©2013 Rick Hardman I often feel as if I am trapped within a bubble. The wide world is all around me but here I am isolated and separate. It seems impossible to escape into the reality that surrounds me. Nor can others enter my world. I just float on and on, alone. Weightless, in the…
© 2013 Rick Hardman The glaring light from the string of bulbs above the mirror does me no favours. Apparently, I combed my hair with an egg beater this morning. But, at least I have hair, My one small victory. Though who is that stranger in front of me? My evil twin? Wrinkles, they must…
When a friend sent this to me, I read it with increasing absorption. It moved me deeply—and does again as I post it here. We humans are complex. It is no wonder love doesn’t come in tidy packages, all predictable and easy. I’m grateful to the author, who prefers to remain anonymous, for allowing me…
The familiar quotation is attributed to Bette Davis. The exact wording varies but is along the lines of “Old age is no place for sissies.” How right she was. As body parts reach their best-before dates, curious and unwelcome failures start occurring. Even though people are healthier and vigorous for more years than ever before,…
© Photographer Angelo (italia) | Agency: Dreamstime.com He’s back. One of my favourite humorous writers has sent another poem. We’re surrounded by things that beep. The irritating sound is meant to alert us to some problem or other. Here’s what happened to Sterling Haynes. Beep — Beep — Beep — Beep I am becoming an…
Years as a country doctor, in Alabama and in B.C.’s central interior, gave Sterling Haynes insight into the gritty reality of his women patients. He also fathered four strong, independent, amazing daughters—who are also a reflection of his equally strong, independent, and amazing wife, Jessie. When he sent me this poem, he wrote: “Until women…
Regular visitors to Catching Courage will be familiar with the poetry of Sterling Haynes, who writes with both humour and compassion. Anyone who has walked the grey streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside will understand the gritty reality behind this poem. My head is wound with hemp, I walk in the downpour and in the gutters.…
After a career as a country doctor in rural Alabama and British Columbia’s Cariboo region, Sterling Haynes has turned his experiences into a second career as a writer and poet. His Momma Does Milk pulled no punches about the experiences of nursing mothers. Narratives for Dummies was inspired by a talk we both attended, about…
I’m delighted to have another chance to feature one of Rick Hardman’s poems. If you haven’t seen his Hornets in my head, be sure to check it out as well. Rick’s grasp of language and metaphor is evident in “Gossamer threads”. The threads of his life form an intricate pattern as he continues to spin…
Regular readers of Catching Courage will recognize the name of this poem’s author, Marilyn Raymond. This is the sixth of her poems to appear here. The others are Sunflowers, That Apple, Baba Yaga, Sucking on Stones, and Anne. Marilyn wrote the poem for a special Women’s Day service at the Unitarian Fellowship of Kelowna. I…
Rick Hardman was one of the first people I met at the Unitarian Fellowship when I moved to Kelowna, British Columbia, in 2005. He was full of life and fun and was one of the most active volunteers in the group. He was also a talented poet, who knew how to turn a phrase so…
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