physics

the notion of gravity
gains credence
as you fall
the notion of levity
as you rise
again and again

~ RM

Remembering Arvin

Photograph probably by Laura Murre

he was a boxer

and a pacifist

a socialist

who married a republican

a tireless worker

taken by naps

a short man

who stood tall

a whistler of his own tune

a rider of the rails

and one-time cowboy

a distruster of words

and teller of stories

a speedskater

a carpenter

given to long walks

a counselor

given to short talks

he was just kid enough

to be my old man

~ Ralph Murre

Lines Are Open Now

Red Boots & A Grin

Mike Koehler, at the inaugural reading from his book, "Red Boots",(see my post from June 4th) was swarmed by some who were already shoe-ins for most-favored-woman status, but sought to enhance their position. Here, Sharon Auberle and Ellen Kort vie for Crimson Cowgirl honors. It appears that the three poets had a reasonably good time.

~ Ralph Murre

hey, barkeep

dat's sumkinda fish y'got dere

not s'big as da one I pert'near caught a coupla years ago

but dat's sumkinda fish

What's Up

" So what's up at Little Eagle Press?", you ask - or maybe you don't - but I'll tell you anyway:

We here at Little Eagle Press – no, truthfully – I here at Little Eagle Press, am wildly proud to announce publication of the first book to receive the press’ R. M. Arvinson Manuscript of the Year Award. The book is Michael Koehler’s RED BOOTS, a collection from one of Wisconsin’s finest, which leads the reader through a good bit of Koehler’s life - his longings, his triumphs, his blues. Women. Brothers. The road. The loss of a father and the finding of a poet.
Michael Koehler seems to find the poem wherever he looks, but takes it home and polishes it beautifully before putting it on display. Somehow, he does this without losing a feeling of immediacy, a sense of conversation. Here's the first poem in the book:

MEDICINE FOR A FRIEND
Let me give you this:
Tall prairie grass humming like old women
gathered to quilt their long memories into
a tan and green and dark brown field
where, underneath, small things can be warm as the sun on sumac.
Take this, too:
The sky a peerless blue,
high clouds rippled like the flesh of walleye.
And here, in my heart,my love, one leaf that never falls,
waving like an anthem,
keeping the bare tree rooted to the earth.

There are poems here that will stay with you; poems that I believe will become a part of you. The book contains a rather handsome 82 pages, including 17 of my own pen & ink drawings inspired by this manuscript.

You may order RED BOOTS, by Michael Koehler, for $12. plus $3. s&h from:
Little Eagle Press
P.O. Box 684
Baileys Harbor, WI, USA 54202
littleeaglepress@gmail.com
Personal checks cheerfully accepted, until I get stung.
Thank you,
~ Ralph Murre

Currently available from Little Eagle Press:
RED BOOTS by Michael Koehler ISBN: 978-0-9823419-4-0 $12 plus $3 s&h
CROW INK by Sharon Auberle ISBN: 978-0-9823419-3-3 $15 plus $3 s&h
A SLENDER THREAD (2nd ed.) anthology by the Nota Bene Group
ISBN: 978-0-9823419-2-6 $12 plus $3 s&h
BAR CODE anthology ISBN: 978-0-9823419-1-9 $15 plus $3 s&h
PSALMS by Ralph Murre ISBN: 978-0-9823419-0-3 $12 plus $3 s&h

BOOKSELLERS: Please inquire about wholesale rates.

And if you're not already following Mike's blog (http://onehandarmands.blogspot.com/) , wake up!

A first impression of Red Boots, this from t.k. splake, the Bard of the Keweenaw http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/t-kilgore-splake-life-death-poet-trees/
ralph,
read and enjoyed the murre – little eagle press – title RED BOOTS, and of course the ‘title poem’ was a literary given, helluva fine verse, but, for tommy (the splake-smith) I liked as well the koehler poem “road trip,” which may say something about my bardic personality, red trippin’ ohhhhhhhhhh and yes,
and, goddammit, and, goddammit, the murre artwork was a plus, just as fine, nay excellent as the michael writings, more more more in the future, I AM HOPING, noticed that you are a pilot pen man, precise v-5, well, I buy my pilot razor sharp ii pens by the dozen, eh, I have this thing about pilot ii’s,
sun shining birds singing did the CLIFFS at first dawn, sore piggies and all, and same tomorrow, if there is not a serious chance of precip, again kudos and congrats on RED BOOTS – poetry and drawings
best
cheers
t.