Crowned

Brown eyed susan’s trimmed 

of once brilliant flowers, 

their button brown eyes abandoned by fragile 

golden petals of summer.

These shorn favourites sit 

beneath stately trees, 

graced by golden ruby crowns to rest quietly 

on clipped and barren stems.

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower”

~ Albert Camus

Author's note: Reformatted April 15, 

Shadows and Sunrise

Curtains pulled aside ~ Wrapped in a peach pink shawl early morning light peeked in from between a pastel leafy shrub and the sharp outline of the staid apartment across the street. In a moment, morning’s shawl faded to gauzy white, sunshine now shining on the 

green gold leaves outside my window. 

As morning brightened, faint shadows of the rounded pastel leaves paint briefly on white walls, splash across furniture until they too were gone like shadowy memories that smile and wave from my mind ~ brief glimpses into the past. Memories that disappear as quickly as the beautiful peach pink shawl of morning. 

There is always a promise that they will reappear at some time and 

in some place to brighten a sleepy morning, reminding me 

that memories are like shadows and sunrise.

“Smile my boy, it’s sunrise.”

~ Robin Williams

'A Stitch in Time'

Effects are not what are heard in the 

out-loud spaces of a day, but can be seen in glimpses from changes made 

in the still light of morning, carried softly or courageously each day.

Effects are not what are wished 

for but are colourful parts of 

the fabric of our beings hinting, 

at shadows or joys never

expected or chosen in each life.

Effects are not what are designed

only reshaped to fit each life be they 

beautiful or plain spoken, filled with 

joy or sadness ~ when stitched 

with gratitude, change can be born.

“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more

 than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1906 - 1945

Even Before Noon!

Great and simple…….

   great and simple.…

  hmmm..great and simple...

I don’t have anything today

not a shred of greatness nor

a modicum of simplicity!

Despite an ordered day beset with sudden detours, 

bumps and twists

even before noon arrived, 

I managed to scratch out this dreadful muse.

“Annoyance and pathos warred in my breast, and after a short struggle, 

annoyance punched pathos in the snout like the voracious shark it was.”

~ Kate Elliott, Cold Steel

Time to Make Change

Each item has special meaning.

Naive beginnings 

begin the churning of our hearts when

we grow up and step outside the comfort and discomfort of adolescence that trails through the next years from our youthful fanfares and fun, astonishing growth and sometimes sad brokenness.

Naive beginnings, new emotional layers, never really lost,

keep our hearts astir when

we grow well past adolescence ~ 

discomforts and comforts of the several years of adult busy-ness set aside until time to make change 

for a new/old comfort zone.

“The important part of growing older was the growing part. Resisting 

change meant forever standing still, which was a sad way to live.”

~ Barbara Delinsky, Blueprints

Play Review: Bang Bang by Kat Sandler

Always a struggle to write a play. Writing a successful play that involves the topics of police brutality as a result of systemic racism, artistic license, and gun violence with a dash of gender equality on one stage is a struggle that goes beyond the usual. Playwright Kat Sandler was up to the challenge. The play Bang, Bang at Belfry Theatre, on Sunday afternoon was a triumph of humour, anger, and frustration culminating in a standing ovation. Bang Bang, presented at the Belfry, played in conjunction with the The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg.

These emotionally charged topics came together in the living room of Karen Hines, played by Warona Setshwaelo, a psychologist and the mother of Lila Hines ~ both of them black. Lila had returned home to live with her mother, when her career as a police officer was derailed following a serious incident when she was on duty. Tim Bernbaum played by Tom Keenan, is a playwright who was inspired to write 'a play' based on this serious incident. Lila definitely does not want to talk about this incident. While doing her job as a police officer, she shot a young black man. Tim arrives, unexpectedly and unwelcome, to talk about his play. An extremely awkward, often hilarious, and circuitous conversation takes place with Tim trying to be politically correct ~ and failing badly ~ about race (Tim is white). He, with this same awkwardness, blurts out that a movie is to be made of his play which details Lila’s experience far too closely for Lila’s liking, except for a couple of important details. Two other characters, involved in the movie, come on scene: Jackie Savage, played by Sébastion Heins; Tony Cappello, played by Alex Poch-Golden. Jackie Savage is a young man who is played the role of Lila ~ the movie company changed the gender to further usurp Lila’s story. Ultimately, there is a hilarious ‘play reading’ of Tim’s play which devolves into frustration, misunderstanding and sadness.

The skill and sensitivity that playwright Kat Sandler had in writing this play, using humour and pain, drove home the sad reality of these issues that are prevalent in our society today. In this writer’s opinion, the characters of Karen (Lila’s mother) and of Tony (Jackie’s bodyguard) were the strengths that balanced the grief, anger and anxiety of the two main characters (Lila, Tim). Lila was in deep pain, Tim only wanted to write a play and make a movie to bring all of the issues into the light. Jackie Savage (to play Lila in the 'play'), was distanced from the actual pain that Lila experienced, often shifting his opinions about the entire dynamic, only concerned with making a movie. Because of the intensity of the subjects involved and the dynamics between the actors, the language was quite blue throughout the play, which may put some people off. To accept this as a very real part of such a situation will allow any playgoer to be treated to a wonderful work of art.

“The quality of a play is the quality of its ideas.”

~ George Bernard Shaw

Bang Bang by Kat Sandler

Sébastien Heins - Jackie Savage

Tom Keenan - Tim Bernbaum

Beverly Ndukwu - Lila Hines

Alex Poch-Goldin - Tony Cappello

Warona Setshwaelo - Karen Hines

Director: Kelly Thornton

Set Designer: Ada, Parboosingh

Costume Designer: Joseph Abetria

Lighting Designer: Scott Henderson

Sound Designer: Brian Linds

Fight Director: Jacqueline Loewen

Firearms Consultant: Dave Brown

Consulting Director: Audrey Dwyer

Apprentice Director: Eric Rae

Stage Manager: Jennifer Swan

Assistant Stage Manager: Zahra Larche

Rhythm and Music ~1

Habitual steps to dancing

only one dance ever danced

can get pretty old ~ 

but safe in the knowing ~

Play new music,

  sing new songs,

stride out to find new energy.

Shift all the steps

quicken your pace ~

  or maybe slow it down.

Hear the deep, flowing music

inside your soul and

outside of your head to know 

the rhythm that keeps you safe.

“Some rules are nothing but old habits 

that people are afraid to break.”

~ Theres Fowler, Souvenir