Lori Desrosiers' Poetry Blog

Lori Desrosiers' Upcoming Poetry Readings and other appearances

2010-10-14T20:32:00.025-04:00

30 Poems in 30 Days Reading
Friday December 1, 2011, 7pm
Stoddard Hall, Smith College
Northampton, MA

December Poetry Reading
Sunday, December 4, 2011 2:30pm
Hope & Olive Restaurant
Greenfield, MA

Naugatuck River Review Reading
Saturday, January 15, 2012, 3pm
Bowery Poetry Club
New York, NY

Lori Desrosiers & Oonagh Doherty
Sunday, February 12, 7-9pm
Piedmont House, 34 Main St.
Somers, CT

Naugatuck River Review Reading
an off-site reading during the AWP conference
The Billy Goat Tavern
430 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL

Legendary Woman Poets
"dead poets reading" 1pm
Forbes Library Community Room
Northampton, MA

To book Lori Desrosiers for a reading, please email her at lori@thepoetrynews.com

Lori Desrosiers featured at Split This Rock Blog

2010-06-19T17:23:00.004-04:00

My poem "That Pomegranate Shine" was Split this Rock's Poem of the Week for June 18, 2010.

CLICK HERE TO SEE

GBSPA Poetry Prize Winner!

2010-04-18T23:14:00.001-04:00

Lori Desrosiers is the first prize winner in the Greater Brockton Society for Poetry and the Arts contest for New England Poets. Her poem "That Pomegranate Shine" was chosen by X.J. Kennedy.
To see the poem click on GBSPA PRIZE.

100 Best Blogs!

2010-03-22T10:06:00.004-04:00

March 22, 2010: This blog is on the list of 100 best Poetry Blogs by AccreditedOnlineColleges.org.
Thank you!

Where to find my work

2009-01-17T00:21:00.032-05:00

Lori Desrosiers' chapbook "Three Vanities" from Pudding House Press. You can get a signed copy at http://threevanities.blogspot.com/.

A REVIEW of Three Vanities is at: http://www.fiddlercrabreview.blospot.com

Here are some links to find my poetry online:

"Anniversary" in the inaugural issue of String Poet

"Les Cigales" at Pirene's Fountain.

"That Pomegranate Shine," "First Marriage" and "Sometimes I Hear the Clock Speak" on International Journal of Psychoanalysis' Blog

"Sandbar Piano" at the New Verse News.

"Clyde" and "Neon S_ns" in U.M.Ph.! Prose

"The Day after the End of the World" in New Verse News

"Real Wrestling" and "Wrestling the Poem" in Clattery Wrestling Anthology

"Thinking Rock" in The Smoking Poet

"Reverie Obscura" and "Some Answers" in Chickenpinata: http://www.chickenpinata.com/I3P12.html

"Conducting in Thin Air" in New Verse News http://newversenews.blogspot.com/2009/06/conducting-in-thin-air.html .

"Water Lust" a series of 5 poems is part of Gold Wake Press' mini-chapbook series at http://www.goldwakepress.org/.

Video of me reading "The World is Flat" on Shape of a Box, a Youtube literary journal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3LBgbYDtzE

"Parts in a Box" in New Verse News:
http://newversenews.blogspot.com/2009/03/parts-in-box.html

"Twinkle" in New Verse News:
http://newversenews.blogspot.com/2008/12/twinkle.html

"Jalopy" and "The Gearhead's Wife's Lament" in Appleseeds, an Anthology of Americana
Appleseeds Anthology on Google Books

"Hudson" in Big City Lit:
http://www.bigcitylit.com/bigcitylit.php?inc=spring08/bigcity_little

"From the Porch" in November 3rd Club:
http://www.november3rdclub.com/11-06/poetry/fromtheporch.htm

"Mother's Tongue" (5 poems) Gold Wake Press mini-chapbook series:
http://www.goldwakepress.org/

"New Jersey Nights" in Love Poems and Other Messages for Bruce Springsteen, an anthology by Pudding House Press.

"Waltz" in Chopin with Cherries, an anthology from Moonrise Press - Feb. 2010

TOP 100 Poetry Blogs:
This poetry blog has been chosen by Online University Reviews as one of the top 100 poetry blogs online. I am delighted and honored.

About the author:
Lori Desrosiers grew up on the banks of the Hudson River in NY, but now calls Westfield, Massachusetts her home. Her chapbook Three Vanities is published by Pudding House Press. Her poetry has been published in BigCityLit, The Equinox, Blue Fifth Review, Ballard Street Poetry Journal, November 3rd Club, Common Ground Review, Gold Wake Press’ five-poem mini-chapbook series and Silkworm. She is the Editor of Naugatuck River Review, a journal of modern narrative poetry, and also publishes Poetry News, an online newsletter of poetry-related events in the CT/Mass. region. She teaches English Composition at Westfield State College and earned her M.F.A. in Creative Writing/Poetry from New England College.

Contact me at lori@thepoetrynews.com

Lori Desrosiers Past Readings

2008-12-12T15:15:00.039-05:00

Recent Readings:

Calliope Poetry Series
Sunday, November 20, 2011
West Falmouth Library
575 W. Falmouth Hwy
West Falmouth, MA (Cape Cod)
http://www.calliopepoetryseries.com/

Sunday Poetry at Essalon
October 30, 2011, 3:30pm
Essalon Cafe, Rte. 9, Hadley, MA

Greenfield Poetry Festival
October 15, 2011
3pm, World Eye Books
6:30pm Ten Miles Cooperative
Greenfield MA

Narraganset Library
October 6, 2011, 3pm
35 Kingstown Rd., Narraganset RI

Florence Poetry Festival
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2011
Florence, MA Civic Center

Advanced Seminar Participants Reading
The Frost Place
Friday, August 12, 8pm
The Henry Holt Barn
The Frost Place, 158 Ridge Rd.,
Franconia, NH

Feature Poet with Ellen LaFleche
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Greenfield Spoken Word
Greenfield, MA

Portland, OR and Seattle, WA Tour
May, 2011

March 15, 2011
Featured Reader at Got Poetry Live
Blue Slate Coffee
300 Thayer St., Providence, RI
8pm

March 17, 2011
Featured Reader
Social Justice Center
33 Central Ave., Albany, NY

February 5, 2011
Reading for Naugatuck River Review
at the AWP conference
1345 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC
4:00 - 6:00 pm

February 20, 2011
Featured Poet at The Poets Asylum
WCUW Front Room
910 Main St., Worcester, MA
6:30pm

February 28, 2011
Reading with Naugatuck River Review
Deja Brew Coffeehouse
57 Lockes Village Rd., Wendell, MA
7pm

30/30 Reading for Center for New Americans
December 2, 2010
Stoddard Hall, Smith College, 7pm
Northampton, MA

Winter Holiday Poetry Show
December 5, 2010
Hope & Olive Restaurant, 3-5pm
Greenfield, MA

Fall Faculty/Student Reading
Monday, November 1, 2010
Westfield State University, Scanlon Hall, 5pm
Westfield, MA

Featured Reader, with Irene Willis
Sunday, November 7, 2010, 2pm
Pages Coffee Bar in Conway, MA

With Naugatuck River Review at the
Small Press Book Fair at the Somerville News Writers Festival
Center for the Arts at the Armory
November 13, 2010, 11-4:30
Somerville, MA

Moderator, Write Angles Poetry Festival, panel on Narrative Poetry with Magdalena Gomez, Crystal Senter Brown and Ellen LaFleche.

Greenfield Poetry Festival, Saturday, October 9, 2010, Greenfield, MA

Florence Poetry Festival, Look Park, Northampton, MA on Sunday, September 26, 2010, at 12:20pm. Free Admission!

Featured poet at the Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, Foot of First St. between Houston & Bleeker, NYC, 4pm on Sunday, September 19, 2o1o. $6 cover charge.

Brockton Library Poetry Series
Featured Reader
Saturday, August 21, 2010. 2-4pm.
Brockton, MA.

Bart's Bards, Greenfield, MA
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Greenfield, MA

Featured reader at Wednesday Night Poetry at the Blue Z, 127 S. Main St. in Newtown, CT, Wed. April 28, 7:30.

Reading with the journal, Naugatuck River Review at the Bowery Poetry Club in NYC on May 16, 2010 at 4pm.

Host of a night of Student Poetry and Music
to celebrate National Poetry Month
at the Westfield Athenaeum, Westfield, MA
April 21, 2010 at 7pm.

Featured reader and workshop leader
at the Austin International Poetry Festival,
April 15-18, 2010 Austin, TX.

Wintonbury Library Poetry Series
Lori Desrosiers, Featured Reader
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wintonbury Branch Library
Bloomfield, CT

Naugatuck River Review Reading
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Broad Street Books, Wesleyan
Middletown, CT

Green Street Cafe Poetry Series
Lori Desrosiers & Ellen LaFleche
Thu. November 5, 2009
Green Street Cafe
Green St. Northampton, MA

Greenfield Spoken Word
Lori Desrosiers & Howard Faerstein
Tue. October 20, 2009
9 Mill Street
Greenfield, MA

Common Ground Review Reading
Wed. October 21, 2009
Western New England College
Springfield, MA

New England College MFA Alumni Reading
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Forbes Library
Northampton, MA

O'Shea's Poetry Series and Open Mic
(on Cape Cod)
Thursday, September 17
Featured: Lori Desrosiers
O'Shea's Bar and Grill
Route 28, West Dennis, MA

Westfield, MA YMCA Reading
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Camp Shepard Goyette Chalet
370 Northwest Road
Westfield, MA

Post-MFA Participants Reading
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
New England College
Simon Center
98 Bridge Street
Henniker, NH

April Poetry Month 30 Poems in 30 Days Participants!
Wednesday, July 15
in the Quadrangle, by the Library
State Street, Springfield, MA

Poetry in the Park - Albany, NY
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Lori Desrosiers and George Wallace
Poetry in the Park Summer series
by the statue of Robert Burns
in Washington Park
Albany, NY

Lori Desrosiers & Laura Rodley
Green Street Cafe Poetry Series
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Green Street Cafe
64 Green St.
Northampton, MA

"Three Vanities" Book Release Party
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Teapot Gallery, 22 Elm St.
Westfield, MA
Lori will read and there will be an open mic

Provincetown Poetry Festival
Featured Poets Reading
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Art House Theater
214 Commercial Street
Provincetown, MA
http://www.capecodpoetstheater.com/when.html

Wood Memorial Library Series
presents
Lori Desrosiers and Christine Beck
Wood Memorial Library
South Windsor, CT
Thursday, April 30, 2009

Lori Desrosiers reading her poem "Hudson" at NEC in June, 2008

2008-10-18T23:19:00.002-04:00

Filmed by Jaqueline Gens at New England College in June 2008

Lori Desrosiers Poetry Readings November 6, November 16, 2008, November 18, 2008

2008-08-20T08:38:00.013-04:00

Lori Desrosiers featured poet
Sunday, November 16, 2008
at the Springfield Library Poetry Open Mic
1pm
Springfield Main Library
State Street
Springfield MA

Lori Desrosiers featured as part of the reading for
Common Ground Review
November 18, 2008
6:30 pm
at Western New England College
D'Amore Library, 3rd Floor
Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA

Lori Desrosiers Poetry Reading June 4, 2008

2008-05-04T16:56:00.004-04:00

I will be reading at the CT Beat Poetry Festival
on Wednesday, June 4th, 6:30 pm at the
Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford, CT.

Sunday, June 1st—
Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Hartford, 1–4PM
Moderator: Lerron Wright Poets: Kate Rushin, Danelle Fiorentino, Taylor Altman,
Jimmy Wilson, Tommy Bass, Minta White

Monday, June 2nd—Wood Memorial Library, South Windsor, 6:30–9:30PM
Theme: Gary Snider
Poets: Robert Saunders, Dolores Lawler, Sherri Bedingfield, Gregory Scott,
Sympetalous, David Cappella, Kim MartinTuesday,

June 3rd—Webb Deane Stevens Museum, Wethersfield, 6:30–10PM
Theme: "The Beat Goes On"
Poets: Amelia Matus, Michael Grover, Jason Tandon, Colin Haskins, Anita Pinatti,
John Basinger

Wednesday, June 4th—Charter Oak Cultural Center, Hartford 6:30–9:30PM
Theme: Jack Kerouac
Moderator: Christine Beck
Poets: Aleathia Drehmer, Lerron Wright, Jacob Johanson, Lori Desrosiers, Ernie Blue

Wednesday, June 4th—Arch Street Tavern, Hartford 10PM–1AM
Theme: Beat-inspired Comedy Open Mic
Moderator: Sympetalous

Thursday, June 5th—Wood Memorial Library, South Windsor 6:30–9:30PM
Theme: Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Moderator: Terri Klein
Poets: Jim Deuchars, Lynna Garber, Lester Allen, LisaAnn Lobasso
A reception follows

Friday, June 6th––Hall Memorial Library, Ellington, 6:30–9:30PM
Theme: Women Beat Authors
Moderator: Julia PaulPoets: Christine Beck, Kathryn Ellinger, Charys Crane, Katherine Polenberg, Susan Alison

Friday, June 6th––Federal Café, Hartford, 10PM-1AM
Theme: Beat-Inspired Comedy Open Mic
Moderator: Greg Scott

Saturday, June 7th—Faxon Branch Library, West Hartford, 12–2PM
Theme: William S. Burroughs
Moderator: Tom Nicotera Poets: Terri Klein, Zork, Mar Walker, Marsha Lewis

Saturday, June 7th—Russell Library, Middletown, 2:30–4:45PM
Theme: Buddhism and the Beats
Moderator: Stephanie ElliottPoets: Larry DeMott, Terri Klein, Tom Nicotera,
Roy Lisker, Jim Gardiner
A reception follows

Saturday, June 7th—The Buttonwood Tree, Middletown, 6–930PM
Theme: Allen Ginsberg
Moderator: John Basinger Poets: George Wallace, Lisa C. Taylor,
Kenneth Lundquist, Jr., Roy Lisker, Victoria Rivas, Maggie Greene

Saturday, June 7th—Gatekeeper Tavern, Middletown, 10PM–1AM
Theme: Charlie Bukowski Night, open mic follows
Moderator: Yvon J. Cormier
Poets: Frank Reardon, Rob Plath, Jack Henry,Dyllan Blodgett, Zachary Moll, Ryan McGrath

Sunday, June 8th—Mark Twain House, Hartford, 2–5:30PM
Theme: Readers’ Choice
Moderator: Colin Haskins
Poets: JD Roland, Nathan Graziano,Rebecca Schumejda, Yvon J. Cormier,
Kathryn Kelly, Julia Paul.Music by Minta White

Sunday, June 8th—City Steam Tavern, Hartford, 6PM–9:30PM
Theme: Gregory Corso, open mic follows
Moderator: John Dorsey Poets: Lisa LaTourette, Dan Provost, Iris Applequist

For more information, please visit http://www.myspace.com/beatpoetryfestival

Reading at Invisible Fountain

2008-04-09T20:06:00.002-04:00

I will be reading at the Invisible Fountain Gallery at the Eastworks building, 2nd floor, in Easthampton, MA on Saturday, April 12th at 7PM, with other members of Florence Poets Society.

Readings

2008-02-16T20:40:00.003-05:00

I have two upcoming readings:

Wed. March 5, 2008 at Westfield State College
Scanlon Living Room, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Women Faculty Reading

Tues. March 18, 2008
Feature Poet at Spoken Word Greenfield
9 Mill St in Greenfield
Doors open at 7:00
Open Mike at 7:30
$1-5 sliding scale cover
Refreshments
Open mike will be five minute slots
With 10 open slots

Award

2008-01-28T15:10:00.000-05:00

I am honored to have won the Quill and Ink award for 2008 from the Florence Poets Society for my work promoting poetry in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Thank you to Tom Clark and Carl Russo, the founders of the Florence Poets Society for thinking of me and for validating the years of work I have done for the love of poetry. - Lori Desrosiers

New Publications and a Reading

2007-12-22T21:33:00.000-05:00

I will be reading at the Forbes Library in Northampton, MA

on January 2, 2008 at 7Pm

with other poets published this month in The Equinox literary magazine.

They kindly published my poem Redhead at the Miss Flo.

You can get The Equinox from Ginger Cat Press at http://www.gingercatpress.com/.

It should also be available in Northampton area bookstores in a few weeks.

I also have two of my poems, Jalopy and The Gearhead's Wife's Lament coming out in the Spring in a collection of Americana poetry through Sacred Fools Press, out of Worcester, MA.

Poetry for Peace Reading in Westfield

2007-10-29T14:54:00.000-04:00

Lori Desrosiers will read her poetry at the Woroanoke Peace Action Poetry for Peace reading at the Westfield, MA Athenaeum (library) on Thursday, November 15th at 7PM. There will be three other poets reading, including Tommy (Twilite) Clark of Florence and two other poets.

Poems published and more news

2007-07-21T23:01:00.001-04:00

Hi poets and friends,

After the residency, I taught a hands-on creative writing workshop at Westfield State College's College for Kids program. It was great fun. I definitely will have to hold more workshops. I also gave three poetry workshops for children at the Westfield Athenaeum. It's almost time to go back to work. I'm looking forward to teaching English Composition again.

I have two poems published online this month.
"Hudson" is in Big City Lit at http://www.bigcitylit.com/bigcitylit.php?inc=spring07/poetry/desrosiers
"Bee Dancer" is in Blue Fifth Review. Check it out at http://www.angelfire.com/zine/bluefifth/Summer2007/poems1S07.html

Blue Heron poem

2007-05-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

Hello dear poets and friends,
It has been an exciting few weeks. I was on television and the radio with my poetry and music. I performed with Women who Jam at Gumbo Live in Chicopee, MA with Crystal Senter Brown and many others. My poem "Hudson" came out in Big City Lit magazine online www.bigcitylit.com and my poem "Flight" is on the Electronic Poetry Network in Shreveport LA for two weeks now. www.shreve-lib.org/images/Poem.htm
I am booking readings in the New England area and my chapbook "Trees are not Still" is available by emailing me at lori@thepoetrynews.com. Meanwhile, here is a new poem:

Spirit Birds

Blue heron
storyteller,
descendent of Egyptian phoenix,
steady flyer, ruler of all fish
according to the Hitchiti tribe.
Stately, flapping,
blue-gray wings
reach to the horizon.
My poet friend,
you have found a place
where herons are nesting.
Your kayak reaches them
only when the water’s high.
You ask me
to share this adventure,
to gaze upon the Benu birds,
but the water is receding
so fast there is no time
for stories.
The herons have taken off,
wings dripping,
fish in beaks.

New Poem by Lori Desrosiers

2007-04-06T18:37:00.000-04:00

Here's a new poem by Lori Desrosiers.
For information on readings see "Lori's Poetry Calendar" below.

Making the River Watch Me

I am naked before gray water
the rocks can see me now,
but you are not looking.

I stick a toe in, then the whole foot.
Stirring silt up to make mud,
pumpkinseeds shimmy away.

A white crab looks up in awe,
tries to claw my too quick feet.
I look down, sneer at him.

You are absorbed in your rapids,
your slow flowing channels,
your green mossy islands.

I wait and grab the tire swing.
This should make you see me.
A great crashing dive –
I am in your midst!

And all you do
is continue right on around me.

News and a poem

2007-03-28T17:59:00.000-04:00

My poem "Hudson" will be published in May in BigCityLit magazine, out of NYC. I'm very pleased. Here's one for my fans over age 15 only:

1975

Dorm room in Tours, France
the year I turned twenty,
the year America lost its innocence,
in the Watergate scandal.

Clawfoot tub, armoire, white bureau,
shoes off the floor for
Señora Fernandes, the Portuguese maid.

Each day she bleached and scrubbed.
Said I was the only student who
didn’t leave things on the floor.
I picked up for her smile.

That was the year I lost my virginity
to Azzedine, the lovely Algerian boy I had met
two years before in Strasbourg.

I wanted to look at his cock first,
had never seen one up close,
other than Dad’s balls hanging out his shorts,
(not a pleasant sight).

I had groped a few boys in the dark,
but this was a full sun-filled view
there in that room, before the long white curtains.

He was such a good kisser, chewed on my tongue,
kisses found their way to the crease of my neck,
under my arms, over my girl’s flat stomach,

and for the first time,
gently, with sweetest care and caution,
brought my body to such rapture
good thing it was vacation week.

Lori Desrosiers' Poetry Calendar

2007-03-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

I will be reading my work at the following venues in the near future:

May 18, 2007 Feature at Women who Jam, 9PM
www.gumbolive.com for more information,
Days Inn, Chicopee MA entrance fee is $15

May 30, 2oo7 Feature on Tommy Twilite's poetry radio show on 103.3FM
9AM Valley Free Radio

June 4, 2007 Feature Poet
at Jester's Cafe, Westfield, MA 7:30pm

Also catch me every Monday night at Jester's Cafe in Westfield
where I co-host the Community Voices Poetry Open Mic.

Hedonist Air by Lori Desrosiers

2007-03-17T21:42:00.000-04:00

This poem originated because my friend Karen said one day that she thought I had a "hedonist air" which made me think, wouldn't it be interesting if hedonist air was a thing, like a sensual wind...

Hedonist Air

I will lead you under the rain,
expose you to island winds
feed you raw fish and coconuts.

I will softly tickle you
behind the knees, underneath your arms,
in the soft spot between your legs.

I will make the sea bed for you,
grow a reef to shelter you from
ocean storms and my hot lightning,

I will whisper a song in your ear,
blow blues behind your neck,
rock and roll your tongue.

I will make your body bend
your skin shiver,
your tears flow unabated.

But, when I have you,
I will brush you by
and leave you wanting more.

Where to find my poetry

2007-03-13T16:49:00.000-04:00

Find Lori Desrosiers' poetry on
http://www.November3rdclub.com (November 3rd Club online poetry journal Fall 2006)
http://www.ballardstreetpoetryjournal.com (The Ballard Street Poetry Journal Winter 2007)
http://www.nycbigcitylit.com (Big City Lit NYC - May 2007)

Her poetry is also published in The Equinox literary magazine, and in Silkworm, the journal of the Florence Poets' Society.

For the Three Children who were Killed in Murder Suicides on the Same Day March 6, 2007

2007-03-07T15:05:00.000-05:00

(I don't normally wax political but these news stories affected me deeply)

What kind of monster
does it take
to pour gasoline
inside a car –
the kids are screaming
crying and begging out
and light a match?
What sort of demon
straps a little girl
into an airplane seat,
phones her mother
while she cries “come get me mommy”,
then crashes it
into his mother in law’s house?
I have seen anger
have felt hands around my throat
have been knocked against walls,
items have been thrown,
threats have been made.
I have seen a child beaten, ignored,
denied food, sleep, love.
I wonder
if they could make a test
to qualify someone as a parent,
would it make any difference?
What makes a person,
man or woman,
as angry or hurt as they might feel,
bring a child along
on a suicide run?

by Lori Desrosiers 3/7/07

It's Myth Month

2007-02-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

I've been reading poetry from ancient Greek and Sumerian mythology for school this month. It's interesting to take a character and imagine events from their point of view.

Medusa Weeps

Medusa weeps over morning coffee,
at night drowns tears in ouzo,
recalls perfect features, blond curls,
soft lips kissing secret lover,
Poseidon’s dance moves made her wet,
they writhed, legs entwined, on the marble
floor of Athena’s temple. Oh, discovered,
the goddess’ revenge was swift -
Gorgon sisters’ snakes instead of hair,
lions tails, wings, more snakes from waists,
hideous faces turn men’s hearts to stone.
Medusa finds a quiet cave, far from men’s eyes.
Here she waits, abdomen swollen with child.
Sound at the entrance, perhaps it is Poseidon,
ready to accept her for herself, despite the curse.
No, in the shadows stands Perseus.
Goaded on by Athena and her friends,
looking to his shield, to avoid her gaze, to avoid
the guilt, with one easy sweep of sword, takes
the horrible head, snakes screaming.

In the dark the grieving body yields
Medusa’s child, the perfect Pegasus.

An old poem reworked

2007-01-26T21:18:00.000-05:00

Twilight in the Potter's Garden

Twilight over the potter's studio.
The ladies show me through their garden,
Bright in sunset’s blue half-light,
Mixed blooms set in hand thrown pots.
Zinnia, Nasturtium, Alyssum, Moss Rose,
Pansies in colors I never knew,
Tiny yellow wildflowers with no name,
Honeybees take their nighttime sips.
Emerald dragonflies hover and dive,
Sleepy yellow beetles summit black stalks.
Astounded, I ask, “How do you do it?”
"Weeding takes all my stress away." she smiles.

A Poem or Two

2006-12-23T19:21:00.000-05:00

Gathering

Gathering words, like flowers, takes gloves,
knee pads and a spade.
You dig but they stick in the ground,
roots deep, definitions gnarled and worm-eaten.
Sticky meaning irritates the eyes.
Good words sprout in Spring,
illuminating mind, and producing clarity of weather, or not.
In winter words are cold and buried in frozen ground,
only the woodpeckers or aye aye can peck or poke them out.
This gardener needs an ice pick.

Stumped (a dream)

Armless riders rumble down a windy gray street,
Someone offers me a bike and a prosthesis,
I am armless, truncated, stumped.
They blow by, ink streaming behind them.

Birth of the Poem

2006-11-23T19:54:00.000-05:00

I am looking for a new word,
deep down wrapped in holy linen,
fresh from a christening, or other religious rite,
still smelling of baby oil or sweet grass or liniment.

Inside I become different,
suddenly awake to this strange reunion with verse,
Time sucked so many years out of creative life.
Must force brain to work.

I need my miner’s light,
each time I pick up another book,
carting my baggage after me like a bum,
carving into my mind new tunnels,
digging to new worlds,

Poems lie inside like my babies did,
feeding on placenta, floating in liquid,
My gut, my spleen, my now quiet uterus
is newly alive with ideas instead of fetuses.

It kicks under my heart, in my throat,
beats its new rhythm, ready to
split me open at the mouth, to
whiplash my tongue with its intonation.

(c) 2006 Lori Desrosiers

Change of Life

2006-10-27T16:08:00.000-04:00

Change of Life

Here it comes,
the end of my womanly flow,
of the supple roundness of my youth,
of long chestnut tresses,
of midnight pacing vigils,
The end of Goodnight Moon at bedtime,
of clinging to my leg,
of piggy-back rides,
of pushes on the swing,
The end of barrettes and jelly shoes,
of cutting gum out of hair,
of stepping on Cheerios,
of tiny midnight kicks,
The end of sore nipples from nursing,
of watching them sleep,
of that sweet after-bath smell,
of pink towels with hoods.
The end of the itsy bitsy spider.
Well, then again,
there may be grandchildren.

Some New Work

2006-09-29T22:05:00.000-04:00

From the Porch

Work-weary, I settle into wooden rocker
Maples flutter, yellow summer
wind.
Retired couple strolls by softly
talking.
Crickets audible over car noise.
Mailman in blue shorts drops
another book.
Trash cans wait patiently.
A rift of jet smoke splits the sky,
buzzing louder than the neighbor’s mower.
Mike, my friend’s boy, is over there.
He writes the countryside in Iraq is lovely,
but soldiers leave trash by the side
of the road...
perfect place to hide a bomb.
She comes by and helps me garden,
The hyacinths we planted are white
and blue.
The gladiolas bloomed this week,
blood red.

Flight

When the blue Dodge arrived,
all six feet three inches of
you wound your tattooed arm
around my slight woman’s waste
sweeping me up,
a foot from the blacktop
into an effortless kiss.
One shoe fell to the ground

In Memorium

2006-09-23T16:26:00.000-04:00

This has been quite a month. My friend Rob Fried died, a wonderful musician and extraordinarily kind, gentle person. He will be missed by many people. I wrote a short piece that is on the Max Creek site, but the one below is a bit more personal and I am posting it here in his honor.

In Memory of R.F.

You smiled out from under your panama hat
Hawaiian shirt, bell-bottom jeans, leather jacket
70’s original with fringe.
Congas, djembes and bongos
decked your halls, even the ceiling
Hot tub on back porch,
Japanese garden with sculptures -
Offerings from fans to the musician.
Posters, buttons, drawings on the walls
Notes from friends and fans.
You kept your collection of records
On both sides of your bed,
a colorful gate around it.
Now you have stepped over a new fence.
Are you playing congas in heaven?
Ringing the cow bell for god?
Have you seen Gerry yet?
Are you keeping the divine beat?
I’ll remember you, Rob,
Every time I tap my feet.

Ain't Summer Grand?

2006-09-10T12:57:00.000-04:00

Spades, rakes, shovels shine under new starlight,
Now soft, rounded as statues, shimmer blue.
Tomatoes are black spheres, roots spread, grip ground.
Bleeding bee balm, gray spears reach for white moon.
Rocks piled, leave soil empty, yawning, silent.

Some new poetry

2006-09-07T21:51:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple of new poems from the past month or two.
Peace - Lori Desrosiers

Toilette
Besides scented milk soap,
there were doilies and daffodils,
a dozen fine white shells cradled
in porcelain Chinese teacups,
forget-me-nots adorned guest towels
bowed tenderly over wooden racks.
Perfect.

Her toilette flowed flawlessly.
In one luxuriant hour of primping,
powdered blushed and blown,
perfumed with jasmine,
painted, lined and laced.
Ready.

He enters unprepared
sweaty, heaving, raw but bold,
wielding black umbrella, throws it
to the spotless Mexican tile floor,
peels off wet denim shirt, reveals chest hair,
falls onto white suede chaise lounge
boots fly, muddying priceless Persian rug.
Come.

Mile Swim at the New New Hampshire State YMCA Camp

Standing in my blue summer-stained one-piece.
Twelve years old, fellow campers’ goose-bumped bodies wait
to start the mile swim across lake Coniston,
rowboats and canoes ready in case of collapse.
I plunge into the icy water, crawl away from the screaming
children on shore, relieved it is not their turn today –
final ritual of Red Cross course. My toes brush
lake muck, seaweed, fishes, shadowy bodies of
unhappy campers forced to swim on rainy days,
early morning polar bears, past wooden docks,
knee scrapers, heart breakers, boys’ and girls’ longing looks,
first touch, underwater counselors in tight white caps…
Out past the others, my strokes are strong..
The tap-tapping of oars,
soft splash of other arms/ feet kicking.

I turn to back paddle.
I am alone in the center of the lake.
Blue, freedom, cloudless sky - future,
Silence smells of dragonflies.
I am queen of the emerald lake,.
Green-gold and shimmery.

I turn back and swim, finishing ahead of the pack.
Soon, I sew a red patch on the heart of my swimsuit.
Small token for a great escape.

.

Lori Desrosiers' Poetry Blog

2006-07-03T17:31:00.000-04:00

Lori Desrosiers, a poet in process

By popular demand, welcome to my poetry site.

On this blog, I will be posting my poetry and commentary on poetry related ideas and events. I am the publisher of Poetry News, an online newsletter of poetry events in Western Massachusetts and beyond at www.poetrynewsonline.blogspot.com

Community Voices Update
-Monday July 3 -
We have the pleasure of the company of Ted Blackler of Worcester fame tonight at Jester's.
Yes, we are open. See you later.

My MFA
Well, I'm back from my residency. Judging from the pain in my back and the extraordinary poets I met and had the opportunity to listen to and read, the next two years should be among the most difficult as well as pleasurable of my life.

Please feel free to comment on this site and let's share links if you are a poet in the area. I'll be posting new poetry soon. I am trying to write new and better work.
Peace - Lori