The Death of a Poet
Today we mourn the passing of Keith Roach. Rest in Peace!
“We bid farewell to Keith Roach – poet, slammaster, mentor and teacher – who presided over our poetry slams and open mics for years. Keith inspired a generation of poets, and played a significant role in the advancement of slam poetry, as an art form and a movement. He will be greatly missed.”
Who mourns the death
of a poet?
Another poet does.
Although the poems remain
and the rhymes
access time
and resonate in the brain
The void left is great
A teacher, a mentor to many
The great noesis (1)
Powerful verbs and thoughts
to inspire the young poet
the slamming of ideas into
the heart and soul
Cannot
and will not be forgotten.
Who mourns the death
of a poet?
(1) noesis, a rare noun that turns up in the field of philosophy and refers to the action of perceiving or thinking
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The Landscapes of My Mind
Sometimes I go to my favorite place;
silently and all alone.
no fancy name given
no signs to direct me there
no houses, no people
simply a natural space
in which to roam.
If ever you should need to go there
I will gladly show you the way
but there is one thing I must say
all you really need is to close your eyes
take three deep breaths
and wish yourself away.
* I often have dreams where I am just walking through beautiful and peaceful landscapes. The painting is one that depicts my latest dream.
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The Secret Life of Mandalas
I very happy to announce that my coloring book is now available at www.barnesandnoble.com. Thanks for your continued support.
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My Crazy Bird
My friend Nina Wilson posted her crazy bird drawing the other day. I believe it was draw a crazy bird day. Anyway, this is my crazy bird. Strictly from my imagination. Thanks Nina for your inspiration. Check out Nina’s great drawings @ https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/
Drawing by Melba Christie
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My Poetry and Art
Recently I decided to link my poetry to my artwork via several venues. I published my coloring book in September of 2016, The Secret Life of Mandalas, which is available via Amazon.com.
I have always loved graphic design and making my own greeting cards and other products. Zazzle.com and Threadless.com gave me the opportunity to create my products and use my art and poetry.
I want to thank those of you who have been so supportive this past year. I truly appreciate your comments and feedback.
Occasionally, I will post some of my products as they become available. However, my main focus and labor of love will continue to be writing poetry.
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Introducing My New Art Projects
I have recently started putting my original designs on different products such as canvases, ceramics, mugs, pillow, throws and much more. I will appreciate your patronage as usual. Check my designs for Valentine’s day.
Melba’s Design Shop @ Zazzle.com
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Score it!
Dear Followers:
Please click on the link below and give me a score. I will appreciate your help.
Thanks,
Melba
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Shells and flowers
Looking for Direction
On Nature
On Creativity
“The creative mind plays with the objects it loves”
– Carl Jung
I recently visited the exhibit of Frida Kahlo at the New York Botanical Gardens. I took this picture of the desk where she painted. I imagined her sitting there looking around at her beautiful garden. I have many of her biographies and books that illustrate her work. The complexity and depth of her soul is in her work. I have different storage places for my paints, pens, pencils and brushes. These are among some of the objects I love. I see them as extensions of my mind and a creative source. All I need to do is walk by a vase full of paint brushes (the older the better) and I cannot resist the urge to create something. Sometimes I fall in love with what I have done and other times I put it away to look at again at a later time. It is my way of looking at things from a different perspective.
I took the picture but I also examined each piece very carefully. Each object had a spirit. Each has a purpose. Creativeness has a purpose. It was an amazing experience, almost surreal.
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Landscapes On My Mind
Watercolor
The canvas awaits the luscious
wash of crimson, lavender and Ivy green
that even a rainbow would envy the scene
Reality or fantasy created
no one knows for sure
only the artist and the muse
who got together one afternoon.
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Hidden Treasures
My husband and I often drive without any particular destination in mind. Last weekend our excursion brought us to a very interesting spot off of Route 46 on Budd Lake. I took some photographs when I heard from a distance someone asking us if we were tourists. I found his comment amusing given the fact we live about 25 miles away. But I guess we did look like tourists as I was carrying my camera bag and holding my Nikon camera fitted with a telescopic lens.
The person was paddling a small canoe across the lake and another person looked like he was getting his gear ready for a beautiful sunny day of fishing. For all we know they could have been the owners or gatekeeper of the property. The castle is now Pax Amicus Theater. Frankly I never heard of it before but very happy we found it. The theater was founded in 1970 and according to Wikipedia “This community theater produces a full year-round season of Broadway and off-Broadway revivals, professional productions of works by Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe, a program devoted to children’s theater, and special events throughout the year.” The most curious find of all was the various statutes dedicated to different people. It seemed surreal to me that along Budd Lake there would be a castle. “The Castle was built in the 1940s as a cinderblock synagogue. Later, it was owned by the Knights of Columbus. In 1978, it was turned into a theatre through the addition of a small stage house, two cinderblock turrets out front, and a fake-gothic facade. It sits at the end of a winding road on the shores of Budd Lake, perhaps 30 miles from Pennsylvania, and is surely one of the damnedest things one will ever run across. A sign over the front door reads “Pax Amicus”-“Peace, Friend.” I would love to know more about the people mentioned on the plaques. As a child this kind of place fascinated me. I suppose it still does. I hope that someone recognizes this hidden treasure and could give us more information. And if you never knew about it, you need to check it out some time.
