Earth Works and Sky Flower

From our struggle on earth, a flower grows. This is the bird song of humans.

The flute is the breath; the drum is the heart beat. The voice that is the conduit of the soul finds a resting place in poetry.

Lunation

Lunation is Bill Mercer and Clara Hsu. They have been reading poetry with musical instruments

such as the Japanese bamboo flute shakuhachi, singing bowl and hand drum since 2005.

They perform in bookstores, cafes, libraries, museums and churches in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Clara's web site: http://clarahsu.com

For more information about John Rhodes, the videographer, go to: http://rhodespoetry.com

Here is a video of Clara Hsu at the Sacred Grounds Cafe, Feb. 09.

Here is a little about Clara from her web site
http://clarahsu.com :

When she was a little girl, Clara wanted to be a hermit and martial artist living in the mountains of China. Life's mysterious path took her to the United States. In this reality, she practices the art of multi-dimensional being: mother, musician, philanthropist, activist, purveyor of Clarion Music Center (a world music shop of exotic musical instruments), traveler, and ultimately, poet.

Clara was a nominee for the Pushcart Prize in poetry (2001).

Some of her poems can be found in the Homestead Review, the North Coast Review, the Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, and the internet journal Red River Review.

Her poem on censorship was published in 2003 by the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance. Clara gives feature readings at various Bay Area venues and benefit events, but her home is the Sacred Grounds Café (Hayes and Cole), where poetry reading happens every Wednesday night.

In December 2005, Clara sold her music business of 23 years to focus on her art and her unusual performance ensemble Lunation, which combines Chinese and original poetry with Asian traditional instruments. She is also developing the concept of the Poetry Hotel, organizing free social activities for the poet community in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jehanah Wedgwood runs the poetry open mic at Sacred Grounds Cafe':
http://sacredgroundscafe.com . She has been published in the sacred grounds anthology and is working on a book with H.D. Moe. This is only a brief bio. Go to Sacred Grounds on Wednesdays to find out more.

Poet Bill Mercer is a well-known figure of the San Francisco open mics. He often plays flute and reads poetry with Clara, the runner of "Poetry with Trees" as accompaniment to a poetic ode.

John Rhodes is a poet/novelist who runs numerous podcasts and a public access TV show. He has a ring web site at:
http://rhodespoetry.com. He is the one who is helping Clara Hsu videotape her "Poetry with Trees" mini festival, and other projects.

Selene Steese reading at Poetry with Trees in Mclaren Park San Francisco.
Here is an approximate quote from the internet from Selene.
My poems have appeared in issues of the Sacred Grounds Anthology, Baker Street,The Crazy Child Scribbler, The Carquinez Review, The Crockett Signal, and theSpring 2003 issue of Spire Magazine. One of my poems appeared in the Spring 2004 issue of Spire Magazine." Selene Steese is also in audio at podcast 50 at http://mysticbabylon.podomatic.com .

Martha Meltzer Reads:
This is Clara Hsu’s poetry hotel poetry podcast.
( Visit : http://clarahsu.com )
This is a video from Clara Hsu’s regular poetry
get-together called “Poetry With Trees” 2008.
Today we have Martha Meltzer. This was recorded at Clara Hsu's get-together at Mclaren Park. Martha Meltzer is a native Californian and an
East Bay Poet. Currently she is in the second year of
a two year term as Poet Laureate of Pleasanton. She
has been seriously writing for about five years and
has been published in California Quarterly, Song of
the San Jacquin, Tipton Poetry Journal, and the SF
Street Sheet. She pulls inspiration for her work from
everyday life, especially nature. It has been said of
her work that she only writes about bears and trees.
"Not true," she replies, "I once wrote a poem about a
chicken."She can be reached at her myspace page at
http://www.myspace.com/marthameltzer .
John Rhodes of http://mysticbabylon.podomatic.com
is the poet/videographer of this video.