Poems

W.L. “Bill” Crabtree scribbled his first poem at the bottom of a letter, while writing home from Vietnam. It came to him in an instant, the image of his wife, Betty Jane, peering over her half-covered shoulder, those Elizabeth Taylor lashes, that honey brown hair, transforming his plain prose into verse. “As I sit in this lonely place, in my mind I see your face. It’s a beacon that guides me ...” he wrote. “(It) Shall see me safely home to you, when my stay in hell is through.

Nicholasville poet David Harrity is having his first chapbook collection of poetry published by Finishing Line Press. Yale Younger Poet Nicholas Samaras says of Harrity's writing: "What an excellent voice. For all of us who love the world of poetry and artful expression, we welcome the arrival of David Harrity whose observations are acute, whose turns of phrase are artful, arresting and original, who holds a mirror up to experience, allowing us to see ourselves afresh and anew.

"Ode to Spoonamore Drug" was just one of the poems written by Lucille Brumfield Powers. It holds particular meaning for Mike Leake because it is about his father, R.W. Leake, and the pharmacy at Main and Third streets. Leake came across the poem while sorting through his parents' belongings. Powers published several poems in 1963 in a small booklet. She lived on Green Street, now called Martin Luther King Boulevard, and was a teacher. She also worked in the office of the late Dr. Stuart Hemphill.

Finalists have been selected from 10 high schools around the Commonwealth, including Danville and Mercer County high schools, to compete at the state-level "Poetry Out Loud" poetry recitation contest sponsored by the Kentucky Arts Council as part of the national competition presented by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation. Each of the 10 participating Kentucky high schools have completed a unit of study on poetry with materials provided by the NEA and a two-day "poetry-intensive" artist residency provided by the Kentucky Arts Council before the school contests started.

The Centre College English program will sponsor a public poetry reading by Sarah Arvio at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Norton Center board room on campus. Arvio will read from her most recent book of poems, "Sono," which was composed during a long stay in Rome. Described as "bracingly original," Arvio's most recent work reveals her struggle to come to terms with loss and grief and to find a basis for renewal. "Arvio's poems are overtly musical - even daring - in their alliteration, abundance of puns, wordplay, and relentless rhythms," says Lisa Williams, assistant professor of English at Centre.

The Centre College English program will present a poetry reading by Philip White, Centre College associate professor of English. The reading will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday in the boardroom of the Norton Center for the Arts on campus. White will read from his recently-published collection of poems titled "The Clearing. " The book is a "sustained meditation on the nature of love and its transformations. " Poet John Hollander calls "The Clearing" "an unusually strong first book.

Lisa Williams, Centre associate professor of English, has been awarded the prestigious 2007 Barnard Women Poets Prize for her "hauntingly beautiful" collection of poems, "Woman Reading To The Sea. " Williams received an honorarium of $1,500 and publication of her manuscript in spring 2008 by W.W. Norton & Co. The prize is given annually to one emerging writer to publish her second collection of poetry. Said Williams, "Winning the Barnard New Women Poets Prize is literally a dream come true.

Dear Editor: On behalf of my colleagues at Centre College, I would like to invite all Danvillians to come to a poetry reading by Frank X Walker. The reading will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Newlin Hall in the college's Norton Center for the Arts. Admission is free. Mr. Walker will be reading from his recently published book of poems, "Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York. " The poems relate the events of the Lewis and Clark expedition from the perspective of York, a slave to William Clark who accompanied him on the journey.

HARRODSBURG - Bobbi Rightmyer's 2013 promises to be exciting: She has several more books coming out, among them her newest book of poetry, “Some Scars Don't Heal.” “It contains poems detailing a point in my life when I was getting divorced and had two small children to care for,” Rightmyer said of the volume of poetry. “My life felt out of control and these poems help identify this message. Although never mentioned by name, most of these poems were written about people from my past life, for lack of a better word.

The Centre College English program will sponsor a free public poetry reading by noted poet Andrew Hudgins, Humanities Distinguished Professor in English at Ohio State University. Known for his work in narrative verse, Hudgins has been praised for his "great story telling gift" and "hard-driving, truth-telling lyrics. " Hudgins' poems often draw on events from his childhood in the rural South, and he has written about the real and imagined lives of others. Hudgins' diverse characters include a prankster who disassembles a Cadillac and rebuilds it in his attic, parents coming to blows over money, a lake singing to a sleepless child, and Russian soldiers on the verge of execution.

The "City of Firsts" added a big one to the list this week when Frank X Walker became the one and only Kentucky Poet Laureate to hail from Danville. That was far from the most impressive “first” resulting from his appointment. Walker is both the youngest ever named the state's poet laureate and the first African-American. We are delighted that Walker's light shined so bright since leaving home he was chosen to represent us as a state. From what we already know about Walker, his two-year tenure has unlimited potential.

Appalachia figures prominently in Kentucky culture, history, and politics and serves as the centerpiece of George Ella Lyon's Lunch with the Arts presentation this Wednesday at the Boyle County Public Library. George Ella's connection to Appalachia runs strong and deep; as she explains, “I grew up in the mountains of Harlan County, Kentucky. All four of my grandparents were in Harlan, so I heard a lot of stories from them that reflected Appalachian culture.” The connection to writing and creative expression runs just as deep for Lyon.

HARRODSBURG - Bobbi Rightmyer's 2013 promises to be exciting: She has several more books coming out, among them her newest book of poetry, “Some Scars Don't Heal.” “It contains poems detailing a point in my life when I was getting divorced and had two small children to care for,” Rightmyer said of the volume of poetry. “My life felt out of control and these poems help identify this message. Although never mentioned by name, most of these poems were written about people from my past life, for lack of a better word.

A reader gave me the following poem to encourage people to think before they purchase an animal as a Christmas present.  It is real food for thought.   Forgotten Dogs' Christmas Author Unknown   T'was the night before Christmas And the house was so still; When a sound split the air: a howl out on the hill. A chain rattled loudly to shake off the chill.   The children all nestled snug in their beds With no thought of the dog filling their heads.

JUNCTION CITY - It was a teachable moment, and being a retired teacher, Margaret Frisby not only recognized it but was inspired by it. Over Memorial Day Weekend, Frisby's young grandsons made it known that they did not have any American flags for the flag flying holiday. She got the flags and then began thinking.   “Being a teacher, I¿had to give them a lesson when I gave them the flags,” she said. But instead of an historical lecture on Old Glory, Frisby was moved to write a simple poem she called “Sons of Glory,” 12 lines in four verses dedicated to those who have fought and died to preserve the principles the banner represents.

HARRODSBURG — More than 150 people were on hand Sunday as Louise Isham Dean officially received the title of Mercer County poet laureate during a ceremony at the Mercer County Library. “Louise Dean is an indispensable member of our community,” said Helen Dedman, chairwoman of the James Harrod Trust. “In fact, we could even call this ‘the year of Louise.’” Just two weeks earlier, Dean received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the sixth annual Democratic Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at the Lions Park Community Center in which lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Jerry Abramson was the guest speaker.

  Louise Isham Dean has never composed her poetry in an effort to achieve recognition, but that doesn’t mean recognition hasn’t found her. Dean has been invited to attend a ceremony at 2:30 p.m. May 22 at the Mercer County Public Library in which she’s being nominated as Mercer County’s official Poet Laureate.   Helen Dedman, the chair woman of The James Harrod Trust was one of the individuals to recognize Dean for the position, which has be vacant since the 1940's when Henry Cleveland Woods was appointed.

FRANKFORT — Governor Steve Beshear announced that poet, writer and teacher Maureen Morehead of Louisville has received the honorary appointment as Kentucky Poet Laureate for 2011-2012. Morehead will be formally inducted at the Kentucky Writers’ Day celebration April 25  in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. “I am pleased to appoint Maureen Morehead to the post of Kentucky Poet Laureate. She is not only an accomplished poet and writer, she is also a distinguished educator, which makes her perfect for the position,” said Gov. Beshear.

Demi L. Landstedt had a choice: a 10-page essay analyzing a poem or a community-based event involving poetry for her “Voices of Poetry” class.  The community-based learning project piqued Landstedt’s interest. “I decided it would be fun to organize a poetry reading at the Hub,” said Landstedt, a Centre College freshman. “Official plans for the reading began to form last Tuesday (Jan. 11) when I met with Kerri Howard. I wanted to do a poetry reading because I had attended one sponsored by (Centre)

W.L. “Bill” Crabtree scribbled his first poem at the bottom of a letter, while writing home from Vietnam. It came to him in an instant, the image of his wife, Betty Jane, peering over her half-covered shoulder, those Elizabeth Taylor lashes, that honey brown hair, transforming his plain prose into verse. “As I sit in this lonely place, in my mind I see your face. It’s a beacon that guides me ...” he wrote. “(It) Shall see me safely home to you, when my stay in hell is through.