Feb. 1 is National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Win for KC, an organization connected with the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation, is a national leader in empowering girls and women through sports and fitness. Last year, I had the pleasure of writing a poem for WIN regarding this mission. It was published in the organization's "Live Active" curriculum booklet.
Unleash your Athlete
Girls and women, heed the call.
You are athletes, one and all.
Some may play and some may win,
But all have strength that lies within.
Determination and confidence are a must
And so is the ability to adjust.
Unleash your athlete and when you do,
You’ll find that empowerment comes from you.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Unleash your Athlete
I am a poet and photographer who likes sports, jazz and art inspired by other art. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the early 1970's and was assigned to the Computer Sciences School in Quantico, VA. I have published a chapbook of grief poems, I Keep You with Me. My work also has appeared in publications such as Thorny Locust Magazine, core. zine,The Enigmatist, Veterans' Voices and Kansas Time + Place An Anthology of Heartland Poetry. My visual art pieces combine poetry and photographs, and have been most recently displayed at InterUrban ArtHouse, Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, Buttonwood Art Space, and The Smalter Gallery.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Grieving 101
We learn how to grieve and learn from our grief.
Grieving 101
Grieving 101 is the class
no one wants to take.
Unfortunately for all of us,
this class is a requirement,
not an elective.
The homework is hard.
It has to be to help you
learn to live without
someone who has been
an essential part of your life.
The instructor is difficult,
presenting new challenges daily
while dredging up memories and emotions.
The workload is time-consuming
and, early on, it may be
totally engrossing.
Despite the difficulty,
the class teaches
more than you expect and
makes you grow in ways
you never imagined.
You also come to understand
that this class is the prerequisite
to Grieving 102.
Grieving 101
Grieving 101 is the class
no one wants to take.
Unfortunately for all of us,
this class is a requirement,
not an elective.
The homework is hard.
It has to be to help you
learn to live without
someone who has been
an essential part of your life.
The instructor is difficult,
presenting new challenges daily
while dredging up memories and emotions.
The workload is time-consuming
and, early on, it may be
totally engrossing.
Despite the difficulty,
the class teaches
more than you expect and
makes you grow in ways
you never imagined.
You also come to understand
that this class is the prerequisite
to Grieving 102.
I am a poet and photographer who likes sports, jazz and art inspired by other art. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the early 1970's and was assigned to the Computer Sciences School in Quantico, VA. I have published a chapbook of grief poems, I Keep You with Me. My work also has appeared in publications such as Thorny Locust Magazine, core. zine,The Enigmatist, Veterans' Voices and Kansas Time + Place An Anthology of Heartland Poetry. My visual art pieces combine poetry and photographs, and have been most recently displayed at InterUrban ArtHouse, Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, Buttonwood Art Space, and The Smalter Gallery.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Morning
Inspired by a morning walk.
Morning
I walk toward the sunrise.
The sky is clear and blue.
Slowly, light begins to show.
A golden glow
that promises to grow
in brightness and in warmth.
I turn and see
the clouds behind me.
No longer dark and threatening.
Instead, they are reflecting
the hint of a new day.
Morning
I walk toward the sunrise.
The sky is clear and blue.
Slowly, light begins to show.
A golden glow
that promises to grow
in brightness and in warmth.
I turn and see
the clouds behind me.
No longer dark and threatening.
Instead, they are reflecting
the hint of a new day.
I am a poet and photographer who likes sports, jazz and art inspired by other art. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the early 1970's and was assigned to the Computer Sciences School in Quantico, VA. I have published a chapbook of grief poems, I Keep You with Me. My work also has appeared in publications such as Thorny Locust Magazine, core. zine,The Enigmatist, Veterans' Voices and Kansas Time + Place An Anthology of Heartland Poetry. My visual art pieces combine poetry and photographs, and have been most recently displayed at InterUrban ArtHouse, Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, Buttonwood Art Space, and The Smalter Gallery.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Oplatek
This is a new holiday poem about a Polish tradition that my family practiced on Christmas Eve.
Oplatek
A wafer
not blessed
but made
by the nuns.
Embossed with
the nativity.
Distributed among
those gathered
on Christmas Eve.
Greetings are exchanged,
accented by the crack
as pieces of wafer
are traded.
To the child,
the tradition is
a competition.
The challenge-
collect as many
pieces as possible.
But the adults know
the true gift
of the ritual
is time spent
with loved ones,
even if it is only
a few seconds.
Oplatek
A wafer
not blessed
but made
by the nuns.
Embossed with
the nativity.
Distributed among
those gathered
on Christmas Eve.
Greetings are exchanged,
accented by the crack
as pieces of wafer
are traded.
To the child,
the tradition is
a competition.
The challenge-
collect as many
pieces as possible.
But the adults know
the true gift
of the ritual
is time spent
with loved ones,
even if it is only
a few seconds.
I am a poet and photographer who likes sports, jazz and art inspired by other art. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the early 1970's and was assigned to the Computer Sciences School in Quantico, VA. I have published a chapbook of grief poems, I Keep You with Me. My work also has appeared in publications such as Thorny Locust Magazine, core. zine,The Enigmatist, Veterans' Voices and Kansas Time + Place An Anthology of Heartland Poetry. My visual art pieces combine poetry and photographs, and have been most recently displayed at InterUrban ArtHouse, Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, Buttonwood Art Space, and The Smalter Gallery.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Eclipsed
Eclipsed
At first, the moon
was a dazzling white.
Then earth began
to cast its shadow.
Blackness edged
over the top.
It obscured just a piece
It obscured just a piece
and then it stopped.
What remained visible
had a golden glow.
Changed by the darkness
but still beautiful.
I am a poet and photographer who likes sports, jazz and art inspired by other art. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the early 1970's and was assigned to the Computer Sciences School in Quantico, VA. I have published a chapbook of grief poems, I Keep You with Me. My work also has appeared in publications such as Thorny Locust Magazine, core. zine,The Enigmatist, Veterans' Voices and Kansas Time + Place An Anthology of Heartland Poetry. My visual art pieces combine poetry and photographs, and have been most recently displayed at InterUrban ArtHouse, Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, Buttonwood Art Space, and The Smalter Gallery.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
The Reluctant Baker
This is the one time of year that I bake. I make only a couple of the many cookies my mother used to make at Christmas. Even after many years, this is not in my comfort zone, but I don't want to give them up. Maybe I need to make sure the memories are well done.
The Reluctant Baker
I am the reluctant baker.
I carry on by making your
Christmas cookies each year.
I should never have been
more than your assistant.
As a young child,
I only kept you company
while you did all the work.
Later, I helped with the easy parts,
like prep work or filling and folding.
I never made the dough.
No, that was your domain.
I will always remember the year
I came home and realized
there would be no cookies
unless I was the one who
mixed all the ingredients.
I did all the work as you watched,
able only to keep me company.
Now, I have friends who count on me
to make the cookies each Christmas.
They have become mine.
For me, they will always be yours,
but not quite.
The Reluctant Baker
I am the reluctant baker.
I carry on by making your
Christmas cookies each year.
I should never have been
more than your assistant.
As a young child,
I only kept you company
while you did all the work.
Later, I helped with the easy parts,
like prep work or filling and folding.
I never made the dough.
No, that was your domain.
I will always remember the year
I came home and realized
there would be no cookies
unless I was the one who
mixed all the ingredients.
I did all the work as you watched,
able only to keep me company.
Now, I have friends who count on me
to make the cookies each Christmas.
They have become mine.
For me, they will always be yours,
but not quite.
I am a poet and photographer who likes sports, jazz and art inspired by other art. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the early 1970's and was assigned to the Computer Sciences School in Quantico, VA. I have published a chapbook of grief poems, I Keep You with Me. My work also has appeared in publications such as Thorny Locust Magazine, core. zine,The Enigmatist, Veterans' Voices and Kansas Time + Place An Anthology of Heartland Poetry. My visual art pieces combine poetry and photographs, and have been most recently displayed at InterUrban ArtHouse, Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, Buttonwood Art Space, and The Smalter Gallery.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
John "Buck" O'Neil
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Buck O'Neil. There is an exhibit about his life in the changing gallery at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum that will be up through February 5, 2012. The exhibit uses the work of visual artists and poets to help tell the story of Buck's life and his impact on others. Below are just a few things I believe he taught us.
Buck Up
Make the most
of the opportunities
you are given
and work to
give more
to others.
Honor your history, but
always move forward.
Accept that life
will hand you
disappointments,
but avoid actions
that will cause
disappointment
in yourself.
Never hesitate
to share a smile.
Most of all, love.
Oh yeah, love.
Buck Up
Make the most
of the opportunities
you are given
and work to
give more
to others.
Honor your history, but
always move forward.
Accept that life
will hand you
disappointments,
but avoid actions
that will cause
disappointment
in yourself.
Never hesitate
to share a smile.
Most of all, love.
Oh yeah, love.
I am a poet and photographer who likes sports, jazz and art inspired by other art. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the early 1970's and was assigned to the Computer Sciences School in Quantico, VA. I have published a chapbook of grief poems, I Keep You with Me. My work also has appeared in publications such as Thorny Locust Magazine, core. zine,The Enigmatist, Veterans' Voices and Kansas Time + Place An Anthology of Heartland Poetry. My visual art pieces combine poetry and photographs, and have been most recently displayed at InterUrban ArtHouse, Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, Buttonwood Art Space, and The Smalter Gallery.
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