Random Acts of Poetry in Cape May-Day #3

Random Acts of Poetry Day #2!

It's Day 2 of the 5-Day Poetry Challenge and I headed out to the seawall again with today's poem.

swallow the sun
filled, open-mouthed
against the darkness

A few people stopped to read it.  One person asked me if that was also my poem from yesterday, a bit faded but still there. One very fit jogger guy read it out loud as he ran by and said, "Cool."

Today, I am tagging Eugene Skeef, a London-based, South African-born poet, musician and inspiration.  We crossed paths many years ago and reconnected recently.  I am grateful.

Heading into the sunshine.  Filling up for the winter.

My Random Act of Poetry in Cape May

Kicking off my favorite two weeks of the year in Cape May with an early morning guerilla raid at the end of the seawall -- the spot where runners, bikers, strollers, finish their walk and turn back toward town.

soft with the weight of blue
sky reclines on the horizon
                      
Think I will use this for Day 1 of the 5-Day Poetry Challenge put to me by my mentor A.V. Christie.  Post a poem, tag a poet.  Denice Frohman -- tag, you're it!  Let's get some spoken word in the challenge mix!

Back to the ocean -- aaahh.

Summer Poetry Books-Summer Sale!

If you are busy tending your tomatoes or harvesting your herbs, you might be in the mood for some nature poetry from my books, Sage and Solace.  

Sage is inspired by a rare book from 1633 that catalogued all the plants and their "virtues".  Solace is a tribute to Philadelphia's own Bartram family, American's first botanists, as part of the 2014 exhibition "Bartram's Boxes Remix."

Order Sage here or Solace here (or both)!  Click on "Pick it up from Beth" and I will ship it for free.

Just the thing for some nature moments...perhaps with a nice cool drink...and air conditioning!

Wishing you all a beach-filled and creative summer!

Choose Your Own Poem Adventure!

For the past few months, I have had the good fortune to be in a writing workshop with poet extraordinaire Daisy Fried.  I've used this time to experiment with how many ways I can re-invent poems with sound, drawings, field guides and a few other investigations.

Do you remember "choose your own adventure" books? Start anyplace you like on this sheet.  Follow the arrows.  Go backwards.  Forwards.  Repeat if you like.  End where you think it should end.

Write your own poem and share it in the comment box if you are so inclined!  Have fun!

Save the Date! New RetroLove at Fergie's Pub on July 8th!

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Reading at the Free Library this Saturday!

This coming Saturday, April 18th, is Philly Poetry Day. If you feel like strolling the Parkway, stop by the Free Library Central Branch at 3:30 to hear me and some of my fabulous poetry buddies for a round robin of words:  Alyson Shore Adler, Deidra Greenleaf Allen, Minna Canton Duchovnay, B.E. Kahn and Barbara Russell.

Or join in with a poem of your own.  All are welcome.

Read more about Philly Poetry Day here!

And exciting RetroLove news is in the offing-- stay tuned.

RetroLove News and New Poem!

Q:  How do you take 12 minutes of RetroLove poems and turn them into an evening-length show?
A:  Hook up with Philly Jazz Project, add music, stories and more poems to the mix!

Just back from a great residency at the Ragdale Foundation where I had time and space to work on creating the concept and new work for the RetroLove show slated for June 2016 in Philadelphia.  I will be updating you as we go along on this jazzy journey and save July 8 at Fergie's Pub when I take some of the new work out for a spin.

Did you know that songs lyrics are copyrighted but song titles are not?  Here is just one of the new RetroLove poems I wrote while I was away.  Do you remember this one?

you send me

flowers when it’s not my birthday

  and on valentine’s day, a nice ripe peach

mail that isn’t bills

  though everything I.O.U.

  I couldn’t repay even on lay-away

you send me

sympathy when I’m blue

  and kisses, bittersweet

sharp looks when I am unkind to

  someone who deserves better

  which I do sometimes

you send me

secret wishes

  when we blow out the candles

send me

  to places I can’t find alone

  even with a map

  and I wouldn’t want to try

you send me

away

  for my own good –

  but I always, always

  come back.

Beth Feldman Brandt

2015