Jack Wiler

DubbleX & I went to see Jack Wiler's play yesterday at Pace University's Black Box theatre. Jack was in top form and although he said he needed to look at his words a few times, he had it down pat. Hey it's not easy to recite over a half hour of poetry from memory with no break! The story and the words are compelling, they hit home. Some beautiful turn of phrases too. I love Jack's poetry!
Although Jack & I only met on facebook by accident, he recognized me immediately. I went crazy for a few days and kept adding people to see what would happen. What did happen was FB finally blocked me from adding more & I lost interest in the add game. That said, my adding Jack led to an exchange of words (how could there be two poets who wouldn't have much to say) and friendship. BTW, the proceeds from the show all goes to Gay Men's Health Crisis, a very well worth while organization to give something to if you can.
Steven McCasland, Director is astute & talented. He broke down two of Jack's books to create this show. The entire play was extremely digestible and I'm still absorbing it today, the day after.
If you have the time or inclination, there's another 3 days running where other actors get to step in Jack's shoes. I wanted to hear Jack perform his own words.

Bronx River Parkway

POMEGRANATE STAIN

The pomegranate incense is gone yet the smell of the smoke lingers
Filling my nose with its scent
I used the last stick yesterday
And am sick with desire to smell that pungent fruit
Sinking into my veins
Like a good fix on life
The deep red burgundy of the berries merges with my blood

The pomegranate incense of my life remains
Like seeds once picked over by crows
Dry and humble they lie
Renewed by life’s rain
Each seed leaves behind a bright red stain

There’s no shortage of pomegranate seeds
When pomegranate season comes
I’ll devour them greedily
The taste of the red berry remains sweet &sticky on my tongue

I long for my pomegranate incense
The last stick burned yesterday
I’m sick with desire to smell that pungent fruit again
Its ephemeral scent lost in my garden of yesteryears
I search for yesterdays scent lost in today’s patchouli mist

Quotes from Joy

©

Peace the Planet

POWER THE MOHAVE DESERT WITH MILES AND MILES OF SOLAR PANELS

ENOUGH TO RUN THE ENTIRE PLANET ON SOLAR ENERGY

BEAUTY IS NOTHING BUT A BACKDROP FOR THE BLUES

BURY ME GREEN PLEASE

MY CONSTANT ACHE, I AIN'T AS PRETTY AS I USED TO BE...

newly retired & celebrating being a life coach

I just retired and am so pleased about it. Now I have time to watch tv all day if I wanted to but that's not for me. I'd rather watch the sky or listen to the rain. Actually I'm very busy with the process of redoing my entire kitchen. I already put down terra-cotta colored porcelain floors and now I'm putting in new wooden cabinets. It will be much more pleasant when it's done.

I'm also now listed as a practitioner with the Flower Essence Society and as an LCSW with NYS Licensing with the 6-year R psychotherapy privilege - I'm ready to do some life coaching. I will provide services based on a sliding scale, payable through pay pal and can consult online or by phone if preferred.

Please check out my new page and newly launched webiste.

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED, Poetry & Prose by Joy Leftow

I've launched a new website with a more together and professional look - please check it out.
It's google's webpages which are free to do.
Please check it out and let me know how you like it.

Poetry Sampler

JoyLeftow.com

Family History Deja vu

If Mommy only knew all that occurred,
She would turn over in her grave.
She’d question and explore the said misdeed
to figure why anyone would behave

that way to their sibling, their own blood,
their family. It would cause Mom great pain,
release memories, an entire flood
of them reminding her of the campaign

her family led against her when they
declared her dead, and sat Shiva for her
forsaking her, long before the day
when she lay in the funeral parlor

dead, having been ravaged by the cancer
which destroyed and took her away.
Then - her family came to see her.
They should have been ashamed to come that day.

Her family disowned her when she married Dad
who, although he was Jewish too, had been married
before with a son, then divorced. Her family had
no tolerance of this, being orthodox, and such
... thus they, considered her Dead!

My mother suffered so much from her illness
and trying to raise us four children.
She did the best she could under her duress.
She’d wonder what could make this occur again.

that now, I, the youngest am forsaken
by two of my sisters, one who just passed on
ravaged too, by the cancer that has overtaken
and polluted my family’s gene pool,
... oh sorrows, please be gone

I am the lone survivor, who, as of yet
have not fallen prey to the horrific scourge
I live under the fear and the threat
of cancerous death and pray to emerge

safely through the onslaught and expulsion
from family that my mother lived through
and wonder why all this must be redone
and why, even dialogue on this, is taboo.

photos by joy