Meet LAVERNA JOHNSON of Dixie Poets Chapter

President of Utah State Poetry Society 2009-2011, LaVerna Laub Bringhurst Johnson enjoys sharing poetry and encouraging young poets. She is a co-founder and first president of Redrock Writers in St. George www.redrockwriters.org and has served as a UTSPS board member, president of Dixie Poets chapter, as editor of the UTSPS publication, Panorama, editor of Redrockʼs Chaparral Poetry Forum, and has served on the editorial board of Utah Sings. 

Poetry in the Park was developed by her while she was UTSPS President and continues now in its seventh year at Zion Park through a partnership with Zion Natural History Association and Zion Field Institute with a UTSPS grant from Division of Arts and Musuems, and National Endowment for the Arts. It's a day long workshop featuring an outstanding visiting poet with participants including scholarshipped high school poets, teachers and poets nationwide. More info available on this year’s PIP program Mar 3-5, 2016 at www.poetry-in-the-park.com

LaVerna’s work has been published in Panorama, Irreantum, Nine One One, Encore, Utah Sings, Heritage Writers Anniversary Book, Southern Quill, online at www.cowboypoetry.com/lavernab,htm in three chapbooks and numerous newspapers and magazines. Rights to her children's Christmas musical, "Jungle Bells" were sold to McMillan Publishing and money donated to Parker Whitney Elementary school. Other productions and songs have been contributed to worthy causes. What an example and encourager LaVerna continues to be to so many. Her contributions and achievements could fill many pages.

Old Fashioned Cookies

Time was when Grandma’s cookies were

almost synonymous with her.
It was her job (grandchildren’s view)

to hand out hugs and read to you.

A pudding here, a porridge there,
and, unabashedly, gray hair
gave her a look much like my own
but, my Grandma, those days have flown.

Now, Grandma’s working out at gym,

or golf, or tennis—and she’s slim!

I’m out of step, it’s plain to see.

Here, have a cookie. Talk to me!