National Poetry Month

Good grief but this has been a fun but busy week.  I'm tellin' ya...these poets meet and speak all the time and now I'm doing it, too.  Monday night, Coffee Oasis.  Wednesday 4 great guys featured at the Friendswood Library, Thursday night I read at Archway Gallery.  This morning was the monthly meeting of Gulf Coast Poets and featured Sandy Stromberg, a friend who has taught me much and taught me more this morning.  And tomorrow afternoon is critique group which I hope doesn't go on too long.  Whew! 
And I'm writing along and sending stuff to my two dear friends who are willing to read my shit and critique it. 
  And my birthday celebration just keeps going on as more gifts arrive.  I live a charmed life.  Here's a poem I'm working on:
 
            Birthday



I’ve never been this old before

but I do plan to be a little older tomorrow,

even older, maybe wiser next week.

In this morning’s shower

sliding rolling hills met my soapy rag

where parts once were perky.

Can’t say I miss them,

just not sure where they went.

A wrinkled old lady wrapped in crepey skin

leans out of the recliner

arm wings flapping

as she waves the remote

after Dancing With the Stars.

She sounds and looks familiar,

could that be me?

She looks as though

she could use some cake or chocolate

with a cup of tea.

Let the party begin.

Eat cake and celebrate

another rockin’ rollin’ year.





Kay Cox

April, 2010

Wow and double wow!

My heart is full and my soul refreshed. I spent the day at the MFA of Houston soaking up the work of Alice Neel, my favorite portrait painter. It is a huge collection and I definitely will be going back. She was a remarkable woman for her time and never really well-known for many years. I so admire her and that even though her work was not well accepted until her late years, she just kept on painting. I watched the film of her placing her pregnant model and she tried several placements and poses until it was just right. I was glad she placed the model near a mirror which gave off a reflection included in the painting. Her treatment of background I find fascinating as she frequently leaves much of it perhaps drawn but not painted which gives great prominance to the figure. Her figures are so full of emotion which she manages to capture mostly through their eyes and the eyes are always confronting the viewer...very interesting. Only her sad figure of Andy Warhol has his eyes closed.
John Singer Sargent is also exhibiting and along with his seascapes (many done between the ages of 18 and 24...geezus) is a large exhibit of Sargents owned by the Museum or Houston collectors...an impressive collection. I particularly like his more Impressionistic work.
I feel so fortunate to live in a city with outstanding museums...yay Houston!