Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on June 21, 2018

“It’s the best festival to date, and I’ve been to all of them,” said Michael Link about the 3rd annual Little River Poetry Festival (LRPF) at On the Water in Floyd. Link, a photographer and aspiring poet from Virginia Beach, wasn’t the only one that thought that.  Mara Robbins, first time attendee and a LRPF featured reader, referred to it as “the best festival ever.”  “It’s laid back and beautiful here. Everyone is in love with words and wants to play with words,” she said.

Robbins was one of four Floyd poets, billed as The Four Floyd Faire Maidens, who shared the stage under the big tent on Saturday afternoon.

Others were Katherine Chantal, Colleen Redman and Katherine Sowers.  Chantal read a few poems on “eldering,” titled Whoooo Are Youuuu, Success Revisited (at 68) and Harvesting my Soul, along with a couple from her book A Tea Poet’s Journey.

Redman read a few older poems, including one titled Please Don’t Punctuate This. She read some new work and a few poems from her book Packing a Suitcase for the Afterlife … Each mark is a dream / that tells more than one truth / and believes in the existence / of the next page.

Included among the poems that Robbins shared was one dedicated to Chantal, and a Scrabble Poem for Redman, a fellow Scrabble player…  Today I wondered what it meant / when I could play either best / or bets for the same score & chose bets. I’m tired of wagering. / Weary of everything that needs my utmost concentration…  Robbins also led a workshop and participated in a panel.

Katherine Sowers, the mother of On the Water’s owner Daniel Sowers, spoke about how nature has always inspired her poetry. One of her poems was written when she was seventeen and was on the original paper.

Another she wrote more recently about Daniel’s friendship with Jack Callan, the festival co-founder … I understand my son befriended him / As he slept in a van along the river / He was like a modern-day Columbus / Who’d discovered a new world / He drank in our farm like a / Cold drink of mountain water / He was Jack, a put-together of a ball of energy and Crocodile Dundee….

This year’s festival attendees came from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Texas. Many were from the Virginia Hampton Roads area, where founders Callan and Judith Stevens live, and where they enjoy a vibrant community of poets.

Along with the Hampton Road poets who participated in Open Mics, other poets came from Roanoke, Blacksburg and Riner.  Two Roanokers came to the festival after seeing a poster in downtown Floyd. Another attendee came after seeing an ad in a Norfolk newspaper. Some came to listen and to enjoy the rural setting along the river.

An Open Mic poet from Harrisonburg read a tongue-in-cheek poem about getting rid of Japanese Beatles on her Rose of Sharon flowers … Drowning is the gentlest way / I’ve found yet for murder… (listen HERE).

Jim Best of Floyd read a moving poem with a refrain … Today I was pushed to the point of breaking / But I did not break (listen HERE).  Pennsylvania musician Kristi Paddock provided music, incorporating keyboard, ukulele, guitar and her singing voice.

The festival workshops included one on editing and another on creating poetry on containers. There were panel discussions, featured readers, open mics, kayaking, hiking and birdwatching.

Yoga and guided meditations were also offered.  Daytime readings were accompanied by birdsong, while night time readings were punctuated with the sound of crickets.

“See you next year,” was a common refrain at the conclusion of the three-day festival on Sunday afternoon.

Note: Search Little River Poetry Festival on youtube for videos of readings. Meanwhile, below is a portion of Jack’s evening reading of Little River on the Milky Way, accompanied by Jim Best on hand drum.

Photos:  1. Under the big tent, featured poet Derek Kannemeyre reads   2. Featured Floyd poets at The Little River Poetry Festival were, from left to right, Katherine Chantal, Colleen Redman, Katherine Sowers and Mara Robbins. 3. Poets listen to poets: Star LaBranche, James Nyame  and Don MacKellar and others.  4. Blacksburg poet Mary North holds the audience’s attention at an Open Mic.  5. On the Water owner Daniel Sowers and his girlfriend Kelly Stanley are surrounded by poets.  I believe they are listening to Daniel’s mom read. 6. Hampton Roads poet Raymond Simmons reads from his book Poetic Logic, published by Wider Perspectives. 7. Poets who took part in a panel discussion on the practice of poetry were (left to right) Jill Winkowski, Jack Callan, Mara Robbins and Derek Kannemeyre.  Winkowski led a workshop on container poetry. 8. Reader Beth Huddleston grew up in Floyd and now lives in Winchester.  She read a poem from her book Run Meadow Run.  Huddleston and featured reader Sowers were surprised when they realized that they had friends in common. 9. Sarah Winkowski, who majored in Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech led birdwatching walks along the river to inspire the written word. 10. BBQ dinner in the meadow. 10. Jim Best. Listen HERE. 11. Hand fans were used to ward off the heat, and butterflies made friends with attendees. 12. Festival founders/leaders Jack Callan and Judith Stevens take a well-deserved break near the close of the festival on Sunday. 13. Night readings and storytelling with the crickets. Listen HERE.  12. An evening crowd. READ ABOUT LAST YEAR’S POETRY FESTIVAL IN FLOYD HERE.