On Plucking A Rose From Rose; Or, On Trying to Open a Floral Shop

I actually posted this on Formerly Rosie's site this morning:


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a rose of rose — plucked from Rosie O'Donnell's blog for A Lonely Bird In the Early Hours of Sky


"barbra was right and wrong
personally she exceeded my expectations in every way
but everything did change for me
a huge shift of perspective
the illussion of celebrity –
the distorted importance i placed on talent
the seperation of me - us and them
my world order had been shaken up,
earthquakes n explosions - the lights dimmed
a vacant space lay where hollywood heaven had been

so i started rebuliding
the scaffolding is now in place
i pick my kids up from school each afternoon
pure joy - baby brain confessions from bubble gum lips

“you know mama i think i am in love with jenna”
my son said to the back of my head
how so i asked
"it’s like there is a magnet in my hand, and one in hers
they just go together - our hands – like magnets –
do you think that is love?”
yes parker, i do"



from "December 2002" posted April 10, 2005 by
Formerly Rosie
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Miracle of miracle's! You've dared the demon comments. Yellow is back! And Light, which is the presence of all.

Hi Rosie (my mother's name), I'm a professional poet & former Director of Creative Writing at my university where I am an Associate Professor of English, currently on leave & sabbatical until '06. I wanted to write to you to ask permission to post this to my blog (welcome to the Blog! Now you're "Rosie From The Blog") but I already went ahead & did it. I couldn't resist it, it is so beautiful: poetry. See how you say: I do, that vow. That's how I framed the poem. "Barbra," that spelling, we know it's Babs as you are who you are, that's the connection. You have the most incredible line here: "pure joy - baby brain confessions from bubble gum lips." I tried it out on my 10 year old son & he laughed out loud with just the joy of how true and good that sounds, what I call "the unexpected inevitable" which makes for the "good" -ness in so much good poetry. I clipped & posted this in answer to another writer's blog, Teresa Ballard In the Early Hours of Sky (when else is a mother to write?) one of the first blogs I found, asking why she never reads about a writer's struggles writing (musing!) while parenting. Anyway, I'm new to this, as of early March, but early on I linked your site to my blog, so I'm sure you'll be visited by more literary (& cool) types as well. Keep blogging, Rosie. There is much poetry therein.

Should you ever allow someone to pluck a nice bouquet of "Roses of Rose" for you and some lucky publisher, let me know how to apply for the job. I wouldn't change a word, just snip here & there from what's already written, maybe prune the bush, perhaps some Japanese arrangements or rearrangements. But true to the text, the Yellow.

I am not a tv watcher, spent a couple of decades without it ("I like you best in motel rooms" ~Robert Pinsky) but they get you through your kids, doncha know? But I've seen your acting & standup early on. I started paying attention to the tabloids at the dentist when you came out, and especially after your activism. I liked what you said, I identify with your Spirit & spunk, especially when you quit the mag, and much more when you bunk the malarchy. Yeah. So when I caught your link on Blogger news, what the heck, I said, and I was hooked. I click on everyday & miss you when you're away. Thank the goddesses you ventured comments again, though I imagine they're being screened. Good for you. Turn em off, Turn em on. You're Queen of this Sheba. Love on. Green on. Peace on. Or, Quanta on, Lady.