Barbara Mitchell
Barbara is an award winning poet who has been published in hundreds of magazines
and periodicals. Some of her work has been translated into Romanian and Braille.
With fellow writer, Nathan Harms, she has pioneered three inspirational
multi-media poetry photo features enjoyed by thousands throughout Alberta and
Saskatchewan.
She is one of the founding members of the Poet’s Gathering and serves as one
of the Directors of the Utmost Writer’s Fellowship. Barbara has been a judge for
their international poetry contests, along with judging ICWF literary contests
and the anthology for Light and Life.
She has been involved in public readings with the Stroll of Poets and has
hosted six years of readings for the ICWF and Poet’s Gatherings in Chapter’s
stores and coffee shops in Edmonton and Calgary.
Barbara has one published book of poetry and is currently at work on her
second, a manuscript of love poetry. She continues to mentor many beginning
writers and hosts workshops designed to inspire writers at all levels by
exploring uncharted topics out of personal emotions and life situations.
Barbara is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband in
Edmonton
http://www.poetrycafe.ca/
and periodicals. Some of her work has been translated into Romanian and Braille.
With fellow writer, Nathan Harms, she has pioneered three inspirational
multi-media poetry photo features enjoyed by thousands throughout Alberta and
Saskatchewan.
She is one of the founding members of the Poet’s Gathering and serves as one
of the Directors of the Utmost Writer’s Fellowship. Barbara has been a judge for
their international poetry contests, along with judging ICWF literary contests
and the anthology for Light and Life.
She has been involved in public readings with the Stroll of Poets and has
hosted six years of readings for the ICWF and Poet’s Gatherings in Chapter’s
stores and coffee shops in Edmonton and Calgary.
Barbara has one published book of poetry and is currently at work on her
second, a manuscript of love poetry. She continues to mentor many beginning
writers and hosts workshops designed to inspire writers at all levels by
exploring uncharted topics out of personal emotions and life situations.
Barbara is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband in
Edmonton
http://www.poetrycafe.ca/
"Winter in the Garden"
in this season when your heart bleeds its prayer and your soul is silent in its god-sense when you sit in the heaving hollow of this day’s hunger and stillness and peace is the cushion you ache for remember that i am waiting on the far side of the garden i am a spinning center of whispering words and though i dance a snowy circle inside the gate do not think i forget you for while i scatter the freshness of my spirit to the throbbing winds and my footsteps dance a pattern in the glistening white remember it is you i dance for it is for you i wear this reverance and when i turn you in the easy caricature of my heart know that i am lifting you to the heavens with every note of my singing the way the dying blades of grass beneath the white lift their heads i am a seeker of every hidden miracle within the corners of this garden and i paste them behind my eyes to bring to you later, as gifts i am witness to the glory of this season and when you come to me once again we will commune in the simple flow of scripture that will move between my breath and yours and all the dissonance of your frayed spirit will dispel into this garden air http://www.poetrycafe.ca/poetry-readings/upper-crust/ |
Untitled
yesterday you brought me flowers your catcher’s mitt a clumsy vase for yellow stems with lavender blooms so rare i knew you’d picked them from some secret place it took eleven years to find and though your eyes made hasty dodge when meeting mine i saw the smile curve it’s way around your mouth i saw the way love drifted in to hang around in silence today i found another bloom copper-hued and knew you’d gone some extra step to place it there left with care among my favorite things and though you gently shrugged my hand and turned instead to pictures on the wall then taking up your striker’s pose you talk to me of batting scores and outfield goals i see the way lives re-arrange adjust to things we dare not say i see the way two hearts go on to build themselves a garden http://www.poetrycafe.ca/poetry-readings/poetry-and-prose-on-perron/ |
"Someone Forgot They Had Children Tonight"
Four years old and they found her like that a crumpled heap of grief in the shade a crown of poverty bruised her head hunger leaned into her cheeks and the scrappings of her dress held together thin bones locked in fear Someone forgot they had children tonight and didn’t come home didn’t see how she fed herself on the absence of mother and father how her posture curled into a tiny cage of ribs to protect her heart or the way her dreams dried up in her eyes Four years old and they found her like that hunched in anguish rehearsing her abandonment in daily ritual http://www.poetrycafe.ca/poetry-readings/stroll-of-poets-february-22-2010/ |