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The Orchid Flower

img_0839Just as I wonder
whether it’s going to die,
the orchid blossoms
and I can’t explain why it
moves my heart, why such pleasure

The Orchid Flower by Sam Hamill (b. 1942), Poet and Founding Editor of Copper Canyon Press, from his book Dumb Luck

Inspired today, I decided to make the short trip from the contemplative solitude of my room to the busy, bustling, sometimes even boisterous-with-conviviality Trader Joe’s not too far from here. The purpose: to buy some orchids.  I thought I remembered that Trader’s had orchids for sale at reasonable prices. They do indeed. And how lovely they are. I bought two (the picture doesn’t do them justice) and two tea roses to light my room and softly complement and complete the green leafy plants that have been my companions for some years now.  With their complex formation and color variation, the orchids have a natural poetry that blends with the book-lined shelves. They make me smile as I spin my own soul’s poetry, which has to be worked for and which I can only hope will be as fully organic as the naked beauty of an orchid.

© 2014, words and photo, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved

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Academy of American Poets, expanding the reach of poetry

The 2014 National Poetry Month poster
The 2014 National Poetry Month poster

……It is difficult
to get the news from poems
…..yet men die miserably every day
……….for lack
of what is found there.

—William Carlos Williams (1883-1963), Latino-American Poet

If you are of an age, you remember a time when newspapers and magazines, local and regional, regularly served up poetry and fiction, which was then read and enjoyed by masses of people. Many of the old iconic poets and writers you enjoy today began publishing that way. Now the Academy of American Poets is partnering with news syndicate King Features to bring its Poem a Day program (currently distributed by email subscription) to newspapers, websites and magazines.

In her announcement yesterday Academy of American Poets Executive Director, Jennifer Benka, said:

“It’s been a generation since new poems have been available to daily news readers. We’re thrilled to help renew this tradition, which will bring greater visibility to contemporary poets.

While we will make the poems available for free, the benefits of expanding the access to poetry in this way are undeniable. Readers who would never have otherwise encountered a poem, will find them amid current events.”

The effort is initiated this April in concert with the Academy of American Poets’ annual celebration of Poetry Month.

– Jamie Dedes

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HEARTBLEED BUG: WordPress is okay but Facebook and other social networking sites might not be

heartbleed… and you thought all your personal info was held just between you, your God, the NSA and that hacker in Eastern Europe who shall remain nameless. No poetry here!

I hoped I could spend the afternoon reading, settled comfy with Billy Collings’ Picnic, Lightning. I had to ruin things by checking my email first only to learn that while WordPress is safe, the technoscenti (no, there’s no such word, but you get the idea) recommend changing our passwords to Facebook and other social networking sites … and to gmail, by the way.  I don’t use any of the other networking sites, but you might. Link HERE to Mashable’s list of sites that are vulnerable to this flaw. It includes corporations, government and tax sites, and banks and brokerage firms …

Related feature:

The Programmer Behind Heartbleed Speaks Out

Heartbleed logo is free to use, rights waived via CC0

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Sacred Space in What You Are Already Doing!

“Unmasking the God who described himself as the world …” Poets, writers, anyone with a soul, don’t miss Terri Stewart’s post on The Bardo Group blog today …

Terri's avatarThe BeZine

flickr photo by On Being cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by On Being
cc licensed ( BY NC SA )

Tonight I went to see Dr. Cornel West along with two young men that I work with. We were all inspired by the passionate energy that Dr. West brings to his presentation! Tonight, he was particularly focused on the work of Abraham Joshua Heschel. He describes the arch of Heschel’s work in a way that I totally relate to the Bardo community!

Pietic–>Poetic–>Prophetic

Meaning, personal piety not bound by religious rules but bound by reverence or seeing the sacred worth in all be-ings. For West’s interpretation of Heschel, the pietic leads to the poetic. A poetry that is not grounded in nihilism or optimism, but grounded in hope. He said, Heschel was “not a person of optimism, but a person of hope.” And that Heschel’s hope as expressed in poetry was hope for the world–not just the Hasidic…

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