Author’s Notes

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“CHANGE OF TIDE” was published in Cyclo Flame (1967) and The Pen Woman (1968). This poem describes the author’s first encounter with the “red tide” of California, a plankton life form that appears reddish in the daylight but glows at night.

REFRACTIONS—a poem by Robert Roxby

For Father’s Day–“GOOD-BYE, POP” is a memory from the funeral of the poet’s father. “John” in the poem is the poet’s older brother who died in a 1929 coal mine disaster at age 24 when the poet was 16. The poet’s father features in more than one of Robert’s poems of his childhood. His father, also named John, worked in coal mining and actively supported the workers’ right to unionize. Union organizer, John L. Lewis, was among the friends of the poet’s father. This poem appears in the authors collected poems, Reflections on a Lifetime.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“AN ODE FOR KUMQUATS” is a recent poem by the author in memory of the kumquat tree that grew in the yard of her childhood home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Author’s Notes

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“DAWN” was found among the author’s papers.

REFRACTIONS—a poem by Robert Roxby

“OUR FLAG” first appeared in the author’s poetry collection, Reflections on a Lifetime. It appears in honor of June 14, Flag Day. It is unclear exactly who might be the Uncle John in the poem, perhaps simply a use of poetic license.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION” is a poem written in reaction to the CV19 pandemic.

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Author’s Notes

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“THE WIND” was found among the author’s papers.

REFRACTIONS— a memoir poem by Kathleen Roxby

“IN THE HOUR BEFORE NIGHT” first appeared in Chameleon Woman in 2000. It is a companion poem to “FLAG”  which also appears this week. See note below.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“FLAG” was first published in The Bubble, 2012. It was written about the poet’s first adult size bicycle, cruiser style with sheepskin seat cover because the original fabric had been worn away. It had formerly belonged to her older cousin. This bike saw her through to her 16th birthday when she received a new 3-speed because she had joined a biking club in high school.  “Flag”, the bike, features in another of her poems, “In the Hour Before Dark” which describes how she coped with teenage depression (see above).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Author’s Notes

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

Included for Memorial Day, “ANOTHER KIND OF WAR”, appears in honor of “those who also serve” on the home front. At least one of the author’s cousins served as a nurse in World War II, as well as a very close friend who was lost in the last days in the Pacific theater. The poem also offers a different, wider perspective of what war can be.

REFRACTIONS—a poem by Robert Roxby

“A Haiku” was first published in the author’s collection, “Reflections on a Lifetime.”

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“The Stalwart Soldier” is a recent poem by the author. It is included as a companion piece for “Another Kind of War” (see above).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Author’s Notes

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“THE POWER OF DREAMING” was shared with the author’s Round Robin poetry friends in 1992.

REFRACTIONS—a poem by Robert Roxby

“RHODODENDRON” was originally published in his collected poems, Reflections on a Lifetime. As a child who grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, he would be very familiar with the sight of rhododendrons.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“FOR A CLASSMATE” was newly edited for this website. It was originally written soon after the author learned of her college classmate’s death. He had been a special friend, someone with whom she shared a rapport that she rarely found with others. This relationship features in another of the author’s poems, as well.

 

 

 

 

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Author’s Notes

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

The stanzas in “THE MIRACLE” each originally appeared in a diamond shape.

REFRACTIONS—a poem by Robert Roxby

“SPRING” was originally printed in the author’s collected poems, “A Reflections on a Lifetime”

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“In the Silence of the Cocoon” was written recently during the COVID19 isolation, an ode to the benefits of sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Author’s Notes

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

The poem “NEVER THE TWAIN” was still in its final editing stage when found. Though the author had a son and daughter, this poem is not necessarily about them. The author used poetic license in her choice of the images she used.

REFRACTIONS—a poem by Robert Roxby

“TO MOTHER” first appeared in the author’s anthology, Reflections of a Lifetime. It was written as a tribute to his mother.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“The Green Castle” is included this month because the emerald is the gemstone for May. It was written when the author was working on a series of poems focused on colors. The author decided not to include this in the collection to be called, “A Singular Prism.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Author’s Notes

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

The poem “CALL OF THE YUCATAN was written for local competition, the PanAmerican Festival of Lakewood, California, winning 2nd place. The author had long been fascinated by the ancient peoples of Mexico, especially their languages and myths.

REFR,CTIONS—a poem by Robert Roxby

“MOCTEZUMA’S MESSENGER REPORTS”. receiving 2nd honorable mention in Pan American Festival in 1993.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“CAME A STRANGER” is included for Mother’s Day. The story is true. When the author shared the poems the author had written to cope with a long depression, her mother woke from a dream in which someone she knew introduced an unfamiliar young woman to her. In the dream, the young woman was introduced with these words, “Of course, you know your daughter.” When her mother shared this dream with the author, the author wrote this poem as an apology.

 

 

 

 

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Author’s Notes

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

“THE TALE TOLD AT SEA’S EDGE” is the source for the title for the blog,”A CATCH OF CHANGELINGS,” appearing in as the Kaleidoscope feature earlier this month. This poem like ‘THE UNCONTAINED” (appearing earlier this month) describes the act of writing a poem.

KALEIDOSCOPE—a series by Kathleen Roxby

“YES, POETS DO SOMETIMES TORTURE ENGLISH”. Once again the author attempts to defend the perceived “wrongness” that critics stress when speaking about poetry. She and her poet mother, Margaret, often spoke about the language subtleties that were often not understood: why “a” or “the” was preferred, for example. Most people don’t see how the nuance of difference can be important to sense.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“PROSE AND POETRY” was originally written on a napkin while the poet and her mother attended a poetry conference. The sentiment was written to be an alternate to the featured speaker’s position.

 

 

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Author’s Notes

 

GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby

The poem “THE TALE TOLD AT SEA’S EDGE”, like ‘THE INSTRUMENT” (appearing earlier this month) describes the act of writing a poem. This poem is the source for the title for the blog under Kaleidoscope which appeared earlier this month and also “THE UNCONTAINED” which appeared earlier this month..

KALEIDOSCOPE—a series by Kathleen Roxby

“YES, POETS DO SOMETIMES TORTURE ENGLISH”. Once again the author attempts to defend the perceived “wrongness” that critics stress when speaking about poetry. She and her poet mother, Margaret, often spoke about the language subtleties that were often not understood: why “a” or “the” was preferred, for example. Most people don’t see how the nuance of difference can be important to sense.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby

“PROSE AND POETRY” was originally written on a napkin while the poet and her mother attended a poetry conference. The sentiment was written to be an alternate to the featured speaker’s position.

 

 

 

 

 

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