Poets writing free verse and a haibun
By Barry Vitcov
This issue of the Poetry Corner features two local poets writing about their observations along two different routes. Jill Rothman’s poem takes us along a familiar path adjacent to Bear Creek, where the terrible Almeda Fire swept through the Rogue Valley in September 2020. Her poem describes regeneration and gratefulness. Mary Theis’s “haibun” — a narrative followed by a haiku — takes us on a road into the Siskiyou Mountains seeking an eclipse. Mary’s poem delights us with a sense of discovery paired with the images and sounds of the natural world.
What journeys have you taken around Southern Oregon? How have you experienced the sights, sounds, all the senses evoked by the natural world? Might you have a poem to share? See below for how to submit your original work.
Pausing to Write in the
Bear Creek Path Log
By Jill Rothman, Talent
Post fire,
life returning,
as it does.
Grateful to be
amidst birds
and breeze,
to feel
all those who
pass this way.
A few times,
the creek
shows itself
on a run from
here to there.
I see
a pileated woodpecker.
She sees me.
Birds I cannot see,
well enough to name,
sing to me.
I sing to them.
Grateful as green
to be
on this path
belonging to
the birds and breeze,
the creek and trees.
Jill Rothman was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan; Antioch in Yellow Springs, Ohio; and has a master’s from Southern Oregon University. She is a poet, a writer, a painter, a creator of a successful greeting card line (onewomansart.com), a singer, a songwriter and more and less than that. Her family, friends and students are her treasures. Jill has had a thrilling and varied teaching career and taught in Ohio; Portland, Oregon; and for many years at Briscoe School in Ashland, Oregon. She sang jazz standards in clubs, performed with the Siskiyou Singers, the SOU Jazz Choir, Rogue World Ensemble and Plain Folk for a total of decades. For nine years, she has been living in Talent, Oregon, after 33 years of living and creating in Ashland, Oregon.
annular hoedown
By Mary Theis, Talent
We drive with a sense of urgency, betting against the odds. This early morning,
we are chasing a rare celestial phenomenon. Jill drives east on Highway 62 while
I ride shotgun, scanning the sky and terrain for the perfect viewing spot.
A bank of clouds butts up against the Siskiyou Mountains, threatening to block
our view and kibosh our plans. Changing course, we turn onto Butte Falls
Highway, heading south then east again. We settle in on a large turnout
overlooking an open field.
But when the clouds drift west covering the sun, we decide to head back
towards Highway 62. Craning my neck to see the sky behind us, I spot it. “Stop!
It’s happening!” I yell. Jill pulls over next to a farm. The livestock are milling
around, eating, unfazed by us or the changing light.
We stand there on the side of the road, taking pictures and oohing and aahing
as the moon and sun come into perfect alignment. I had witnessed a total
eclipse a few years before. I thought I knew what to expect.
ring of fire…
while moon and sun dance in the dark
cows and sheep sing
Mary Theis enjoys writing poems from a different perspective and likes to exploring ironies, humor, and unexpected connections in life. Her work has been published in Failed Haiku, Verseweavers, Encore Prize Poems, Cobra Lily, and /pãn|dé|mïk/ 2020: An Anthology of Pandemic Poems by OPA Members. Mary lives in Talent, Oregon, where she spends time outdoors, writing, and reading her poems at open mics.
Poetry submissions welcomed!
You are invited to submit original work to the Poetry Corner. There are only two restrictions: First, poems need to show a connection to Ashland and/or Southern Oregon. Your interpretation of that connection is fairly loose! Second, poems need to be aligned to the left margin. The publishing platform used by the Ashland.news has issues with the creative use of space! There are no length restrictions but try to keep your poems to no more than 30 lines. 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.
To submit poems, send to Barry Vitcov at haikubjv@google.com
