The first meeting of the Women Bearing All group of female poets was a tremendous event. We met at El Tea in Fresno - near Piccadilly Inn off Shaw - and what a wonderfully relaxing place. It is the kind of place where you can feel your heartrate start to slow, your synapses begin to unfurl from being clinched and zinging, you breathe deeply and sigh and realize you haven't done that for a while. Ahhh.
Because we are just beginning, we had a small group. I couldn't have been happier, though, with the mix of people there. Ethel - a part owner of El Tea - and despite what you might think, the youngest person there, shared her heart with us, as well as her hospitality. Her vivid pictures of a mother's love, and devotion, and longing had us close to tears. Her easy laugh, and warm smile made it difficult to imagine the heartbreak below the surface. We spoke together of how true it is that poets find ways to see the beauty in the pain, and produce art to help others through similar crises.
Meta charmed us with a bit of greek mythology and then her own poem written in Zulu - performed in Zulu - and interpreted into English, the clicks and unfamiliar sounds were mesmerizing in their musical strangeness. Her poem about winter in Connecticut makes me smile to remember - because of that one line, when all else was about the weather, out popped a SYNcoPAted-line-that-Snapped; and in one short phrase gave us a picture we will never forget about a character on the sidelines.
Then there was Susan. Quiet Susan, surprising Susan, Susan who had never read her poetry aloud before, Susan with the melodious voice and the jawdropping perfection of composition. The first thing she read, I swear I could read it over and over and over again just to once more hear the way the words spilled into and over each other. I want to pour over how she did it, I want to see it and hold it and memorize it and then hear her say it again. Her imagery is some of the finest I have ever heard. What a treat to be in her first audience!
This was amazing stuff that was shared!
Part of me desperately wants to doubt that I have any talent at all compared with these women. Then, the part of me who has spent my entire life hiding my poetry stands up and starts to holler that she will not be quiet anymore! She will not go underground again - she has things to say - she has music to roar and ballads to weep, and I better just get a pen ready, cause she's got more on the way! Part of me is certain that I can write - is certain that there are moments that are beyond me, bigger than me, when the words come naturally and flow - or when they come painfully, with great effort - either way, the words come, the words fill the page, and it is breathing to me.
While we were thrilled with the intimacy of the group and the amount of time we were able to devote to learning about one another, and sharing stories along with our work, we are looking forward to having more join us next month.
In December we will meet at El Tea - the 2nd Thursday - December 14th at 7:00pm.
Credits to www.roswitha-schacht.de and www.morguefile.com for the photo of tea cup.
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