JULY POET'S PEN SUMMARY & NEXT MEETING
Poet's Pen is a dedicated time to share our own and other poets' works, to allow time for writing/workshopping, and for closing with reading of works in progress. Seven poet's met on July 27 to listen, write, and read a variety of poems - and have a ton of fun! Please join us on Monday, August 31st at 4:30pm for our next gathering. Check lopezlibrary.org or email Beth for more information.
Poems Shared
In Search of Gems: Finding Treasures in Wild Places
by Kenneth Steven

An evocative journey through geology and landscape, seen through the eyes of one of Scotland's most beloved poets and storytellers. Blending lyrical prose with personal reflection, Kenneth Steven explores mountains and glens, rivers and rugged coasts in search of gemstones, rocks and crystals. He discovers gold glinting in Highland burns, agates nestling in riverbeds, and aquamarines, amethysts, garnets, amber and pearls in wild places where others rarely roam.Beguiled by their forms, colors, textures and sometimes glittering brilliance, he finds the thrill of unearthing natural riches more precious and delightful even than the gems themselves. Stone by stone, he considers the origins and allure of these treasures, revealing not only their geological stories but their place in history and imagination.Steven's deep connection to the land shines through as he interprets the meaning and magic, inviting readers to see both the landscape and its hidden gems with fresh wonder. This book is a celebration of Scotland's rugged beauty and the quiet, enduring fascination of its rocks and gemstones.

Beth shared "Schist' and "Looking for Garnets"

Kenneth Steven is willing to present his work at a Zoom gathering.
Children of Silence and Slow Time
by Ian McCrorie

Written with the wisdom, humility, and humor of one who has taken the time to examine themselves and the nature of the human condition, this new collection of story-poems regards concerns of the experienced meditator. The thoughtful and insightful poems serve as both inspiration and motivation to others who are trying to walk the path of self-discovery. Each one serves to nourish the spirit while also providing a fresh kind of sustenance. (Note: This title was previously published under ISBN 9781928706458 . Due to technical issues a new ISBN had to be assigned. Rest assured that both versions of this title are exactly the same.)

Becky shared a poem from this book with the opening line: "Liam came to me this morning..." - full of wisdom and humor - "bang on the soup pot of life."
 
Beth shared Ellen Z's first poetry postcard poem (beautifully intense!) from Cascadia Poetics Lab's Poetry Postcard Fest, an "annual 56-day experiment in spontaneity and community building. This literary event is a self-guided workshop in spontaneous composition where people sign up to send 31 original poems on postcards to folks on a participation list before the end of August. The fest was initiated in 2007 by poets Paul E. Nelson and Lana Ayers, and has grown to include poets participating worldwide."
 
Early registration [for 2027] opens annually on September 1 & allows poets to get tips on best fest practices via online workshops."
Pam shared her poem "Stumps"
 
Generations of trees grow in a ring around where a parent tree once stood. These "fairy rings" carry genetic codes millions of years old.
                 
                  STUMPS
                    This morning I planted a Cedar.
It was root-bound
in a neighbor’s small pot
so she gave it to me
to free it, give it space.
Save it.
 
Trees grow in families
 not rows
 A tree in a pot
 has no ferry-ring of family
to encircle, and help it grow.
 
Trees are not loners
Trees like to cuddle
Entwined
with the mushrooms
in a wood-wide web
Trees like diversity
 
A stump is evidence
of death, where
a parent tree once stood,
but also proof of life  
the resilience of motherhood
 
From A network of living roots
invisible beneath, 
Surfacing seedlings
carrying codes of their ancestors
gradually erupt
 
The roots of the mother tree
reproduce another tree
birthing from the bed
of the living stump.
 
I am an offshoot of living roots
Just like a tree
my ferry ring of family
may be gone,
but their roots live on
in me.                                     
                        Pamela Pulver   7/23/26
 
Heather shared her poem, "The Right of a Rambler"

She will perform it at Lopez Uncovered this weekend (July 31-August 1)!
 
Nikyta shared a poem from The Poetry Circle on San Juan Island
 
 
 
Water flows through me
I am the water, I am
She gives me life ... to live
 
GGK was inspired at the beach, to add the verse:
 
Sand flows through me
I am the sand, I am
She give me time ... to be
 
Thom shared his poem, "A Vortex Day" inspired by the Clinton Fearon concert
 
"A Vortex Day"
 
A gift of a day
the sun shined polite
A song of unity, humanity
love and community
 
Our Jamaican hero sings to all
oh to happiness delight and love
 
A magic moment only lasted 
for a moment
Let's relish the moment when
we dance to life
 
Writing Time
Prompt: Write a poem together
 
Five of us each wrote the first line of a poem, then passed them in a circle so everyone added a line. This resulted in some humorous and silly poems. Here are a few:
 
"Comments on a Lawn"
 
On the small lawn, brilliant yellow flowers and white daisies
Have sprung up, volunteers.
 
Rebels! The lawnmower cries, with a puff and a rumble.
 
A rumble and puff and goes as it goes. Varoom Varoom
 
Dastardly deviant destructors.
 
Rumble yourself into a room and lock the door, I presume.
 
But lo! Her hand is strong; her hold is sure.
She steers that monster in circles pure,
Preserving wildness—
Free as Free!
 
How beautiful her lawn will be!
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
A fisky flower of beauty to thee
A tricksy song of blueness true
In exchange for something older than new
Red wing bluebirds and a blonde emu
What could be more beautiful than you?
Yes, infinite beauty and frisky "let it be"
 
Idea File
Ideas for Future
  • Create a Lopez Poet's Pen Postcard Fest or Pals group in collaboration with San Juan Island's "Island Verse" group.
  • Create a "Love Letters to Lopez" poetry book