Vernita Hall
The Boat Banger
To Marilyn Nelson, of Soul Mountain
Bosomed in her Mountain home she welcomes
all would-be rousers of some Soul-ful Muse.
A pond reflects the sumptuous house; the meadow
hums from June bugs. A drowsy peace ensues—
until the banging starts. That's how they called,
the fishermen, for help from dolphin guests
to route the tumbling schools towards the boaters,
somersaulting them into the outstretched nets.
Teacher:
Incant us inspiration—sound your drum.
Pound our boats, and bid the dolphins come.
Remembrance
Once my days have closed, you may not see
the road I travel. We are parted here
at last. I pray you will remember me,
not my seeming anger, impatiently
directed near you. That's how I hid my fear
once. My days have closed. You may not see
beneath the sternness, how it was to be
your father, to worry for the course you'd steer
at last. I prayed…. You will remember me
when you become a parent. Then you'll be
the sleepless one who worries through the years,
once my days have closed. You may not see
your strength yet. Now you're grown. All that debris
was your invention. Look—your way is clear
at last. I pray you will remember me,
and that you are my daughter. Finally,
seek love always. Don't be afraid to risk here.
Once my days have closed, you may not see
this last. I pray you will. Remember me.
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| AUTHOR BIO |
| Vernita Hall won the 2016 Moonstone Chapbook Contest, judged by Afaa Michael Weaver, with her manuscript The Hitchhiking Robot Learns About Philadelphians. She serves on the poetry review board of Philadelphia Stories and her poetry and essays have also appeared or are forthcoming in Atlanta Review, Philadelphia Stories, 823 on High, Referential, Mezzo Cammin, Whirlwind, Canary, African American Review, and six anthologies.
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| POETRY CONTRIBUTORS |
 Catherine Chandler
Rebekah Curry
Anna M. Evans
Nicole Caruso Garcia
Vernita Hall
Katie Hoerth
Michele Leavitt
Barbara Loots
Joan Mazza
Kathleen McClung
Becca Menon
Diane Moomey
Sally Nacker
Stella Nickerson
Samantha Pious
Monica Raymond
Jennifer Reeser
Jane Schulman
Katherine Barrett Swett
Jane Schulman
Paula Tatarunis
Ann Thompson
Jo Vance
Lucy Wainger
Gail White
Cheryl Whitehead
Liza McAlister Williams
Sherraine Pate Williams
Marly Youmans
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The most recent addition to The Mezzo Cammin Women Poets Timeline is Jane Kenyon by Susan Spear.
Gail White and Nausheen Eusuf are the recipients of the 2017 Mezzo Cammin Scholarships to the Poetry by the Sea conference.
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| Alice Mizrachi is a New York based interdisciplinary artist working in the mediums of painting, installation, murals and socially engaged art. Her work explores the interconnectedness of individuals and community through the dual lens of compassion and empathy. Through figurative work that reinforces both personal and community-oriented identity, Alice aims to inspire creative expression and a sense of shared humanity through art.
Alice has worked as an arts educator for nearly twenty years for a variety of organizations including BRIC Arts, The Laundromat Project and The Studio Museum in Harlem. As a pioneer in the field of socially engaged art at the local level, Alice has been recognized and selected to develop arts education curriculum for organizations such as HI-ARTS (Harlem, NY), Dr. Richard La Izquierdo School and Miami Light Project. She has also been a panelist discussing community-engaged art for events at Brown University and The Devos Institute of Arts Management.
As a painter, Alice maintains both a studio practice and an extensive body of work as a muralist. Her work have been featured in exhibitions at the Museum of the City of New York, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, UN Women and the Museum of Contemporary Art in DC. She has been commissioned as a mural artist for projects in Amsterdam, Berlin, Tel Aviv, and across the United States by organizations and museum including: Knox-Albright Museum, Buffalo, NY; Worcester DCU (Worcester, Massachusettes); Wall Therapy (Rochester, NY); La Mama and Fourth Arts Block (NYC); Miami Light Project (Miami, FL); and, Chashama (Harlem, NY), among others.
Alice's mural and installation work has been constructed in galleries and public spaces as part of site-specific arts education and community development projects. Her work often engages local neighborhoods and reflects positive visual responses to social issues. Her process activates a shared space of love, hope, optimism and healing as a means to connect with participants. Frequent topics include identity, unity, migration and the sacred feminine.
Alice and her art have been featured in a variety of publications including the book, 2Create, Outdoor Gallery: New York City, the New York Times, and Huffington Post and The Architectural Digest. She has a BFA from Parsons School of Design and was an instructor at the School of Visual Arts in 2015. Alice was also the co-founder of Younity, an international women's art collective active from 2006-2012. She has received grants from The Puffin Foundation and The Ford Foundation. Her recent projects include a residency in Miami with Fountainhead, a residency with Honeycomb Arts In Buenos Aires and a mural with The Albright Know Museum in Buffalo. Alice currently holds a studio space at The Andrew Freedman Home in the Bronx. Her upcoming projects include a workshop/ panel at Brown University and a book release in Summer 2017.
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