Escondido Arts Partnership - Municipal Gallery

POETS, INC (Inland North County) &
THE ESCONDIDO ARTS PARTNERSHIP
host a Literary Series the first Sunday of every month

_________________________________

The next meeting will be on Sep. 4th

Congratulations to Poet's Inc.! "The Merging of Art and Poetry" is nominated for a San Diego Book Award

Sunday, August 1st
Dick Eiden & Ken Buhr

Reading starts at 1 pm

(coffee & light refreshments beginning at 12:30 pm)
Bring a few poems or short written pieces for the open reading following the feature

Escondido Municipal Gallery
262 E. Grand Ave at Juniper
(760) 480-4101
escondidoarts.org

Dick Eiden was raised and attended public schools in Pomona, went to college at UC Santa Barbara and law school at UCLA in the Sixties, and was caught up in and deeply affected by the social movements of those years, especially the anti-war and civil rights movements. Graduating from law school in 1970, I became an activist lawyer in private practice in Santa Barbara ('71-'73) and later in L.A. from 1974 until 1989, when I moved to Vista with my wife, Kathleen Cannon, a career public defender - two sons and a daughter.
I stopped practicing law in 1994 to become a full time Dad or "DH" (designated homemaker). I founded and run North County Forum (1997), a liberal political group, and Sunset Poets (2001). I am a perpetual student in Harry Griswold's workshop, and am very active in the Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Vista, currently serving as Past President on the Board.

Ken Buhr was born in Los Angeles in 1937, and has degrees in Philosophy, Theology, and Sociology. After nine years work as a Catholic priest, he has practiced as a Marriage and Family Therapist for thirty-five years in north county San Diego. Ken is married, with two sons and two grandsons. He began writing poems in 1994.

***Barking***

My wife yells at the dog
to stop barking. I tell her
"That's what dogs do"

We've been doing this for years.

2010 Dick Eiden, All rights reserved.

***Making Arrangements***

What's this odd obsession with
anthologies in alphabetical order -
Malcolm always in the middle next to
Nancy, like elementary school?

They could be arranged by height,
tallest in back, like a class photo
or church choir. Or by age,
with elders respectfully in front -
or in back, without sentiment,
soon to be bumped out forever.

One could argue for the rock festival approach
with newbies and lesser-knowns
warming up the audience , the grand finale
an exuberant explosion of talent.

Putting the best in front makes some sense
but requires that difficult judgments be made,
risks taken, feelings hurt. The worst poets, of course
aren't in the book at all, and the ones in back
must strive to work their way forward, like life.

I think I prefer this arrangement by merit.
I'd hate to take a break from my reading
some Monday morning, get out the ladder
to trim some low-hanging branches
on the pepper trees, and have a heart attack.
I'd want the house to be tidy for the paramedics.
I'd want to be wearing clean underwear.
I'd want to have read the very best poets.

2010 Dick Eiden, All rights reserved.

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Two poems from Ken Buhr

***PTSD***

PTSD
now signifies
just by itself,

like FBI,
NYC, UPS,

except it's
more like RIP,
IRS, ER,

grabbing attention,
forcing a door

to a room
that isn't there

yet one you never
completely leave.

2010 Ken Buhr, All rights reserved.

***Clots***

The child not forgiven
its childishness

the way children
blurt out truth,

fear, accuse, and reject
emotional and direct,

that child closes-

builds pulse by pulse
a clot of guilt

that travels
to choke the brain,

or impale the heart
cringing inside,

the numbed blood
of human nature
shutting down.

2010 Ken Buhr, All rights reserved.

Poets, Inland North County