How can I keep from singing . . .

 . . . the praises of Sunday afternoon’s Seasonal Reading.  We all hope to be in person for the next one, but the Zoom format has brought blessings, such as including people from other states (Illinois and others this time) and countries (England!) And Zoom reassures us that friends and strangers do still have mouths and noses (although I see way too many noses in the grocery store).

While the venue for this quarterly reading has changed in the last year, the quality has not and this one was stellar in its variety and talent.  Overall the works were far-ranging but many, as expected, focused on the season, or rather the two we are straddling.  Several reflected on the confused state of weather in our state this time of year when we seem to be experiencing labor pains birthing Spring.  Kathleen Willard noted that for her, spring begins when snow falls on the lilac blossoms.  The  mention of lilacs always bring to my mind Walt Whitman’s “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d.” Here is a link to it: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45480/when-lilacs-last-in-the-dooryard-bloom’d.  The anniversary of Lincoln’s death is April 15 (didn’t that use to be tax day too?)—a good day to read Whitman's lament.  It does go on and on. But it is Whitman, so that is not a bad thing.    

So, well done everyone who read and sang and listened on Sunday!  The next seasonal reading will be in June; here’s to the hope that many of us will be in the same ROOM then, not just on the same ZOOM.

Between now and then are many writing-related events in Northern Colorado, so check “Beth’s picks” in the right column of the blog to see what’s coming up, including a visit from the U.S. Poet Laureate Jo Harjo the weekend of April 10. 

Closer in time, at 7 p.m. this Thursday, March 25, Kate Bolton Bonnici and Brandon Krieg will read from their work as part of the CSU Creative Writing Series.  You can  join this reading live, 7 p.m., online via Zoom by clicking here. Enter passcode 242210.

To learn about Bonnici and Krieg, visit CSU’s English Department site.

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P.S.: The title of this post was ripped from the wonderful hymn--whose accurate authorship I can’t quite discover—if you know, or think you do, please reply to this post!). 

Here is a link to perhaps the best known (and gentlest) version of it, by Enya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM8mOKfxmWw

And this takes you to a virtual choir in NYC performing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLPP3XmYxXg