Poets’ Mime


David L Harrison and Ken Slesarik


rhythm, meter, rhyme

footwork balanced on the mat

sparring in the ring

What does fox play?


illustrator: Nicolaj


fox doesn’t play fear

but courage, risks, rhythm , jazz

strings that rock her soul!



ear to ear

Two Bears


After a hard day’s forage
Two bears sat together in silence
On a beautiful vista
Watching the sun go down
And feeling deeply grateful
For life.

Though, after a while
A thought-provoking conversation began
Which turned to the topic of

The one bear said,
“Did you hear about Rustam?
He has become famous
And travels from city to city
In a golden cage;

He performs to hundreds of people
Who laugh and applaud
His carnival
The other bear thought for
A few seconds
Then started


Music in the Mountains

StoneForest, China

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence.
and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture.
The word derives from Greek μουσική mousike; “art of the Muses”.

beats a bass drum.

strums calypso.

sound the violins.

The Rockies
trumpet horns.

The Smokies
shush their castinettes:
an Appalachian song.

The timbre of the sounds resounds:
redwoods’ bass,
driftwood’s chant.

How Can a Poet Tell A Man’s Been In the Kitchen?

Messy Kitchen Sink

Messy Kitchen Sink

(sing to the tune of The Happy Wanderer)

When oft’ I go a wandering,
My nap sack on my back,
I know my man leaves odd footprints:
The kitchen floor has tracks!

I can hear, I can see,
I can hear
I can see ee ee ee ee ee
I can see
The kitchen floor has tracks!

The cabinets are open wide,
The sugar’s sprinkled high,
The dirt’s pressed down upon its side,
Like bird poo dropped from nigh!

I pull out pen and quickly write
As far as I can see;
While scrubbing clean the stains to right
And ordering cleanly!

I whisk the broom; collect the crumbs,
The meters in my step
The pots and pans, the prunes and plums
Are shining bright, yep, yep!

It’s time for rhyme and rhythm now,
The counters neat; food stacked.
The order’s back, you smell the chow:
“Come down and interact!”

Maracas Night @the Barn

Harrison plays the calabash Michelle the maracas Photo by Jeanne

Harrison plays the calabash
Michelle the maracas
Photo by Jeanne

Who shakes his gourd? by
fireside? shakes his shells, hips, jaw?
rocks stones with his rhythm?

a pair of hollow club like gourd or gourd-shaped containers filled with beans, pebbles, or similar objects, shaken as a percussion instrument.

denoting a type of traditional Mexican folk music, typically performed by a small group of strolling musicians dressed in native costume.

an evergreen tropical American tree that bears fruit in the form of large woody gourds.

A villanelle: My Treasure’s in the Cloud!

My Treasure's in the Cloud!

My Treasure’s in the Cloud!

My treasure’s in the Cloud!
My i-Mac stored it there!
Its debut leaves me proud.

Six poets found it: “wow’d”
My writing in the air!
My treasure’s in the Cloud!

Its rhythm’s hot and loud
My pleasure’s theirs to share
Its debut leaves me proud!

Kerplunk! kerplutz! kerpow!
The beat’s a rock-jazz pair
My treasure’s in the Cloud!

It shakes your rhyme, I vow
Castanets to flair
Its debut leaves me proud!

So jump ‘n sway ‘n clap
‘N snap hands hard on lap
My treasure’s in the Cloud!
Its debut leaves me proud!

Go see:

Calligraphy Polyphony

Calligraphy Polyphony

Chiseled strokes
Worldwide folks
Press and lift
Sway their gift.

Complex rhythms
Swiftly, thumbs
Swash and point
Exult, anoint.

Cursive Script
From Arabic
And Chinese sets
Come lacy, scrolling nets.

Counter points and melodies
Wave and meet
Rhythm’s beat.

by Jeanne Poland

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