Behind Our Eyes Virtual Poetry Luncheon Transcript Moderator/Hostess: Alice Massa April 14, 2020 Tuesday, at two p.m. (Eastern time) Winslow Parker: Hello. Carrie Hooper: Hello. Alice Massa: Hello. Is everybody here? I started the recording and then it seemed to drop off. Lisa Busch: Yes. Alice: Hello. Leonard Tuchyner: Hello. Alice: Is everybody still there? I started the recording then it seemed to drop off. Carrie: Yes, we’re here. Peter Altschul: We’re here as far as I can tell. Alice: And did you hear the announcement this recording has started? Carrie: Yes, and I was playing selections when that happened. [Several yeses.] Alice: Very good. Why don’t you play one more and then we’ll start. Carrie: Okay, I’ll do it. Here’s another Italian one. Here we go. [Carrie plays piano]. DeAnna: DeAnna Noriega. [Carrie plays piano.] Alice: Oh, bravo, we do thank you, Carrie, Carrie Hooper and thank you for entertaining us with your lovely piano music and for setting such a wonderful relaxing atmosphere for us to begin our special event today. Before I begin with the little brief formal briaf introduction, I know DeAnna has joined us since we’ve had announcements of people who are present and who else has joined us recently please? John Smith: John Smith is here. Alice: Oh, John, it’s great to hear your voice. I just… John: I’m gonna mute. Alice: And who else is here? I know you may be muted with star six. If you hit star six again you can announce yourself please. Maybe it was just you, John, and DeAnna who came in. I can’t remember if it was two or three rings. So, a little later in the program today we are going to sort of introduce those people who are audience members as well so that we have everybody on this recording. So, again, thank you very much. Carrie has been playing beautifully since twenty till the hour and it’s just been a delight and on this April fourteenth, the BOE twenty-twenty poetry team and I happily welcome all of you to our…this fourteenth day of National Poetry Month and our two hundred and eighty-sixth conference call and our first ever Virtual Poetry Luncheon of Behind Our Eyes. Bon appetite and bon poetry. I think that since we have about a bakers dozen of poems on our menu today and a couple of surprises as well, we’re going to start right in. Alice: And one of our newest members, Marlene, has been kind enough to write a welcoming poem for today and so, Marlene, it’s up to you. Do you want to just post it on the Writers’ Partyline or do you want to sgare it now? Marlene usually reads from her CCTV so you let us know what you’ve’decided, Marlene, and we’re certainly glad to hear from you. if you just want to share some thoughts with us or if you want to share it on the Writers’ Partyline, it’s totally your choice and we’re just delighted that you’re here. Marlene Mesot:Thank you so much. I’ll muddle through both. I’ll post it and I’ll read it. Alice: Okay. And I forgot one thing so please excuse me. I wanted to invite Marlene, and each of you who is presenting today, if you need to give a little intro. to your poem, that’s fine, you’re welcome to do that, but say the title of your poem and give yourself a by line. Say by and your name and the state in which you reside then present your poem, and, this is important, would you please say the end after your final line of poetry, so then we know when to send compliments your way. Everybody, if you star six I think we’ll be able to hear the presentations a little better and if you want to make a comment after someone has presented a poem, you can unmute with star six and then mute again until it’s your time to talk or if you want to make a comment and I really appreciate all of that. So we’re ready to serve up our poems at our Virtual Poetry Luncheon and now I think I’m really ready to turn the virtual microphone over to you, Marlene, if you please. Marlene: Poetry Luncheon Welcome by Marlene Mesot, Virginia. Welcome everyone at our delectable retreat.  Let’s all rise and bring out the feast. A toast is in order to each of our group, Hardy participants who stay in the loop. Greetings to all as we settle in, Beginning with appetizers to awaken our taste buds within.  Now crunch our salads [crisp and colorful], Then comes the vegetables fresh and plentiful. Entrees, of course, dishes of all kinds. Yes we have beverages plentiful as fine wines. No, don’t leave the table, you can’t be too full. Desserts perfectly complement this meal bountiful. Please, everyone enjoy our tasty retreat, And count it most memorable until we next meet! Marlene: That’s the end of the poem, but if I haven’t put everyone to sleep, I’d like to express really heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our awesome poetry team for the absolutely amazing month of creativity, special events, wonderful prompts, absolutely amazing content and food for us on our list. Thank you so much. Alice: Oh, thank you, Marlene, for starting us off with that wonderful welcome poem and I think you did a fine job reading it from your CCTV on such short notice and all of us who have uised a CCTV at one time or another really appreciate your presenting your poem by that method. And we’re all here presenting in such a variety of methods and we certainly appreciate your presentation to start us off. Thank you, Marlene. Alice: And now, not only all of you, but I will have a surprise also, because our next presenter is Peter Altschu and I don’t even know exactly what Peter is going to next. So, Peter I’m turning ouver this virtual microphone to you. Peter Altschul: Alright, now you can all hear me. Sorry about that. Alice: Yes. Peter: Now you can hear me. Alice: Yes. Peter: Thank you, Alice. And Alice and I have been sort of communicating back and forth about me taking part in this activity. And as many of you know, poetry is not my primary form of writing, and so, Alice encouraged me to maybe sing something. And I thought, what am I going to sing? Then an idea came across that seems really fitting, as an indirect meeting. And so, I’m just going to sing it and I hope you find it as meaningful as I do. It’s really one of my favorite songs. So here we go. [Peter sings our National Anthem.] Peter: Thank you. Alice: Oh, thank you, Peter. I must tell you all, Peter was trying to give me a clue and was mentioning grain, but I never guessed that one. So, it was a wonderful choice and I thank you for sharing your musical talent with us, Peter. Alice: And now, our next presenter on our menu is going to be Lisa. And Lisa has a poem for us. So, Lisa, I’m turning this virtual microphone over to you please. And you all know there’s a lag sometimes for people to unmute, so when you, if you remember to unmute a little a little bit ahead of time, and I’ll just tell you while we’re waiting for Lisa, that Joan, you will be right after Lisa. So, Joan, if you want to get ready. Joan Myles: Okay. Lisa Busch: Yeah, I couldn’t get unmuted soon enough. Alice: That’s okay. I know that happens to the best of us. So, you’re fine. I thank you Lisa, so whenever you’re ready you can begin. Lisa: Okay, the poem is called Feasting with Our Father by Elisa Busch, Virginia. Let's pause at the Garden of Eden found in poetry and not rush to all the disaster. Let's imagine Father God spreading light into the heavens and on to the earth. How He mst've rejoiced to envision, then call it out into the world like a kid jumping up and down with glee. Let's just sit in that light, delight in its warmth, describe its color, affect, reflection, times it cheered or steered us. Join with Him in cherishing one beauty which is good before moving on to the next. Especially now in this era of fear: take your time: enjoy God's elation. But don't miss savoring ourselves and each other, His favorite creations. Lisa: And that is it, the end. Alice: Oh, thank you for sharing that, Lisa. That was beautiful. And after Joan will be our next presenter and after Joan, Carol, if you want to get ready as well, because you will follow Joan. And I thought Joan was bringing the bubbly for our virtual luncheon, but it turns out that Joan defines bubbly in a different way. So, Joan is going to present an Acrostic. So, Joan, if you please. Joan: Thank you, Alice. So, everyone, raise your glasses and your hearts. This poem is called Bubbly by Joan Myles. I’m in Oregon. Bright as a sunbeam bursting through the fog Up along the meadow path bounds my faithful dog Breezy and spirited Buoyant and free Love like a child's embrace You here with me Joan: Thank you. Alice: Oh, how beautifully presented in such a lovely acrostic. Thank you, Joan. And now now we’re ready to turn that virtual microphone over to the soup of the day. And Carol is going to start off with our first soup. If you please, Carol. Carol Farnsworth: Thank you, Alice. As youi all know soups never are done. So I was still tinkering with this one today. This is called Alphabet Soup, an acrostic poem, by Carol Farnsworth from Michigan. [original poem] Alphabet Soup an acrostic poem, By Carol Farnsworth All people could use some comfort food. Living through changing times, People long for Normality. Health is an illusion . Agreeing to keep social distance, But wishing for a physical connection, Each person hankers for a touch. Tabling all social encounters . Simple communications mean so much! Opportunities are daily given. Understanding, caring and sharing, Psychic cords that bind us together. Carol: Thank you, Alice. As you all know, woups are never done. So I was still tinkering with this one today. This is called Alphabet Soup by Carol Farnsworth from Michigan. All people need some comfort food, Living in these changing times, People long for the normal, Health is an illusion, Agreeing to keep social distance, Each…Lost my place, excuse me. I forgot my letter. Oh, give me a letter here. Alice: Just go back a step if you want to. Carol: Thank you. Each person is longing for that personal touch. That couldn’t be right. Okay I’m going to be the first one to start again. I’m sorry. Alice; That’s fine. Carol: Melissa, Melissa, you should feel happy you didn’t do this. Okay. All people need comfort food, Living in this world today, People…people long for the normal, Health is an illusion, But wishing for that physical touch, Each person wants to feel another, Tabling social encounters. Simple communication is something that means so much. Opportunities are daily given. Understanding, caring and sharing, The psychie that binds us all. Carol: The end. Thank goodness. Alice: So, thank you for your alphabet soup, Carol. Thank you so much. And now I’m going to say a couple of people ahead, because I forgot to say that after Carol will be Penny and so I’ll remind you that after Penny, Carrie is going to read another soup poem, Onion Soup. Then Lynda will follow. So, Penny, Carrie, Lynda. And Penny, when you’re ready we’ll turn the virtual microphone over to you. Penny has a, what I’m calling a side dish on our menu, but, you know, we can all relate to homeschool lunches. So, Penny has something for us about homeschool. So, Penny, if you please. Penny Fleckenstein: Homeschool Blues by Penny Fleckenstein from Pennsylvania. Penny: I’m a ten-year veteran of homeschooling. My children have experienced public and private school too. I joined a group called Loving Education at Home, but was deemed too un-Christian to give rise to. Penny: I was living with my boyfriend, the father of one of my children at the time, so I was all alone. My father said I wasn’t intelligent enough. My boyfriend said I could do what I wanted but didn’t really approve. Penny: I found my own material. Matthew C. was vital for my kids and me. My kids were educated the best I could. Quarterly reports to the school district and not once was I audited. Yet, the lady from child protective was incredulous when she found out I was blind. She said to the kid, ‘How can she hold school?” Penny: We made donuts, took field trips, worked on projects. The rewards of having my children home with me went beyond what others believe. I never thought I’d see the day when everyone is being homeschooled. I would be asked by friends, strangers and family, ‘Where do your kids go to school?” I’d reply, “They’re homeschooled. My kids are with me everyday.” Why do people have kids to be raised by others? Penny: A person would be shocked and gasp. “What do you do for socialization?” Penny: “Wow. If I wanted to learn to do drugs and bully, I’d send them to school.” I’d say, “Yesterday, social distancing and online learning were frowned upon. Today, everyone is doing it. Imagine, Barbara Mandrell would say, “I was homeschooling when homeschooling wasn’t cool.” Penny: The end. Alice: Oh, thank you, Penny. That was quite interesting. Thank you. And now Carrie is going to present Winslow’s poem Onion Soup and Carrie, when you’re ready, please begin. And while we’re waiting for Carrie, I’ll remind Lynda that she is after Carrie. And then it could be that I am going to do a poem after Lynda, and… Carrie: Okay, I’m ready. Alice: Go ahead, Carrie. Carrie: I’m sorry. I had forgotten to unmute. That’s what happened. Carrie: Aye, y’aye, y’aye. Here we go. Onion Soup by Winslow Parker.   “Pancreatitis,” he said after reading the scan results; This, after disclaiming that belly pain was difficult to diagnose in the elderly. “Liquid diet, then pureed,” he prescribed. (Have you ever tasted pureed green beans? Yech!)   Tried this and that, Then found Lipton Onion Soup. Not bad, Hmmm…pretty good. Now, after 30 packets, I love it, Look forward to its warmth and savor. I am grateful. Carroe: The end. Alice: Thank you, Carrie, for presenting that for Winslow, and thank you, Winslow, not only for the Onion Soup poem, but also for all you’ve beewn posting on the Writers’ Partyline lately. We certainly look forward to and enjoy reading your pieces. Alice: And now, first we need a salad for our virtual poetry luncheon and Lynda Lambert is bringing us a fine salad. So, Lynda, when you’re ready, please begin. Lynda Lambert: I’m ready. This is Preparations for a Virtual Spring Salad by Lynda McKinney Lambert and I’m in the village of Wurtenburg in Ellwood, Pennsylvania.   I gather ingredients beneath snow patches in my poker-faced winter garden. I select frozen nouns and crystalized verbs that crunch beneath my purple boots   The large blue bowl will hold my plentiful, colourful virtual spring salad   I slice crisp winter onions mix with fresh-washed adjectives combine good-looking spinach with roasted red peppers and water chestnuts   Mix verdant green-leaf lettuce with active verbs must, should, ought to, have to, shred, rip, and tear tender leaves   Cubed tofu fried with whole walnuts sizzled in extra virgin olive oil add some piquant words, to taste. slice organic carrots and juicy tomatoes Drizzle some succulent sentences over our poetic salad.   Cauliflower florets provide contrast between our stanzas.   I plucked fresh wild mushrooms in the woods this morning included a pinch of fresh oregano and parsley A smidgeon of sea salt and black pepper punctuation buttered croutons add texture to end-rhymes sprinkled lightly with white wine vinegar enhanced with red pimento-stuffed olives.   All for the enjoyment of cybernetic friends I offer my virtual spring salad - the poetry of life tossed in a bowl. _ Lynda: The end. Alice: Oh, how wonderful. I love that salad. And I thank you, Lynda, and I was glad you mentioned the theme of our National Poetry Month for Behind Our Eyes, The Poetry of Life, which was taken from a poem by Carrie Hooper also in your poem. And after I do my poem, Leonard, you will be next in line. The title of my poem , and I thought that I would include this one because for me, having bread with salad just seems so the thing to eat. So, here’s a bread poem for all of you titled The Aroma of Baking Bread by Alice Jane-Marie Massa of Wisconsin. I come from a long line of bakers of bread. My older relatives frequently said, “I cannot eat a meal without a piece of bread.”   I grew up playing in my maternal grandparents Lanzoni’ Bakery. On summer days, I went daily to my cousins’ Comba Bakery: a-a-ah--Breadsticks, sweet torchetti, and Of course, the long loaves of Italian bread Fragranced the car ride home And became our afternoon treats. “Good bread needs no butter.”   At our table, the two most often heard words were: “Mangia, mangia!”  (“Eat, eat!”) Talking with a piece of bread In gesturing hand was common-- A salute to our bread of life And a compliment to the baker.   In later years, after the bakeries of my grandfather and cousins had permanently closed their brick ovens, I kneaded bread.  I made the bread-- But Challah bread that I loved to braid And even photograph before eating.   Now, the scent of baking bread Brings forth, to me, the aroma of home. . I give to each of you a taste of precious bread memories; And I request, “Pass this cherished loaf of bread, if you please.”   Alice: Thank you. The end. Alice: So now, we are going in a little different direction again, what I am calling a side dish, and this one is from Leonard Tuchymer. Now we all need electricity for all of this baking and I think Leonard’s poem is going in that direction. So Leonard, if you please. We’re turning that virtual microphone over to you when you’re ready. Leonard: Thank you. Don’t know what electricity has to do with it. But this is Leonard Tuchyner. The poem’s name is Serpent. I’m from Virginia. Here we go. Serpent   It is said serpents speak with forked tongues, though perhaps they do not speak as we. Their tongues are organs of discernment Mayhap they are required to parse the crooked meanings of human words.   Devil and angel the serpent is -- symbol of healing on doctor’s staff. Potent medicines are yen and yang. Death and life rests on a reptile’s fangs.   Metamorphic kundalini power transforms humans to become a tower, healing the divide between Earth and Sky. Carnal knowledge surges from primal ground. It slithers up the tree of life to reach, and touches Elysian sacred seas. Leonard: The end. Alice: Thank you, Leonard, very much. And we’re next going to go to a presentation by Abbie and Abbie the president of Behind Our Eyes is serving up our entree today and she has a poem about pasta for us and also a surprise song one of the Dean Martin classics that also has an Italian flair to it. So, Abbie, when you’re ready, please. Abbie Taylor: Thank you, Alice. An Italian Meal Without Wine by Abbie Johnson Taylor of Wyoming. I love to eat seafood fettuccini Alfredo, taste the shrimp, crab, scallops in a rich, creamy sauce on a bed of fettuccini noodles, slurp the noodles into my mouth, savor the flavor, garnish it with garlic bread, chase it down with water. [Abbie sings “That’s Amore”.] Alice: Oh! Abbie; The end. Alice: Brava, brava. That was wonderful, Abbie. Your song and your piano playing. Thank you so much. Abbie; You’re welcome. Alice: It’s a delightful afternoon meeting for us. I’m enjoying each of your talents thoroughly and I thank you all so much. And I’m also appreciative of those individuals who are here in our audience, and I just want to make sure we acknowledge them and thank them also. Wislow Parker is here and, Winslow, would you like to say anything? I’m sure he’s having to probably unmute also and so maybe John and DeAnna I’ll give you the same opportunity. Have I missed anyone else who is in the audience today? Winslow: No, nothing from me, except to thank Carrie for her beautiful job of reading. Alice: And, John, how about you? DeAnna: I’m still here. Alice: DeAnna is still there. DeAnna, we’re glad you’re here. DeAnna: I really don’t have anything to say. I somehow can’t touch poetry right now except to read it. So thank you all for shring your hearts and your minds and your spirits with all of us and, uh, keep it up. Alice: Oh, thank you, DeAnna. It’s always nice to hear your soothing voice over our calls. Alice: Of course, I was going to mention this when Joan was presenting her poem. Annie Chiappetta could not be here today because she is doing an online class right now, but DeAnna and Carol, Abbie, Leonard, Joan, Lisa, and a few other people as well gathered together last evening for a wonderful Readers’ Workshop. And I know I’m forgetting a few people also, but it was just a wonderful evening and we’re having such a wonderful thirty days of April for our National Poetry Month so I, I’m just so appreciative in so many ways, to so many people of Behind Our Eyes. Alice: Now, in the last portion of our menu, youi know what comes last. Dessert. So first we’re going to have a dessert poem from Rebecca Shields and then from Carrie Hooper and Valerie Moreno. So, Rebecca, we’re going to turn our virtual microphone over to you when you’re ready with your dessert poem. Rebecca Shields: Okay, I think I’m here. Alice: You are. Good. Rebecca: This is…comes from the love of having my grandchildren. They love desserts. And so I decided I’d kinda think about them as I wrote this. A Perfect Pie by Rebecca Shields from Colorado.    Today, when I served the apple pie,  I realized I forgot the cheese, The grandchildren squealed with delight, While they gave me a kiss and a squeeze,   They said it looked supreme, Even if I didn't have any ice cream.   Suddenly as they were eating there came loud cheers, I thought for a second I felt some tears, Over such a silly mistake,  Their mouths were fullwith the dessert I worked to make, "Oh grammy we love it when you bake."   It all brought me to a smile, Cause it had only taken a while, I loved their little  song, In their eyes I'd done nothing wrong. Rebecca: The end. Alice: Oh, thank you, Rebecca. That’s so sweet. And now we’re ready for Carrie’s own poem, another dessert, because you know we all need a choice of deserts. So, Carrie, if you please. Carrie: Thank you, Alice. This poem was inspired by a dessert that my mother makes sometimes, and I call it a Heavenly Delight. A Heavenly Delight by Carrie Hooper from Elmira, New York.   Small pieces of angel cake, Lemon pudding and cool whip, Create a light and tangy dessert, A Heavenly delight, Right here on earth. Carrie: The end. Alice: Oh, that’s very sweet tasting also. Thank you, Carrie. And again, thank you for your over twenty minutes of lovely piano selections to start us off today. Carrie: You’re welcome. Alice: And now, we’re going to go to Valerie Moreno for the final choice of dessert. So, Valerie, we’re glad you’re with us and we’ll turn the virtual microphone over to you. Valerie Moreno: This is Valerie Moreno. I’m from New Jersey and this poem is a haiku. It’s called Scoop of Hope. in uncertain time cool sweet taste enables me to smile again Valerie: The end. Alice: I juist thought that was a wonderful haiku to end our menu and our Virtual Poetry Luncheon today. And I toast all of you with great gratitude, good wishes, good health and many, many thanks for your sharing today. I think it’s wonderful that we had, during these extraordinary times, good luck with the audio and with this wonderful conference line to be able to share today. I thank you for your extraordinary talents. This has been such a memorable event for me, and I hope for all of you. Alice: Marlene had asked about the poems that you preented today and I said that I would ask each of you to please post your poem that you presented on the Writers’ Partyline at your convenience. It doesn’t have to be right away, but sometime during this month of April, it would be nice if you would share your poem on the Writers’ Partyline, and let people know it was the poem you shared at the daytime poetry event. And we thank you for that also. Alice: Again, I want to give thanks to all of those who have been posting proimpts and who will during the remaining sixteen days and how delightful it is has been to read the poems that have come from those prompts. It’s been just a wonderful time of reading so many of your writings on the Writers’ Partyline during these first just fourteen days of National Poetry Month. So I encourage you to keep up this wonderful writing during the remaining days of April. Again, I thank you all for your attendance today and participation. I look forward to these remaining days of National Poetry Month and I think that I will close this meeting. And I will momentarily just remind you, a preview of coming attractions. Alice: Next Sunday, already this coming Sunday on the nineteenth, we will have one more conference call during National Poetry Month. Carrie Hooper and Lynda Lambert will be co-presenting at the usual time at eight o’clock Eastern. So I hope that all of you will be able to gather again on that Sunday evening for that wonderful presentation by Lynda and Carrie. Thank you. Good afternoon and everyone take care. Bye, bye. Abbie: Thank you, Alice. It was a great production. Great job. Valerie: Thank you. Lisa: Good bye everybody. Carrie: Thank you, Alice. Bye, bye. [Several good byes.] Alice: Take care everyone. Alice Massa and the BOE 2020 Poetry Team.