Poetry, RattleBag and Rhubarb

“Suddenly there’s Poughkeepsie”

Suddenly there’s Poughkeepsie what a hard time the Hudson River has had trying to get to the sea it seemed easy enough to rise out of Tear of the Cloud and tumble and jumps   draining a swamp here and and other smaller longings for the wide except for its spelling ocean sixty miles away is that town every day and…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb, WW1

“And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds”.

Ninety years since the end of the First World War. Passengers at Paddington station on Armistice Day, 11 November 1919. stopped for two minutes silence to remember those who never returned. Most of the men have taken their hats off out of respect. Over 25,000 Great Western Railway workers were killed in the war. Railway companies commemorated the end of…

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Books, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Nature Deficit Disorder

One impulse from a vernal wood May teach you more of man, Of moral evil and of good, Than all the sages can. William Wordsworth makes this assertion in his 1798 poem “The Tables Turned”. In the poem he is continuing a dialogue with a fictional friend who has urged him to study more, read more and spend less time…

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Poetry, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Visiting poet

The poet Robin Becker visited PDS and talked with students from the poetry elective and high school literary magazine. She read poems from three of her collections including the most recent Domain of Perfect Affection. Here is former poet laureate Robert Pinsky commenting of one of the poems – OK Tucker -in the Washington Post

Poetry, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Thanksgiving Time

When the night winds whistle through the trees and blow the crisp brown leaves a-crackling down, When the autumn moon is big and yellow-orange and round, When old Jack Frost is sparkling on the ground, It’s Thanksgiving Time! – from Thanksgiving Time by Langston Hughes I hope your holiday is wonderful.  

RattleBag and Rhubarb

Mission Tag Cloud and a Mystery Text

A tag cloud is a visual presentation of text. It uses word frequency to provide a blink-worthy read of information. It communicates a great deal in a few seconds and provides an instant take. I entered the text of our mission and description et voila! A poetic distillation of meaning. caring citizens collaborative committed community compass construct contribution creative deep…

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Poetry, RattleBag and Rhubarb

The Eagle Nation

The title and content of this entry have changed. The original title – A Challenge to Stephen Colbert – referred to the Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report where the grippy and relentless megamerican Stephen Colbert holds court. The show opens with dramatic graphics of eagles, waving flags and the swooping adjectives that Colbert proclaims for himself. Lincolnish and flagaphile have…

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