New Voices, November, 2010

Pasha Coffee House,
3914 St. Elmo Avenue,
6:30 to 8:30 PM
Saturday, November 20, 2010
At New Voices, hot improvisational jazz meets the power of the spoken word. Hear music by The Undoctored Originals, including Dr. Jim Woodford, Keyboards, Dr. Bob Vogt, Saxophone, Billy Lowry, Drums, Ian Kibby, Euphonium, and Jack Gaillard, Congas. This event includes readings by Chattanooga area writers. Past participants have included Ray Zimmerman, Finn Bille, Jim Pfitzer, Bruce Majors, N.L. Diwan, Mary Wier, Julie Alexander, K.B Ballentine, E. Smith Gilbert, and others. Contact: znaturalist@yahoo.com

Confirmed Readers for November 20
Ray Zimmerman
N.L. Diwan
Mike Riello

Trust

Trust

A friend of mine is adamant
Thinks it highly important
we keep the words "in God we trust"
emblazoned on our currency.

I hate to disillusion him
but God has done quite well
for several millenia
without our endorsement.

God will undoubtedly do so
long after we all have departed.

Poems by Ray

Wind

It rattles 'round my brain.
A freight train it roars
up canyons, mows down trres,
yet autumn leaves remain.

Presentation

Local author to speak at Northgate Branch of the Public Library, at 11:00 am, Saturday, Oct. 23





RAY ZIMMERMAN, Poet, Writer, Essayist, Storyteller, Educator and Naturalist, will be the featured speaker on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 11:00 am at the Public Library's Northgate Branch, in honor of Friends of the Library Week.



Zimmerman, former president of the Chattanooga Writer's Guild, and organizer of spoken word events in Chattanooga, is a favorite in our city. He will read some of own poems, as well as poems by other authors, a short prose piece, and talk about developing the craft of writing.



Come and be delighted by his gentle spirit, wise words, and humorous observations



Refreshments provided by: Friends of the Library

Pine Tree Tops

Quoting A Poem from Gary Snyder

Pine Tree Tops
in the blue night
frost haze, the sky glows
with the moon
pine tree tops
bend snow-blue, fade
into sky, frost, starlight.
the creak of boots
rabbit tracks, deer tracks,
what do we know. - Gary Snyder

New Voices

Pasha Coffee House,
3914 St. Elmo Avenue,
6:30 to 8:30 PM
Saturday, October 16, 2010
At New Voices, hot improvisational jazz meets the power of the spoken word. Hear music by The Undoctored Originals, including Dr. Jim Woodford, Keyboards, Dr. Bob Vogt, Saxophone, Billy Lowry, Drums, Ian Kibby, Euphonium, and Jack Gaillard, Congas. This event includes readings by Chattanooga area writers. Past participants have included Ray Zimmerman, Finn Bille, Jim Pfitzer, Bruce Majors, N.L. Diwan, Mary Wier, Julie Alexander, K.B Ballentine, E. Smith Gilbert, and others. Contact: znaturalist@yahoo.com

Confirmed Readers So Far include:
Christyna Jenson
Mary Wier
Christian Collier
Bob Dombrowski
Finn Bille
N.L. Diwan
Dean Mobley
Marcus Ellsworth
Ginnie Strickland Sams
Travis Kilgore
and others

New Voices October 16

Had a great reading Sunday at Winder Binder with the Southern Lights poets. This is the first time Bill Brown has read in Chattanooga in a while.

Now I am ready for more poetry, Saturday, October 16 with New Voices and the Undoctored Originals at Pasha Coffee House in St. Elmo. 6:30 to 8:30.

Oil

Reposted by popular request.

Oil
Ray Zimmerman
7/5/2010

B.P. Drills for you.

Dick Cheney gave them money,
a few million or so
of taxpayer dollars
to assure America’s
energy future.
Denied they were at the meeting

Sarah Palin said
drill baby drill,
you betcha!

So the earth bleeds
oil into the Gulf
killing fish and fishing
directly or by fear.

Insinuation – don’t you dare
eat that shrimp, marinated
in the earth’s blood, in
ancient microbes under pressure
to give up
their energy stored for
our rainy day.

So the earth bleeds
killing fish and fishing
scaring investors into selling
all those condos on the beach
for pennies on the dollar
saved for their rainy day.

Their retirement goes up in flames
flaming tar balls
on the beach,
scaring tourists into staying
far away.

Put that vacation money away
save it for your rainy day.

The governors say
we need the revenue
from oil wells
with tourism going away.

Keep on drilling.

With fishing up in flames,
keep on drilling.

We need jobs
on the oil rigs.

Keep on drilling.

I say no,
stop the drilling,
but I keep driving
my truck,

reports of dead pelicans
on the radio as
I keep driving my truck.

Reports of broke fishermen
on the radio
dead fish washing ashore
still life with sand
painted by an artist,
his oil on canvas rendering
of oil on fish
of oil on beach as
I keep driving my truck.