On April 1o, four notable New Jersey’s poets assembled in the Roxbury Performing Arts Center in Succasunna, NJ. Needless to say, it made me want to write some poetry, but alas, at the time I had writer’s block and had no idea what to write about.
However, as I write this blog, I’m working on two poems I have put on the back burner for months now while reading the inspiring poetry books I bought at the book signing after the April 10 reading. My creative juices are flowing.
In a blog dated March 31, 2011, I mentioned that I would head to the April 10 poetry reading, and that one of those poets reading would be Jean LeBlanc. It was good to see her again, and it was “so wonderful to see (me) today,” as she signed in her poetry book “At Any Moment” for me. She read a few poems about baseball, about her inspiration Thoreau, and even about a snake that recently escaped the Bronx Zoo and was recaptured called “Cleopatra’s Snake Girl.” Even though that poem was written a few years back.
Apparently, baseball season is here because the poets recited their works in homage to the sport.
Susanna Rich did what no other poet did that day: she recited her poems by heart. She not only recited her poems, but she was able to put so much energy and emotion into her verses, including “Buying My Father’s Shoes” and “Squeeze Play.” (about baseball)
Edwin Romond was a public school education since 1971 and retired from teaching English at Warren Hills Regional High School in Washington, NJ. He recited poems including “Spring at 62” and “My Request of Yankee Stadium Demolition Workers.” The latter poem consists of 85 words – one word for each year of the old stadium’s life span.
During the book signing, I doled out a copy of my poetry book “How Fate’s Confusion Connects” to each of the poet. I only signed one copy, but that was because Sander Zulauf asked me. Funny thing is, Mr. Zulauf and I were talking at the book signing, and I told him I write for the North Jersey Media Group, which owns the Suburban Trends and The Bergen Record. He dropped the name of a features editor and asked me if I knew him. I said yes. Mr. Zulauf said he had this particular features editor as a student, and a very good one at that. It’s a small world. I told Mr. Zulauf I’d be sure to tell the features editor about his former teacher, but it has slipped my mind. Hey, I’ll get around to it.
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