I recently discovered that a friend I make pottery with (we used to take pottery classes at the Chaska Community Center) is not only a talented potter but also a poet. I became familiar with Gail Lipe’s work and bought her book, called “Life Seasons,” published by Finishing Line Press. 

I asked her a few questions:

1. Which of your poems is your favorite?

That is a hard question for me to answer because I have different favorites for different times in my life. For instance, Unchosen Existence was written at a time when my life was changing drastically. The poem was inspired when I was driving home after a snowfall when the roads were yet to be plowed. My state of mind was peaceful and hopeful.

Another example: Beside Her was written when my mother was in hospice in the nursing home. It was one of the poems that simplified the complicated process of trying to communicate with someone who was slipping away both through being unable to hear and through brain processes fading.

I guess one of my all-time favorite poems is The Quiet Time Between. It speaks of the peace and quiet at that space between night time ending and day time beginning. 

The Quiet Time Between
The balcony door creaks open,
letting the cool breath of morning air
filter into the bedroom.
Silence fills the backyard
as its inhabitants wait
for the sun to rise.
It is early,
the quiet time between
the skittering and rummaging
of the night critters,
and the awakening
of the birds and squirrels.
My favorite part of the day,
where time stops,
if only for a moment,
before the rest of the world
wakes up.
I need that moment.
Time sometimes evaporates,
like the morning breeze
filtering through the balcony screen door.
Important things,
like writing,
playing,
sharing,
take a back seat
to the functional,
monotonous
chores of the day.
In that quiet moment
one can reflect,
without ambient noise and distraction,
on that which is good in the world.
The quiet allows
for decisions to be made,
and growth to happen.

That is not necessarily my favorite time of the day anymore. LOL! As I get older, sleeping in really appeals to me.

2. Who is your favorite living poet? (I like Robert Bly, who died in 2021, and Joyce Sutphen. I have met them both)

The first name that comes to mind is Rudy Francisco. I found him through Button Poetry videos. I love the spoken word, and Rudy Francisco is a spoken word poet, plus he has some books. He speaks his poems so well, and I love the way he puts words together. Like this phrase from one of his poems: “I want to write love poems so sweet that the ink on the paper attracts honey bees.”

I have a couple of his books, and they also have introduced me to different forms of poetry. Like Obituaries. Example:

“My Father’s House
died on Sept. 4,  2020, at the age of twenty-three. An eviction notice is a lot heavier than it looks. Seems like it’s just paper and ink, but it’s all dead weight….”

And it continues. It is very well written.

3. Have you always written poems? How old were you when you started? Did you have a teacher who influenced your poetry or language?

I have written just about all of my life, starting with stories when I was in elementary school. I think poetry joined the blend in middle school, but really took hold as a sanity tool in high school. It was then I would brain dump in my journal, and by the time I was done it was organized into poetry. I have written poetry on and off the rest of my life.

I don’t remember a teacher who really influenced my poetry, but my high school teacher Janet Baker challenged me on language and words. She was the only one who really challenged me in that way.

4. The Arts Consortium of Carver County has art exhibits where frequently writers and poets contribute pieces inspired by the art. (Ekphrastic: a new word for me, meaning words, a story or a poem, relating to a specific piece of art. It also can be art inspired by a specific piece of writing.) I know you contributed a piece recently. 

My poem Taking Flight was a response to a painting by Helene Oberbroeckling. The Arts Consortium of Carver County invited member writers to respond to member artists’ work at the ACCC member exhibit at the Chaska Community Center. My process is: I go look at all the art, take a couple of photos of pieces that speak to me and then let them percolate for a little while. Sometimes, one pops to the front quickly and that’s the one I concentrate on. Sometimes, it takes a while to choose. Once I get a specific thought or direction the art leads me, it can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days to get the poem how I want it. I sometimes respond with prose pieces when I do ekphrastic work with the Sower Gallery at Shepherd of the Hill. 

5. Tell us a bit about local writer’s groups and writers working with the ACCC.

I belong to a small writing group called The Word Collective. We have been together for several years, and work together on both writing and life. There are several other writing groups in the area. There is one in Waconia, one that meets at the Chanhassen Library, a poetry group that meets at the Chanhassen Library, and a poetry group at the Edina Senior Center.

There also are open mic opportunities, including one at the bookstore Cream and Amber in Hopkins every third Saturday throughout the summer at 6 p.m..; and the Chanhassen Library – the next one is June 14 from 10-12; and at the Chanhassen Farmer’s Market, but I’m not sure which date that is.

The ACCC supports writers with several different opportunities, including the opportunity to do eckphrastic work with the member’s exhibits, an annual poetry contest, a flash fiction contest, and readings. It also is working with area writers on a “Calling All Writers” group to include other opportunities and events on its calendar and help promote its “conversation and community” meetings it has every other month at the Chanhassen Library. The idea behind Calling All Writers is to give area writers an opportunity to meet other writers, develop relationships and find writing groups if they are interested. We also do some group writing exercises.

Website for Finishing Line press is: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/