<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-size: 21px;">Warm your soul, feed your spirit and allow yourself to have a good time with sage, poet and performer Doug von Koss as he shares wit and wisdom from his book of poetry, <u class="">Gratitude Goulash</u>. He has taught and presented up and down California and around the world, always in a “perfection-free zone.” Doug is a founding member of Rumi’s Caravan. It will not be an ordinary zoom.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-size: 21px;"><br class=""></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-size: 21px;">This reading is free of charge and you do not need to pre-register.</span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-size: 21px;">Just click on this link: <a data-v-3392e92e="" href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87684171689?pwd=ejl5Ly93TlE5UldweXpNMFpPbVhDdz09" aria-label="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87684171689?pwd=ejl5Ly93TlE5UldweXpNMFpPbVhDdz09" aria-labelledby="view-registration" target="_blank" class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(3, 58, 125); outline: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: 0.42px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87684171689?pwd=ejl5Ly93TlE5UldweXpNMFpPbVhDdz09</a></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-size: 21px;">And enter this passcode: <span class="" style="color: rgb(35, 35, 51); letter-spacing: 0.42px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">760317</span></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-size: 21px;"> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-size: 21px;"><br class=""></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><b class="">Cleaning Up After the Poetry Salon</b> </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">It's not always easy.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Proper nouns are manageable. </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">They stack well.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Biggest on the bottom - </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><b class="">The</b> <b class="">Great Plains, Idaho</b>, <b class="">Mt. Rainier</b> -</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">then the smaller stuff left behind - </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">boxcars, photographs, you know.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Adjectives are remarkably tough to clean up.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">The dry ones catch on the furniture, </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">bury themselves in cracks</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">hide in the pocket of an old sweater.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">They crumble to awkward, ungainly, </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">unmanageable, yes fragile </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">pieces …that somehow cunningly avoid </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">the shedding broom some poet has </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">left behind.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">And wet ones like <i class="">sticky</i> and <i class="">slimy</i> - yikes!</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Cleaning up the leavings of Wendell Berry -</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">It's a grange meeting hall,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">rich black dirt everywhere, </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">corn stalks, the lingering thick odor of </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">compost and just a hint of cow manure </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">on your shoes and your best carpet. </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">And Jesus! Those poems about stars - </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">the poets have no idea.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"> Whole constellations left behind -</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Watch it with the Pleides, they have sharp points</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And the Dog Star bites.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">My rule would be - </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">you brought 'em, you take 'em home.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Food is good.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Mom's apple pie and romantic dinner's for two</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Are usually digested by the salon - no leftovers.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"> It's the ethnic dishes with strange names </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>luedafisk, sauerkraut, gefiltafish</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>and anything made with hot peppers</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Well, you know.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Poets - a little consideration - </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">slip in some sponges, maybe</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">A mop or really - just a mouthful of food, </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">a spoonful -</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">yes, spoons for everybody.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Oh I could go on…</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">mixed metaphors sliding </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">down the walls and tangled</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">In the drapes.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Cliches hiding their heads in the corners. </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Shy, embarrassed marmots standing by dead seals.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Stinking sea weed<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> and sharks behind the sofa</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">And fish - fish beyond number - </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">flopping on the floor.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Verbs are easy - they move around </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">so much - just</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">open the door and they </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">take care of themselves.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">But poets, </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">It's the birds left behind…</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Robin, wrens, a flock of seagulls, </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">a murder of crows…</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">For God's sake leave a window open.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">But eagle, oh my friends, the eagle</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">He glowers there </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">from the chandelier</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Royally pissed!</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">A moment in a poem</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Then forgotten</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In the closed room.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">I know, I know.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">I'm making a new mess now -<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">I'll need some help here with </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">Idaho and that eagle.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino; min-height: 16px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">For the rest</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">I brought 'em. </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;">I'll take 'em home.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Doug von Koss<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Palatino;"><img apple-inline="yes" id="3FAC2832-F80D-4F86-8DD9-CADCBDDF0970" class="" src="cid:91B53070-F260-4355-80DB-976F8FA4BA8D"></div></div>_______________________________________________<br class="">PoetryLovers mailing list<br class=""><a href="mailto:PoetryLovers@lists.sonic.net" class="">PoetryLovers@lists.sonic.net</a><br class=""><a href="https://lists.sonic.net/mailman/listinfo/poetrylovers" class="">https://lists.sonic.net/mailman/listinfo/poetrylovers</a></body></html>