MARK your CALENDAR

ACTIVITIES (see St. George news) not to be missed in St. George and Zion Park this weekend. Visiting poet laureate Rosemerry Wahtola-Trommer will be presenting in several venues:

Th, Mar 2  7-9 pm “Inner Donkeys and Houses on Fire,” a FREE literary discussion and poetry performance by Wahtola-Trommer sponsored by the Zion Canyon Arts and Humanities Council in Springdale at Canyon Community Center. In addition to the poetry reading, Wahtola-Trommer will talk about the writing life, failure, inspiration, vulnerability, uncertainty, metaphor. and the art of showing up.

Fri, Mar 3  9 am to 4 pm POETRY IN THE PARK workshop with Rosemerry on "Exploring Metaphors," take a guided nature walk in Zion Park, bring a picnic lunch or eat at Redrrock Grill, collect and create new poems in a beautiful location at Zion Park Lodge. Weather will be close to 70 degrees and sunshine. Fee-$50 register at zionpark.org/class/poetry-in-the-park 

Sat-Mar 4 9 am-1:30 pm REDROCK CREATIVE WRITING SEMINAR in St. George Social Hall with Rosemerry speaking on "Paradox in Poetry-How a Poem Turns," Tanya Parker-Mills presenting "Finding the Poetry in Prose" and Joel Long talking about "Rhythm and Muse." Cost $65, discount for UTSPS members $55. Details redrockwriters.org 

Meet JERRI HARDESTY, At Large Member

Jerri Hardesty lives in the woods of Alabama with husband, Kirk, also a poet. They run the nonprofit poetry organization, (NewDawnUnlimited.com)  Jerri has had about 350 poems published and has won more than 1100 awards and titles in both written and spoken word/performance poetry. Why did she join UTSPS as an At Large member (for those who don't live close enough to an organized chapter)? Jerri tells us: I became a member-at-large because of the reputation of UTSPS.  The poets there are known for sharpening each other's skills and having great workshops.  I also have friends in the poetry slam community in Utah whose work is noteworthy for its strength, originality, and complexity.  I wanted to learn from the local  culture that was helping produce all of those results.

Plain

How we celebrate

The butterfly,

In poem and song,

Metamorphosis,

Caterpillar magically transformed;

A metaphor for being reborn.

But never do we glorify

The housefly

In story or verse,

The transition the same,

No better, no worse,

But we reverse,

And would rather curse

The process,

Maggot carrion nursed.

But just because

Wings

Aren't always

Big, bright, colorful things,

And may instead be

Short, stubby

Unimpressive utilities,

And just because we don't all

Survive the changes

Of life's stages

Beautiful and unscarred,

Unscathed and unmarred,

Perfectly preserved,

Still,

We spread these wings,

These soiled ugly things,

Test the air,

And

           FLY!