Week 9 Blog
Larry Bourland Poetry continues with another outstanding edition of innovative poetry and artistry. Get your preview here and watch for the website….
We are preparing for our next Featured Poet and are building his showcase as I type this Blog. This poets creative mind will blow yours!I’ll share his Bio with y’all next week stay tuned!
We are presenting for the first time on our Featured Artist Showcase Deb Wolf, owner of DWolf Designs Fine Art & Custom Framing LLC a local Durango artist who is well known and loved in Southwest Colorado and the 4 Corners Region. She is inspired by the natural beauty of the incredible natural setting surrounding Durango. Her bio, business location , examples of her work, website link, product ordering can be found in her Featured Artist Showcase on our menu board. Click and enjoy the ride through the Aspens!
Monday , February 26th was the inaugural event introducing Durango Poet Laureate Esther Belin and Rising Poet Laureate Zoe Golden. To a packed house the Laureate’s painted poetic journeys that enthralled and inspired the audience and gave hope to the Arts Community that spoken word poetry is alive and well in Durango! Well done Durango Public Library for a fantastic event!
On Friday, March 1st local author and renowned poet Lisa C. Taylor had a poetry and story reading at the Transcendent Immersion, featured the masterful musician Brian Wagner and presented by Bomdiggity at Gifts for the Soul, 106 Grand Ave. Mancos, Colo. It was a wonderfully inspiring evening with Lisa reading her incredible works to a packed house. All of Lisa’s books are available at Zu Gallery, Cortez. Bomdiggity, Mancos. Maria’s Bookshop, Durango and online at bookshop.com or directly from Lisa at lisactaylor.com Bomdiggity owner David Mallin was the perfect host. Lisa will be one of the guest poets in April at Maria’s Book Store. I highly recommend you be in the audience! I’ll post the date as we get closer
March 6, Word Honey at The Hive, 1150 Main Ave. Downtown Durango, bi-monthly meeting for poets (aspiring, interested, curious) and poetry writing gathering. Very informative in a casual, friendly, knowledgeable and safe atmosphere. Come and express yourself.
Thursday, March 14th 6pm-8pm Still Poets Society poetry gathering at Fort Lewis College in the EBH Bldg, Rm 113 for their bi-monthly poetry gathering and workshop. Open to all! Not to be missed!
️ ️️ The Annual Poetry Open Mic Nite at Durango Public Library is scheduled for March 20th. Always well attended by poets and the community. Come support the Library, Word Honey, Poetry and the Arts Community of your home town! It’s is an evening not to be missed!!!
Listen to the poet - Be the poet!️️️
️April is Poetry Month, check with your local libraries for open mic poetry readings in your community and be a part of the art of poetry!
Try it once, you’ll get addicted!
For our website this week we are transferring last weeks Blog previews to the site with voiceovers and presenting 4 new pieces. Hope you enjoy them, the voiceovers by the author and the original artwork provided by Anthony Beadle.
Have a great week, write, create, read, love one another, dammit!
Listen to the poet - Be the poet️
Larry from Durango
Week 9:
BRIDGE TENDERS NEVER DIE
The drawbridge into and out of town
was stuck in the up position.
Traffic snarled; car horns blared; tempers flared
as is somehow that would solve the problem.
No one knew Floyd just died that very moment.
Not many had known him but everyone in town
knew of him.
Floyd was the Master Tender
of the massive Gothic city drawbridge.
Floyd was being cursed this day
just below the irate temperament
of those he had inconvenienced in
his sudden death.
Floyd was 35 when first hired
to tend to the drawbridge switchboard.
His switch flipped off promptly
at the ripe old age of 82.
When they, whoever they were,
discovered Floyd’s body,
he was sitting up in his watchtower,
still strong yet aged, once nimble and now very dead hands
had to be pried from the bridge switch.
The effects of rigor and the rigors
of prying his hands loose from the controls
resulted in the switch slamming into the down position,
thus, igniting warning bells, whistles and the
obnoxious antiquated klaxon causing the officials
removing Floyd from his post to start with such fright
that it was as if Floyd had returned
from his own death to make fun of the situation.
Nervous laughter filled the watchtower
until Floyd farted his final farewell
throwing everyone into a second panic attack,
followed by even more nervous laughter.
The drawbridge down, people continued their
hectic and ‘I am more important that you’ daily routine,
all the while cursing Floyd under their collective breath.
The news of Floyd’s demise was met
with sadness from townsfolk who were
not inconvenienced on the day he died at the switch.
The job description read;
POSITION OPEN: DRAWBRIDGE MASTER TENDER.
FOR CIVIC MINDED, LONG-TERM COMMITTED INDIVIDUAL.
REQUIREMENTS: ABLE TO FOLLOW SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS,
POSSESS NIMBLE HANDS AND CAN WORK WITHOUT SUPERVISION.
APPLY AT CITY HALL ON FRIDAY.
Over a thousand applications were received,
3 weeks of interviews conducted seeking Floyd’s replacement.
A young man of 27 assumed command over the town’s drawbridge
in Floyd’s Memorial Watchtower,
the new hire adequately flipped the switch up and down
and shared stories with Floyd every day, thereafter.
LIP SERVICE
There are kisses;
passionate kisses,
friendly kisses,
lingering kisses,
sad goodbye kisses,
inquisitive kisses,
familiar kisses,
fleeting kisses,
pleasing kisses,
grieving kisses,
pretending air kisses,
royal kisses,
if you insist kisses,
this is just a taste
of what’s to come kisses,
off to school kisses,
Auld Lang Syne kisses,
revenge kisses,
insensitive kisses,
welcome home kisses,
placating kisses,
earlobe nuzzling kisses,
lip sucking kisses,
(Insert here any and all that I
have failed to mention types of kisses)
lip biting kisses
sloppy kisses
probing kisses
unsuspecting kisses,
wedding kisses,
warning kisses,
now you owe me kisses,
tempting kisses,
questionable kisses,
what do you want to do kisses?
suspicious kisses,
forgive me kisses,
I forgive you kisses,
eyes open kisses,
eyes closed kisses,
how far dare I go kisses,
under a porch light kisses,
drive-in theater kisses,
stolen kisses,
whatever kisses,
may I borrow your lips kisses?
farewell kisses,
under the covers late night kisses,
slow dancing kisses,
let me help you kisses,
hands furiously groping kisses,
birthday kisses,
I hope we meet again kisses,
call me later kisses?
the night’s too short kisses,
I’ve heard you sigh kisses,
butterfly kisses,
Most important?
Kisses from the heart.
Tue 2/27/2024 8:40 PM
I STILL SEE YOUR FACE
Even if I was blind
I could still see your face.
We sat on benches side-by-side
kissing as the world passed us by,
no one paid attention.
I still write songs of you,
still singing songs of you.
Wait at the end of the pier
by chance you will show up.
Time is just time
of no consequence
trying,
waiting
to find you again.
I dare not alter my course
for fear of missing you.
I went to the mountains
the same summer
you rented a house here in town.
You left the day I returned.
Had I known, then
I would have stopped
every car leaving town.
So, I wait,
having lunch where we met,
bar where we drank
too much wine.
Gaze through shop windows
hoping you are still
trying on summer dresses.
There’s always a light on
to remind you
where your home was
once.
I still sleep
on my side of the bed.
VIEW FROM THE PORCH
Seems like only yesterday
when you walked into my life.
Upon the many roads traveled
over all these years,
always hand in hand.
Never questioning devotion
hearts held high.
We always had the others’ shoulder to lean on.
Hearts never faltered.
Now the years have passed
we have become that old couple
we aspired to be.
Leave the rockers on the porch
no matter what may come
for they say so much more
about who shared this view.
A destination in Durango Colorado, Nomad!
