Loose Leaf Notes

That’s what the Old Time music player told the audience at the end of his band’s set in the Community Building at the 18th annual Meadows of Dan Folk Festival. He was talking about us, ten poets ready to take the Open Mic stage to read poetry in tribute to the Mountain at Lovers Leap, in jeopardy due to a massive road construction project.

The Mountain Tribute Event organizer, farmer and poet Angela Dribben put out a call for art: “The work submitted to this exhibit should root itself in the complexities surrounding the Virginia Initiative of Highway 58 expansion specifically the stretch up through Lover’s Leap. This project has stirred many emotions in the local community as well as those traveling through. This is an opportunity to express those feelings. Please note that this is not an opportunity for language of hate. There is room for grief, sadness, hope, joy, faith, and anger.”

She felt it would be meaningful to give the community a voice to express how they feel through art and poetry, and it was. She set a display up at the entrance of the Meadows of Dan community building to featuring the works of art in tribute to the mountains.

I read a short poem that I had read back in the 90s at a community hearing on the Smart Road in Blacksburg, which took more land where there once was an arboretum: U-Turn – Highway Encroachment / is a concrete build-up / like plaque laden arteries / that cut off the heart / The more we pave it / the harder we become / The more roads we make / The more we are driven. (Barbara Conklin took the above photo.) And THIS poem.

Although I’ve been in the mountains for some 35 years, I grew up on the South Shore of Boston in a small peninsula beach town.  The poem posted above gives voice to love of place and childhood and the religion I was raised with. It’s from my latest book Poems From the Darkroom. My poem Last of the Rural Americans, that was published in 1994 by the New River Valley Free Press and was chosen to be displayed at the Mountain Tribute installation, can be read and listened to HERE. 

Ken Conklin, an author, poet and member of the Citizens Climate Lobby, read a poem that he created for the event. It was titled Pardon Our Dust, which Conklin said were the words used to first introduce the project to the community. We traded books. His is called Zen with Ken.

Katherine Chantal read her poem featured in the installation Rippling River in the Mountain and How Does My Garden Grow from her new book Streaming From Inside Navigating Middle Elder, found on Amazon HERE. 

Poet April Ashbury read from her book, published by Finishing Line Press, titled All the Places I Love Become CVS. Listen HERE.

There were some familiar faces, like Jim Best and Jack Callan

And some new-to-me faces. This is the pastor Jeff Garrison of the Meadows of Dan Mayberry Presbyterian Rock Church, which I covered for the Floyd Press in 2019 when members were celebrating the 100-year anniversary of their church. Jeff read a poem about his wife with lace and chicory in the title.

Peter Jonas, Mark Fryburg and Pat Spangler also read. Thanks to Angie for putting together such a fun and meaningful event.

Painting by Jack Callan. You can read Jack’s humorous mountain tribute about plein air painting and Chateau Morrissette wine drinking on the mountain HERE.