Singer/Songwriter Meaghan Owens will perform LIVE at the Poetry Open Mic Night at Whelan's Coffee

Meaghan Owens will perform LIVE at the Poetry Open Mic Night at Whelan's Coffee, Sat. July 25th at 7pm, Oconomowoc, WI. (http://whelanscoffeeandcream.net)

Meaghan Owens is an Americana songwriter from Wisconsin. Meaghan has released one cd with favorable reviews and airplay in American College/ Indie Radio and European radio. She splits her time between Nashville, Wisconsin, and touring. She is currently co-producing her second cd with Sigmund Snopek III. Meaghan's new album will feature the best Milwaukee and Nashville players including members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Meaghan tours nationally and regularly performs in Songwriter Festivals. Most recently, her song, "Copper Pennies" written for the Steel Bridge Songwriter Festival in Sturgeon Bay, was selected for the festival headquarters website. You can hear her newest song at http://www.myspace.com/holidaymusicmotel or go to her myspace to see a complete list of shows: http://www.myspace.com/meaghanowensmusic.

Poetry Open Mic Night at Whelan's Coffee in Oconomowoc, WI

Hello Fellow Lake Country Poets!

Here are the details for the upcoming Poetry Open Mic Night, Sat. July 25th from 7-9pm, at Whelan's Coffee House in Oconomowoc, to benefit the Oconomowoc Food Pantry!

We will have LIVE music to kick off our evening with the talented musician and songwriter, Meg Owen. The Lake Country Poets will have a featured reading from 7-8pm and the open mic will be from 8-9pm. The open mic is open to all local writers and those who feel the calling of the poetic muse! Come on out and share your verse!

All attending are asked to bring 1 non-perishable/canned food item to donate to the Oconomowoc Food Pantry. Poetry with a purpose!

Poetry Open Mic Night
Saturday, July 25th / 7-9pm

Whelan's Coffee
165 East Wisconsin Ave.
Oconomowoc
262-560-1678

Please feel free to let friends, family and other writers know about this event!

Promoting Your Poetry!

Hello Fellow Poets!


I wanted to share a recent poem called "What the Sea Brings". I wrote this poem while vacationing on Martha's Vineyard and plan to save it for a later collection of water-themed poems. I came up with an idea to create free poetry postcards and spread them around at local bookstores, libraries and coffeehouses as well as to give them out at poetry readings. I thought I would share this poet promo idea with the other writers here, because it's such a great way to get your work out there and in the hands of potential readers. Vista Print has a good deal on oversized postcards that you can customize with designs and your poem on the back! Make sure you list your name, copyright date, and your writer's website address (if you have one) or an e-mail address where readers can contact you. Give it a try!

Spread poetry widely and often!

What the Sea Brings

Water secrets,
spread from depths of salty blue -
the sea washes clean
sandy edges and pebbled worlds.

Each wave laps
against the shore with pause -
the heartbeat of the land -
a reminder of stillness.

Boats in the harbor exchange glances,
conversing over sails -
voyages to the center of time.

Cristina M. R. Norcross
Copyright 2009

Cristina M. R. Norcross
Author of:
Land & Sea: Poetry Inspired by Art (2006, 2007)
The Red Drum (Pub. Date Nov. 2008)

Website: http://www.firkinfiction.com

Regular guest appearing on "The Sound of Ink" at The SpeakEasy Cafe on Blog Talk Radio:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/speakeasycafe/2009/06/18/The-SpeakEasy-Cafes-Sound-of-Ink-Open-mic-Poetry-show
Thursdays @ 6pm Central/ 7pm Eastern

A Father's Day Poem

FOR MY FATHER

I am a storyteller because of your stories.
Sharing with me the fabric of our family,
characters come to life.
I imagine my grandfather and great grandfather
teaching you how to build train layouts
or how to play stick ball.
A rich history unfolds with each re-telling
of tradition and anecdote.

I may pretend to know each line,
but secretly I want to hear how the story ends
over and over,
until I commit my ancestors to memory –
the kind of knowing that comes
from faces being painted on a wall.

The mystery of life is happening right now,
in this swirl within a salt pond, you said.
We knelt by the edge of this tiny, aquatic universe
and shared a moment of awe for what God creates –
for how small we are in comparison
to the expansiveness of nature.

As I look at my sons,
I wonder what stories I will tell them about you,
to ensure that memory holds the key
to the wonder that is you –
my father.

You take pride in your projects,
regardless of the outcome.
You show me the miracle of small things every day.
Your eyes light up when you see me,
and you still pat me on the head.
I remember how you used to call me,
Little Person.
I still beam and glow.


Cristina M. R. Norcross
Copyright 2009
www.FirkinFiction.com

Listen Up & Tune In to The SpeakEasy Cafe Open Mic Poetry Show - "Sound of Ink"

If you love to write/hear poetry, check out The SpeakEasy Cafe's "Sound of Ink" Open Mic Poetry night on Blog Talk Radio every Thursday Night at 6pm Central Time / 7pm Eastern Time:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/speakeasycafe

I plan on becoming a regular contributor to this poetry open mic on the radio!

This week was my first appearance. If you missed the show, just download the free podcast from iTunes for Thursday, May 14th, 2009!

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=54941669&id=299192853

If you fast forward to approx. 8 min. 30 sec., I chat with the show's host and read my poem "One Story" (inspired by the film Synecdoche, New York by Charlie Kaufman) until minute 12:12.

Thank you for reading and listening!

Here is the poem, "One Story"

One Story

There are nearly thirteen million people in the world. None of those people is an extra. They're all the leads of their own stories.

~Charlie Kaufman, from his film, Synecdoche, New York


Playing the lead in a haystack,
existing side-by-side in our solitary lives,
solace comes when we join these needles together –
the thread of life.

Jumping into character,
taking leave of the present world –
who wears your clothes when you sleep?

I am just a forgotten pebble –
a spark of granite daring to glint.
You see me walking down the street –
out of focus lines of arms and legs –
a disappearing narrative.

The screens keep getting wider –
a stage full of leading ladies and leading men.
They all spin in circles –
red curtains flying.

The cleaner, unheard,
leaves all untouched except the dust.
The man attached to his phone,
alone on the airport walkway –
his family waits.
The actress learns her lines on a threadbare couch,
sitting on hope.
We are all One Story.

Cristina M. R. Norcross
Copyright 2009
www.FirkinFiction.com

A Mother's Day Poem - PASS IT ON!

Mother’s Day
(for my mother)


Anticipating needs,
in tune with moods –
even from across the ocean.
The road to home begins
with the memory of a mother’s welcome.

When you walked with unstable gait,
she held one finger for reassurance –
two fingers for balance.

With blue spotlights shining
on a stage of dancers in pink tulle,
her applause filled the room –
her pride lifting your arms even higher.

The science project that refused to spin,
sent her on a late night, craft store expedition.
The satin ribbon still sits in a box of reflection.

Walking down the aisle, you notice perfection –
a mother’s precise planning.
Smiles appear –
framed by white flowers and ribbons on pews.
Platters arrive with culinary concoctions for every palate.
Boxes and boutique bags are whisked away and stored,
as your car travels to the first night’s chateau –
a trip with your honey to the moon.

On this day of mothers,
all standing in a row of love,
let the thank you from your lips
reach the patient ears
of the woman listening
for all of these years.


Cristina M. R. Norcross
Copyright 2009
www.FirkinFiction.com


FREE POEMS! I will be giving away free, signed copies of this Mother's Day poem, printed on parchment paper at the upcoming Aprons in the Wind show, Sat. May 9th, 2009 at The Lakes Gallery in North Lake, Wisconsin. Local businesses will also have copies to give out Mother's Day week-end, as a special promotion to give poetry as a gift! The two fine art/poetry giclee collections in collaboration with artists Anne Wall and Holly Kallie will be on exhibit (May 1- June 2) at The Lakes Gallery as well! www.lakesfineart.com

Distribute Widely! If you would like to have this special poem to give to your mother, just e-mail me, and I will send you a copy to print out! I will also have this poem on the Home Page of my website. Pass on the link!

GIVE THE GIFT OF WORDS!

An Exhibition of Art and Poetry

"She Slept Like a Log" Painting by Holly Kallie, Copyright 2008

The water’s current is a lullaby.
The air brushes her hair in sleep.
The wood’s grain welcomes floating dreams ~
exquisite balance.

Excerpted from “All is in Balance”
Cristina M. R. Norcross, Copyright 2008



"Awaken the Senses" Painting by Anne Wall, Copyright 2005

Petals of self unfurl,
like a rose uncovering the world.
Senses find space to roam
in a cavernous mind.

Excerpted from “Awaken the Senses”
Cristina M. R. Norcross, Copyright 2008


An Exhibition of Art and Poetry to be Featured at the Upcoming Aprons in the Wind Show at The Lakes Gallery, North Lake, WI

Lovingly woven within intricate stitching, the history of steamy kitchens and bubbling pots evokes the scene of hearth and home that a mother creates. The symbol of an apron waving in the wind brings back memories of nurturance floating in the air. In honor of Mother's Day (May 10th) and National Wear Your Apron Day (May 11th), artist Teri Peterson, owner of the The Lakes Gallery (www.lakesfineart.com) in North Lake, Wisconsin will be hosting Aprons in the Wind (May 8th-11th), an apron event of vast fabric proportions, as a tribute to women everywhere.

The Lakes Gallery of Fine Art LLC is housed within an historic 1906 Garden Tudor home set against an idyllic, pastoral setting. The Lakes Gallery is also home to Teri Peterson’s new business, Revival Consignment (www.revivalconsign.com). The gallery features 3 rooms of artwork from over 20 artists and intermingles with consigned women's clothing and accessories, as well as artisan jewelry and handmade clothing.

Aprons in the Wind invites you to dedicate a fabric apron to your mother, grandmother, sister, or any special woman in your life.  In tribute, these colorful aprons will be displayed on a clothes line that will span the outdoor property of the gallery on Mother's Day weekend and the following Monday (May 8th -11th). The Aprons in the Wind exhibit will be on display sunrise to sunset. The aprons will become a permanent part of the exhibit, displayed every Mother's Day weekend. There is no limit to the number of aprons for dedication.

For more information, as well as the mailing address where aprons can be sent for the event, please visit The Lakes Gallery website: www.lakesfineart.com. You will even find a link to a pattern for how to sew your very own apron out of 1 yard of fabric!

As an added feature, The Lakes Gallery will be presenting a special, limited engagement exhibition (May 1st – June 1st) of the collaborative, ekphrastic works of artists Holly Kallie and Anne Wall with poet Cristina M. R. Norcross. The two collections, Poetic Captured Reflections and Soulful Inspirations, are comprised of hand-signed, fine art, poetry giclées, created from original artwork by each artist and original verse by the author. Each scene of beauty and form reveals a life beyond our earthly borders, inspiring poetic stories of the soul’s journey. Each giclée is unique, invoking the reader to live more fully in the present moment, by incorporating rich colors, evocative images and poetic narratives. These giclées are available for purchase through The Lakes Gallery and make a wonderfully thoughtful Mother’s Day gift to be cherished and appreciated.
 
Anne Wall and Holly Kallie are both members of The Griffin Gallery in Oconomowoc, WI (www.griffingalleryfineartllc.com).

Anne Wall (Soulful Inspirations) (marketingnav@aol.com) is an artist, athlete and sports marketing consultant known internationally for her work in brand protection. She holds a BS in Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin and an MS in Integrated Marketing Communications from Medill at Northwestern University. While traveling and participating in a variety of sports, Wall has captured the spirit of outdoor adventures and the beauty of nature through her enduring works of art.

Holly Kallie (Poetic Captured Reflections) (www.hollykallie.com), a founding member of The Griffin Gallery of Fine Art in Oconomowoc, WI, is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting all of her life.  Her favorite subjects are women and children in settings that include area lakes or the seashore. Ms. Kallie’s artistic intention is to show the similarity and connection between feminine energy and the flowing, reflective surface and depths of the water surrounding them.

Cristina M. R. Norcross (www.FirkinFiction.com) is a freelance writer and poet living in Wisconsin with over 50 published works in literary magazines in the United States, England, Wales, Canada and Algeria.  Ms. Norcross is the author of two published books - Land & Sea: Poetry Inspired by Art (2007) and The Red Drum (2008), both available on Amazon.com.  She is currently the co-editor for The Lake Country Project for Artists and Poets, and her upcoming book, Living Nature’s Moments, is in collaboration with Fine Art photographer Pat Bashford.  

Within the many-layered hues of an image, lives a hidden world of story and verse. Likewise, vivid memories can come to life by examining a single thread. Aprons, art and poetry align together to create a special weekend. Please join us for an exciting event and a unique exhibit celebrating the human spirit. What better way to honor Mother’s Day than to attend a show of loving tributes at the Aprons in the Wind event, exclusively at The Lakes Gallery in North Lake.

Contact details: Teri Peterson, The Lakes Gallery of Fine Art, N76 W31428 County Road, V.V.
Hartland, WI 53029, Tel. (262) 966-1804, Website: www.lakesfineart.com.

Where else can you find this beautiful artwork and poetry on display?

The Soulful Inspirations and Poetic Captured Reflections collections are currently on display as part of a special engagement at The Ommani Center for Integrative Medicine (http://www.ommanicenter.com) located at 1166 Quail Court, Suite 210, Pewaukee, WI 53072, Tel. 262 695 9744.