CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

I am amused when I read Cathy’s poem HOW LONG WILL IT KEEP – even for a second or third time. Haven’t all of us stopped to take a breath when we look closely at an expiration date of a prescription container, a filet of fish bought at a “REDUCED SALE” cost lingering in the fridge, or a jar of peanut butter that hasn’t been opened in three months?  Will it be perfectly all right, or merely taste bad, or poison me?

Cathy’s poems often take everyday experiences most of us share and then change them in an unexpected direction.  This is one of those poems – you will be pleased that you read it!

The galaxies, the stars, and the planets provide the inspiration for several of Cathy’s poems. The NESTER has featured three of these poems, QUESTIONS FOR THE STARS, LUNAR NEW YEAR, and THE MOON YOU NEVER SEE.  Cathy titled one of her books, IF THE MOON CAME OUT ONLY ONCE A YEAR. 

Like many of her poems, in THE RED PLANET it’s important to carefully read the stanzas prior to the final stanza. A twist in content reveals a thought worth pondering after finishing the poem,  and could inspire a second reading.

After several months, Lorelie and I are delighted to continue  posting Carole Gibb’s LETTERS FROM ALASKA. In these excerpts from her memoir FISHING FOR COURAGE, Carole writes letters to her sister, Mary, describing her challenging experiences fishing and living in Southeastern Alaska’s outback. Her letters are vivid, honest, and often quite funny!  The previous six letters are available in the WRITERS category of the NESTER blog.  Her memoir, FISHING FOR COURAGE, is available on AMAZON in both book and ebook formats.

Dear Reader,

Cathy’s poem, “O CHRISTMAS TREE”, may take more than one reading.  Each reading will take you further into the poem and increase its meaning for you.  This certainly happened for me and may happen for you! 

The poem is a Pantoum, a Malaysian oral form of poetry that became famous in Europe and America in the 19th & 20th centuries.  The poem consists of four line stanzas where lines repeat themselves in different stanzas and add to the lines meaning in each stanza.

I find this particularly appropriate for the Christmas season where year after year we repeat traditions and the repetition adds to the significance of the tradition. Some of the traditions are part of the season for many of us like carols and choral Christmas concerts. Other are connected to families, cultures, religions and where we live.

With several readings the lines of “O CHRISTMAS TREE” become familiar and open you to traditions you have practiced over the years.  You might write a Pantoum poem or (a good thing about poetry) find yourself playing with the lines as you consider what Christmas has meant for you.

Thank you Cathy and enjoy the poem!

Tim

Ah, the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I’ve never been able to keep up with it all.  Especially purchasing and wrapping presents. My dad never did any of it – he left it all for Mom.  Well, Lorelie and I don’t have that kind of marriage. I’m thankful for that –  most of the time.  But buying and wrapping presents?  Yup, Fast food for energy and brave the mall on Christmas Eve.  Every year! Some years ago I wrote a silly poem and Lorelie said,  “That’s pretty good’ I could improve it!”  Hope you enjoy the poem. This is the way it was!   Tim

Jacques and the Bean Stocks Once upon a time a widow toiled on a small organic produce farm with little help from her grown son Jacques.  The young man longed to be rich, but just couldn’t see himself working hard enough to get there.  Jobs he saw advertised looked like hard work and didn’t pay

Cathy’s poem, TIDE BOOK is the perfect selection for the month of June in the Northwest.  The lowest tides and highest tides of the year draw us to the beaches to view and experience what the ebb tide reveals about the sea bottom and then hides as the tide floods the beaches.  

In several poems, Cathy’s perception of nature leads her to consider its possible meaning for her and how nature can mirror her life and   also become a guide to how she can change her life.

Tim

Pause for a minute or two and imagine that after a life lived near people, stores and highways, you find yourself in a small cabin on a remote island accessed only by water, a dense forest, and, yes, grizzly bears. Imagine that! That’s what Carole did when the expected money from salmon fishing didn’t pan out. Why would she do that? Carole’s memoir, FISHING FOR COURAGE,  gives us clues to answers to that question. 

Pause for a minute or two and imagine that after a life lived near people, stores and highways, you find yourself in a small cabin on a remote island accessed only by water, a dense forest, and, yes, grizzly bears. Imagine that! That’s what Carole did when the expected money from salmon fishing didn’t pan out. Why would she do that? Carole’s memoir, FISHING FOR COURAGE,  gives us clues to answers to that question. 

Welcome to LETTERS FROM ALASKA 3 and to a new experience for you and for us on the NESTER blog.  We are taking an already published book, FISHING FOR COURAGE, and excerpting letters from Carole to her sister, Mary, included in the book. We encourage you to read this insightful book filled with adventures on Alaska’s Outer Coast and vivid descriptions of the land and sea.

Having fished several salmon seasons in Alaska, these letters are also a poignant reminder of how Lorelie and I   communicated when we were separated from each other during the summers not that many years ago!  How well I remember coming to town from the fishing grounds and running to the post office to retrieve letters for me and the crew!

We thank Carole for sharing these letters with you!