I was fortunate to take an online class last month, The Poetry of Summer, offered by the Alexandra Writers' Society. I managed to recall a few seasonal memories and translate them into a poem or two. What a laid back escape into the dogs days of summers past and a great break from all of today's news. The class was taught by Laurie Fuhr (https://birdheat.com). She kindly took me up on an offer to exchange some photos and poetry. We sent each other some summer images and replied with our impressions through a poem. Here is the result. (BTW I think her poetry is just amazing!)

picnic table: meditation
    after a photo by Brenda Kelly

blue tree trunks enchant a scene:
pine picnic table, blonde, sharply defined,
its design: simple yet brilliant,
most so when the sun lights it, 
turns it on like a neon sign
in the deep green wilderness

inviting us to sit / relax / play / drink / eat,
perch together, birds on a tree
among birds on the trees around it,
brown sparrows on white spruce,
exuberant and unrefined, to become one – 
or many – with nature.

its classic A-frame still supports 
all the bottoms it can fit 
since its birth in New York, 1903,
its extended vacation to California 
in the 20s, in its 20s, never going home,
urban yet nature-loving like many 
it holds, palms up, Zen-like, 
generously patient 
as people play card games 
over potato salad.

on the crossbar of its capital A
we sit on wide, bold typeface
like ants that crawled
on the pages of a book 
that fell beneath our feast
without notice,
forgettable summer reading
from the grocery store,
an airbrushed Apollo on the cover,
Sun God in Wranglers. 

unpeopled, the picnic table
supports sunlight, holds hot days
without so much as a drink,
sizzles with cricket soundtrack,
bears the weight of summer expectation,
bears twenty lonely winters
in wait for our return, and meanwhile
all the heavy possibility 
of a telephoto lens
and a 20 lb empty page.

Laurie Fuhr, 07 26 20

A new gallery has opened in Cochrane. The Route 22 Artists Collective Gallery is a volunteer-based project developed and operated by many devoted and passionate artists. The Vision of the Artist Collective Gallery is to build a rich, collaborative artistic community. I am thrilled to be a part of it!!!

Below are some of the images I displayed at the gallery this summer. And a big thank-you to the wonderful folks who supported me. 

I am always amazed at those who can speak multiple languages which I cannot. Even more amazed when someone can speak, write, joke and translate other languages.
Below is a poem originally written in Russian by Oleg Bogachev and translated poetically to English by Elena Arnott. And of course I learned something new....What is a Pict?

​Once upon a time there lived Picts,
Did they really exist? If so, where are you now, Picts?
Have you turned into the rocks or maybe hiding in the clouds?
Picts, be loud, please come out! 
 
Are you whispering to us being carried by the creeks?
Are you sharing your dreams through the sound of the leaves? 
 
Scottish whisky, taste of heaven, sipping slowly and imagine
Streets of London, feel of freedom
Picts, come out! Are you real?
 
Weird feeling, Picts are here
Living, eating, drinking beer….
​