Celebrating Poetry Month - Westport Branch Library - April 22 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

The WESTPORT BRANCH of the KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY will host a reading by a number of  local poets on April 22 between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. and the public is invited. I have agreed to read at the event. 

The library is located at 118 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO 64111

For more information you may call the Westport branch at 816.701.3488.

 

 

 

 

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Kermit was honored!

The past few mornings the cable news shows have been buzzing with talk about the President giving commencement speeches at Notre Dame, and ASU.  The controversy over Notre Dame of course comes from the viewpoint expressed by some Catholics that Obama should not be invited to speak at a Catholic institution of higher learning because they believe his public policy on abortion is contrary to that of the Church's teachings.  Of course so was President Bush's public policy on the Death Penalty and Pope John Paul had adamantly opposed the war in Iraq as well, but that didn't keep President Bush from being invited.

The ASU controversy is a little different and actually quite amusing if you consider the past history of the University. Notre Dame is conferring an  honorary degree upon President Obama. Not an unusual exercise for a prominent speaker a University commencement.  But ASA earlier in the week said their would be no honorary degree for the President.  Sharon Keeler, a spokesperson for the University put it this way, "Because President Obama’s body of work is yet to come, it’s inappropriate to recognize him at this time." Following this news the chatter and editorial writers have taken on the ASU's position.

The East Valley Tribune from the Phoenix, Arizona area calls the oversight "an odd gap that besmirches the image of an excellent institution." And MSNBC's Contessa Brewer pointed out that in 1986, Kermit the Frog received an honorary degree from Long Island Southampton College and further expressed her disapproval of ASU's decision.

A list here provides some interesting names of past recipients from ASU. They include Barry Goldwater in 1961, three years before he received the Republican nomination for president and only eight years into his U.S. Senate career. There is George Romney in in 1962. He of course lost the GOP nomination for President.  Sandra Day O'Connor (first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court) in 1984, just three years into her 25 years on the Court. Rita Dove in 1995 - A Poet  U.S. Laureate.

Anyway, I'm thinking we haven't heard the last of this.

Technorati Tags: President Obama,ASU,Notre Dame,Sharon Keelor,honorary degrees

Bonus / not today's writing prompt

Your Back

I never saw your back so much.
The way it turned on me. The way
it's constantly growing smaller.

It's not something I thought about.
The way it's cold and impersonal.
Not at all like your smile.

I do remember your smile
but it's fading from my mind.
Smaller is good.

Poem-A-Day Challenge - day 10

POOF! The draft removed by me work work on for future submission.

* the prompt for this poem was to writ something about a Friday.

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Poem-A-Day Challenge - day 9

Poof! This draft removed by me to work on for future submissions

*the prompt was to write something dealing with memory or memories.

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Poem a day Challenge - day 8

Routine

If I didn't do it everyday,

a pile of work got in the way

and played up differences

enough to sway the karma

an altogether different direction-

and people stop to flirt with me

or promise me more, or disagree

and take my shine all away

stalling progress for the day.

If summer rain would run and hide

and leave me all alone to cry

so the parched earth would soak

it up, how the world would that all look?

And I'd be stalled in all I do

to finally make it up to you.

The things we've missed

and things all broken

what's left, just a token.

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Sun Bleached Bones / Day 7

The prompt for today was write about something that had to day with clean.

Sun Bleached Bones

 

Sun bleached the bones

already picked bare

by wind and water current.

Not distinguishable other than

some small vertebrae

perhaps a cat, a small dog

or something less domesticated

that inhabited the woods

next to the Missouri River bank.

 

Rib cage and spine largely intact.

The spine snaked into a tail.

The skull was not as evident

some of it washed away

the remainder embedded in the

rock and mud finger

that protruded

from the bank.

 

I shot a photo of the remains

as we found them. I would

occasionally go back

to the photo to peek

but was turn away quickly

from their clean white image.

 

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