Wow! Two sold-out houses and standing ovations for
RetroLove: The Show here in Philadelphia thanks to Philadelphia Jazz Project and my stellar collaborators Monnette Sudler and Joilet Harris.
I have to say that I was more than a tad nervous to make the leap from page to stage but it was so gratifying to feel the audience join us on this RetroLove journey. Stay tuned for an upcoming video and record (!) thanks to PhillyCAM and Turtle Studios.
In the meantime, if you loved the show or missed the show, you can make your own RetroLove happen by getting the book. (There is a bonus poem or two that were not in the show.) RetroLove is about being in that retro moment but also looking back, with kindness, for our younger selves.
If you RetroLove it, you can
buy the book here. Thanks to Greenleaf Poetry Press and Deidra Greenleaf Allen, publisher and designer extraordinaire.
In My Life
I wake up early.
I used to love
to sleep all day,
now I love the
highlighting behind the trees
and the quiet
when even the dog is asleep.
I miss midnight.
I make my tea steeped from loose leaves
with the last
tiny bit of honey
in the jar
from the farmer’s market --
even when it’s
hard, it is still sweet.
I miss dark coffee at midnight.
I listen to the morning news as I
brush my teeth
and sometimes in the mirror
I look like a
different person,
but not half
bad when I smile.
I don’t miss the ‘feed me, get dressed,
don't forget...I missed the bus.’
I don’t rush out the door like I used to.
I have more
time -- and less.
I wake up early
so I can curl
myself around you
say wake up,
it’s a new day, baby,
a gift.
(c) Beth Feldman Brandt 2016