Ric opened with a reading of a Carl Sandburg poem entitled
“Under the Harvest Moon”
Under the harvest moon,
When the soft silver
Drips shimmering
Over the garden nights,
Death, the gray mocker,
Comes and whispers to you
As a beautiful friend
Who remembers.
Under the summer roses
When the flagrant crimson
Lurks in the dusk
Of the wild red leaves,
Love, with little hands,
Comes and touches you
With a thousand memories,
And asks you
Beautiful, unanswerable questions.
Paula shared a series of photos taken every day of the same spot in her garden, which inspired a lively discussion about harvesting and collecting treasures.
We
talked about aspects of encasing and collecting sentimental
objects. Paula keeps a reliquary of bottles, love letters,
pieces of her family's hair and phone messages from her children from the last 10 years.
Mary
read a poem which opened our hearts and minds to the neglect and
contempt that ripened in New Orleans. We were asked to think about the
damage of what was harvested and to consider our theme in terms of
“sowing what you reap.”
Time to Share
by Mary L. Brady
© September 18, 2005
Someone is always angry down below
Someone stopping us from reaping what we sow
Who are you this time
That you let your deadly sea
Wash over our people and forced them to flee
Or to starve and die
While no one stood by?
Are you Poseidon or Neptune raging the Devil’s ugly hand
Waving destruction over our land?…
Or, are you Poseidon or Neptune the Angels of God
Warning us to prepare
Warning us to care
For our fellow man
Who cannot reap what they have sown
For their harvest has been blown
Drowned beneath the sea?
It is God’s message that the angels brought to me
We must care
We must share
Our crop that we have reaped
Not only for now – but through eternity!
This
was Tracy's first Brooklyn Love salon and she surprised many
of us who are familiar with her paintings. We were wonderfully
pleased to finally meet the artist of these wonderfully provocative
paintings.
She
showed us a painting which is part of a series of old women, some with
tattoos and piercings. She told us that they are usually seen on large
canvases. We thoroughly enjoyed reflecting on the painting and
discussing the idea of harvesting and ripening into old age.
Cindy,
Graciela and Ric created an improvisation based on three friends
visiting an art museum at different ages, from 2 years to 80 years old.
It was great fun and Christian captured our salon with his terrific
photos!
We had our monthly giveaway and shared announcements.
Graciela told us that she is going to Cuba in December. She has a
concert in November which we are all invited to!
Graciela closed our last salon in Red Hook with the song “Try to Remember” from The Fantasticks
Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember and if you remember
then follow.
Try to remember when life was so tender
When noone wept except the willow.
Try to remember when life was so tender
When dreams were kept beside your pillow.
Try to remember when life was so tender
When love was an ember about to billow.
Try to remember and if you remember
then follow.
Deep in December it's nice to remember
Although you know the snow will follow.
Deep in December it's nice to remember
Without a hurt the heart will hollow.
Deep in December it's nice to remember
The fire of September that made you mellow.
Deep in December our hearts should remember and follow.
A heartfelt thanks to all of our Brooklyn Love (art) salon friends for a memorable three years!
