Institute for Responsible Technology - GMOs in Food

Institute for Responsible Technology - GMOs in Food

Friends of the Library Legislative Breakfast

Powerful Words—Opening Doors

Closed Poetry Slam Show

January 29, 2012

Habilitat-the place of change

Coming Soon--to Olelo and the Internet 

Hosted by 
Cornelia Connie D. DeDona

Special Guests

Kumu Hula Anita `Ilima Kauka Stern

Author, Poet Dr. Kathryn Waddell Takara

Author, Poet Marilyn Maya Mendoza

Author, Poet Peggy Baxter Barnhardt

Artist, Author, Poet Marcia Zina Mager

Featuring Habilitat's Resident Slam Poets

AND A FEW SURPRISES!

Produced by Jeffrey V. Nash

Cornelia Connie D. DeDona is an Author, Poet and Slam Artist

She is the award-winning author of Letters to a Prisoner by Connie D., released in Jan. of 2011.    She first appeared at First Thursday’s Fresh Café Poetry Slam hosted by Kealoha in October of 2010 where she wowed the judges with her poem, “I Want to be a Poet”. She has been published in Rain Bird, Windward Community College’s award winning annual journal, since 2008.  Her poems and photography have also been published in various online and print magazines

Kumu Hula, Anita `Ilima  Kauka Stern

is a retired educator, has taught creative writing at the women’s prison in Kailua for six years.  Through the Prison Writing Project, she has helped inmates publish five editions of their work in Hulihia.  She divides her time between writing, teaching hula and the study and practice of Hawaiian spiritual traditions. Ms. Stern lives in Kailua with her family. http://www.alohablessings.com/chant2.html

Marilyn Maya Mendoza was born in Brooklyn NYC and has lived in  Makaha, Hawaii for the last 35 years. Her debut memoir,"From Agoraphobia to Zen" was released in June 2011 to good reviews.   An English teacher at Stevenson Middle School and earlier Japan, Marilyn is working on her second book, a memoir in poetry. http://fromagoraphobiatozen.wordpress.com/

Dr. Kathryn Waddell Takara is a performance poet, author, retired university professor, and motivational speaker. Winner of the American Book Award in 2010, she has toured and read her poetry across the Hawaiian Islands, the USA mainland, in Africa, and China. She has published three books of Poetry: New and Collected Poems, Pacific Raven: Hawaii Poems, Tourmalines: Beyond the Ebony Portal. Contact info:  www.kathrynwaddelltakara.com

Peggy Baxter-Barnhardt  is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and  North Carolina, she now makes Kapolei, Hawaii her home.  She is the author of Season Of Light, written in 1996 and  last  released in 2009. She is presently writing a book about Hawaii's homeless situation to be complete in 2012.   Mrs. Barnhardt's poetry is powerful and electric. "' Writing has always been my passion, fueled by my mother’s razor wit," she states. Her first submission as a child was to Humpty Dumpty magazine.  http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-0036785017/default.aspx

Marcia Zina Mager is an author, journalist, poet, award-winning mixed-media artist, as well as performance artist. Her books have been translated into ten languages. Her international best-seller, BELIEVING IN FAERIES: A Manual for Grown-ups, is now available as an e-book, along with her trendy 31 Words to Create an Organized Life. Marcia regularly entertains audiences in Chinatown as a wild improviser with HomeWreckers, and also performs her original slam poetry at Fresh Café’s First Thursdays.

Visit her at http://www.marcia-zina-mager.com/

Mokulēʻia--O`ahu

Silver and Gold

Mature

wire hangers

wrap bright silver and gold

toboggan down pine needle green

secure.

When ALL we can do is WRITE

“Poetry is what happens when nothing else can.” ― Charles Bukowski

Sometimes I wake

with a song in my heart

prompted by a hearty summons of nature

toot tooting down the hall

pontificating its departure

to the porcelain god

like the conductor on an express train.

Disturbed soon thereafter

by mindfulness and that first cup of JOE

by a rich heaping tablespoon

of medicine from the media

a slow and steady demoralization

similar to  being assimilated by the BORG.

And later

upon reflection

I concede,

as cattle

quickly lulled and

herded by the steady

Yippie yi yo kayah

being led to slaughter

tunneling reality

transfixed by nothing at all.

Yellow Tea Rose

Black and White

You cannot depend on your eyes
when your imagination is out of focus~ Mark Twain

Black and White

White is the shade

you pull down

on your eyes

when I get boring

as you shut your mind to the monotony and the drone

of my noise.

AND Black is

a buzzing fly

that has landed on your nose right after

he shat

on top of a giant pile of

dog shit.

Brown

is the smear

of that sticky fly

with robo eyes

that’s got your number

and won’t die.

The dark brown stain

that’s infected your brain

that you can’t train

or refrain

from keeping in the

dark.

A hot spark

that

lights the bench in the park

that the man in the long black Rolls

once sat on

that you ignored

floating high on your kite

of white

with black and brown lines

that you drew and wouldn’t cross over,

the same man

who could’ve taken you outta all this black and white and shitty brown.

Remember him

reading the paper on a bench in the park

Offering you

some grey poupon

for your shitty

blackened brown dog

pillowed in white?

Apollo - Watching the House

Bread Pudding

Pudding

made from soft bread

chewy raisin background

dark caramel sauce dribbles down

my chin.

Wrapping up the Year with a Corny Poem

I need a treetop ornament

an angel

a star

something decorative

to wrap the bald top of the tree

and tacky, plastic or fake won't do.

I need a special combination

a mixer

to swirl my feelings

so they don’t disperse unnoticed.

This Christmas

I am wrapping up my wishes

sizing up my resolutions

placing a tall order for

continued health,

and a truckload of happiness

mixed with a heaping man shovel of joy

because it isn’t about shopping at the mall

exchanging cards or how original your gift is

It is about the time

we cement

crafting our relationships

eating, talking, crying and giggling

because the best gifts

we give and receive  freely

without any wasted gravel or sand.

And the water is slowly added

to make sure good it is of good consistency

and then it is

packed down and smoothed

packed down and smoothed

packed down and smoothed

because it takes a lifetime to

to get  to the stage where

they will love you

no matter what you do.

so keep the cement turning

and don't let it dry out.

It's worth it!

And one day you will be able to look back

and admire the foundation. The foundation

of a life built through effort and self-discipline

from blood, sweat, and tears

and years of mixing, packing,

and smoothing over,

carefully erasing the cracks

erasing the faults

erasing the pain

of stiff joints

aching backs

and loss,

forging

strong unions

built on the promises

of honest caring,

sacrifice

and love.

Santa's Sandwich

Santa's sandwich

got eaten
by Sally, a very large mouse
with glasses
who absolutely loves
Salami and Swiss.
Her favorite is liverwurst
with tomato and onion
but mice have to eat what they can get
so today it is Salami and Swiss
on a toasted bagel with mayo
and sliced in half for her little mouse
size mouth which never shuts up anymore
according to her spouse
and like it’s TRUE—
Sally could go on and on and on
but she won’t
`cause she needs to finish her sandwich
and Miss Manners says it’s not polite to talk with a full mouthed mouse –which has Santa’s sandwich half eaten in her mouth. And Morris, the house cat is sleeping right now and she doesn’t want to wake him up `because he is such a grouch when someone wakes him …especially when he’s in the middle of a really good mouse dream. So Sally is chewing really QUIETly - shh!!
(WHISPERING NOW)
Miss Manners also says to finish the WHOLE sandwich or Sally is going to wind up on Santa’s naughty list… because it is not good to be wasteful, since people are hungry and would be ever so thankful for even one tiny morsel of that sandwich, so Sally better finish it all… and to chew it one hundred times or she is going to get one elephant sized stomach ache for eating Santa’s sandwich too fast…AND SALLY wants to wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS because mice don’t have to worry about being politically correct or any other human hang-ups—

BURP- WHEW! 

Sally is so full of salami that she needs to go take a nap now—but first she’s going to leave a note for the big guy –

DEAR sANTa,
I got Tired of Waiting and I’m real Sorry, but I ATE your Sandwich— I hope you don’t hold that against me. Because I was really looking forward to getting a fresh block of CHEESE for the winter and not for nothing, but you would be a lot healthier if you dropped a few lbs. OH - And I almost forgot, DON’T WAKE MORRIS!!
Signed,
Morris’s prey-mate,
Sally

Coffee

Coffee
strong racy hot
warms my chilled fingertips
sharpens my mind, energizing
domain.

Rising from the Ashes

Fathoming, freeing,

flowing, flowering finding

the music within.

Peace and Joy

Tonight I share with you my peace.

It rises early

before the birds

or the roosters crow.

My peace is black

twinkling with the joy

of a million stars

with chirping crickets

who hum as

coffee steams

 from my midnight blue mug, upon which

stars also glisten, near and far.

And I savor the silence

of the night

the pine fresh fragrance

of a noble fir

dripping lavish needles

and shining like a child

in brand new outfit

whispering her secrets to Mom

and waiting in line for Santa

for the magic, still to come.

Someone I Once Knew

Someone I once knew

had designer dresses
the latest fishnet stockings
got her first training bra
long before she needed one
went out with the captain of the football team
married him became a loving wife
had two kids
one boy
one girl
the boy married his high school sweetheart
the girl went to college
is earning a degree in fine arts.
Mom passed away recently from 
bone cancer
she was with her
when she passed.
She believes in GOD
because HE has been so good to her
given her everything
taken away nothing

She lives in my dream world.
in a castle in Spain
her husband
is a Prince
she is his Queen
their children
want for nothing
she lost her slipper
one night
when everyone was vacationing
in the south of France

she should have stayed home
but instead she 

played hide and seek
with a young baron from the 
northern region
he tricked her into giving him the combination
to her heart
Now--she has a secret
and time is running out
She has to think quick
should she change the locks to the castle
or buy a remote island in the South Pacific
to retreat to when things get sticky
to hide from the paparazzi
who have nothing better to do than report
the latest royal scandal to the highest
paying tabloids and cheers to the lucky
guy or gal because there will be a raise in it for you
if that story comes with a close-up
And don't forget to get her good side?

Best Laid Plans

My dream for you today is that…

peace is the result of your thoughts and feelings.  You are the source of joyous action. ~ Unknown

Best Laid Plans

Hello, I am calling to confirm

that there is going to be a slam tonight?

The name is under Shithead

that’s right, S- H- I-T- H- E- A- D

I’m planning to perform tonight.

I’ve invited ALL MY FRIENDS.

Three of which are accomplished poets and authors

including me that comes to about-- eight people

Yes, I’ll wait.

What?

You say the place is closed?

Locked up tighter than a virgin

at the Playboy mansion?

Didn’t I get the memo?

NO--was there a memo?

Okay then

I guess I’m canceling

yeah-- that makes nine of us.

No-don’t bother

putting me on your phantom poet email list.

I’ve decided to hang up my fedora.

I’m starting

a new vocation.

That’s right!

From now on

I’ll be taking my opinions

and videoing them

on You-tube.

Then I’m going to sign up for belly dancing

with Willow Chang.

Look for me in next month’s Zen-dance video

it’ll be shown at the Arts at Mark’s garage

in Chinatown. What’s that?

Of course, I’m not serious.

I’m heading over right now

to get a $10.00 Reading

at the Louis Pohl Art Gallery

pick up a dream card and

some pointers on achieving inner peace

educate my assumptions

reassess my choices and then

I’ll fold them gently

put them in a pan

stick them into the oven

and then bake them into a humble pie. 

Further safeguarding my sisters’ fundamental rights,

promoting self-tolerance through dialogue

thereby eliminating foot in mouth discrimination,

while respecting our cultural diversity

and freedom of religion and expression

encouraging the protection of our good nature and Zen environment.

But I’ll be back

the first Friday after the next First Thursday

where my friends and I

are going to kick some bitchin ASS.

Peace and shalom—my sisters!

Mele Kalikimaka 2011

Here it is December again —Tom and I are still healthy and mobile. Life is good as we continue to maintain our dream home and keep the spackle wet and pliable as we sculpt our aging bodies into rock hard shape.   

(I'm doing the face exercises and lifting and stretching my neck part--A,E,I,O,U.)

We have two new additions to the family Rocky and Apollo—that today become one year old.  We are having a party later, inviting all of their cat, and dog friends.  This week Apollo chewed up my brand new business cards, which the FEDEX driver so graciously let him bring back to the house—ALONE!  Imagine, the driver thought Apollo was so well trained he didn’t even bother to honk his horn!  Apollo eagerly ripped open the box and drooled and chewed on each and every card inspecting them for quality and leaving his stamp of approval.  I am so proud doesn’t quite describe it.   Zeus, our most royal Great Dane spends most days sequestered in the garage. He is eight years old now and can only take so much excitement. He prefers to stretch out on a premium carpet next to the Bentley until two in the afternoon, or until nature calls.

Tom and I are still working out in the gym, only not at the same time. I prefer to walk or jog on the treadmill, alternating on the recumbent bike with a dash of weight lifting and crunches thrown in for good measure, whereas Tom does about one thousand crunches a day, and will grunt and groan through a grueling workout, his sweat glistening from every pore and then want to blend up a fruit tree mixed with protein powder for breakfast.   I am still counting calories and limiting my excitement to writing and I’ve just taken up bowling again. Golf is too hard on my lower back and pinched sciatic nerve. The doctor approves so long as I continue to lift weights. (Doc-what about the bowling ball?)     I know you are wondering at this point (I wrote pint first, so what the hell, I’ve quit but do go ahead) how much longer will she go on? My eye lids are drooping and I think I have a crick in my shoulder.  Seriously, whose idea was it anyway to send Christmas letters?

At harump-donk-humpf my memory is starting to fade. It is a good thing that I keep an appointment book throughout the year to record all my activities or I would have to make this shit up. 

Tom’s daughter Natalie came for the summer with three of her children, Ashley, Andrew and Kaitlyn.  We were thrilled –and the time passed quicker than originally expected.  Thank GOD for diazepam.  

I am working on a novel.  Goodreads.com is sponsoring my two book giveaways, click on my blog links. My book, Letters to a Prisoner by Connie D. received an Honorable Mention in Poetry at the New York Book Festival, not bad for a self-published book on a small budget.  And I just released Meadow Pause Revisited by Cornelia Connie D. DeDona, another poetry and photography book that is available on Amazon and my blog.  On Saturday April 16, 2011, I lead a panel on Alternative Publishing at the Kapolei Public Library.  In September I was accepted as a member into the NLAPW (National League of American Pen Women).  I had three poems and two photographs published in the 2011 issue of Rain Bird, Windward Community College’s  award winning annual journal and will be in next year’s humor issue as well, that makes five consecutive years. Also two of my short stories were published in One Forty Fiction. I appeared on Olelo from Jan. 11-14th (local Hawaiian TV channel) in January to share my story with Habilitat- the place of change; a drug rehab in Kaneohe. I also like to write and perform slam poetry.  I went back to Habilitat in August and performed my slam poems and invited some of the Habilitat residents to join me, we had a blast.   You can Google me; I have three Facebook pages, two domains and one ex- large weakness for dark chocolate and peanut M&M’s.   

I am looking forward to foreign travel again sometime in the near future, where and when is top secret even the pentagon doesn’t know.  I am sending the documents to Mission Impossible as Vantage Deluxe World Travel has been permanently crossed off my Christmas list; clearly service at Vantage is not something they do these days what with cut backs, news link and joke forwarding not to mention arranging air travel to and from Hawaii.  I’m also boycotting them in support of the Amazon Rainforest, which has suffered huge blows  just by Vantage Travel’s  mail order business ALONE.  

But I digress; I have a brand new Nikon D-5000 which I picked up in Vegas this October. Tom and I saw Elton John and the Million Dollar Piano in the Coliseum at Caesar’s Palace.  Elton John named his new piano Blossom, after jazz singer Blossom Dearie. The Coliseum is so big—they have people every so many feet just to direct traffic, luckily I didn’t have to use the restroom.  It was awesome and ear splitting at first—I’m not quite sure if I’m now permanently deaf or if they actually lowered the sound but I was really rocking to some old favorites by the end of the concert.  

 Tom regularly goes out fishing on his 26’Navy boat and has had some admirable catches to show for it.  We are eating plenty of Mahi-Mahi and Ahi these days.

Tom also contributes regularly to the Hawaii Fishing News. They like him so much, they gave us a whole page with photos in the June issue, Tom and his crew David Johnson--photographer, Dr. Steven Wonderlich and Mikey Ordenstein had the unfortunate experience of having  the boat’s prop get tangled  up in a huge cargo net out in the middle of the pacific ocean.  They had to take turns jumping into the ocean to cut the prop free, and it took hours.  I had recently written a poem about the one of the garbage islands in the Pacific Ocean titled The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which was also included. (BTW, also in my new book, Meadow Pause Revisited-- for more info: www.corneliadedona.com )     

So in-between crunches, feeding/ training the bull mastiff puppies, writing fishing poems and articles, buying flashlights, recycling cans and bottles, dumpster diving for perfectly good stuff, fixing lawnmowers and maintaining our one acre estate, Tom is learning the computer and has joined Facebook. You can find him there or email him at capttommydedona@gmail.com .  He was accepted into The Ono Golf Club, a men’s group at Hickam’s Mamala Bay Golf Course, where he walks the course every Thursday. Who knows he may even run into the President there?  Tom bought himself a 2011 Nissan Frontier truck.  He also accepts donations of gently used books for the Friends of the Library where we both volunteer year-round. (Please if it has mildew, a broken binding or dead insects, put it into the trash—otherwise thank you and let us know if you need a receipt.) 

Our son Jason is fit and doing well. He is still in a relationship and knows what it is like to have a teenager in the house, as his fiancé has a thirteen year old daughter. He spends Saturdays with us and occasionally comes bowling.  In September he helped Tom cut, and weld a new gate next to our automatic gate in the front. Now we can walk outside without having to open the huge sliding gate or use the electric gate mechanism.  He also convinced us that it was a good idea to install a photovoltaic system this year. My electric bill surpassed reasonable over two years ago.  We also purchased a new energy saver refrigerator, since the old one quietly died on Thanksgiving night.  It’s a good thing I have two.  We are hiking up Koko head trail together next weekend, (after I pick up my real Christmas tree from Habilitat) which is a walk in the park if you are a triathlete.  The last time I climbed up that hill, I sweat bullets and swore with the eloquence of a sailor.  This time I’m bringing my new camera—to video our adventure, just in case my amnesia returns.

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!                                Tommy, Connie, Zeus, Rocky and Apollo

Jason, Connie and Tommy 11-24-11 Heeia Kea Boat Harbor

 Apollo and Rocky-one year old

 Apollo's stamp of approval

 Yikes! my business cards@#$

 New walk through Gate

 Zeus--8 yrs old

 The Cargo Net-And the garbage from Japan isn't here yet!

What?