What is found in water
By Barry Vitcov
The poet Gary Snyder once said, ““Nature is orderly. That which appears to be chaotic in nature is only a more complex kind of order.” Poets often look to nature when seeking order, meaning, and answers to difficult questions. Sometimes nature reflects back what we know or offers new questions and new worlds to explore. What do we really see in our own reflection in a placid lake? How might clarity be found in a random puddle? David Zaslow and Lynn Hill offer their own answers.
Poetry for the People
July 24, 2025, 6-8 p.m.
Talent Library
101 Home St.
Talent, Oregon
Poetry for the People is a project created by local poets Lisa Baldwin and Seth Kaplan. It was conceived as a series of open mic poetry readings to bring together community in defense of our democracy and to encourage civil discussion. Poets respond to what’s happening around us through writing and reading poetry. Words provide solace, especially when shared with others looking to make sense of the senseless. Poetry for the People began on March 22 in Medford with subsequent events in Ashland, Kerby, and Grants Pass. You are invited to participate in the next Poetry for the People gathering in Talent. You are also welcome to come, listen and soak up some poetry juice.
Please RSVP by email to [email protected] and [email protected] by July 22 with your positive reply of “Count me in!” Also, let us know if you are a reader or just coming to hear the poetry. Finally, let us know if you are bringing a friend, so we know about how many folks to expect.
If you choose to be a reader and would like your poems printed in the event program, submit copies of your poems with your RSVP no later than 5 p.m., July 17.
The Image of the Land
By David Zaslow
I looked upon the waters
of Emigrant lake last spring
and saw my own
reflection there
in the midst of the land.
Sky, sun, and a hill
rising upside down
from the top of my head
in the water – or so it seemed.
Nowhere did I see
an image of myself
without the image
of the land, the mountain,
lake, sky, and sun on all sides.
David Zaslow came to Ashland in 1970 from Brooklyn. He received his master’s degree from Southern Oregon College, and helped create an innovative model for learning at the college called Living Learning. Upon graduation he became Jackson County’s first full time poet-in-the-schools, designing cutting edge curriculum for public schools. In 1977 he and his partner opened Jazmin’s, a world class jazz club, and produced the first non-classical concerts at Britt with Dave Brubeck and Count Basie — two events that evolved into the Britt Music Festivals. In 1996 he became the spiritual leader of the Havurah Synagogue. He is the author of several books of poetry, and “Jesus: First-Century Rabbi,” winner of the Church and Synagogue Library Association (CSLA) book of the year in 2015. He is retiring, or as he calls it “rewiring,” from the Havurah to spend more time writing and with family.
Guru
By Lynn Hill
The cold crystalline clarity
of the high mountain lake
in May
The muddy puddle
in the rutted dirt road
after a rain
Both
Reflect to perfection
the waning moon
Lynn Hill lives with his wife, Lin, on a small farm/animal sanctuary just outside Talent. He survived a devout, Christian upbringing in a large family, where he learned the precise definition of hypocrisy. Hitting the road after returning from military service, he did everything from gandy dancing to hard rock mining, from fire lookout to teaching yoga/meditation. His search for meaning took him to a decades-long Zen reclusive mountain top and finally, to his life’s work as a wound specialist registered nurse. He retired but remains in awe of the healing process. Prior to Covid-19, he and his wife ran the only plant-based B&B between the San Francisco Bay Area and Cottage Grove. He returned to writing a little over a year ago.
Poetry Submissions Welcomed!
You are invited to submit original work to the Poetry Corner. There is only one restriction: Poems ought to show a connection to Ashland and/or Southern Oregon. Your interpretation of that connection is fairly loose and mine is probably even looser! Be sure to include the title of your poem, your name as you would like it to appear, the city or town in which you reside, and, if you wish, your preferred pronouns. Finally, please submit a bio statement of less than 150 words written in the third-person.
To submit poems, send to Barry Vitcov at [email protected].
