GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“HAIKU AT MIDNIGHT” is included this week for April 8, Day of Silence. The poem was found among the author’s papers and may have been written around the same time as “Rear View” (see this site March 2022), or simply at a time of exploring the haiku form which fascinated this author. She researched the form delving into how the Japanese language, unlike English, has spoken sounds that act in effect as punctuation (indicate a pause, for example.)

REFRACTIONS—the poetry of Robert Roxby

“WALK INTO THE WILD WITH ME” first appeared in the author’s collected poems, Reflections on a Life. In his poetry journal, he noted that the scene described in the poem is from 1933 in a “small special valley near Wheeling [West Virginia].” The poem is included this week for April 6, National Walking Day.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“MY NAME,” is the result of a poetry workshop exercise  which challenged the poets to create a poem about their names. This selection seemed appropriate for this week’s National Name Yourself Day, April 9.

 

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“DEJA VU” explores this concept which always fascinated the author. It was published in the anthology Heart’s Secrets, Best New Love Poems in 1967 by Young Publications and again in 1972 in The Spring Anthology by Mitre Press. The poem was once subtitled For have I not always loved you?” It is included this week for March 29, National Smoke And Mirrors Day.

REFRACTIONS—a by Robert Roxby

“EXERCISE IN FLUMMERY” is included this week for March 29, National Smoke And Mirrors Day. The poem was found in the author’s journal.  Note: “flummery” means nonsense and may have originated in Wales. This origin becomes interesting as there was a significant influx of Welsh in the mid-nineteenth century when the author’s own parents arrived from England. Many of the Welsh found work in coal mines as did the author’s family. Could this be how this word found its way into the author’s vocabulary?

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“REMEMBERING CRAYONS” is included this week for National Crayon Day, March 31. It is a recent poem inspired by re-reading her poem, “Burnt Sienna” (see this site August 2022) and by learning there is a day dedicated to the crayon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“THE TEA PARTY” was probably written to satisfy a school assignment when the author was young. The poem describes an actual occurrence in her home and the boy was her younger brother John, later called Jack. The poem was found among the author’s papers. It is included as a companion to the poem this week by Kathleen Roxby.

REFRACTIONS—a poem by Robert Roxby

“DITCH DIGGER TO HOBO.” During the 1930’s the author dug ditches for the Civilian Conservation Corps, as well as performing other jobs. The knowledge and sight of hoboes was common during that time when there was little work for anyone and many became homeless, but as usual the author has chosen to spin this story in a positive way. The poem was found untitled in the author’s journal and the title added for this release in honor of March 9, National Get Over It Day.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“A GOOD CUP OF TEA A GOOD CUP OF TEA” is based on a family story as filtered through the author’s mind. Tea in the author’s childhood home was the panacea for many things. This pattern probably began in the Irish immigrant household of her great grandmother, the maid in the poem. This poem was written before the author had accurate geneological information. As a result, there are two possible errors. (1) Her grandmother was most likely born in County Sligo, not Mayo; the author prefers the sound of Mayo to Sligo for her poem. (2) The house where she worked could have been in West Virginia, though the wealth of that family came from Ohio according to the author’s grandmother. This version is the original and was not updated with the later geneology data.

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“MELPOMENE’S SINGING PLACE” is appropriate for this week’s Music Therapy Day, March 1. Melpomene was always the Greek muse of song. After the rise of Greek theater, she also became associated with tragedy. The poem reflects the author’s fondness for the stories of Greek and Roman mythology. Found among the author’s papers, this verse (newly edited for this release) was possibly written while the author was a teenager mourning the loss of her father.

KALEIDOSCOPE—a series by Kathleen Roxby

“NOT PROS AND CONS, JUST CON CONFUSION” is another in the author’s essays on the idioscyncasies of the English language. The essay is included this week for National Grammar Day, March 1.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“A LITTLE TRANSCENDING MELODY” describes one way the author coped with aspects of her depression as a teenager. It is included this week for March 1, World Music Therapy Day.

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“OFTEN NOW” is a pantoum written in 1991 in response to poetry meeting suggesting the form included this week for Valentine’s Day. She wrote to her Round Robin poetry friends, “I seldom write a poem ‘on demand,’ so to speak, but thought this would be intriguing. I wanted to something light and with short line to represent the tom-tom…but, it’s not my thing. So, this is what I came up with. Not light, not short lines…just something. I think line 14 should perhaps rhyme with the last line, but it doesn’t. That’s not all wrong with this effort.”

REFRACTIONS—the poetry of Robert Roxby

“NO NEED OF VALENTINES” is included this week for Valentine’s Day. The valentine described is unknown. It might be a remembered early sweetheart, his daughter or simply a product of the author’s imagination. The poem first appeared in the author’s collection, Reflections of a Lifetime.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“GEOLOGIC SWING, A JAZZ LOVE SONG,” is included this week for Valentine’s Day. Geology is the author’s favorite science. She was fascinated by rocks from a very early age when her father unearthed a fossil rock in their backyard. She later saw another almost exactly the same in a museum listing the age of the specimen. She was stunned to realize her childhood find ranked in age with dinosaurs and older creatures. Her treasure was lost when her rock garden was dismantled after a black widow spider made its home there.