GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“NOTHING IS LOST” was first published in 1976 by POETRY FORUM. The poem reflects the author’s nostalgia for her youth in the Ohio Valley region of West Virginia and is especially applicable this month of her birth.

REFRACTIONS –a poem by Robert Roxby

“DRYDOCK CREW” asked if anyone would remember the one called “Rock.” Have you guessed? It was the author, of course. The poem was written in remembrance of his first  crew (painters) in 1942 at the Long Beach Naval Yard, the first year the author made California his new home. His daughter read this poem as part of his eulogy, a service which was attended by another drydock team member. He was indeed remembered. The poem is included this week for November 13, Navy Day.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“A MOTHER’S CHILDHOOD MELODY” appears this month of the author’s mother’s birth to retell the story of how music accompanied her mother’s memories of her home in West Virginia which began before there was television and even radio was relatively new.

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“PAGEANT OF GOLD,” which was inspired by the play, Royal Hunt of the Sun by Peter Shaffer, won third place in the annual poetry contest sponsored by the Pan-American Festival in Lakewood, California. The author attended a performance of the play at the Greek Theater in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. She also purchased a copy of the play through a subscription service which offered all new Broadway plays each year. It is included this week for the Autumn Solstice.

REFRACTIONS – a memory of Kathleen Roxby

“MY MOTHER’S PIANO” was inspired when the author’s brother exchanged their mother’s piano, long worn out, for a new and better version, a console rather than spinet. The author had once longed to inherit her mother’s piano, but as her brother was the greater talent in the family, she left it for him and bought her own.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“MOONS WE DO NOT KNOW” was inspired by a writing prompt from a poetry group which provided the quoted excerpt from “Naming of the Heartbeats,”a poem by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Kathleen, always fascinated by space, was caught by the thought of moon shadows from moon other than the one which trails so near Earth. Note: The Chinese Moon Festival occurs this week.

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“A DREAMER TARRIES” originally had no title; however, the website manager supplied this as it seemed appropriate. Music and fairies often appear in the author’s poems, a reflection of her early childhood. The poem, possibly an idea for a longer poem, was found among the author’s papers written on the back of an envelope.

REFRACTIONS –an essay by Kathleen Roxby

“GRANDMA ROXBY” was inspired by the author’s interview with her father to establish the start of a family tree. The project resulted in an incomplete tree, for her father did not have all the answers, of which she made several copies to send to an upcoming family reunion which the author would not be able to attend. This “tree” project was a success and inspired the family to do further research. The author always called this grandmother by the poem’s title to distinguish her from the author’s maternal grandmother who lived with the author during much of her childhood while Grandma Roxby lived three thousand miles away. This selection is included for September 10, Grandparents’ Day.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“AN OLD WOMAN’S HAIR” was inspired by several older women the author met or knew during her youth. Her own grandmother had short gray hair when the author was born, but later showed the author a braid of her chestnut brown hair which was kept in the cedar chest where her grandmother kept other memories. That keepsake is the real inspiration for this poem.

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“PIRACY” is included as a nod to the fact that August is designated International Pirate Month. The poem was found among the author’s papers as one of the poems she shared with her Round Robin poet friends.

REFRACTIONS—the poetry by Robert Roxby

“YUMA” is included this week as the fourth week in August is Be Kind to Humankind Week. The poem was found in the poet’s journal.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“ANNEKE (An Author Writes to the Character She Created)” is included this week for World Letter Writing Day, September 1. When in tenth grade, the author’s English teacher presented the class with the assignment to write one page of a diary from the point of view of a person living outside of the US and in the midst of WW2 action. Having read both the diary of Anne Frank and that of another of a child of similar age also a resident of the Netherlands, the author used this knowledge to inform her writing. She received an A minus on her project because technically she wrote more than a page, turning it in on a page slightly longer than standard letter size. The original diary page still exists in the author’s files.

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“THE CAROUSEL” is included as August is designated as Family Fun Month. The poet chose the carousel as a subject when her local poetry group suggested they all use games, rhymes and so forth from their childhoods as inspiration for a poem. The poem was found among the poet’s papers.

REFRACTIONS—the poetry by Robert Roxby

“WHY POETRY?” is included this week for Bad Poetry Day, Aug 18. This is not a judgment of the poem’s merit but in reference to the poet’s own words in the poem, “Gibberish, at least some of it, seems to me.” The poem was found in the poet’s journal.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“LITTLE BO PEEP RESTYLED” was originally titled “…In the Style of E.A. Poe,” was written for fun when another poet suggested using nursery rhymes as the inspiration for new poems. The author read this poem at for her local poetry group in 2022 for Bad Poetry Day for which it is included this week.