If I am not a Glimmer,
So I have to be a Shimmer.
And if I am not a Shimmer,
I must be a Himmer.
And if I am not a Himmer,
I must be a Jimmer.
And if I am not a Jimmer,
I must be a Chimmer.
And if I am not a Chimmer,
What am I?
I love this poem from B. H. Fairchild’s 1998 The Art of the Lathe. When I read it, I get chills–goose-bumps always tell me something more is up than I can know. For me, in such a deep way, this poem describes my father–his delicacy, his competence, his depth and no-need-to-speak-it kinship with spirit. For…
Poet Michael Castro is the founding editor and spiritual father of River Styx. Since 1974 Karen Duffy has hosted literary readings at her Central West End restaurant, Duff’s. Says Newman: “Our literary agenda is to promote accessible poetry. In the early ’90s, poetry had been taken over by academics. It was obscure, unmoving poetry, and…
While I’m away in New Mexico, I’m leaving you in the capable hands of two sister members of Women Writiing the West. For the first four days, enjoy the wisdom of Guest Blogger Janet Muirhead Hill, author of the Miranda and Starlight series of six books and Danny’s Dragon, a story of wartime loss. As…
Naomi Shihab Nye (Image Credit: Stephen Barclay Agency—Photo by James Evans) As the beauteous Ibtisam Barakat (author of “Taste the Sky”—see post below as well) laid out a table filled with books overflowing with tabbed pages and Naomi Shihab Nye’s wisecracks began to flow alongside her wisdom, we knew we were in for something besides…
I just went back in my blog archives to find out…when did I really start blogging? Here’s what I dredged up from the deep:
In the early 1960s I was captivated by John Wieners’ THE HOTEL WENTLEY POEMS (Auerhahn Press, San Francisco, 1958). I memorized those poems. Their appeal was so strong I felt compelled to search book stalls in New York City on Fourth Avenue, in the West Village, on the Upper West Side for other poems he…
“If I am not a glimmer…” I predict this young writer has a glimmering future ahead.
Maggie -and Amelia -do seem to show great signs of purpetuating future generations with the family talents.
Hi Maggie,
It sounds like you are a fantastic simmer from the exceptional world of yiemmer…
With Chi,
Hal
Webster defines Yiem as matter. It is the primordial material substance from which all elements are supposed to have been derived. So that would make us all Yiemmers, right? Maggie at seven is simmering, growing into a fantastic version of one of us yiemmers.
Dear Maggie,
It is plain to see that if you are not a Chimmer, you are most wonderfully a “Rymmer” of the poetical sort. Congratulations on starting your writing career so early and so nicely!
Arletta