The Year is Complete!

Please feel free to look back through the 365 days of 2010 sunrises, but "a year of getting up to meet the day" is officially completed. There will be no more new posts.

PLEASE JOIN ME FOR MORE SUNRISE POSTS AT THE SUNRISE BLOGGER, WHERE YOU WILL FIND SUNRISE PHOTOS AND REFLECTIONS FROM ME AND FROM CONTRIBUTORS AROUND THE GLOBE.


Thank you so much for visiting.
A one year blog project in which I share a process of transitions: emptying of the nest, reacquainting with my rusty intellect, plowing onward with my first full length book, entering the second half of my first century, and generally reflecting on life.

(see Dec. 29th, 2009 entry for further explanation)

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Maine poets remembered

sunrise:  6:44 in Harpswell Maine at the Giant Staircase






This was a particularly unique sunrise event.  There is a first time event happening in 10 states this week - a remembrance day for poets of the past, initiated by the founder of the Dead Poets Society of America, Walter Skold.

It was a small group to begin the day at dawn, at the Giant Steps on the tip of the Bailey Island peninsula.  From there we had a view out to Ragged Island, home and inspiration of Edna St. Vincent Millay.  Peter Bergman, director of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society, traveled all the way from Austerlitz, New York to read a Millay poem.  A filiming crew took in the event.
























One interesting guest was an old Mainer who joined us. He has been writing poems since 1943, he told us.  At our second stop this morning he pulled a piece of folded notebook paper out of his pocket.  "Would you like to see one of my poems?" he asked.  I sure would.

Later he recited two of his original poems from memory.  He is not a lobsterman, he told us. You have to be very tough and ready to protect your gear and your territory to be in that business.  I gather the little quahogs.  That's how I make my money.

He has no computer, no TV, no answering machine, and very little money, it appears.  He also doesn't hear very well, and his speech is a bit muddy, perhaps due to some denture issues.  But he surely has the poet's heart and soul.  Meeting Ben makes the whole day worthwhile, even though it has only just begun.

So - I must rush away from Starbucks with its free wifi and get on to the next stop.

No comments:

Post a Comment