Loose Leaf Notes

Thanks to everyone who came out to the book launch of my new poetry book Mining the Gold of the Inner Life at The Book House on Sunday.

The Book House is our year-old independent book store with three sprawling floors of new and used books, art supplies, stationary, a café, a children’s treehouse room, comfy chair reading nooks and more, and all in a grand old house with hardwood floors, a Scarlet O’Hara style staircase and a chandelier.

The reading was on the third floor, which felt like an apartment. I encouraged people to interrupt in between poems if they had a comment or question about a poem, and some did!

So, there were poems and conversation throughout and a Poet’s Show and Tell to begin with.

Everything from Ars Poetica, Quantum Physics, Poetic Remedies for Depression and the poem that Johnny Depp followed on Blue Sky was in the mix.

Two of my friends from our Dream Group were there. The above poem, which choked me up to read, drew on three different dreams that were shared in the group, as well as a medicine therapy journey…  I followed a tender trail / of my little brother’s trauma / when he was Hansel and I was Gretel / Now I’m putting our house in order / and asking for the bill…

There were two poems related to husband Joe, who was there as the hour’s photographer/videographer.

This poem also hit an emotional nerve with me and others. I was asked to read it twice.

It was a friendly audience with lots of familiar faces and I really enjoyed the conversational element of the time we spent.

I’m thinking the Book House and the rooms we were in would be a great place for future poetry readings and maybe a monthly Spoken Word Open Mics like the past Café Del Sol days when the literary scene in Floyd was full tilt.

Here’s to friends and the gold of poetry.

More about The Book House from my story in last year’s Floyd Press HERE. Mining the Gold of the Inner Life is available for the purchase of $13 at The Book House, The Harvest Moon and The Floyd Country Store, and also on Amazon HERE.