How To Dance, Mary Kellogg’s New Book of Poetry

The Bedlam Farm Open House is happening in just a few weeks.  The weekend of June 27th and 28th. So I’m starting to get my work together for it and thinking about all the other artists who will be exhibiting their work in my School House Gallery.

But it’s not just art.  We’re going to have five poets there too, reading their work and selling their books.  One of the poets is our friend Mary Kellogg who has been at every one of our Bedlam Farm Open Houses and whose poetry Jon and I have published.  Now we’re working on publishing  Mary’s third book “How to Dance” in time for the Open House.

So today Mary came over to proof read the first proofs of her book.  Like her other books this one has some of Jon’s photos in it.  She read over all her poems, made corrections, and even made some last minute changes.  There are 44 new poems in her book.  And as Jon writes in his introduction:  Mary is naturally poignant and penetrating, her poems evoke a lace curtain lifting in an afternoon breeze.

We’ll be selling Mary’s new book “How to Dance” along with her other two books  “My Place on Earth” and “Whistling Woman” at the Open House.  The other poets are Doug Anderson, Tom Atkins and Kate Rantilla.  Each will do a reading and will be selling their latest books.

Here’s one of Mary’s new poems that’s in How to Dance

My Neighbors

Simply seeing the mountains
In their sure footed existence
Framed within my kitchen window
Gives me strength every day of my life

I ask them to never change
As I need their folded blanket of warmth

There is one stalwart tree
Standing proudly on the crest
I muse as to its origin
Is it a rugged pine or a mighty oak
Roots bound into the forest or single meadow

How could I reach you
To climb among your graceful arms
Swing from the tip of your spire
Frighten the jays and crows
Into a raucous concert
Perhaps spy a porcupine

I yearn to find you
Discover your commanding view
Of brother mountains
And secret valleys.

By Mary Kellogg