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Nancy Simpson's LIVING ABOVE THE FROST LINE, New and Selected Poems was published by Carolina Wren Press (N.C. Laureate Series, 2010.) She is the author of ACROSS WATER and NIGHT STUDENT, State Street Press, still available on WWW at Alibris and Books Again. Her poems have been published in Southern Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner, The Georgia Review and other literary magazines. "Carolina Bluebirds" was published in THE POETS GUIDE TO THE BIRDS, Anhinga Press). "Grass" was reprinted in the 50th Anniversary Issue of Southern Poetry Review: DON'T LEAVE HUNGRY ( U.of Arkansas Press.) Seven poems were reprinted in the textbook, SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN POETRY,(McFarland.) Two poems were published in SOLO CAFE, Two more poems were published in SOLO NOVO."In the Nantahala Gorge" was published in Pisgah Review. "Studying Winter" was reprinted in Pirene's Fountain Anthology and "The Collection" in Collecting Life Anthology. Most recently, Southern Poetry Review Edited by James Smith, published "Our Great Depression," and The Southern Poetry Anthology Vol. VII: NORTH CAROLINA,Edited by William Wright, reprinted "Leaving in the Dead of Winter."

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

TODAY IS International Woman's Day. Think of it, for 100 years humans have been celebrating women. Some have been celebrating women longer.

Today, Celebrate International Woman's Day
March 8,  2011, With a poem by Carl Sandberg.



Photos by young Atlanta photographer Ail Rutherford were taken near Chatuge Dam, Hayesville, NC.

Women Washing Their Hair by Carl Sandburg
THEY have painted and sung
the women washing their hair,
and the plaits and strands in the sun,
and the golden combs
and the combs of elephant tusks
and the combs of buffalo horn and hoof.

The sun has been good to women,
drying their heads of hair
as they stooped and shook their shoulders
and framed their faces with copper
and framed their eyes with dusk or chestnut.

The rain has been good to women.
If the rain should forget,
if the rain left off for a year—
the heads of women would wither,
the copper, the dusk and chestnuts, go.

They have painted and sung
the women washing their hair—
reckon the sun and rain in, too.



3 comments:

Nancy Simpson said...

Dear Readers, I apologize for the one day late posting of International Woman's Day. I got the dreaded ERROR 400 and my blog locked down. Life goes on.

Glenda Beall said...

I love the poem and the photos, Nancy. So soft and feminine. I didn't know it was International Woman's Day.
I am for celebrating women every day. Thanks for this post.

Joan Ellen Gage Admin said...

I'm glad to celebrate women. We need all of the support and celebration that we can give each other.

Without women, we would have no earth, today. We keep humanity alive; women keep hope alive.