You Gotta Have Friends...and Poetry

Tomorrow is the birthday of one of my favourite people, my friend Rosemary Griebel. Rosie works at the Calgary Public Library--until very recently she was the Manager of Diversity Services and although their web site doesn't say, she tells me she is now involved with the planning for a new central library in Calgary.

I've know her since I went to library school and noticed this woman with impeccable taste in shoes: we were wearing the same style. Destined to be friends. And we have stayed friends for twenty years, for which I am thankful. My glass of memories is full and deep when I think of Rosemary and her wine guy husband Richard.

Aside from being a published librarian, Rosemary is a published poet. One of the coolest places she's been published is in buses in Edmonton, Alberta. Since 1999, the Edmonton Transit System has displayed poems on the interior ad panels of buses and the light rapid transit cars, calling it "Take the Poetry Route". Edmonton is not alone in this. Several other Canadian cities participate in the poetry-in-transit program.

Here's the poem that was published.

Gone

This is the world
without you:
the decanted light
of winter.
a rented house
on the riverbank.
your apple preserves
in the pantry.
holding
autumn in a glass jar.

Happy birthday, Rosemary. This really is all about you!*

*A joke about those born under the sign of Aries: An Aries actress met a friend and just talked and talked and talked. Finally she said, 'Well, enough about me. Now let's talk about you. What did you think of my last performance?'