The Good Land Offers a Home for Goleta Poets

Melinda Palacio

The Poetry Club

      

When I saw the announcement of a poetry club at the Goleta Valley Library, I was happy to check it out since I thought the library was closed for renovations. When I arrived, I realized there was some information missing from the announcement. The Goleta Valley Library is indeed closed for renovations but there was a sign sending people to the express library. Since last July, the library’s collection is in a temporary building at 6500 Hollister Avenue, Suite 105, known as GVL Express. At the Express library you can use one of four computers, check out and return books, buy books from the Friends of the Library, and take advantage of a variety of free bilingual services and resources.

I walked in expecting to be only a little late to the poetry club. However, the friendly staff explained that the poetry club was being held at the Goleta Community Center in the opposite direction I had traveled. The librarian’s encouragement kept me going. She said that the poetry club is worth finding and lots of fun. Most of the library’s social meetings, their mystery book club and film club, are located at the Goleta Community Center. By the time I found The Poetry Club, the doors to the community center were locked. Luckily, someone heard me rattling the door and let me in.

What I found was a welcoming group of diverse people, both poetry enthusiasts and budding poets in a large comfortable room with chairs and comfortable couches. The atmosphere was of friends learning about poetry and commenting on the poems. At least two people shared their own poetry. Library Assistant Tara Patrick brought copies of well known poems to discuss, but was pleased that participants brought their own favorite poems to pass out. “The idea is you don’t have to be a poet,” she said, “but we love for people to read their own work. Poet César R. Verrier enjoys bringing new drafts of his work to the group for feedback. “You can test how it resonates with other people and work on it,” he said.

César R. Verrier

 

A young poet, Nazani Cassidy, found the Poetry Club on instagram through the library’s @goletavalleylibrary account. She cherishes the monthly meetings and says she would attend more often should the group decide to meet weekly. Nazani works in Old Town and was thrilled to find a poetry group in her community that fits her full time work schedule. The Poetry Club meets the 3^rd Sunday of the Month from 2-3:30 pm at the Goleta Community Center, 5679 Hollister Avenue and is a free program offered by the Goleta Valley Library. Nazani appreciates the support and encouragement she receives from the group. “This is a great group of local people who really care about taking the time to listen.

 

Nazani Cassidy

 *an earlier version of this column was published in the Santa Barbara Independent

Poetry Connection: Connecting with Local Poets in Goleta, CA

Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate 

David Starkey, Cie Gumucio
Anna Mathews, Daniel Thomas, Shirley Geok-lin Lim, and Dylan Farrell

In a case of IYKYK, then you know that the Goleta Valley Poetry Series is one of the best kept secrets in our local poetry scene. Poet Laureate Emeritus, David Starkey, runs the series twice a year. He pairs seasoned and youth poets, with the help of Cie Gumucio who is the Santa Barbara County Coordinator and Poet Teacher with Cal Poets in the Schools. Starkey says he adopted the idea from a New England poetry series, The Liar’s Bench. This month’s Goleta Valley edition was outstanding. Perhaps knowing that the series might be put on hold due to the library’s upcoming renovation made each reader stand out for me. There was something special l about each of the poets. The librarian’s are committed to the poetry series and just might come up with a creative way to keep it going throughout the renovation. Let’s hope they come up with a solution to keep the biannual series going. Meanwhile, if you want to write more poetry in the new year, sign up for David Starkey’s Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop at the Central Library next month on Sunday, January 12. 

The line-up included Dos Pueblos High School student and 2023 Poetry Out Loud Regional winner, Anna Mathews (you may recall Anna Mathews from previous columns), 6^th Grader at Mountain View Elementary, Dylan Farrell, Daniel Thomas, and Professor Emerita Shirley Geok-lin Lim, who merits her own write-up, look for more in a future poetry connection column. A proud Goleta resident, the UCSB Professor Emeritus said she was happy to be presenting at her local branch.

Anna Mathews is a poet to watch. As a Poetry Out Loud Regional winner, she knows how to deliver a poem, even offers some hand choreography. Her powerful poems linger in the ear and heart. Dylan Farrell, age 12, opened the reading series. He said it was his first poetry reading. However, he seemed so at ease at the podium, you would think he was a much older, seasoned poet. 

Nightmare 

written by Dylan Farrell

6th Grade , Mountain View Elementary

Nightmare 

Tonight in the darkness, an image struck me

a land where love is a dream and hate is a dark reality where you find

strength in pain and beauty in death

when I arose from my slumber I vowed not to let this dark illusion become

a reality

yet my wounded heart fell

so I looked out the window, a portal and I threw my heart out

I projected my thoughts in to the infant void

I screamed my mind to are beautiful country trying in vain to rid my life of

this nightmare

And the void answered back showing me a land of dreams a land where

you can unshackle your chains and set down your burdens

where love is your guide and hate is only a dark thought in the back of

your mind

As I looked through my portal my wounds hurt less and my scars

healed

yet my nightmare remanded It haunted me endlessly so I spoke

“‘I have tried fighting you and I have tried pushing you away so all that's

left to do is to embrace you” and so I did

And I have never stopped

I hold it still to this day and for some strange reason I see things differently

when I see things hurt and tinged with despair

I look back to where we started

I look at a nightmare and I see a dream

Dylan wrote the poem after a presentation and lesson to his 6th-grade class on how poets and politics have intersected over the years by Cie Gumucio. The class discussed Martin Luther King’s I have a Dream speech, Maya Angelou’s poem, Still, I Rise, and they watched and listened to Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb. Cie asked the students to reflect on the inspiring words of each poet and write their own poems about their hopes for the future. 

This week’s poetry connection features a poem by Dylan Farrell and two by Daniel Thomas who is equally at home writing about music and stillness. There’s a spiritual, yin and yang quality to his work. His collection of poems include, Leaving the Base Camp at Dawn (2022) and Deep Pockets (2018). He has an MFA in poetry from Seattle Pacific University, as well as an MA in film and a BA in literature. 

THE FADO SINGER

Daniel Thomas

The word itself contains shadows,

as if the singer stands poised

between the saddened past

and the always fickle future, in a now

lit only by a glaring spotlight

that shines the sequins of her silver

dress and deepens the night sky

hidden in her eyes of black onyx.

Her long arms gesture to the balcony

and her voice trembles through

a languid melody in a minor key,

while three guitars pluck percussive

notes that frame her liquid arcs

like the simple setting of a fine

carnelian stone. Her Portuguese words

grant me liberty to hear only

rhythm and melody and the mouthed and trilled

consonants and vowels that might speak

of lost love, or death beside us

in the dim hall, or the deep sorrow

in these things we live beside. And so

I am transfixed by the origin of drama,

before plot or theme, just

the one life that shines through

her face, stares into darkness, sings

the pure song of her dangling fate.

GREEN PEARLS

Daniel Thomas

When illness stills you, and worry weights

your limbs—when you rub your eyes to wake up

and the rose light of evening slants

across the dusty table—you take a walk,

but the neighborhood is empty—even the birds

have flown, taking with them the furnishings

of sound that make the world inhabitable.

You remember Midwest autumns—how herds

of maple leaves skittered across the blacktop.

Nestled among tree trunks and leafless shrubs,

they found their place of winter rest.

You, too, hurry down the driveway, brittle

as the dried husk of a seed pod. But within you—

green pearls in a frail shell.

*an earlier version of this column appears in the Santa Barbara Independent

Poetry Connection: Connecting with Poets of Different Generations

Melinda Palacio

 Earlier this month, David Starkey, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate from 2009-2011, hosted his semi-annual poetry series at the Goleta Valley Library August 4. Given that it was the last day of Fiesta, it was nice to see a full house. I was honored to read with a lineup that showcased four different generations of Santa Barbara County poets. Library technician Craig Clevenger is thrilled to have the series at the Goleta Valley Library. “I am truly moved by the participation and attendance at these events,” he said. “That such a thriving community for poetry is alive and well here is proof that Santa Barbara is a bright pin in the literary map.”

 

Musician and Vietnam Veteran, Ruben Lee Dalton read from his book of poetry, Broken Bottles, a book that was published four years ago, during the pandemic. As many authors whose books were released during covid lockdown, it’s tough to figure out how to relaunch a book. Dalton’s first reading and presentation of Broken Bottles was on David Starkey’s television show, the Creative Community. When I asked the poet about his plans for a relaunch of his book, he nodded and mentioned he was thinking about it. His poems speak about fatherhood and human nature and the natural world. His poems about being a combat veteran are some of the best examples of that genre. I look forward to seeing more events surrounding this important poetry collection. 

 

While Dalton was our eldest poet, I represented the next generation or the Gen X group. My set of poems dealt with more contemporary political issues, such as the Dobbs decision, Black Lives Matter, and the border, specifically my poem that reimagines the legend of La Llorona. I had some friends in the audience who I hadn’t seen in over fifteen years. I read some older poems that I usually don’t read. 

 

Putting a set together is important to me. We all have attended poetry readings where the poet is not prepared and is flipping through their books and pages, trying to decide which poem to read. This causes the audience to lose their interest, however much they adore the poet. It’s important to respect the audience and to prepare a set. And, it’s always good to have a few extra poems prepared in case you are allotted extra time. 

 

I usually have a guitar or ukulele with me and if I am the only reader, I might plan on playing a song. At the library, because there were four readers, I left my instruments at home. It turned out I could have played a tune. A traffic incident caused two of our poets to be delayed and our host invited me to read a little longer. I was glad I had extra poems, but regretted that the one time I had left my guitar at home was when I could have used it. A lesson learned. Always be prepared. 

 

Next, our soon-to-be college student and Youth Poet Laureate, Jasmine Guerrero Sevilla arrived and read her poems. Last month’s guest column, featured an interview of Jasmine by Cie Gumicio. Jasmine writes effectively and lyrically in both English and Spanish. I am glad that her voice is being celebrated. Starting college at Sacramento State and a turn as Santa Barbara’s Youth Poet Laureate seems daunting, but after meeting her, I am sure she will excel at both. 

 

Our youngest reader was 10-year-old poet Soe Bender. With two parents who are writers, it’s no wonder Soe is already being published in this year’s California Poets in the Schools 2024 State Anthology. She was inspired to write her first poem when she was 8 years old after reading Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai. I wanted to know what she liked about writing poetry. She said, “I like that I can express my feelings through the rhythm of the words.” She reads her work with authority and energy. She is an impressive child and poet. 

 

This week’s poem comes from Soe Bender. 

 

 

 

I Am From…

 

By Soe Bender

 

I am from the sound of my dad, strumming his guitar,

music echoing through the walls

 

I am from the warmth of the sun and the patter of the rain on my face

When I step outside each day

 

I am from the pots clanging in the kitchen

Garlic and spices drifting through the air all around

 

I am from my first word, my first step, my first hug

Memories I will never forget

 

I am from laughs and smiles from my family and friends

That can cheer up any sad day

 

I am from the soft waves lapping against my feet

As my heels dig into the sun-kissed sand

 

I am from the snowy mountains

 

I am from the rolling hills

 

I am from everything that has made me happy or sad

Because all those things are apart of me

 

 

Soe Bender lives in Santa Barbara with her mom, dad, brother and dog, Cosmo. She spends most of her time drawing, writing, and painting. She enjoys listening to K-pop music and loves to express her creativity in different ways. 

*an earlier version of this column was published in the Santa Barbara Independent

Meet Santa Barbara's Youth Poet Laureate on Sunday

 Melinda Palacio

Last week, Jasmine Guerrero Sevilla, a graduate from Santa Ynez High School was named Santa Barbara County Youth Poet Laureate. She will read at the Goleta Valley Library with current City of Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Melinda Palacio on Sunday, August 4 at 2pm, hosted by David Starkey, Santa Barbara's second poet laureate (2009-2011). 

Goleta Valley Library, Sunday August 4, 2pm, 500 N. Fairview Avenue, Goleta CA.

(hola bloga, this should be a nice poster but blogger is giving me grief. I hope to return to a normal post next time. For now, a short announcement).