The end of one event but many more to fill the gap
With his wildly painted love-bus an acoustic guitar and vintage attire poet Dale Herrington is quite possibly Calgary’s last authentic hippie. He’s been podcasting local events under the name Raw Salvage which are available via calgaryspokenword.podbean.com . There are CDs for sale with proceeds divvied between the artists — there’s even a boxed set. Herrington’s hard work is a real holiday gift to us all. To purchase approach Herrington at a reading near you starting with Passion Pitch on December 10 at Good Earth Café 1502 11 St. S.W.
Let it be shouted from the mountaintops that the application deadline has been extended for the 2010 Spoken Word Program at The Banff Centre for the Arts. Why not learn your craft with help from professional writers and faculty members including Steven Ross Smith and our Calgary’s Sheri-D Wilson? For more information visit banffcentre.ca/writing/programs and click on spoken word. The new deadline is December 15th.
It’s amazing that the playful minds behind the Single Onion Series (also purveyors of the annual Poetry Orgy) resisted the primal urge to write a racy title for its 69th event. This month’s performance Parameter spotlights Sheri Benning an award-winning Saskatchewan poet followed by an open mic on December 17 at The Marquee Room.
The exciting four-year anniversary of Red Mile Revenge (Rockstar Edition) Calgary’s only literary “just open mic” series was cancelled just five days before the event due to Tubby Dog booking a last-minute special event. As a result organizer Selina Clary decided it was a good time to end the series. What a shame. Those A-Bombs just won’t taste the same.
Still need to pick up a few gifts? Consider putting awesomeness in someone’s stocking this season. There are so many fantastic CDs magazines and books available from Calgary-based writers and publishers; something delicious for every taste. Whatever your choice it’s good to support local independent stores.
Lit city appears first and third Thursdays of each month. Send events information to litcity.ffwd@gmail.com and make sure to check the listings near the back of the paper.
Moon remembers Cuba as she
SHERI-D WILSON
Moon remembers Cuba as she
presses her body against the sky
looks down; describes a large veranda
high off the street where her people gather
to celebrate the birth of a ninety-nine year old woman
in the middle of Havana
on a full Moon night
Moon remembers Cuba as she
sings deep song to the smoke of the Shaman’s cigar
“it rolls like a voice from below the sea
new message from old revolutionary
and when he laughs his voice it breaks in waves”
Moon remembers Cuba
as she describes herself—
I make a slow pass
behind the distant lighthouse; moon beam me
beacon halo optic illusionary—
into the perfect spot eclipse of light
until the people in high spirits on the large veranda
can’t distinguish whose light is whose which light is which
and they stop mid-revelry they stop and they fall under my spell
charm of lighthouse light – house lighthouse light
And I Moon take the time to glance back at them
eye of a temptress solstice festoon
full of high jinx and hallelujah wink pupil
gold alchemist soul to guide and warn
And the two pictures lighthouse and Moon
slide into one another as lovers navigate truth
they slide into one other hold the picture
embrace in Tantric breath slide into one another
body-into-body of light; as a lifetime in suspense
moments pass and no one in all of Cuba moves
deep inhale in-breath-in dance groove of
stillness in drum heat trance of not knowing beyond drum
beat of silence in sound speech of flowing air bound
levitation not knowing words just vibration love
says everything in surrender a kind of death so beautiful the door
remains open to the other side and Moon sees this
and she smiles and then the ninety-nine year old woman breaks
the silence with a sigh La Luna
and the sound breaks liquid
and everyone goes back to living once more
