College poem, circa 1990, and the first day of fall

This year, the first day of fall (or maybe it was the last day of summer) brought this old poem to mind.

THE NATURE OF THINGS

Ah! I can smell that it's the first day of fall

And rejoice in the knowledge that this year is dying,

And that by some miracle a new one will be born,

Shaped by the Grand Nothing--

The unifier of our universe and time--

Outside of time.

But not me.

I rent out my time to others during these years,

And I like these days between leases when I have myself

To enjoy the changing of the seasons and the dying of the year.

Installation Garden Group Show featuring Secrets of the Garden readings

The Inaugural Jean Switzler Memorial Garden Art Installation featuring readings from the Secrets of the Garden community writing project almost caused an earthquake in the Catskills due to the immensity of creative expression. Thanks to everyone who contributed their blazing, brilliant, silly, heart-wrenching, and poignant thoughts, poems, and stories. It was quite a thrill to be part of the scintillating shindig alongside presentations by so many accomplished artists and writers somehow nestled in our little town, including Bill and Mary Buchen, Lynne Thermann, Scott Woolsey, Jenny Lee, Patricia Eakins, Peter Martin, Joerg Madlener, Les Stone, Steve Ellis, Anne Marie Kramer, Pat Wellington, and Ed Mues.

Lots of pages in the Secrets of the Garden journals still need your words, so stop by the garden through Columbus Day and keep the entries coming. 

Here are a few pictures capturing just a sliver of the stirring work and plate-shifting moments.

Curator Steve Ellis introduces the SoTG readings

Mina O'Neal's frog poem

A day-of entry that speaks for itself

The guy whose story was a little long ...

The box that waits for you in the garden

Steve Ellis's Trash-squatch

Just one of Bill and Mary Buchen's sound sculptures.

SUMMER READING: "The Final Plan," now available on Wattpad

"The Final Plan" is now available on Wattpad. In this long short story/novella, Mr. Cameron Payne, a funny chap with a lot of plans, tries to make the best of his final days in a nursing home before Alzheimer's sets in.

SECRETS OF THE GARDEN

The SECRETS OF THE GARDEN community writing project is in full swing. Stop by the Jean Switzler Memorial Garden in Claryville, New York (right next to Denning Town Hall) through Labor Day, 2015, to be a part of it. A celebration and public readings will be held in the garden on Saturday, August 1, at 6 pm.

Inside the SECRETS OF THE GARDEN box are inspirational prompts for stories, poems, and ideas.

First half of A REVELATION in wattpad

The first half of my novella, "A Revelation," is available for free on wattpad.