Since fall of 2011 I have been the hostess on a local classic blues radio show, “Boosie’s Playhouse Classic Blues” that airs/streams on KMRE 102.3/ kmre.org heard every Saturday night at 10 p.m. PST. In doing research for the show I come across many interesting stories. Here is one of my favorites about the classic blues artist,ContinueContinue reading “Lead Belly”
Author Archives: Shannon Laws
Poetry: Walking Up Holly
The Maritime Heritage Park Fountain and the Whatcom Museumas seen from W. Holly StreetISidewalk DesertWalking up Holly StreetLife is alive with the livingLow tide wakes the sensesas mid-day traffic races byWalk uphill towards Bay StreetPass three homeless ones who wander camel-less like wise kings searching for The StarMan with a stroke-limp hobbles bypassing me on the right nodsContinueContinue reading “Poetry: Walking Up Holly”
Rhodes Nails It
Alan Rhodes is a writer for the Cascadia Weekly. His article, “Channeling the American Literary Canon: Six Dead White Guys and Emily Dickinson Talk About Coal Trains” in this weeks issue, 7/18/12 #29, split my sides with laughter!When he came to Ernest Hemingway it seems he was truly channeling old Hemmy.Here’s a peek:In spring the coal trains came andtheyContinueContinue reading “Rhodes Nails It”
Poetry: Coffee for One
Laboriously she entersthe coffee shophair up, make up on,clothes clean, ready for warAlways orders coffee for oneHolding herself up on a push chairforearms flex with each stepas they carry the familiar load.She hugs her history,heavy with disappointment,on each hipSits alone at a table for sixcoffee servedshoulders back, chin upawaits a conversationthat never arrives Surrounded byContinueContinue reading “Poetry: Coffee for One”
Song: Suzanne
Songs are poems. Poems are songs. This one to me is sung best by Nina Simone.Hylas and the NymphsJohn William Waterhouse, 1896 Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river You can hear the boats go by You can spend the night beside her And you know that she’s half crazy But that’s whyContinueContinue reading “Song: Suzanne”
Poetry: Transform
Transformation of person to poetOne day something grabs you without touchingAn idea lingers in your mind, like garlic on the tongueA vision walks all over you placing footprintson your being without leaving a bruiseWords become puzzles you have to solveYou write, you type, you scratchan equation out hoping the math totalsYou turn emotion into aContinueContinue reading “Poetry: Transform”
Fresh Air
Yesterday afternoon, desperate for some fresh air, I slipped on my shoes and traveled half a mile to Whatcom Creek. Earlier that morning I put some olive oil in my hair for a home moisturizing treatment so I thought I’d find a good place to sit by the creek and sun my hair for a bit, let that oilContinueContinue reading “Fresh Air”
Got Time?
2012 $4000 Baume and Mercier The other day while at a lunch with two friends, one of them asked me the time. She saw I was wearing a wrist watch and asked. Does this seem strange to you? Neither of my friends were wearing watches ,and both had their cell phones politely put away while weContinueContinue reading “Got Time?”
Poetry Warm Up
Last Saturday I attended a class taught by Wendy Call “Self-Editors Toolkit: Improve Your Own Prose” at the Chuckanut Writers Conference. During the class she had us do a fun poetry practice game or warm up. Thought I would share it with you here. I enjoyed doing this, perhaps you will also. I find thatContinueContinue reading “Poetry Warm Up”
Poetry: Moon Spell
Peace has leftthe green housewith Iris by the doorCast out by the Walking Witchwhose heart is charcoal blackWarts and the summer moonbear witness to her dance outsidethe garden gate”Manifest!”, she cries casting her spellMoonlight jumping on extended armsas they stir her cauldron skyCurse without cause can not fly-Fly it does from her fingers endlike sparksContinueContinue reading “Poetry: Moon Spell”
shannon p. laws 