Linda Levine of Edison recites her poem “Double Vision” at the July meeting of the Raritan Poets. CHRIS ZAWISTOWSKI EAST BRUNSWICK — What do a retired technical writer, a college student and a biologist all have in common?
Poetry.
And they are just three of the members of the Raritan Poets, a group of 15 or so local residents from all walks of life who assemble each month at the East Brunswick Public Library to read, discuss and share their work with other poetry aficionados.
The Raritan Poets are diverse both in their style and background, said Ron Hernandez, the coordinator, facilitator, president (nobody’s really sure of his title) for the Raritan Poets.
“We have a better cross section of people here than at the U.N.,” Hernandez said. “Poetry is the common denominator.”
“One-copy” John Holland is a Raritan Poet, a songwriter who recently started writing poetry and has earned the dubious nickname for bringing only one copy of his work to meetings. Members are usually encouraged to bring copies for all the poets so others can read along and make notes along the way, said poet Colleen Cohan.
Mary Kerslake is a Raritan Poet too. She’s a retired technical writer who now owns her owns business. Kerslake said she had been writing prose “ever since she could pick up a pen and write” but a couple years ago hit a block. She then began concentrating on her other love — poetry — and has continued ever since.
There’s Jack Hummel as well, a sophomore at Rutgers University studying evolutionary anthropology, who said he writes as a sort of release to get his thoughts down on paper so he “doesn’t explode.”
And there’s Edmund Baranowski, a SouthAmboy resident who is a “wandering poet,” performing his work from coast to coast at everything from poetry houses to Renaissance Faires.
Their common language, though, Hernandez said, is poetry. And sitting in a square around four connected tables during their July meeting, each poet takes a turn to recite his original works.
“We go around the table, then back to the dealer before the night is over,” Hernandez jokes.
And their poetry is as diverse as their backgrounds.
The Raritan Poets perform sonnets, narrative poems and even a “strange rock song,” as Hammond called his “Tableaux of Tedium,” which he has already created a song demo for.
While one speaks, the others read or — as with “one-copy” John — simply listen along to the poetry. Some close their eyes and generally take the verses and stanzas in silently, aside from some sounds of approval and a Baranowski “Ni-i-i-c-c-ce” when a really pleasing line is read. Then they study rules of verse, discuss, laugh, and reminisce about everything from the meaning of words to inspiration and even grammar, all part of the light critique of each poet’s work, Hernandez said.
“We are not here to hurt feelings or rip anyone apart, ya know?” Hernandez said.
Dan Spitzer, known as Raritan Red, presented a tribute to Clarence Clemons titled “The Big Man’s Gone to Heaven.” Spitzer said he started writing it five minutes after he heard that “The Big Man” had died.
“I tried to write it like a Springsteen song, which isn’t easy because anyone who’s heard Springsteen song knows how good he is,” Spitzer said.
The other poets lauded the poem for its power and Springsteen song references with lines like “You were the Atlas of the house rockin’ E Street Band, When the boss let you wail we all raised our hands” and “When that solo came a’roarin’ in ‘Jungleland,’ There was no one in their seats as we made our stand.”
“A nice tribute, Dan,” said Cohan. “It brought tears to my eyes. I pretty much know all the references to the songs, so I choked up.”
A critique of Raritan Poet Nicole Byrne’s “Popsicles,” a tribute to childhood with its reference to “cheap plastic zipper” on lunch bags and coolers even sparked a discussion of schoolyard memories.
But the critiques also stimulate the sort of speak that maybe you’d expect at a poetry club:
“The fact that it’s dead center in the page and stands alone on a line is your juxtaposition of the irony of the meaning?” Baranowski asked poet Harvey Levine about the word “enigma” in his photography-based, five-line poem “paradigm shift.”
For Linda and Harvey Levine, both retired Edison residents, these critiques are what make the Raritan Poets the Raritan Poets.
“It’s an opportunity to have people critique your work in a positive way,” Harvey said .
Linda said the close-knit and informal group creates a great environment to share her work and get very helpful feedback.
“It’s a matter of trust,” Levine said. “We are comfortable with each other. It’s like a family.”
The Raritan Poets welcome new members. For more information, contact Ron Hernandez at 732-991-3937.