When a reader enters the pages of a book of poetry, he or she enters a world where dreams transform the past into knowledge made applicable to the present, and where visions shape the present into extraordinary possibilities for the future.
― Collected Visions of a Skylark Dressed in Black
I went to The Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall on Saturday for their World Poetry Day event. Carnegie, PA is quite the melting pot of cultures, but I did not realize it was even more diverse than I knew! Every person who participated in the World Poetry Day event now lives in Carnegie!
I listened to members of the Carnegie community read poems in their native languages and in English. I learned about Arabic, Urdu, Tamil, Ukrainian, and Bengali poets… and it was fascinating! I also listened to students from the local school read their original poems. They were brilliant and so inspiring! Hearing each reader speak about why poetry is so important to their lives… a good reminder that poetry is the common denominator in all cultures… the thread that draws us together! It was certainly true on Saturday as we listened, learned, and enjoyed poems from all over the world!
On Sunday, I spent some a lot of time Googling the international poets to find more about them…talk about rabbit holes! I have a bit of a list of books to try and find. I am hoping that the library will have some but I have not looked yet.
I also finished my little series of watercolors on Sunday. This was so much fun! Of course, I like some better than others… but even in those I felt I could have done better… there are still elements in those paintings that I like! A small scrap of paper, three water colors, and my imagination… a very fun combination and there will absolutely be more of this as the year goes on!
2/8 is going to make putting these someplace permanent challenging! Note to self: decide on an orientation and stick to it!
I would say that my favorite thing right now are painting rocks, but I surprised myself with the jar of daffodils on my desk!
Now for the reminder… Next Monday, March 31st, will be our Word Check In for March! I will have my post up bright and early next Monday and the link up will be open through the following Sunday, so if Monday’s are not your usual blog day you can join us on your schedule during the week! I hope your month with your word has provided some surprises and I can’t wait to read about what you learned and/or did with your word this month!
See you all back here on Wednesday!
I hadn’t thought about poetry being a common denominator in all cultures, but it is quite true, and a good thing to remember and respect. The World Poetry Day event sounds interesting and illuminating! I like all of your little watercolors, and I especially like the rocks, too!
What a fun weekend Kat. I’m a tad envious of your World Poetry Day event. Your little watercolors are fun. Love the cairns!
That sounds like a super day and what a great variety of languages!
I am also delighted by your rock paintings, but there isn’t a bad one among them. Really lovely work 😊
you are inspiring me! I love your enthusiasm and how you are jumping into creativity and exploration.
Sounds like it was a fantastic event! I love seeing all those watercolors.
My wishing days are over but there are times when I wish I could paint.
Not big dramatic stand back and admire masterpieces……just small ‘simple’ look at every corner and see something different works like yours
You are a talented lady!
I love all the paintings. They look like you had such fun creating them. The exuberance shows. The poetry event sounds marvelous. It is nice to think about the rhythm of poetry appealing to folks around the world.
What a great poetry experience, Kat! I’m so glad you had the opportunity to participate. And love your watercolors! (My favorite is the jar of daffodils. Nicely done!) XO