NAPOWRIMO 2025 has begun! But first:

Time to Blow My Own Horn

Recently, I’ve been gathering all my Poetry Month poems from my blog, to attempt to put them all together in one place, from childhood forward. What a project it is going to be – but, with a landmark birthday coming up, I feel the burden of time.

I got an inspirational kick in the butt by Herb Alpert, and his performance we attended at Lincoln Center this week. He recently celebrated his 90^th birthday, on tour, and not missing a beat. We attended the second performance of the night for him (and never mind the many many performances he has been giving non-stop for several years now). It was the first time I have ever sat in a box seat, and it was perfect, because I could not stop moving. The on point music was memorable, the backdrop videos amazing, and Herb’s anecdotes in between were refreshing, humorous, and honest. To me, he epitomized “taking the bull by the horns” (so much meaning just in that phrase!) and living life joyfully and generously.

He represented, to me, the resilience I so often talk about in my well-being presentations, and how you need to cultivate resilience for the times when life is not so much fun. He not only brought me back to some of the best times of my life, especially the days of playing baritone sax and singing with a swing band, but also the idea that there is more to come.

Thank you, Herb Albert, for the years of delight, the inspiration to keep moving forward, and how music helps build our resilience.

The Music Never Dies, It Just Changes the Tune

My father, who died too early, loved the sound of Goodman

and a clarinet would be my companion for many years of learning

leading to orchestral bass clarinet, and then the swinging baritone sax.

While I listened for trumpets in rock-n-roll,

and I heard trombones in movie soundtracks,

I loved to find the baritone sax way down at the bottom

on every new type of recordings,

still feeling the vibration in my hands

humming along the bass line,

finding the notation for “Blue Champagne”

so many, many years later,

hearing every deep note in my mind.