not hitting the ground

slow splatter of raindrops
on leaves in adjacent garden
—plum, pear, walnut, cherry
jack-o-lantern, dill, fennel—
in grey dawn before hand-pulled
bells cast time over senta town

it will be late evening here
a continent and ocean away
from time and place of my birth
slow train whistles across roads
framing corn and fields of grain
tobacco, beets and sunflowers

no sister singing in my ear
i expect no telephone calls
from family i’m so far from
on this mark of another year
and no north atlantic lobster
before me on the dinner table

        —Joe Blades © 2006

---

I should have written something before now . . . I’ve been very slow at blogging of late. I’ve been tired, exhausted . . . overstressed by overwork. Right now could be late night writing after the Taproom and everything except the 24-hour Diplomat restaurant has closed but it’s not. Here it is real morning. Already in the second hour of the normal workday. Not that I’m, at this moment, working.

Already it’s seven days, a week, since I saw Fredericton in person for the last time this year. I have photographs from the air of departure. Photos of friends and the things we do. Photos of places and events.

Already, I have several hundred photos from the air travel Fredericton-Montréal-München-Budapest and south by minivan to Senta, Serbia. [I want to post photos soon as I’m on something better than this intermittent, self-disconnecting dial-up.]

Senta is a small town on the banks of the river Tisa. Surrounded by active agricultural land, there’s grain silos with a flour mill, animal feeds factory, tobacco curing—but not cigarette m(anu)f(acturin)g as the Japanese owners don’t (yet) have the licence to make—sugar (beet) refinery, and more.

There are intercity buses and some local "dayliner-style" passenger trains (not recommended) but no public transit. There's onlt three taxis in Senta. There’s no airport, university or college, no malls or power shopping centre, no big box stores. Life here is definitely at a slower pace than Fredericton.

T-shirt: Alaska [humpback whales]
loc: diningroom table
temp:
sound: rain on leaves; Kiara, the male dalmation

Don't Worry

I've been wanting to post pictures into some of my recent text posts to make new posts. This ol' blogspot has not been taking them. The photos and graphics are of an acceptable size and format. The links whether to upload or to connect with a graphic already on the web are good. The upload seems to work. The DONE message appears. But no html coding for the picture appears in the blog. Feels like a square peg and round hole situation.

I've gone off and done other stuff. packed boxes of books for shipping away. Painted a silk gonfalon. Bought a new camera, passport, travel insurance, rechargable batteries. Had an eye examination this week resulting in a recommendation that I get bifocals to better see the fine print. Trying to figure out what I pack and how, in what . . . as air travel devolves towards . . .

Tired of worrying about what to pack for you vacation or trip? Tired of dragging heavy, awkward suitcases with broken wheels through airport terminals? Exhausted by the list of souvenirs you have to get for everyone before you even start? Shoulders aching from lugging too heavy purses, handbags and carry-on luggage containing everything that you might need from home except the kitchen sink?

DON'T WORRY!

One of our favourite songs says, "Leave your worries on the doorstep." We've taken it to the next level. We've made it possible for you to leave everything behind. No, we insist that you leave everything behind. Honestly, you don't need anything. We insist. The pleasure is ours!

Just imagine . . .
ULTIMATE SECURITY,
ULTIMATE FREEDOM!

We have it all planned for you. Your vacation or business trip starts with a day at the spa. Soothing you. Relaxing you. Cleansing you. First, we'll get rid of all that unsightly hair. Then our highly-trained staff will clean out your insides top to bottom. You'll weigh less and feel great!

We'll dress you in our specially-designed fashionable travel apparel custom-fitted to suit your body. Transparent travel clothes are in! They're all they rage! Everyone's wearing them! So will you, if you don't want to be left behind. If you want to get where your going.

We'll feed you a specially prepared meal. Now sit back and relax. We'll wake when we arrive . . .

shirt: Little Feat, "Smooth Sailin' tour"
loc: comCtr
temp: 14 C
Sound: Whiskeytown Faithless Street

Poets’ Corner Award

In 1947 the Government of Canada proclaimed Fredericton, New Brunswick, to be “The Poets’ Corner of Canada” in recognition and honour of three Fredericton poets: Bliss Carmen, Charles G.D. Roberts, and Francis Joseph Sherman.

In recognition of their contribution, Joe Blades and Broken Jaw Press created the Poets’ Corner Award in 1998, during the City of Fredericton’s 150th Anniversary. Broken Jaw has since handed the award over to the BS Poetry Society to administer. The Poets’ Corner Award winner winning author receives a $500 cash prize from the BS Poetry Society and book publication of the maunscript with Broken Jaw Press Inc.

Previous Winners
2006 • Edward Gates, Heart’s Cupboard (See the media release.)
2004 • Stephanie Maricevic, Republic of Parts

2003 • Lorri Neilsen Glenn, All the Perfect Dsguises
2002 • Vanna Tessier, Peppermint Night
2000 • Lorne Dufour, Starting from Promise
1999 • Alice Major, Tales for an Urban Sky

Guidelines
• The Poets’ Corner Award is given to the poetry manuscript chosen by the judges. If the judges decide that the entries do not merit it, the award may not be given in a particular year.
• The Poets’ Corner Award winner any given year may not enter the competition during the subsequent two years.
• Poetry manuscripts of 60-80 pages, typed one-side only, maximum of one poem per page (poems may be longer that one manuscript page in length), on 8.5 x 11 or A4 letter paper with manuscript title and page number on every page. Individual poems may have been previously published in periodicals, anthologies and chapbooks. Blind judging requires that the author name, address, previous publication notations, thank yous, acknowledgements, manuscript dedications, not appear anywhere in the body of the manuscript to be judged.
• Include author name, address, phone numbers, manuscript title and a literary biographical note on a separate sheet of paper.
• No email or disc-only submissions.
• Manuscript must be available in digital form in MS Word or WordPerfect (do not sent with entry).
• Manuscripts will be returned if accompanied by a Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelope (SASE) with sufficient Canada Post stamps, or International Postal Reply Coupons purchased from your local post office. Do not send us the only copy of your manuscript. If you only wish to receive prepublication notification of the Poets' Corner Award winner, enclose a #10 letter-size (SASE with Canada Post stamps, or International Postal Reply Coupons purchased from your local post office).
• The judges, staff, and owners of Broken Jaw Press Inc. and the board members, staff and volunteers of the BS Poetry Society may not enter the competition.
• Judging is at the discretion of Broken Jaw Press Inc. and the BS Poetry Society. Judging comments are not provided to entrants.
• $20 entry fee includes a copy of the winning poet’s book upon publication). Include a cheque, bank draft, or post office money orders payable to BS Poetry Society. No cash by mail, please.
• Annual entry deadline: postmarked 1 September. NEW DEADLINE!
• Award winner should be announced by World Book Day, 23 April, with book publication and award that same year. Therefore, the competition closing 1 September 2006 should produce the Poets’ Corner Award 2007 winner.

Poets’ Corner Award
BS Poetry Society
Box 596 Stn A
Fredericton NB E3B 5A6
Canada

Was I supposed to?

Was I supposed to blogiversary today? I've seen other celebrating the good fortune? Me? I'm all wound in starting to-leave-in-three-weeks-for Serbia-&-Bosnia prep. Crazy. Yup, you can call me crazy.