Tuesday, December 26, 2006

My Father's Many Funerals

(I'm still closed until the second, but today marks 20 years since my father died of lung cancer. This is an older poem, but is the only one I've ever written about him)





My father,
Superintendent turned gardener
in his retirement,
attended nearly every funeral
over his lifetime of losses in our
small southern town

'We must pay our respects,'
as bulletin in hand,
he sang farewell hymns
passed down from generations
of farewells chainlinked before us.

At age 83 he joined them,
the dry, warm seeds
for that spring's planting,
abandoned

Midweek...
A thumbnail of mourners,
I told myself.
No gathering suitable for
final respects he cradled
as diamonds in value.

The limo snailed up the steep hill
towards that tiny brick church
where my father
had taught Sunday School,
served as Elder,
taken communion,
bowed head in prayer.
Front pew
Same seat every Sunday.

Edging over the rise.
the limo offered first
steeple, spires.......car roofs.
Hundreds of car roofs.
A garden of color spilling
from parking lot into field.
Standing room only.

Respect, my father's winter harvest.
Our town's final gift.

Later, at my parents' home, I tucked
my father's seeds into pocket
to carry to my own home
for next season's planting.

I feel sure that he knew.

Pris Campbell
(c)10/2001


In memory of my father..you were the best!

Published inThe Dead Mule, An Anthology of Southern Literature,
Fall, 2002

(Thank you!!)

Monday, December 18, 2006

Closed until January 2, 2007

See you next year, folks!

Sunday, December 17, 2006

The new blogger.com version??

Has anybody switched to it? One friend did earlier and suddenly when I tried to comment on her blog it asked ME for a google sign-in password and didn't automatically recognize me. Every time I go to the dashboard now I get a message saying move to the updated version and adding that I'll have to sign up with a google address. I have gmail but I don't have a clue what they're talking about with the sign-in thing. I honestly wish blogger would subscribe to the philosophy of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

Oh, I'll put up a notice after the weekend, but this will be my last blog until January 2. Closing until the madness of the holiday mail, etc is over.

Happy holidays!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Christmas Past



I found this old photo yesterday. I was just married to my first husband, a four year navy officer, back from Vietnam. In this photo he was stationed in Newport, R.I. for his last two years and I worked as a Psychologist there, as I did in Hawaii, when he was based out of Pearl Harbor.

I'd love to see any old photos you have of yourself from Christmases past. If you post them on your blog, let me know. I don't know if comments support images or not, but I don't think so.

Pris

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Interchangeable Goddesses released by Rose of Sharon Press

The below information has been posted by Rose of Sharon editors, S.A. Griffin and David Smith. Thank you both for caring enough for my poetry and Tammy's to do this book and for doing such a fine job!


Rose of Sharon Press is proud to announce the release of the debut book of its 3 Virgins Chapbook Series, Interchangeable Goddesses by Pris Campbell and Tammy Trendle.

Working independently, two women from different generations have combined to produce a collection of poems that are a direct shot into the center of the endless web of the mind and the body through power, disease, lust and tears. These poems are the glorious noise that exists between the silences, and are dedicated to the elimination of fear and all of its ugly limitations.

$8.00, postage paid. Make checks payable to S.A. Griffin. Available from Rose Of Sharon Press, POB 29171, Los Angeles, CA 90029-0171.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Cradle (Haiga)

Click to Enlarge

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Snow in Florida??

Well, with the internet, anything can happen:-) Go to my website page below to see a page I created a couple of years ago. Yes, Virginia, it CAN snow in South Florida (if Pris is around).

Snow in Florida

Turn on your sound.

Pris

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Not around much lately

I've not been able to post much recently. The fatigue and sore throat from this cold linger and the fatigue has been excessive. It's been hard to come back from this one.

In addition to that problem, the immunologist who has been treated my CFIDS for around 8 years now at a center an hour south of me is making drastic changes in his practice. I received a letter about that last week. He will be cutting down to a one man practice and the center as such will exist no longer. Before, there was a Physicians Assistant, a second doctor, nutritionist, Psychologist. Along with this change comes a financial one. As of next year, he will no longer be available for after hour calls (something I've never used ,anyway), but, more importantly, we will have to sign a contract agreeing to pay for any tests our insurance will not pay for and pay for any overtime on our visits. We won't be seen for another visit until this bill is paid in full.

A gifted immunologist, he does quite a few tests he's developed himself. I won't know until my routine appointment tomorrow if those haven't been covered or exactly what my financial responsibilities will be. He is also requiring all of us who stay with him to have a general internist. I've had a gyn and other doctors as needed for specialized problems, but in my search for an internist, despite the changes in seeing CFIDS finally as a legitimate disease, doctors still don't know what it is and , honestly, don't want those of us who have it in their practice. I have one lead left right now after not having messages returned, being put on hold until after 15 minutes I finally hung up at the doctors' offices whose names were given to me to try by my gyn, who is local.

A number of doctors, I'm discovering are going into concierge medicine. You pay thousands up front to be in their practice, though your insurance, or you, still pay for all visits. Two doctors I've called have gone in that direction.

My immunologist has chosen for philosphical/ethical reasons not to go concierge, but he says he can't make it financially anymore so we must share the burdon this way.

And meantime, our government officials have the best medical coverage in the nation, our insurance premiums go up and pay less...where's the fairness in this picture.

This has taken all of my energy to type. Right now all of this is piling up emotionally, but I'm taking it step by step and trying to sort things out as I can.

Pris