Poetry Train Monday - 122 - A Tune For The Tree

With eleven more Poetry Monday's to go to finish up the year, I've got eleven final found poems to create for my year-long challenge. It's been an amazing learning experience for me, especially when I've reduced a prose piece from one of my WIP's. I already know I'm going to create brand new poems next year by first writing them as prose, and then finding the poem within.

Here is a poem that jumped out at me this morning from a short article in the paper.














A Tune For The Tree

Otis Tomas has a very special stash of wood
It comes from one grand old maple tree
For hundreds of years it stood along a road in Goose Cove
A tiny hamlet on Cape Breton's Cabot Trail

One grand old maple tree

Its wood has become the tie that binds a unique family
A family of stringed instruments he's crafted
Violins, viola, cello
Arch-top guitar, tenor guitar, mandolin
And harp

Special stash of wood

Otis admired the impressive tree
For some time

He hesitated
To do anything
To disturb it

The instrument maker in him
Saw something special
In the maple
"So finally
I went up there and cut the thing down"

The instrument maker in him

Just before he did
Otis took out his fiddle
He played a tune for the tree

"We're going to play that tune
At the concert
So it's kinda come full circle since then"

The Fiddle Tree show takes place on Monday
As part of the Celtic Colours International Festival
The show will feature Otis on fiddle
Guitarist Paul MacDonald from Cape Breton
Fiddler and composer Paul Cranford, also from Cape Breton
Abby Newton from the United States
Laoise Kelly from Ireland
Mairi Campbell and Sarah McFadyen from Scotland

Each instrument used during the show
Has been made by Otis
Of wood from that towering tree
He cut down fifteen years ago

The Fiddle Tree family of instruments
Violin, viola, cello
Arch-top guitar, mandolin
And harp

"I've made fifteen or so instruments from that tree
And there will be seven or eight of them in the show"

Unique family
Special stash of wood
Full circle
One grand old maple tree

- Laura Jean Grant, The Canadian Press, 2009



For more poetry, Ride the Poetry Train!

Gel says I've given that advice in the poetry workshops I teach (finding poetry in your prose.) This piece flows like a folk tale, full of love and description.

Anthony North says Love what you did with it.

Michelle Johnson says I enjoyed the true story quality and how that one tree meant enough to this guy to turn it into something even more unique.

I'm blogging at Popculturedivas - Won't you join me?

I'm over at Popculturedivas today.

I'm exploring my new obsession - Ukranian-born Gypsy musician and actor Eugene Hutz.







VA Bookworm says Ooh! He was in Everything Is Illuminated! I like him too!

Sheila says Kinda cute in a weird sorta way. Hmmm.

Thursday Thirteen - 127 - 13 Ways My Corporate Team Walked For the Cure

- 1

My sister and me, sporting sparkly hats that she made for us. She also made my scarf.



- 2

When we drove across the bridge, heading for the Commons (where participants gathered) we saw this bus. "Follow that bus!" my sister said, to herself, as she was driving.


- 3

We handed in our donation money at the brand new Citadel High, across from the Commons.


- 4

As we walked back to the participants area, we met my best friend's daughter, shown here second from left. She was with several friends from Sacred Heart, all volunteering for the Run for the Cure.


- 5

We met up with my corporate team, including breast cancer survivor Dianne, standing second from left in a pink boa.



- 6

One of the members of a special-project team of which I'm a part at the office. We're working hard at turning our agency mission statement into practical applications. It's challenging work and I'm very proud of it.







- 7

One of the members of my day-to-day team. She and I each sing in a choir.










- 8

Everyone gathers for opening remarks.




- 9

Then we do a warm up. There were lots of pink babies everywhere.




- 10

And loads and loads of dogs decked out in pink bows, pink shirts, pink scarves - you name it.



- 11

The runners who actually Ran for the Cure had already set out when all the walkers passed the starting line.



- 12

Look at how many...!




- 13

Of course, because it's Nova Scotia, we passed a piper beside Public Gardens. A man just ahead of us said, "Make noise for the piper!" and we all gave him a whoop.

My sister and I had a fantastic time and plan to do this again next year.

A squeezy-huggy thank you to all of my sponsors!

Janet says I'm glad you all had a good time :-)

Brenda ND says Bless you and your corporate team!

Tracie says Great pictures, and most importantly a great cause!!

Wordless Wednesday - 120

Ms Snarky Pants says That makes my mouth water!

Sukhmandir Kaur says Reminds me to take a walk down by the river and see if I can find any ripe ones for cobbler.

Susan Helene Gottfried says Yum!

Through the Opera Glasses - 31 - Season 3 of Robin Hood at Last

After an agony of waiting, BBC's Robin Hood finally began broadcasting across the pond on BBC America and BBC Canada.












I freely admit I've already watched the entire season 3 on You Tube. When it was first broadcast in the UK in the spring, kindly souls uploaded it for those of us who were frothing at the bit to get a look at Sir Guy.












The season 3 uploads disappeared from You Tube as the North American broadcast neared.











But there's nothing like being able to watch the full episode on TV, as opposed to the tiny version in ten-minute segments on You Tube. However, I am eternally grateful to those angels who allowed me to see it when it first aired. *kiss*

Things have gotten a lot darker in Nottingham since our heroes and villains returned from the Holy Land. Gisborne has a lot of mental sorting out to do after taking Lady Marian's life at the end of season 2.

"Frankly, I sort of despise him for what he did," the actor says. "But it's also interesting when a character can start to take responsibility for his actions and have an opinion of himself, almost as if he is stepping outside his body, and that's really what Gisborne does this season: He steps out of his old shell and starts to become somebody new because of that action." - John Crook, No more Mr. Nice Guy











Robin is understandably out for revenge.











The sheriff puts Much through the mill when Prince John demands more tax money.











Guy is not so easily bullied now that he's looked into his own abyss.












Not so easy being sheriff, is it, Vasey?












Robin's band acquires Friar Tuck and villager Kate.















Little John and Allen a Dale soldier on despite their own sorrows.

What becomes of Guy when his father figure turns his back on him? You'll have to catch the next episode to find out.





Shelley Munro says I haven't seen series 2 yet. I am behind!

VA Bookworm says When BBC America wasn't getting around to showing season 3, I downloaded the episodes off the net :o)

Poetry Train Monday - 121 - She Had Found Places

Here is a second found poem which I've crafted from the prose of Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated.


She Had Found Places


"There," she said
And she pointed her finger
Into the darkness

She was not crying
Which surprised me very much
But I understand now
That she had found places
For her melancholy
That were behind more masks
Than only her eyes

- Jonathan Safran Foer, 2002

For more poetry, Ride the Poetry Train!

Kelly Boyce says Love it!!

Jane Doe says You are so good at turning prose into poetry!

Anthony North says Very deep words there.

Stargate Universe Premiers Tonight on Space

You may recall that one of the stories I'm working on takes place immediately following the Battle of Culloden in 1740's Scotland.

And that my main character Jock MacKeigan is a dead ringer for Scottish actor Robert Carlyle.

So just imagine how thrilled I am that Carlyle is debuting tonight on Stargate Universe.




Isabella Snow says I did not know he was Scottish!!

Travis says We saw the previews for this show and it looks interesting.

Susan says Another thing that we share, this and Robert Carlyle - LOVE that photo of him.....*sigh*