Tag Archives: Robert W. McGregor

World Poetry Celebrates Yaara Ben-David from Israel!

Ariadne’s Notes:

The World Poetry Café had an enchanting show on April 27, CFRO 100.5 FM with poets from Israel and Ghana phoning in. To LISTEN CLICK HERE!

Yaara Ben David phoned in at 1:10 pm PST, CFRO 100.5 FM. She read a poem in Hebrew and we listened to a lovely Clip of music based on her poem as well as hearing her profound thoughts on poetry. Her comments and lovely voice added a special quality to the interview.

Oswald Okaitei, World Poetry Theatre Director and multi-award winner, Called in from Accra, Ghana at 1:40 pm PST with interactive song and poetry poems. It was great to hear what he is doing and the possibility that he may visit Canada in August. We also want to thank him for his warm words about World Poetry Canada International and how our belief in him has helped.

Such a magical hour, E-poems by Robert w. McGregor (one in Spanish) and Katherine Gordon from her new collected and edited book called Piping at End of Days. I am honoured to be in

Also, the World Poetry Café radio Show Team of Host and producer Ariadne Sawyer, MA, co-host Anita Aguirre Nieveras, special tech, Victor Schwartzman , special volunteer and dog Willow did a wonderful job.

Yaara Ben-David is a veteran Israeli poet residing in Israel. To date, she has published nine books, of which seven are poetry books (including the new book “Blood Red Strawberries”) and two are a collection of essays on Israeli and international literary works. These books have received acclaim in Israel, earning awards and prizes.

Her poems, written in Hebrew, have been translated into various languages and published in literary publications worldwide. Dozens of her poems have been put to music and subsequently performed by well-known musicians. Her recently published book of poems, “Fragile Balance,” has been warmly received, lauded on the pages of literary journals and on Israeli radio programs.

Additionally, since 1970, Yaara Ben-David exhibits her collage works in galleries and various cultural centers in Israel. There is a bi-directional influence between her poetry and her collage works. Source: & www.contentoNow

The book is now available on:

The book is now available on Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Red-Strawberries-Yaara-Ben-David-ebook/dp/B01MR6ZMZP

Reaffirmation

I buy myself rights

in this plot of time

in which one always pays

in blood-red strawberries,

to later draw the line for eyes

oblivious to their own longing.

The beauty is in the fruit that has ripened and slowly soured

and is already molded in the language

like a contradiction within itself.

‎

Yaara Ben-David (C) All rights reserved by the author.

World Poetry Celebrates Dee Hobsbawn-Smith!

Ariadne’s Notes: On April 20, 2017, 1PM on CFRO, 100.5 FM, the World Poetry Café welcomed the multitalented and powerful poetess, Dee Hobsbawn-Smith, retired chief and sustainable food advocate. Her words of advise and wisdom about food, cooking and poetry were absolutely empowering to all the listeners. She will be on tour in the coming months, including in B.C. For a list of her tour dates: www.deehobsbawnsmith.com

Thanks to the World Poetry café Team of Ariadne Sawyer, producer and host, Anita Aguirre Nieveras , super engineer, Victor Schwartzman special volunteer Sharon Rowe and volunteer Willow the dog. Music by Anthony Prosk (Gulf Island Suite) and Don Amero (CD, Refined)

A must hear show for the planet : CLICK HERE!

Photo by Shelley Banks.

dee hobsbawn-smith’s poetry, essays, fiction and journalism has appeared in newspapers, websites, magazines, anthologies and literary journals in Canada, the USA and Scotland, including Grain, Gastronomica: The Journal of Culture and Food, The Malahat Reiview, Prairie Fire, The Antigonish Review, Vallum, CV2, Freefall and others. In 2015-16, she served as the Saskatoon Public Library’s 35^th Writer in Residence. A retired chef and ex-restaurateur, she lives west of Saskatoon and earned her MFA in Writing at the University of Saskatchewan. She has published seven books. Foodshed: An Edible Albert Alphabet (Touchwood, 2012) won three international awards for its unflinching examination of the politics and challenges of small-scale sustainable food production. Her first collection of poetry, Wildness Rushing In (Hagios, 2014) was a finalist for Book of the Year and Best Poetry Collection at the Saskatchewan Book Awards. It was followed by her first short fiction collection, What Can’t Be Undone (Thistledown, 2015.) At present, she is working on her debut novel, an essay collection, and new poetry. Most recently, she has contributed to the SK poetry anthology, Line Dance (Burton Books, 2016), edited by Gerald Hill, and was part of a contingent of Canadian poets who read at The Bowery Poetry Club in New York City. www.deehobsbawnsmith.com

Red cedar

thirty years of your brother’s life

hanging in a cedar-lined closet under the back stairs.

~ Judith Krause, “A History of Shirts” from Mongrel Love

The cedar chest came from Lebanon, a gift.

In one corner, tiny clothes

I sewed for my sons.

Childhood never wears out.

It travels with me, that time. Before

I came to poetry, I lived it –

swung high swoops on redwood swings,

small sons on lap, leaped

like a leopard over fire hydrants at their urging.

In the chest, purple fleece vests outgrown

before the seams could strain or fade,

jesters’ hats, laid aside when they outgrew magic.

I wear their vests and hats now on my morning walks,

wrap myself in my sons’ childhood,

red cedar days that never wear out.

World Poetry Celebrates Robert W. McGregor from Canada!

To hear this great show! CLICK HERE!

Since it was fundraising time for our show, Robert also became a member and helped pitch on the air. We need $1,000 per year to keep our show on the air. We are all volunteers and the World Poetry Café will be celebrating its 21st year. If anyone wants to become a member or at an international level , become a donner, you can go to www. coopradio .org and click on membership. Please put in the name of the World Poetry Café so the money will go to our account.

Also featured on the show, great e-poets from India and Nigeria:

Dr. Reshma Ramesh is a dental surgeon by profession and has been writing poetry since 2008 and is a noted voice in Bangalore. Her beautiful poem The Mountains Have a Memory captures the essence of mountains.

The second e-poem APEKE XII on love comes from: Timileyin Gabriel Olajuwon. He is a international multi award winner, World Poetry Ambassador to Nigeria and a director with a new book coming out.

The dedicated World Poetry Café Team: Ariadne Sawyer, Producer and host, co-host Anita Aguirre Nieveras, Super Tech Victor Schwartzman and special volunteer Sharon Rowe with dog, Willow.

Robert writes:

“If possible I prefer to be introduced as Robert W. McGregor as there are too many notable Rob McGregor’s…

I am proud of my given names, Robert after my grand father, and great grand father the W. Stands for Ward which my blessed mother picked while watching it’s a wonderful life. ( late actor Ward Bond).

I am happily married for 9 years to my wife Laurie who is vey supportive of my writing efforts, I have two natural and four step children and will soon celebrate the birth of my 9th grand child.

Born and raised in South Vancouver, graduated from David Thompson Secondary.

I have been writing poetry since grade 4 but other then special occasions like anniversaries, weddings or tributes at funerals my poems have been for my private consumption.

A chance meeting with writer friend/ Neall Ryon has opened up my eyes to the world of poetry and created a desire to share it with the rest of the world.

I am currently working on my first book with the working title “Looking Through the Kaleidoscope” , The Mended Broken Thoughts and writings of Robert W. McGregor

My favourite writers and influences are Lord Alfred Tennyson, Mark Twain, and Og Mandino.

As for poems, since this a broadcast that goes to other countries it would be a privilege to recite the attached poem:

” I’m Just A Little Boy’, which was written by me after seeing the very tragic picture of a the little boy from Aleppo Syria sitting in the back of an ambulance.

The picture haunted me for days until I awoke one night at around 3 am and wrote this poem.

Ariadne’s Notes:

The World Poetry Café had an enchanting show on April 27, CFRO 100.5 FM with poets from Israel and Ghana phoning in. To LISTEN CLICK HERE!

Yaara Ben David phoned in at 1:10 pm PST, CFRO 100.5 FM. She read a poem in Hebrew and we listened to a lovely Clip of music based on her poem as well as hearing her profound thoughts on poetry. Her comments and lovely voice added a special quality to the interview.

Such a magical hour, E-poems by Robert w. McGregor (one in Spanish) and Katherine Gordon from her new collected and edited book called Piping at End of Days. I am honoured to be in

Additionally, since 1970, Yaara Ben-David exhibits her collage works in galleries and various cultural centers in Israel. There is a bi-directional influence between her poetry and her collage works. Source: & www.contentoNow

The book is now available on:

Reaffirmation

I buy myself rights

in this plot of time

in which one always pays

in blood-red strawberries,

to later draw the line for eyes

oblivious to their own longing.

The beauty is in the fruit that has ripened and slowly soured

and is already molded in the language

like a contradiction within itself.

‎

Yaara Ben-David (C) All rights reserved by the author.

Thanks to the World Poetry café Team of Ariadne Sawyer, producer and host, Anita Aguirre Nieveras , super engineer, Victor Schwartzman special volunteer Sharon Rowe and volunteer Willow the dog. Music by Anthony Prosk (Gulf Island Suite) and Don Amero (CD, Refined)

A must hear show for the planet : CLICK HERE!

To hear this great show! CLICK HERE!

I’m Just A Little Boy

(Dedicated to all of the children in Aleppo Syria)

Why do you drop your booms?

I’m just a little boy,

Where is my Ummi and Abbi ?

Can someone please find my toy?

It’s a little red car with a missing wheel,

That was a gift from my older brother,

I want it now to think of him,

Have you found my Father and Mother?

Perhaps they are with my brother and sister,

Who I no longer see around,

I saw them last laughing and playing in the yard,

Just before I heard the very loud sound.

It happens almost everyday,,

It seems no one can tell me why,

I ask you now maybe you know,

Why are these booms falling from the sky

I can not feel my face right now, I can not see too far,

It’s hard to hear you from the ringing,

Did someone finally find my car?

Please look real hard for it,

As it helps me sleep at night,

I promise not to lose it again ,

I promise to hold it really really tight.

If you see my Ummi and Abbi ,

please don’t tell them I dropped it on the floor,

I don’t want them to worry about it,

Please just one more look and I won’t ask you anymore?

Really where did you find it?

You say you found it in my Ummi’s hand?

Can you please bring her here so I can hug her,

No I will run to her ,help me up so I can stand.

What do you mean she is gone?

Why would she leave me here all alone?

Where could she possibly go?

This is our only home.

I understand now she is with the others,

No real need for me to feel gloom,

Perhaps I can join them next time,

When the sky drops another boom.

Robert W. McGregor, August /2016. All rights Reserved by the author. (C)