Writing, Reading, Presenting, Performing & Teaching Poetry
What a lovely evening of POETRY & LAVENDER at The Lavender Boutique in East Wenatchee!
We sampled lavender cheesecake, several types of lavender lemonade (some with the addition of a little vodka!) and pear cider. Several people drew inspiration from the beauty around us to sketch and do water colors, while others of us read some poems.
To learn more about Joseph Downs and his lavender farms, visit http://thelavenderboutique.net.
The launch party for the Journal was held on June 9 at Bob’s Burgers & Brew in East Wenatachee. Over 40 people attended and enjoyed snacks, drinks and a reading of some of the published poems.
The mood was festive and relaxed, the camaraderie was uplifting and the excitement about the publication was palpable. Congratulations for the poets and volunteer staff alike flowed between us. What a nice time we had!
A special thanks to the crew at Bob’s Burgers & Brew for making our event so easy – and so yummy.
We enjoyed some really good poems at our most recent Podium. We read our own stuff, of course, plus several of us read something from well-known poets. I particularly enjoyed the William Stafford poems which Susan L. read: “Is This Feeling About the West Real?” and “A Valley Like This .” In fact, they inspired me to dust off my copy of his book, The Way It Is: New and Selected Poems, and work my way through it again. Here is one of my favorites:
You Reading This, Be Ready
by William Stafford
Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How sunlight creeps along a shining floor?
What scent of old wood hovers, what softened
sound from outside fills the air?
Will you ever bring a better gift for the world
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now? Are you waiting
for time to show you some better thoughts?
When you turn around, starting here, lift this
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. This interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life -
What can anyone give you greater than now,
starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?
Read about William E. Stafford at the Poetry Foundation.
We are looking for a photographer to take photographs of our next Poetry Podium. Please contact us if you are available.
A weekend-long poetry event hosted by various venues within an easy walking distance in the heart of downtown Ellensburg, Washington. It celebrates an acclaimed poet from the past and features guest readers, craft talks, open mics, a live radio broadcast, a book fair and a film screening. A full Saturday of poetry is capped off by a reading by the Washington State Poet Laureate. This annual event takes place during the first weekend of April.
More information at Inland Poetry.