MAG 203: Arise

Musician in the Rain by Robert Doisneau

Melancholy skies smear this day

to dampen plans—

The human spirit resilient 

as it is, goes on.

Traveling about, final brush strokes

to canvass, standing under an umbrella.

There is music to be made, 

the day gets no sympathy from the symphony.

There are glum mouths to be raised 

like recovering sunken ships.

The spirits will rise

it is the arts that awaken us;

it is humanity

at it's beast.

Michael Allyn Wells

Mag 203

Two Orphan Poems Find Homes

I never cease to be excited when I get news that poems I've written have been offered new homes. You send these out into the world... a big world that has lots of other orphan poems to pick and choose from so when the word comes I just get silly happy.

• I Listen to My Cereal
• I Stole Your Voice 

These two are going to the same home for publication in mid-March.  Yeah!

Mail Bag - Books! Yeah!

What is better then books in the mail? Well if you are waiting  for my answer don't hold your breath unless you look well in  blue.

The Saturday Mailbag contained:

• the WAR of ART by Steven Pressfield
• The Crafty Poet - A Portable Workshop by Diane Lockward

I'll let you know what I think of them in a later post. 

Friday Night at The Center for Preforming Arts - G Man

Friday night  Cathy and I attended Kenny G's performance at at the Center for Preforming Arts in Kansas City and I have to say this is a magnificent venue. I'be long been a fan of Kenny G's music and first saw him here in Kansas City at the Municipal Auditorium back in the late 1990's. Excellent performance then as well but no comparison in the acoustics in the two places. 

The Arts Center is elegant from inside to out. Very contemporary architectural design - actually I go further and say it is avant-guard.  Nearly all of Kenny's music was played on a soprano sax with a little deviation for some bass sax.

Besides the music, Kenny  was entertaining in the side show of banter with our symphony conductor. By the saw, the symphony plus the four music ensemble that travels with Kenny were so well synchronized, no small feat for playing with a solo performer who provides the platform the orchestra must build around.  

Regardless what your musical tastes - if you can see it and hear it the the Center for the Preforming Arts - it will only enhance the experience.  We were in Helzberg Hall

one of two separate venues within the center. 

I have to give kudos as well to conductor Aram Demirjian.

Overall an excellent evening  and on a side note I got to

share this experience with my wife, Cathy. Last time I 

was unaccompanied.   

Confession Tuesday - Mega Muffin Edition

Dear Reader:

It's been one another week since my last confession. How did that happen?

Sunday I went to my son's house to watch the 49ers playoff game. I brought BBQ wings. I confess that I realize that I don't have enough one on one time with my kids. Three of the four are in town and I really  ought to make it my goal to get together with each of them periodically even if it is just over a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Needless to say Mike and I were very happy with the outcome of the game, but it was also nice just to catch up on other things going on.  They all have busy lives and I can't always expect them to take the initiative to get together though this one was an invite from my son.

I received 4 rejections letters this past week. I'm totally cool with it. I got off several submissions on Saturday so I just keep them moving. There were some new ones going out for the first time. It felt especially good to have new work going out.

My birthday was Friday and on Monday the office had belated birthday muffins to celebrate. I confess that it's hard to enjoy the super-sized muffins knowing they have carbs out the wazoo. It's like if I eat one I have to forgo lunch unless I want to be zoned out all afternoon as my body works to process the blood sugar.

I ordered two books today with an Amazon gift-card from Cathy Ann - my daughter in Tennessee. I confess they were poetry and art related. Big surprise.

I've not had any Diet Coke since the day before Thanksgiving. I confess this weekend I almost stopped and bought one but I resisted. I am however seriously thinking of giving up giving it up for Lent. Does that make sense?

Well, it's later then I intended to be doing this and I'm calling it a night.

Take care & have a great week.

Journal Bits... Slices of jottings since January 1, 2014

A slice from my journal:

• January 2 - [in] 2013 I submitted 129 poems for publication and had an acceptance rate of 9.1%. I still have 53 submissions awaiting answers.
• January 3 - cream soda as a hairball remedy/turkey bacon caught off guard/Mr Tambourine man, play a song for me/I need to be wandering along/in this Halachic place and time
• January 8 - A fan circulates the discomfort/that we might equally share /in the misery
• January 12 - I opened the door ajar it was God. I know I had never seen him not even/pictures, but it was him. He has capital G monogram look. 

Mag 202: Predatory Waters

Phare de La Jument off the coast of Brittany by Jean Guichard

With a ravenous roar a hungry ocean

tries to swallow it whole. White saliva waves

encircle and crash against it.  Again and again

the waters engulf the phallic structure.

Over and over  the waves bash and bluster

in stormy anger, but the man made pillar survives.

The sea retreats in exhaustion.  Smaller waves

lap at the sides now as if to tease. Gentle 

massaging motions as if to lull to sleep-

but the ocean will try again. An unrelenting

predator that will build up it's strength

as well as hunger for anything within reach.    

Michael A. Wells

Magpie 202