Friday, April 8, 2016

I Have Had a Poem Published

I have been published today by Poetry Breakfast. Here is the link to the page, in their online magazine. Here is the link:

http://poetrybreakfast.com/2016/04/06/honeysweat-a-poem-by-becca-burke-allison/

It calls up summer nights in Birmingham, Alabama, in the 60's. We didn't have air conditioning, so our father built a huge box fan that fit in the dining room window and blew outward.  Then we opened the windows of our bedrooms and the fan pulled air in those windows and out the fan window.

The breeze was fresh and wonderful. It dried our little sweaty necks and the spots behind our knees. We could smell the night air and hear the crickets and cicadas as we fell asleep.

Sometimes I think we lose something with the advent of air conditioning. No, I know we do.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Vivienne at Seven Months

My grandbabygirl is almost seven months old.

Her length and weight are healthy, maybe a little petite, but fine. She is cooing and "talking" , sitting up and rolling over right on schedule.

She is beginning to look more like her mother, Beverly. Her eyes are a pretty blue green like her mother's. She has no hair to speak of, like her father at that age.
Beverly and Vivienne
2 months old

She lies on her back and kicks her legs vigorously. We will see them at Christmas. I can hardly wait!

It has been far too long since I wrote here. I am not sure what the reason is; I could claim things like being a new grandmother or a new political activist for Bernie Sanders - both give me hope for the future.

But the fact is I have been writing elsewhere and neglecting this blog.

So I am back, bringing my daydreaming along.

I've been campaigning for Bernie Sanders, and learning a hell of a lot along the way.  He seems to be the brightest hope for my grandchildren's future.

While we were buying the Republican trickle-down garbage, a lot of my children's future trickled away.

Saddled with ridiculous student debt for college - $15,000 for one year  - my sons are struggling to make the payments. I don't want that for my grandchildren.

I hope to move to Greensboro this year to be closer to them.

Meanwhile I am volunteering at a local thrift store, working part-time as a food demonstrator at Costco, and writing poetry. I have even done a couple of poetry slams locally. Didn't win, but learned a lot.

Also had another poem published online, in Poetry Breakfast. I will see if I can link it to this blog.

Talk to you soon!