Dancing Poetry Festivals
Bookmark the Artist Embassy link below, include it in your "favorite" list; touch
base from time to time.
THE MUSES, by NATICA ANGILLY Classical literature, myth and legend has gifted poets with the devotion
of the Muses. Poetic creativity flows abundantly from their realms, and has been a source of inspiration to poets since 3000
B.C. The Muses continue to be ever present, their appeal guides the poet's pen. Poets have called upon the Muses for
their eloquent memories and vast knowledge encompassing the Epical, Heroic, Sacred, Historical, Universal, Idyllic, Dramatic,
and in matters of Humor and Love. Poets have honored the Muses with artistry and praise. Poetry gives the Muses
their reason for being! Poetry is their delight! Dedication of Muses to All Poets remains Eternal. ( NaticaAEI)
The Muses:
Zeus – (father of the muses) Mnemosyne –(mother of the muses) Calliope
–(epic and heroic poetry) Polyhymnia –(sacred poetry) Orpheus – V ( poet, musician, singer) Urania
–(universal poetry and astronomy) Clio – (historical poetry) Melpomene –(dramatic poetry and song) Thalia
– (humor and idyllic poetry) Euterpe –(lyric poetry and music) Erato –(love poetry) Terpsichore
–( poetry danced)
Dancing Poetry Festival Poster 2009
A distant thunder on the surface of the Sun
Unheard by ears, unseen by eyes
Echoes, reverberates
the beat of a gargantuan drum
A solar flare escapes
vortex swirls, gas jets roar
Ion streams penetrate into the Sun,
Magnetically attracted
Snaking inward,
Stoked by lightning
Bound for the solar core
Absorbed by an unbalanced equilibrium
Gravity voraciously devours
Radiating a brilliant corona
Until harmonic balance
Is once again restored
The Crossing
The snail at the edge of the road inches forward, a trim gray finger of a fellow
in pinstripe suit. He's burdened by his house that has to follow where he goes. Every inch, he pulls together all
he is, all he owns, all he was given.
The road is wide but he is called by something that knows him on
the other side.
