Words from the Heart

Welcome Readers! For this blog post, we are honored to have poet, and multi-talented artist, Elizabeth Kirschner with us . Elizabeth Kirschner has published three volumes of poetry with Carnegie-Mellon University Press, Twenty Colors, Postal Routes and Slow Risen Among the Smoke Trees. She has also published a chapbook, The Red Dragon, with Permafrost and her fourth book of poetry, My Life as a Doll, which is a memoir in verse, was published by Autumn House Press. Her fifth volume, Surrender to Light, is due out from Cherry Grove Collections this August. In addition, she has collaborated with many composers and has two CDs that feature her work as lyricist from Albaby Records. In the first one, The Dichterliebe in Four Seasons, she has set her own poetry, not a translation to Robert Schumann's gorgeous love poem cycle and in the second one, New Dawn; eight of her poems have been set to music by Carson Cooman. She studies ballet and lives on the water at Sea Cabins Retreat, Kitter

This post is a recognition of some very special people, the idea for which came partly through an email from a friend and partly from a post from a cyber-friend. My garden includes a rose garden, which my beloved Roger created for me. Each year, it surprises us with the most amazing blossoms. This past winter was very trying for both flora and fauna. I thought for sure that my precious roses had been killed by the cold and frost. But, tenacious as ever, the roses have found the strength to produce even more blossoms than in years past. Each rose has a name which I equate with qualities that are admirable. So, for each rose, an individual with similar qualities will be recognized. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This beauty is HUGE! I actually do not know the given name of this rose...it was a gift that had no tag. I have named it Pretty in Pink, because it has pink-on-pink colored petals. Its fragrance is also spectacular, filling the yard with a wonderful

Recently, while on a visit to the home of dear friends, I happened upon this scene. For me, it was so typically New England. A small hand made wooden dory and a duck, both resting. Something about the tranquility of the moment filled me with great peace. The past six months have been filled with change and challenges. I have grieved, and celebrated, laughed and cried. There have been moments of great joy with my granddaughters and days of sorrow over the death of loved ones. Needless to say, I have been anything but tranquil. Yet, here I was in a strange town, beside the docks where boats that cost more than my entire education were moored. The smell of sea and diesel wafted over the bay. Seagulls grumbled about the loss of a morsel of food. Scruffy fishermen stood in silence on the bridge by the dock hoping to catch just one more. I wonder, did God send an angel to gently nudge me down the street during my walk to this moment, this magical moment? Was it planned that I