E.M. poets featured in “Toward Forgiveness”

Three East Meadow poets, who were included in the anthology “Toward Forgiveness,” read their contributions at Molloy College on Sunday.

The anthology, which consists of 99 Long Island contributors, started when Nassau County Poet Laureate, 2009-2011, Gayl Teller was awarded the 2010 New York State Council on the Arts Long Island Decentralization Grant for the Arts.

The Hofstra professor said forgiveness is “a topic dear to people’s hearts” and emerged as the focus for the anthology because of the ongoing “hatred, wars and current world situation.” As Teller said, “You can’t just shut off anger. If you shut out anger you shut out love and beauty, too.”

While some contributors attended workshops, one of which occurred at East Meadow Public Library, and submitted works created in the class, these East Meadow poets were each asked to compose poems for the anthology.

“I’ve been a poet all my life,” said Judy Turek, whose pen name is J R Turek due to the gender neutrality of the initials. The Executive Vice President of Nassau County Poet Laureate Society said she writes at least one poem each day.

When Turek was asked to submit poems for the forgiveness anthology in summer 2009, her father had just passed away. She unconsciously focused her words on grief in poems “Knowing” and “Pleas.”

Robert Harrison was also asked to contribute and submitted “Together Again” and “Not Attended.” The latter is about a person who has chosen not to attend a funeral service, but to remember the deceased as it.

Harrison is a poet, historical researcher, photographer and author. To date, his works can be viewed in 41 books and his photographs are currently featured at Hofstra University library in their 9/11 exhibit.

Additionally, Performance Poets Association founder Cliff Bleidner presented “Coming Together,” a sensual poem about an interracial relationship. Inspired by a college relationship with an African American woman, he remembered the opposition the two felt by their families. He also said he remembers when Jackie Robinson was playing terrific ball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was not honored for his contributions until years later. The formal free-verse Haiku poet is a retired scientist.

“Perhaps forgiveness is more about the offended than the offender, more about truly feeling and acknowledging, without condoning a wrong,” reads the preface to the anthology. In the collection, forgiveness is explored through anger, grief, sadness and acceptance.

“The world is very thirsty for forgiveness,” said Teller, “You really made my dream come true,” she said, expressing her gratitude to the contributors.

The Long Island poetry community is thriving and there are numerous ways to connect and share with other creative people in your neighborhood, said host

Barbara Novack. “There is a wonderful, talented, vibrant poetry community on Long Island,” she said, and creative people of all levels are welcome to get involved.

To learn more about the Long Island poetry community, visit www.liwritersguild.org or www.performancepoets.org. To order a copy of “Toward Forgiveness,” visit www.writersunlimited.org/bookstore.