September 19, 2016 will forever be the date of my first poetry reading. I was asked, by the president (a friend of mine) of the local chapter of the PEO, to fill in for my daughter. My daughter had been scheduled to give a presentation on her six weeks college trip to Vienna, Austria this past summer. Commitments in the music department caused her to cancel. Lynne called me to fill in. Lynne knows how nervous I am about this, but she she also counted on me being willing to cover for my daughter on short notice – very smart woman.

Taken from the website:

The PEO ( http://www.peointernational.org/ ), is a philanthropic organization where women CELEBRATE the advancement of women; EDUCATE women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans, and stewardship of Cottey College and MOTIVATE women to achieve their highest aspirations.

The order of the meeting went as follows: dinner, presentation, and formal meeting. The setting was causal. The meeting took place at Lynne’s home. A home I have been in many times (Lynne was my  daughter’s piano accompanist at her high school solo ensembles). I attended the dinner which helped me relax around the 16 women a bit. A lot of educators in the group – current and retired. They all were very warm and welcoming.

I did by best to plan for about a 30 minute reading. The brochure picture above came to me the night before. I do a brochure for our family Christmas newsletter instead of sending cards. So, I thought it would be a way to get a lot information to them easily, and they could take it with them. I thought things out. I would talk about myself and the therapy my poetry is for me, read two poems from each section, and have a drawing for a hardcover copy of By the Pond. The drawing grew a bit. There was the book, a card for a free eBook, and a magnet with one of my pictures with a thought of mine on it. As a side note here, I have this wonderful app on my iPod from Shutterfly. I get free things and only pay taxes and shipping and handling – so I have been building a small supply of things. I also gave everyone a bookmark. Vistaprint is a great website with lots of deals too. I can use my own photos and writing. Each member got the brochure and a bookmark with the title poem on it – By the Pond (my Lord and me).

My reading list:

• By the Pond (my Lord and me)
• Of My Poetry (I would say)
• Somewhere (how far)
• Frustration
• Am I Awaking or Dreaming
• The Eagle

I also brought a photo of pictures and thoughts from my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pearlsof.sidonamarie , to pass around. From my last year as a teacher’s aide, I had four homemade books from the four fourth grade poetry groups I worked with which I brought too. They were educators – good move on my part.

All went well. The ladies were very kind and understanding. The first two poems on the list were the hardest to read. They reflect the traumas I struggle with the most. Yet, they are also the easiest for me to read from the first section.  Am I Awake or Dreaming had its own difficulties. It is about something I experienced with both my children. There is an almost five year difference in their ages, but they both asked me this same question between the ages of four and five. I will share this one with you (pg. 85 in By the Pond):

 

Am I Awake or Dreaming

 

“Mom,

Am I awake or dreaming?”

 

Hilary and Justin,

From time to time,

To me would say

In thoughtful wonder

As on the floor

With dolls or trucks

They’d play.

 

“Mom,

Am I awake or dreaming?”

 

Hilary and Justin

Once in awhile,

Of me would inquire

With concern

As they sat

In their favorite chairs

Watching Power Rangers

Or Dragon Tales,

Wondering which

Worldview

They had

That day.

 

“Mom—

Am I awake or dreaming?”

 

My children

At four or five would say—

And I would reply,

“You are awake,

I am sure.

I am here, too.

I see the same as you.”

But to myself

I would ponder,

Who can so surely know—

Where an imaginative,

Creative heart and mind

May adventure and go?