Free Verse Poetry Group, Mountain Home, Arkansas

2016's 1st Free Verse Poetry Group Meeting

January 16, 2016 (c) written by Stephen Johnston

President, Charles Southerland 

At a table for eight, exactly that many sat, gathered today at the

library for the first meeting of the Free Verse Poetry Group of

Mountain Home's 2016 season. With little pressing business to

dispense with, we started off with Pat Oplinger's funny, and 

all-too-familiar lines about holiday overeating, and the diets that

follow. Then began the read-around, each poet reading two poems

in the meeting that never slowed down for the next two hours! In

attendance were Pat Oplinger, Monterey Sirak, Bill Rhodes, Jackye

Swyers, Stephen Johnson, Marie Wayland, Tony Griese, and Lavon Lanoo.

Poems heard included:

Pat O: "Slurping" - about sharing 'doctored-up' raisin toast with her sister

Mary Lou after playing in the snow when they were kids.  And, if you can

believe it . . a poem entitled "An-ist, a-trist, and an - ologist", sub titled (Senior

Rap), in praise of medical specialists who keep one kicking.   

Monterey: "Between the Tick and the Tock" written (you guessed it, on

New Years eve) about the spaces between the smallest of time measurement,

heart beats, second hands clicking, etc. Also from Monterey, and written with 

her friend Richard Lamoureux, "The Bridge", a piece they wrote pretending they'd

been best friends since childhood. 

Bill Rhodes: "A Mother's legacy" (Ann Dunham) . This piece, about Barack Obama's

mother, garnered conversation about the relationships shared by presidents and their

mothers, and by extension . . the truth about how only a mother consoles men in 

direst need of reassurance. Bill's "Driving into Spring" mentioned the "hen bit", a small

flower [purplish, on square stems] several hadn't heard of before. 

Stephen Johnson: Reading from 'The Real People' ( a binder of one-page poems about

actual people from a lifetime), read "Russell Gene" - a poem that he read at the funeral  

of the man about whom the poem was written, at Russell's request, and  . . "Wayne", about

an old friend from teenage days. Some of the 'good' & some of the 'bad' in each piece.

Lavon Lanoo: Written in the voice of a grandmother whose "Dementia" prevents her from

recognizing her own granddaughter, Lavon ends the poignant piece with "Maybe tomorrow I will

know your name." In "BLUE", a teddy bear fills just a bit of the void left when Lavon's friend 

became a widow. All agreed that the subject is universal; the gift of the poem will no doubt

be as, if not more cherished - than gift of the 'companion' bear. 

Jackye Swyers: Using a so-called 'practice piece', a painting on a small canvas done by her daughter,

as inspiration, Jackye used only 13 lines and 52 words to 'depict' the "Song Sparrow" seen resting on

a bent "weed stem", silhouetted in black against a yellow "Full sun . . ". "Succession", Jacke's poem

describing the ever speedier entrance and exit of the four seasons, was admired for its pacing, and

[subject to her decision] may have surrendered (only) two words at the end. 

Marie Wayland: Writing about the "Blood red in the Devil's basin" near "The Rock" (Standing Rock

at Pineville Arkansas), Marie, in her typical storyteller style, carried her hearers back to the 19 century

days when "Scantily clad children" played without a care in the camps of their native parents. Bill,

who's been familiar with the iconic formation for 50+ years, listened intently, and left celebrating the

poem and its writer. We listened to another of Marie's homages to the majesty of nature, "The Ultimate",

and searched for a few minutes for a 'better' title. Marie smiled while this transpired. Ultimately, the

odds the poem will be re-titled?

Tony Griese: As you know, Tony's high passion is the crafting of lyrics. Touching on a theme that roughens

any gentle heart, Tony lyrics from his "Right On Time" salvaged hope from the gone train of suicide. Though I'm

sorry to say I wasn't familiar with the production ["Outsiders", I believe] from which he borrowed his theme,

in "Stay Gold", he continues his quest for redemptive plots in real life, keeping the beat of the worth of sacrifice

going . .. . going.

THE CUP: was awarded to Jackye - by consensus - for the precise ekphrastic "Song Sparrow"

Misc: We decided to skuttle the "Put-A-Dollar-in-The-Cup-Box" penalty for failing to bring copies. This 

was done very informally, very sneakily, by someone who owes a lotta 'back' fines . . . .me. The one 

dollar that had ridden around  from one winner's house to the next, was deposited with the Treasurer. 

We missed you, hope to see you next month. You know who'd say, "Keep writing . . . "