The 2017 Poetry Spectacular at Central was a truly memorable event featuring Rhode Island State Rhode Island State Poet Laureate Tina Cane and readings from our own Central Poet Laureate Ilse Kramer – just listen for yourself!

Introduction to the Spectacular & Carousel – By Ilse Kramer

Read by the Rev. Rebecca Spencer

To God – By Ilse Kramer

Read by the Rev. Rebecca Spencer

The Labyrinth – By Ilse Kramer

Read by the Rev. Claudia Demick

Autumn In Providence – By Ilse Kramer

Read by the Rev. Claudia Demick

God – By Ilse Kramer

Read by the Rev.… [Read More]

The Labyrinth

By Ilse Kramer

Come with me
On the journey
From the outer edge
To the center
A path of prayer, of meaning
The mind becomes quiet,
And the heart is opened
Where meditation becomes a walk
And a walk meditation.

Come with me.

In Memoriam Ann Bliven

By Ilse Kramer

She said Good-Bye in the winter time,
And now it’s almost summer,
And flowers bloom where once was snow,
And birds sing songs about the end of death.

She just may bring the bright umbrella
Into the garden
Where every flower speaks
Of peace and rest.

The squirrels wave their eager tails.
Today the earth resembles Heaven
Where Ann is playing with the angels
And also with a cat or two.

And, as the Germans say:
Auf Wieder Sehen,
We’ll meet again,
We shall be strong and filled with joy.

Late August

By Ilse Kramer

I sift through the ashes of summer
Looking for something worth saving
Like a broken planter
On my lost wedding ring.

I watch the children
They have legs
The color of June bugs
From days under the salty sun

The dogs are cross-eyed
Still looking
For sticks
To retrieve

Pear-shaped rain drops
Fall on the Adirondack chairs
The wasps do
Not mind

As I do not mind
The loss of my wedding band
I sift through the ashes
Of summer

Ice Cream Toppings 

By Ilse Kramer

Take the sauce of yellow apple
To be consumed in Wilson Chapel.

Cream of reddish lingonberry
To be consumed in Swanpoint Cemetary

Wobbly greenish mint jelly
Joins the yummy pork deep in the belly.

Liquid from the tasty plum
Makes our taste buds hum and hum and hum.

Everyone is our group
Likes the fruity Swedish soup.

When you’ve poorly have some broth,
But don’t mess up the table cloth.

The gravy from the farm fresh chicken
Makes all of our muscles thicken.

The puree of lowly lentil
Makes us healthy kind and gentle.… [Read More]

Rick’s Roadhouse

By Ilse Kramer

The friendly servers bring
Us food, and we like everything.

The dining room is dark and cozy,
And our future looks quite rosy.

The meat we eat is mostly grilled,
And our cups are quickly filled.

The longish blue table
Is uneven yet stable.

A roll of towels does quite simply
(nothing frilly)

Make a place mat, napkin, even tissue,
The laundry room is not an issue.

We are so full that we can’t eat a cookie or piece of cake,
Although the cook knows how to bake.… [Read More]

Matunuck

By Ilse Kramer

The salty wind tells us stories
Of seagulls and oysters, of you and me.
A chorus of spellbinding stories,
They all want to be heard.

The tired waves of the sea say good-night
And lie down to sleep,
And the mermaid untangles her curls
With the bones of a sword fish.

The moon is insomnia-prone
While sleep-walking it fell down chimney
But kept its
Nose clean.

Can you her the frogs?
Their eyes are like balls
From a Christmas tree.
Their lady loves do not mind.

The house on the
Other side of the salt pond
Are melting into the horizon.… [Read More]

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

By Ilse Kramer

Not in New York
But now in Warren
Played Tiffany’s Breakfast.

Holy Golightly
Many years ago
Softly sang Moon River,
Waiting around the bend,
My Huckleberry Friend,
Moon River and you.

Too bad this Holly
Could not sing,
Also the part of Mickey Rooney
Went to a black man.

The one from Central almost wept.
They clapped, although somewhat reluctantly.

Sally Strachan’s Summer Garden

By Ilse Kramer

There is a field of daisies,
So white, so without stain,
So flawless,
Nothing torn, all petals present.

Only the centers are blond,
Almost the color
Of Princess
Diana’s hair.

I see clematis in varies colors,
They dance in the wind
And make me think
Of my long-ago prom.

Do the black-eyed susans
Want to be picked?
I look into their deep dark eyes
And I kiss them instead.

In the corner, in the mysterious shadows
A touch of sweet wilderness.
I gather some nettles
I hear they make wonderful tea.… [Read More]

The Carousel 

By Ilse Kramer

For a buck and a half
We go up and around,
And the music
Brings us together.

You are new to me,
I am new to you,
But should you fall
SALLFrom your pretty horse
I would come running
And pick up the pieces.

We can hear the sea.
It too goes up and goes down.
Our shirts smell of clams
And of chowder.

Sometimes the music gets faint.
We wait for it
Always returns.
And we sing along.

We wave and we wave
From our golden coach,
Until the fairy tale ride
Has ended.… [Read More]