This Little Light of Mine:

Addena’s Substack

February is National poetry month here in Canada, So I hope you managed to write some great new poetry, and I hope your month was with filled with unique and exciting poetry events. I manage to do both of those. That’s part of the reason why you haven’t heard from me this month until now. So, once again….. welcome!Thanks for taking the time out of your busy lives to spend a little time with me.

In case you don’t know, I love Storytelling, and I love writing. But Poetry…

I’d like to offer you a few poems before national poetry month ends. One poem I wrote a while ago, and one poem I wrote just a few days ago: this first one I wrote, I was at a blues club event, in Hamilton. Terry Gillespie and his Blues Band (of collected musicians) were featured . My husband Irvin and I were sitting at a table with Patty Kelly and Debbie Lightheart and some of their Girlfriends who had invited us to drive down ( one hour and a half to Hamilton) for a Blues Jam. When the band started Jammin’, people hit the floor and began dancing! That’s the thing with Blues music, most people don’t sit around and listen, they can’t wait to dance. I was sitting sippin on a margarita and enjoying the music and checking out the dancers on the dance floor when I noticed one man dancing all by himself. He seemed to have a rhythm of his own in his head, and because he didn’t seem to be dancing to the beat of the music that I was hearing, you bet he was loving it. As I was watching him, I pulled out a pen and some paper, from my purse and started scribbling this poem:

Ode to the Blues Band

I don’t give a shit I’m  dancing ! I’m  “givin –er”. No matter that the rhythm in my head Has no relation to the beats your band is playing

I’m dancing!

I’ve spent far too long Worrying about the World’s perception of me To think about your judging me I just don’t give a shit I’m dancing !

I’m movin And I’m groovin To the beats your music evokes In my heart In my soul !

It makes me jump And twist And jerk And flail

And glide across the floor with Wild Abandon

It makes me smile It bring me Joy

And if .. from out the corner of my eye I see you smirking ... I just don’t give a shit!

..   I’m dancing!

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The second poem I’m gonna share is a poem I just wrote while I was sitting at here thinking about our last trip to Jamaica and missing it already (although it’s only been three months since we left) I don’t have a title for it yet…….. Any ideas?

Jamaica is my Soul's pacifier

I suckle its ancestral juices to grow me

It washes away all the pain of growing up in a Vat of Whiteness

Fearing my Blackness would taint the brew

Jamaica throws back the covers 

To reveal the mysteries of why its rhythms move me,

 and soothe me, and stir my soul.

****************

So now let’s Shine a little Light on a couple other poets and Artists

Let me re-introduce you to my dear dear friend, Sidney Shapira you can find him on Instagram under his name:  Sidney Shapira.

Sidney is a photographer and a poet and he’s my dear friend from Winnipeg whom I’ve known since we went to theatre school together he is the collaborator and it was all his photography in the book, “The Gate And Other Poems Of a Life’s Journey“, Poetry by Doug Jordan.  

Sidney takes the most  Wowsome photos wherever he travels.  

Recently now he traveled here to Victoria, and his themes for his chosen photos capture Victoria in intriguing, unique, and provocative ways. Sometimes I look at them and just say: Ahhhhhh! 

The other week week he photographed scenery here is a sample of a couple …

The next week his theme here In victoria were sculptures.  In particular the sculptures hands of time.  I am only going to include one photos and then I can direct you to go see some of his photos at: Sidney Shapira on Instagram … or, if you’re lucky enough, you can make friends with him, and maybe he’ll invite you to be his Facebook friend where he posts Most of his photos . 

I found all the photos of his hands of times sculptures just fascinating. 

I can’t believe that I live here and haven’t seen any of the sculptures before!

Thank you Sidney for letting us share your wonderful work and getting to know you a little bit more.

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This month, besides working on a grant project and rewriting lots of material for that project. I was contacted by Bonnie Nish, who is the Executive Director of “Word Vancouver”, and “Pandora’s Collective Outreach Society”. Bonnie invited me to write some poems for an amazing event of poetry and Art that Pandora’s Collective was organizing called: “ Place, Memory and Distance-Exhibition and Night of Poetry”. It was held in Vancouver at the Art Gallery: “Atelier 8.18” By Event Host Lorraine White- Wilkinson and Curator, Kyla Bourgh.

The gallery was open in the early evening, and attendees, were invited to go through the gallery and look at all the Art. Light snacks were offered and drinks were available., ( that was so welcome). After guests had a time to view the Art Exhibit, there was a time set up where they could write their response to an art pieces, and after that there a Open Mic designated time for any one who wanted to share what they had written. After that, there were 5 featured poets: Sean McGarragle, Natasha Boskie, Sophea Heang, Wilhelmina Sallme, (and me), Addena Sumter- Freitag.

The Art pieces in the Exhibit (we wrote on) were several different paintings by the Artists: Simon Fleming, Allison Keenan, Vivi Maidanik, and Indeet Sharon. You can see the pieces at The Living Library and on the website of Kyla Bourgh under the Atelier 8 18 tab:

www.kylabourgh.com/atelier-818.html

You can also see the many forms of Kyla’s Art at: kylabourgh.com

That’s all for this month.

I had more content planned but I keep writing things in drafts and they disappear,  and I redo them, and redo them , and they disappear. I make videos and photo collages and post them in a draft and …poof!   …. and then ( after days of trying) I say , “OK that’s it , that’s enough .  Just publish what you have already” !   

Hey Everyone …please don’t forget you can order my books in print, and ebooks are available too. And, my favourite new motto: Books make great gifts! 🥰

addenasumterfreitag.com

So …I hope you’re liking what’s happening in my Newsletters .   

My goal to bring you a few smiles,  a few laughs, maybe some good poetry and stories, introduce you to a few good people , and Shine A Little Light wherever I can.  

take care, 

 One love ❤️