Blogger-friend and fellow Smith alumna Steph has an interesting new post, blending Beatrix Potter, poetry, mushrooms, and more. Check it out!
https://wordwomanpartialellipsisofthesun.blogspot.com/2017/04/gaiman-fun-guy-on-beatrix-potter.html
Category: writing
Beauty and the Beast
Having given up on the concept of chronology in blogposting, I thought today I’d post on going to see the new live-action Beauty and the Beast film with spouse B and daughter T last week while we were in Missouri to visit T.
I remember going to see the animated Disney film with daughter E, who would have been about five years old at the time, with T being too young for movies. I was impressed with the beauty of the animation in the opening sequence and knew that we would buy and watch the video many, many times. We later had the soundtrack of the Broadway version. I was very interested in how this new, live-action film would fit into the Disney history with these other versions.
I was impressed with the new film. What I most appreciated was the addition of depth of characterization and backstory. Maurice, Belle’s father, is portrayed in a much fuller and more poignant way, set up by a new song near the beginning of the movie. We also learn more about Belle’s mother and about the prince’s parents, which makes the plot flow more easily.
I appreciated the new songs, which brought more emotion to the story, and which gave us an opportunity to hear the glorious voice of Audra McDonald. I thought that Emma Watson did a good job as Belle and that her singing served the characterization well. I also liked the richness of the orchestration and the chorus numbers.
All in all, I liked this version of the story because it is more human – which is the moral of the story.
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Binghamton Poetry Project – Spring 2017
March was very hectic, but I did manage to attend four of five sessions for the Binghamton Poetry Project. Our reading took place on April first, but I missed it as it was the same afternoon as our University Chorus concert.
I haven’t had a chance to collect my anthology yet, but these three poems are my contribution. The first two were written from prompts during our sessions and the last one I wrote in response to the tongue-in-cheek suggestion of one of the Grapevine Group poets that we each write a snow poem after our big storm.
Enjoy! (And comment if you are so moved…)
Pneumonia
Her breaths are fast and shallow
between coughs.
I untie her sneakers,
work them off,
pull off her socks,
help her out of her shirt and pants,
slip her nightgown on.
She sits on the edge
of the bed,
pivots to lie down,
but needs me to lift
her feet.
I pull up the covers,
close the door,
and wait for the X-ray results.
*****
Two Hearts
Her cardiac rehab is Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
He rides with her in the retirement home van,
helps her navigate into the lift with her walker,
sits with her in the waiting room
until she is called into therapy
where he is not allowed to follow.
He waits.
Her exercises accomplished,
they board the van for the ride
back home to their apartment
where lunch awaits.
After sixty-two years of marriage,
he does not want her to go
alone.
*****
Nor’easter Numbers
The forecast was for an inch overnight
with Five to Eight to follow;
then, One to Three
with Six to Nine.
I rose before the daylight-saving
delayed dawn to find
a foot of snow already down,
consequence of a more westerly
track
plus
a stall.
My strategy,
born of long-ago New England winters,
to clear the overnight
accumulation from the driveway,
then shovel
every few inches,
add in the front walk
and path to the mailbox
as strength allows.
A good plan,
but overly ambitious
for a Five foot One-and-a-half inch
Fifty-six-year-old
alone
with a shovel
contending with the wake
of snowplows
and snow falling at Two
or Three
or Four
inches
an hour,
Twenty-seven inches
by Five o’clock
and still snowing.
Seven bouts of shoveling,
Twelve thousand, ninety-one Fitbit steps,
and Two blessed assists
from the neighbors’ snowblower
yield a driveway cleared to a road
under a county-wide travel ban,
a path to a mailbox that may
be filled with today’s mail
tomorrow,
weather permitting.
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Mount Etna and more!
Check out spectacular geologic images from Steph at this link: http://wordwomanpartialellipsisofthesun.blogspot.com/2017/03/smoking-smoke-rings-mount-etna-sicily.html I especially appreciate the Mount Etna photos because I visited there when the Smith College Alumnae Chorus toured Sicily. Be sure to check out the bonus images in the first comment from Steph, aka Word Woman. Enjoy!
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SoCS: short and sweet
This post is going to be very short, because I just spent a bunch of time writing a post about the Sappho’s Circle poetry reading last night.
I guess the other thing I should mention is that I had to adjust the mike last night because I am so short…
*****
This short and sweet post was written in response to Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week, which was “short.” Join us! Find out how here: https://lindaghill.com/2017/03/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-mar-1117/
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Sappho’s Circle reading
Last night, Sappho’s Circle, a women’s poetry workshop convened by Heather Dorn, hosted a poetry reading at the Bundy Museum. The Bundy is our home and we decided to do the reading during Women’s History Month, as part of their current emphasis on women’s issues, particularly suffrage.
We chose to each read a poem from a woman poet whom we admire, followed by a poem or two of our own. I chose to read “The Bleeding-heart” by Mary Oliver. I admire her talent for melding nature imagery with insights into the human condition. I paired it with my poem “Discovery” which is thematically related – by springtime, by heirloom flowers, and by family connections.
After Sappho’s Circle members had read, we opened the floor. We were thrilled to have several poets share work with us. I was especially happy that three of the Grapevine Group, formerly the Bunn Hill Poets, read. There is significant overlap between Grapevine, which meets a couple of times a month to workshop our poems, and Sappho’s Circle, so it was nice to have support from our poet-friends and give them an opportunity to join in the fun.
And it was tremendously fun!
And the poems were amazing! Several of the participants are great performers and I admired their skill in engaging us with their movement, pacing, pitch, and tone. Many of the poets also used the opportunity to present some of their edgier work, using language that I, small-town-New-England bred, good-little-Catholic-girl, would never be able to pull off.
I am honored to have been a part of the reading. I can barely believe that I get to be among so many helpful, talented poets on a regular basis. I am especially indebted to Heather, who, when she was assistant director of the Binghamton Poetry Project, connected me to what is now the Grapevine critique group, and who started Sappho’s Circle to foster women poets who want to publish their work.
I am a lucky poet!
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One-Liner Wednesday: power
“Only love can safely handle power.”
~~~Richard Rohr
*****
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday! Find out how here: https://lindaghill.com/2017/03/08/one-liner-wednesday-lemons/
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Making Art in the Age of Trump
This resonates with me. Thank you, Nancy, for your writing and your witness as we make our way in these troubled and troubling times.
Source: Making Art in the Age of Trump
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It’s a Spring Party… Let’s Groove 🎶🌻🌷⚘🌺🍉🍔🍗🍿🍦🍻💃
Jacqueline is hosting a marvelous Spring Blog Party! Scoot over there, enjoy some lovely treats, and mingle with the other guests!
Thank you for coming to my Spring party. I love Spring. It’s a beautiful season with a lot of refreshing promises of budding life and blooms. A season of rebirth.
Do make yourself comfortable. Refreshments are nicely arranged down the page: Drinks, Chocolates, Cakes, Donuts, freshly squeezed juice, Coffee, Tea and so much more. 
The little party rules.
- Be friendly. Mix and mingle with others. Don’t be a wallflower. Blog parties offer the opportunity to meet many other bloggers in one place. Use the opportunity effectively.
- Please leave your blog link or post link in the comment box below along with an introduction.
- It’s one link per comment, but come back as often as you’d like, that way it’s easier for others to focus on a link one at a time.
- Have fun, this is a great way to find bloggers and have them find you.
- Please show some love. Reblog…
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SoCS: too many
I have way too many projects going these days.
Most of them, like preparing tax returns, are not especially fun.
My blog and other writing are suffering a bit as a result, but, someday, I will have a bit more control over my time and will be back posting and poet-ing more.
Thank you all for your patience.
JC
*****
Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week is “project.” Join us! Find out how here: https://lindaghill.com/2017/03/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-mar-417/
Joanne Corey 