Poets In Port, November 30, 2007

Poets in Port will feature Kathaleen Donnelly at 7:30 pm on Friday, November 30, 2007 at Caffé Portofino, 249 Main St., Northport, opposite the theatre. There will also be an Open Reading — the audience is encouraged to bring their poems and participate. For more information, contact Steven Schmidt.

Kathaleen Donnelly, graduate of St.Vincent’s School of Nursing, currently a Nurse Practitioner in Cardiology at Stony Brook University Hospital. Earned a M.A. in Philosophy while working 12 years in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit through the 1990’s. Single mother, son Keith. Opened and ran Whispering Wonders Child Care Center in Port Jefferson Village for 12 years. A member of the Sweetbriar Photography Club, and new poet with published/awarded poems:

• ‘Whistles’—10^th Anniversary Issue of Literary Review, A Publication of Performance Poets Association, and ‘Solitude’ in the 11^th issue.
• ‘Claire’s House’—Long Island Quarterly. (2006)
• ‘August Days’—Second Place, Princess Ronkonkoma 4^th Annual Poetry Contest (2006) and ‘First Swim of the Season’—Honorable Mention, humor category.
• ‘Aging Remedy’—Songs of Seasoned Women, QUADRASOUL, INC. (2007)
• ‘Lost in Autumn’, ‘The Wind Calls’ and ‘Impossible’—2007 L.I. Sounds Anthology.

Evening on the Beach

A small blond boy
stands at the shoreline
hurling flat rocks into the water,
surprised each time
they don’t skim the surface;
tries again,
and again.

Seagulls glide along the water’s skin,
fly towards me as I float atop,
not edible,
fly on.

On the beach, they avoid
airborne rocks;
sense danger.
How do their bird brains know?

Exposed green haired rocks
announce low tide;
I swim three feet
above a sandy floor.

The sun peaks between clouds.
Sunrays strike the sea,
leave a shimmering trail.
I could follow it,
circumvent the globe,
if land mass didn’t block the way.

My small friend leaves me,
I am alone on a beach on Long Island.
Where is everyone
on a hot mid August eve?

No matter.  I am with the shimmering sea.