Late Summer Edition, 2011

 Editorial Commentary (on the state of the planet as well as this delightful summer issue)

by Bea Garth

copyright 2011

 

Welcome back to this late summer edition of Eos: The Creative Context. This has been a summer of consequence, following as it has on the heels of the March 11th earthquake, tsunami and Fukishima nuclear disaster in Japan (which is somewhat contained now, but only barely–though at least for that we are thankful!).

 

There has been much unrest amongst the world’s populace: many young people leading their elders, waking us all up into realizing our future is in our hands since otherwise most all opportunity seems to be gobbled up by the powers that be.  While most of us do not condone the violence, there is a growing wind of  change and liberation that has shown us the positive side of this commotion, as in Greece, the Middle East, Italy and even Spain and parts of the U.S.

 

I would submit all is not dark, despite whatever the pundits might say about the most recent uprising in Britain.  These are the rumblings of a new reality giving birth to itself. The earth itself cannot support business as usual much longer. A new, more nurturing gestalt is called for.

 

We have to think of new ways to approach our needs–such as actually making a commitment to use renewable energy rather than devastate ourselves by increasing the  possibility of nuclear disaster  (which many of us now realize could happen anywhere),  not to speak of  wars often fueled by the fact the availability of oil is fast dwindling.

 

In addition, given our increasingly connected planet, the importance of building social and economic networks that actually help the populace  has become paramount, rather than starve the poor to serve the rich, as it now seems to be devolving if we continue doing things as they are without  change.

 

Meanwhile, however, the earth continues to show herself in all her glory–shining appropriately near the Pacific Ocean as well as many other places  (where its not burning hot or whipping itself up in yet another hurricane or twister), reminding us that it is summer after all. A time for family and vacation, for connecting with  the abundance of nature and each other.

 

Thus this issue celebrates the summer, the oceanside  and relationships–both functional and not, as well as the in-between. Scroll down and you will find excellent poems by several newcomers here including a poet from Greece and another from  Jamaica, as well as several American poets, including our own  San Jose poet, the delightful Howard Pugh.

 

I have included two photos of mine celebrating the coast this year, as well as one of my gouache paintings depicting the entanglements and delights of love. Three of Elizabeth Parashis’s lovely expressive artwork (painting and drawing) also grace these pages. And Al Preciado’s new painting “Cat!” is a vital punctuation to the article about the new 3rd Friday poetry, drawing and music events held at Works Gallery’s new location.

 

I finally completed the issue with one of my gluten free recipes: Banana (Chocolate Chip) Cookies.

 

Scroll down to find all the particulars–and enjoy yourself therefrom!

 

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Silver Ribbons

 

by Terry D. Robertson

copyright 2009 and 2011

Editor’s Note: previously published in BROKEN WINDOWS, REFLECTIONS OF A FOOL, copyright 2009, also featured as an audio cassette book by the Library of Congress 

.

.

The night is filled with silver ribbons

Tied in bows around the shining moon

Two people seeking what they need

Gaze at the stars strung together like beads

But broke and scattered much too soon

So I found these words on

Lilac sprays and butterfly wings

And then sat and scrawled down all these

Crazy things

Then gave in to your passion beneath the silver ribbon moon

 .

Now the years pass in the dimming of the day

Love is waxing, longing to be free

Having to get married anyway

It turned out to be a necessity

Wait—was that applause I heard

From the mistress of the moon?

Or just the bumping of the logs

The breeze filled with silent silver birds

 .

Two lives grew apart like a dying flower

He turns to me and says

“You robbed me of my shining hour”

I said “You took me for your vanity

Under that silver moon now so dour”

Love is an unanswered prayer grown colder

Now I write on wilted flowers

But my words have turned cold and sour

And the moon is fifteen years older

 .

The silver ribbons hide behind the moon now

All alone—as I weave them in my hair

Yet I still want to believe

All your broken promises where we once sat

You must have had magic up your sleeve

Beneath the silver ribbons

Getting us to feel like that

_____

.

Bio: Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Terry Robertson was published on audio cassette by “The Library of Congress”. He is the author of the novel, “Fill My Eyes”, available everywhere online and a book of verse taken from the original Library of Congress papers “Broken Windows, Reflections of a Fool.” The author lives in North Carolina and hopes to make enough money to move back home to his nativeUtah where all his novels take place.

To find Terry’s  book of poems go to: http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Windows-Reflections-Terry-Robertson/dp/1449595871/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

To see Terry’s new novel FILL MY EYES go to:http://www.amazon.com/Fill-My-Eyes-Terry-Robertson/dp/1606720937/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313681027&sr=8-1

3rd Fri. Words/Drawing/Music: Aug. 19th & Beyond…

local San Jose arts news

by Bea Garth

copyright 2011   

 

"Cat!" painting by Al Preciado, copyright 2011

What, When and Where:  Poetry, Open Drawing, and Music every 3rd Friday from 7 to 11 PM at the  Works/San Jose  Gallery at its new location at 365 Market St., San Jose, CA.

Open Drawing begins at 7 PM with provided materials, and proceeds through the night. Featured Readers and Musicians begin at 8 PM, with an Open Mic. following. This is a free event, although your contributions to Works Gallery are sincerely requested.

This month, on Friday, August 19th, one of the features is Howard Pugh, a poet and photographer of immense talent, humor and depth–who just happens to have a poem featured here in this issue of Eos (see “Three Preludes”).  Please scroll down to see it! Painter Al Preciado will  likely read poems about the difficult process of transforming oneself and the often elusive persuit of love and beauty. Mixed media photographer Gianfranco Paolozzi will be performing the accordion with his eclectic mix of jazz and Italia.  For a moment it seems we are all transported to a cafe in Italy!  Brandon Biggs will likely amaze us again with his fine operatic voice. And writer/musician Tommy D will get our toes tapping with his eclectic musical mix ribbing  old records to make a new snappy sound. After the features, the night is wide open to you the audience performing in the Open Mic.

The brainchild of Al Preciado (as Words/Painting/Music), the event morphed into featuring free drawing materials for the audience rather than paint due to the gallery’s new location with carpeted floor.  While the audience digs into the drawing materials, they are entertained by the writers and musicians.

Now run by the lovely Haley Goodlett, the newly morphed and named event creates a forum for featured writers (usually poets) and musicians, graciously introduced by Haley with warm Southern Hospitality. After the features are done, there is an Open Mic. And all the while, you the audience can draw  or write to your heart’s inspiration. I am certain if you decide to take part in the festivities, you will come away creatively energized and entertained, with perhaps a few good drawings or poems under your belt.

If you are interested in being a featured reader (poetry or short story), singer or musician, please contact Haley Goodlett at: 650 771-6780.  To find out more about Works Gallery, please go to their website at: http://www.workssanjose.org/wordpress/

California Gold: Small Field

 by Elizabeth Parashis

copyright, 2011

acrylic painting

 

"California Gold: Small Field," painting by Elizabeth Parashis, copyright 2011

 

Editor’s Note: Elizabeth Parashis is an accomplished expressionist figurative painter and draughtsman who also hosts open model sessions for artists at the Stone Griffin Gallery in Campbell, California on two Thursday evenings of the month.

 

She recently has been trying her hand at landscapes, and if this one is any indication, they are just as wonderfully expressive and juicy as her figurative work. When you scroll down this issue of Eos, check out some of her recent figurative drawings embellishing two poems–the drawings aren’t her paintings, however their fine raw liveliness of execution may give you an idea of what I mean.

What I Find

by Darryl Price

copyright 2011

.

is every word is a small step taken
away from you that arcs back to me like

a mamba’s mouth. I’m not going around
in place so much as running in circles.

You can see my devilry here. You are
the truth here and that makes me the lie. You’re

new morning. I’m much, much more sleep. You’re birds.
I’m bats. You awaken while I cry in

my sleepwalking state. Every single word.
No matter what I write. You’re laughter. I’m

floorboards. I want to be all of the stars
for once. You’ve already got that covered.

Then I’ll take the white wafting flowers that
blow down by the lake like summer’s curtains.

No, you’ll have every petal, every drop
of lake, even the differing winds. Well

then I place this poem high on branches
of pine among a hundred branches of

pine. But no. Clouds are your closed eyelashes.
I know that when you open them again

I’ll fall away into a nothingness.
Your skin’s what I’ll breathe if I breathe at all.

———-

Bio: Darryl Price was educated at Thomas More College. A founding member of Jack Roth’s Yellow Pages Poets, he’s published dozens of chapbooks, poems have appeared in many journals,including Pudding,The Bitter Oleander,Cornfield Review,Allegany Poetry,Out of Sight,Fireweed,Paper Radio,The West Conscious Review, Four Paper Letters,LITSNACK,Ramshackle Review,Metazen,Prick of the Spindle,Blue Five Notebook,Istanbul Literary Review,THIS,and Camel Saloon.He is a member of Fictionaut writers community blog(http://www.fictionaut.com/users/darryl-price).