CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

A spring walk on a sunny afternoon in our Everett neighborhood is filled with color, scents  and smiles! I sometimes stop and check the book titles offered along the way. A box without books but a sign caught my eye – “PAUSE FOR POETRY”.  You have a special invitation to “pause for poetry” and read  four Nan Harty haiku! Haiku has a special place in the spring! Haiku captures a single moment, lingers longer, finds beauty in little things and engages us in unexpected ways!

Cathy Ross, a favorite contributor to the NESTER, returns with a poem about relationships. Why do some couples last despite the odds? And after all that is written on the subject, is any more valid than the horoscope? Perhaps what is fortunate and true is that much of what holds us together is a wonderful mystery.

A hearty welcome to you and to a poem from Nan Harty about the sun and the moon.  Only visible from Antartica, the “Ring of Fire” solar eclipse darkened the sun on February 17.  Nan’s poem references a solar eclipse in the first line of “Stepsister” and then opened my  imagination to thoughts that were previously not there.  Ah, that’s what poetry does!  Opens doors to new insights and perspectives. Do read the poem! 

A new year often brings thoughts of “putting away” what is in the past and “making plans” for what might be added in the coming months.  Cathy Ross’s new poem, DEEP CLEANING is a fine fit for this time of year.  Except, of course, Cathy’s poems have something added to the “usual” emptying of drawers to make room for more stuff! Enjoy the poem!

You are invited to read Nan Harty’s “Blue Christmas”, a poem with special meaning for this time of year.  Giving and receiving gifts has always been an important part of Christmas. Nan’s poem reminds me that the significance of “giving” includes, perhaps at its best, acts of “kindness” and  gifts that are not reciprocal.

Welcome to a new poem from Cathy Ross! The poem is a  perfect fit for the late fall. Right now strong winds and rain are splattering the skylight above my desk. The past few evenings, Lorelie and I have reminisced about memorable storms we have experienced over the years.

After a first reading, this poem invites you to read it aloud. We were recently at Cathy’s and David’s for lunch and conversation and she read the poem to us. We are pleased to share this poem with you!

You are welcomed to to another poem from Nan Harty’s pen.  The ODE TO MARY OLIVER is a perfect companion to other FOR THE EARTH posts.  Nan’s poem is a wonderful reminder of the ways we are both connected to nature and the variety of ways we experience and participate in nature. This poem invites us to reflect on the times when we have sensed nature in our lives.

You are welcomed to Cathy’s “world”.  She has published several poems in the NESTER and this post introduces you to her as a songwriter. She is a singer-songwriter in thePacific Northwest and has been writing and singing music for 30 years! She is a long-time member of Seattle Song Circle and has made several  albums, including TRUST THE RIVER.

Cathy tells me: “Rivers have always felt alive to me. I have gone to rivers for solace and renewal, to talk to them  and listen to them. Some years ago a student of mine asked me for advice – I answered him with my best thoughts – and later they became this song.”