By Haley May
Carter County Times
If there was a better way for literature lovers to celebrate Grayson’s annual Hometown Holidays event than listening to Christmas poetry from local talented poets, we sure can’t think of it! Several members of the Carter County Poetry Society met that Saturday for their monthly meeting at the Grayson Gallery & Art Center; to socialize and share some of their original work, along with favorite poems from other authors.
The group, founded by Carter County native and Kentucky Poet Laureate Paul Salyers, has been an established organization since 1972. The current society president, Camila Haney, has been a member since 1975. While the group’s numbers fell during the pandemic, Haney said, they are beginning to climb again. That’s something she and other members are thankful for, as they all enjoy hearing poetry from local writers.
Many of those local writers were in attendance, with poets and appreciators of poetry of all ages ready to share and to listen.
Haney started off the Hometown Holidays reading by sharing her original poem titled, “Christmas Wasn’t Coming.” The poem looks back at her childhood; remembering being at her grandmother’s home during the holiday season. With the home and tree still in need of decoration, she thought for sure that Christmas wasn’t coming. In the poem, she continued, “Grandmother had increased her humming, the Bible opened to Luke chapter 2, I knew Christmas wasn’t coming.” It was a charming portrait of a little girl anticipating Christmas at her grandmother’s, and worrying it was not coming that year because grandmother still had so much to do.
Poetry society member Sara Allen read her original titled, “The Darks & Lights,” which she explained was about a tradition her grandmother had each year when the first snow fell. They would make maple syrup candy in snow divots they’d make with their fingertips, pouring the hot syrup and watching as the maple candy formed inside.
Janet Maddix, another member, read “Grandmother’s Observation,” a piece she wrote about her grandchildren who live away, and what she observes when they come in for their holiday visit. We all know the “reindeer food” of oats and glitter that kids like to sprinkle throughout the yard when Santa is on his way; this was just one of her “grandmother observations” she wrote about.
If you are interested in hearing local poets, or have a passion for poetry yourself, the Carter County Poetry Society meets monthly at the Carter County Public Library in Grayson. Meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month at noon.
Be on the lookout this spring as they are planning to host a poetry slam, more details to come when made available.
