Poetry Connection | Happy National Poetry Month

Celebrate Poetry in Parks on Saturday

Rosal Ortega Flamenco | Photo: Courtesy

While my duties as City Poet Laureate are officially over, I am still a poet who will continue to remain active in her community. One of the events I am most looking forward to is Poetry in Parks on Saturday, April 12, at 1 p.m. Last year, Scott Green from State Parks approached me and asked if I would be interested in bringing poetry to parks. I loved the idea. He didn’t have to do too much convincing. He showed me events in other parts of California where poets were reading in lush parks with rivers. I loved the idea of holding a poetry reading outdoors. However, Santa Barbara’s only state park is the Presidio. While we don’t have a river or a meadow, we have a beautiful space at the Alhecama Theater at El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park.

The theater’s stage is ideal to bring together different forms or artistic expression. Last fall, I started taking Flamenco classes with Rosal Ortega. Rosal’s classes are geared towards adult students. It’s refreshing to get back into a dance class after breaking my leg ten years ago. I’ve taken many different types of dance, but this is my first time trying Flamenco. It’s a fun form of exercise and I must admit doing all that stomping releases tension in my shoulders. Saturday’s Poetry in Parks event will end with a Flamenco guitar solo and two dances, one by Rosal Ortega herself and one by her studio members. I probably should have saved this as a surprise, but I am excited to share the news with you.

Poetry will be the centerpiece of Saturday’s afternoon celebration of National Poetry Month. I am grateful to State Parks and Scott Green for dreaming up this fabulous concept. Our show will begin with Mia Lopez of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation, who will offer a Land Acknowledgement. Two young poets will kick off the poetry, Takunda Chikowero, age 10, who you will remember from last year. He is a 2024 and 2025 winner of the MLK Essay and Poetry competition. Another impressive young poet, Mirabel, age 9, will also do a reading.

In addition, Mark Zolezzi with the Gruntled will share a short set of music. Mark accompanies himself on guitar and drums. The program will also feature Lori Anaya from Port Hueneme, Ruben Lee Dalton from Buellton and four Poets Laureate, including our State Poet Laureate Lee Herrick. It’s very fitting that one of the first and last events from my tenure as your Poet Laureate features our State Poet Laureate. I am also happy that Emma Trelles and Perie Longo are able to join us again this year. Come and enjoy an afternoon of poetry, music, and dance, and take home a poem from the poetry machine.

Another exciting event for me is next month’s Women of Achievement Awards. This year marks the 17^th Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon and the theme is Creative Communications through the Arts. I have been named one of five Women of Achievement by the Association of Women in Communications. Honorees also include Adriana Arriaga, Teresa Kuskey, Frances Moore, and Joanne Wasserman. The awards luncheon takes place Wednesday, May 21. Until then, enjoy the rest of National Poetry Month and see you at the Alhecama Theater on April 12, at 1 p.m. The Alhecama Theater is in the Presidio, behind the Playa Azul restaurant, 215-A E. Canon Perdido Street.

Today’s Poetry Connection Poem features Mesa resident Mirabel S., age 9.

Just Imagine⸻
By Mirabel S.

Trees instead of poles
Mountains instead of buildings
Rivers instead of roads
Boulders instead of cars

Flowers instead of litter
Grass instead of stores
Forests instead of parking lots
Sunsets instead of smog

Oceans instead of cities
Lakes instead of concrete
Dolphins instead of ships
Meadows instead of machines

Mechanical things devour the earth like a fox hunts a rabbit,
making their own islands
while crumpling the world to pieces.

The moon stares down upon us with love.
The trees give us their shade with kindness,
while all we see is an ax.

The earth is not a huge clump of metal.
We must see it in a different way,
like the beauty it is.

That’s the world we should be.
That’s the world we should see.

About the author: Mirabel is 9 years old and is finishing up 4th grade. Her hobbies include playing the harp, trapeze, sports, and reading graphic novels, including her favorite new book series “Five Worlds.” Her poem “Just Imagine” has been published in the children’s poetry magazine, Stone Soup and received first prize recognition in the Sara Mook Memorial Poetry Contest.

Upcoming Events:

April 12, Poetry in Parks, featuring California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick. Melinda Palacio and State Parks host an afternoon of poetry, music by Mark Zolezzi, and dance by Rosal Ortega Flamenco. Poets include Perie Longo, Emma Trelles, Ruben Lee Dalton, Lori Anaya, Takunda Chickowero, and Scott Green. Also, the return of the Lit Bot, take home a poem. 1 p.m. at Alhecama Theater is in the Presidio, behind the Playa Azul restaurant, 215-A E. Canon Perdido Street.

April 12, Open Mic, Blanchard Library, 119 N. 8^th Street, Santa Paula, CA host Anita McLaughlin, starts at noon.

April 13, Poetry Zone, monthly reading and open mic, featured readers: The Inner Three Don Kingfisher Campbell, Marvinlouis Dorsey and Calokie, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Karpeles Manuscript Library, 21 W Anapamu Street.

April 13, EP Foster Library, Poets include Auden Noland, Kt Gutierrez, Perie Longo, and Mary Ann Mc Fadden, 651 E. Main St. Ventura, 3 p.m.

April 14, Lowstate Salon, Felicity Landa facilitates a writing opportunity, 7-9 p.m., Casa Agria, inside the Kim’s Service Station building, 418 Sate Street.

April 17, 6:30 p.m. Poetry Book Club at Timbre Books, 1910 E. Main Street, Ventura. Host Laura Mullen. The book is Bofire Opera by Danusha Lameris.

April 19, at the new location of The Piano Kitchen in Carpinteria now. 4185 Carpinteria Ave. Unit 3, Carpinteria. Poetry and Music. Friday Gretchen, Year of the Crow, Georffrey Jacques, Sean Colletti, Marsha de la O, Dian Sousa, Jim Connelly, and Phil Taggart.

April 26, Santa Ynez Valley Poetry Group, the Elverhoj Museum in Solvang. Readers include: Dorothy Jardin, Teresa McNeil MacLean, Cynthia Carbone Ward, and Ron Colone.

April 29, Impromptu Typewriter Poetry, Tuesday 5-7 p.m. at Chaucer’s, also features poet Sharon Frances from Oxnard and her new book. Simon Kiefer brings his vintage typewriters. He and local poets will offer poetry on demand in front of Chaucer’s, 3321 State Street.

May 2, Guess Who’s in Town: Poets Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer and James Crews at the Santa Barbara Public Library, Fireplace room, presented by Laure-Anne Bosselaar, 6-7:30 p.m., Central Library, 40 E Anapamu Street.

May 4, EP Foster Library with Mary Kay Rummel and Juan Luzuriaga, more tba.

May 14, Blue Whale Reading, Mary Kay Rummel and Mary Ann McFadden, Unity of Santa Barbara Chapel, 227 E. Arrellaga Street, 5:30 p.m.

May 21, AWC-SB Women of Achievement Awards, Wednesday 11:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m., Cabrillo Pavilion, 1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara.