L'aura del Campo

My friend Juel Pettersen died.

L'aura del campo

AUTUMN?: 12 Qawl (4 December) 44º.

'é a lua, é a lua, na quintana dos mortos'
♣ Federico García Lorca ♣


It's calm and sunny here. Nice! However, 21º, cold and cloudy in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania where my friend Theresa is still in shock over her husband dropping dead unexpectedly.

Juel Petterson was from Norway (Drammen, I believe) and sculpted in bronze among other artistic endeavors. I even came across one of his works at the Olathe Kansas DAR website.

His website: http://www.ajuel.com/

Juel was known for his efforts to refurbish the Root Farm house in Cambridge Springs. Martha Root was a well known journalist who traveled the world in the early 1900s and was known for her service to the Bahá'í Faith.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Root

The house dates from 1838 and 1894. The barn has been redone into a studio. Juel believed in the restoration of old barns in a project called Rebarn.

The funeral is December 8th as his three daughters were in Norway. Juel was 'the picture of health' according to our mutual friend Linda Gillette. He died of an aneurism.

Poultry of the day (which had nothing to do with Juel's death as I didn't know yet):

The day grows brighter for this moment

The thumping stills and the eyes turn inward.
The day grows brighter for this moment.
It never ends,
but this poem does;
words cease to flow, becoming stuck
in black on white, bound tight in books,
scribbled here
and there

those few I've sent you.

Some have made you shake your head;
others made you smile.

Even without these ears I'll always hear your laughter.

The thumping stills and my eyes turn inward.
The day grows brighter for this moment.

And I know that once you've clipped and saved my obit:

My heart fits snug inside your pocket now. [163.456]

Based on a line: "My heart will fit into your pocket now" from a poem about a stained valentine read by Michelle Langenberg. I wrote it on the spot and even shared it with her.

I was fortunate to attend that gathering of poets (is there a special word for that like 'a cackle of poets'?) Friday night at Aimée's Coffeehouse.

Michelle was one of more than 6 writers who read including Brian Daldorph, Denise Low (our new Kansas Poet Laureate), Dawn Downing, Judith Bader-Jones, Robin Love, Susan Farmer.

It was a showpiece for the writers in KC Voices, a regional publication that's professionally done.

I really enjoy this type of evening.

Got to say hello to Sheila and Ophelia here at WDC yesterday and today. Fortunately when Sheila called yesterday I had only good news. Same when I talked to my friend Liz at noon. Unfortunately got bad news last night and ended up calling my cousin Judith and dumping on her.

Today has been stressful, but I got a big hug from Robin this morning and Leighton always cheers me up. Krista and Susan were unavailable, but spoke to Kelly. Filled out a form with Karen (I hate forms).

Worked a bit on getting my poems together for Chatham. Contacted Kami who'll give me a recommendation. Little-by-little.

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 Kare Enga