Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Forgiveness on December 26 December 24, 2024

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This limestone sculpture by Thomas Miller depicts a Dakota warrior. It sits across from Reconciliation Park in Mankato at the Blue Earth County Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

FORGIVE EVERYONE EVERYTHING.

Powerful words on a bench at the Dakota 38 Memorial in Reconciliation Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

Those uppercase engraved block words, white against red on a stone bench at the Dakota 38 Memorial in the heart of downtown Mankato at Reconciliation Park, hold the strength of a people who really have no reason to forgive. But they choose to do so. And in forgiveness comes healing.

The names of the 38 Dakota men hung in Mankato are listed on the Dakota 38 Memorial. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

December 26 marks the date in 1862 when 38 Dakota men were hung near this site along the Minnesota River in America’s largest mass execution. Originally, 303 Dakota were sentenced to death following “trials” (the quotes are intentional) after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. President Abraham Lincoln reviewed the list of those sentenced to death, approving the hanging of thirty-eight. Thousands gathered to watch the execution on the day after Christmas 162 years ago.

Up close, names of the Dakota who were hung. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

This history I learned early on, but only from a White perspective and only because of my roots in southwestern Minnesota, at the epicenter of the war. I expect many Americans, including many Minnesotans, to this day know nothing of this conflict that killed hundreds of Whites and Dakota. Internment and exile of the Dakota followed. Native Peoples suffered because of the atrocities before and after the war.

A massive limestone sculpture of a white buffalo in Reconciliation Park represents the spiritual survival of the Dakota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

This is history I’d encourage everyone to study. And not just from a one-sided perspective. I won’t pretend that I am fully-informed. I’m not. I do, though, have a much better understanding than I did growing up. I’ve read, listened, learned. I know of stolen land, broken treaties and promises. Starvation. Injustices. Demeaning words like those attributed to a trader who told starving Dakota to “eat grass.” Andrew Myrick was later reportedly found dead, his mouth stuffed with grass.

A sign in Reconciliation Park directs visitors to the many sites around Mankato focused on reconciliation and remembrance. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

But back to those three words on that stone bench in Mankato: FORGIVE EVERYONE EVERYTHING. The Dakota truly have no reason to forgive. But they choose to do so. I’ve learned that forgiveness is part of Dakota culture and beliefs.

An overview of the location of Reconciliation Park along Riverfront Drive in Mankato, along the Minnesota River and across from the public library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

In the month of December, the attitude of forgiveness extends beyond words in stone to an annual horseback ride honoring the 38+2 (two more Dakota were sentenced to death two years later). This year, two rides—The Makatoh Reconciliation & Healing Horse Ride and The Dakota Exile Ride, the first originating in South Dakota, the other in Nebraska—will end on December 26 with gatherings at Reconciliation Park and the Blue Earth County Library, located across from each other.

Just down the street from Reconciliation Park, murals on the Ardent Mills grain silos celebrate the diversity of Mankato, including that of the Dakota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

These rides focus on educating, remembering, honoring, healing and forgiving. Five powerful verbs when connected with the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

Katherine Hughes’ poem ends with the word “forgiveness.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

The poem “Reconcile,” written by Katherine Hughes and posted in Reconciliation Park, closes with this powerful verse: Hope for a future/When memories remain/Balanced by forgiveness.

A Dakota prayer in the park ends with the word “reconciliation.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

FORGIVE EVERYONE EVERYTHING.

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FYI: Here’s the schedule for the December 26 events. A community gathering is set for 9 am-10 am at Reconciliation Park and the library. Horseback riders arrive at 10 a.m. A ceremony in the park takes place from 10 am-11:30 am. From 11:30 am-1 pm, a healing circle will happen at the library with discussion surrounding the events of December 26, 1862, covering the past, present and future. A community meal for the horseback riders, who rode hundreds of miles to Mankato, follows.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Holly Dodge’s collage art, inspired by poet Emily Dickinson, a must-see now in St. Peter October 24, 2024

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This shows a section of Holly Dodge’s collage titled “Glossolalia.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

ONLY DAYS REMAIN until an unusual and particularly interesting art exhibit closes at the Arts Center of Saint Peter on October 26. Mankato poet and visual artist Holly Dodge created the nearly 30 collage pieces of “Gorgeous Nothings” inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

In a corner of the main floor gallery, Dodge also created a mood setting still life fronting her collage art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

When I returned home from viewing Dodge’s work, I checked out two books of Dickinson’s poetry from the Faribault library to refresh my understanding of this recluse poet’s writing. She wrote most of her poems between 1862-1865. At one time, I really liked her poetry, maybe even understood some of it. Now? I struggled. Yet, I still delight in these words by Dickinson: “Hope” is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul/And sings the tune without the words/And never stops at all.

In this collage, a portion shown here. I see Emily Dickinson. It’s titled “And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

In viewing Dodge’s art, I could assuredly see the influence of Dickinson. In her artist statement, Dodge writes: “Her (Dickinson’s) fragmented, lyrical, elocutionary methods reminded me of the elements I was cutting out of books.” Dodge cut mostly flora, fauna and anatomical images from books to create her collages.

Titled “Oh Magnamity–My Visitor in Paradise.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Titled “I know that He exists. Somewhere–in silence.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
A collage titled “How softly sinks that troubling Sun In Human Nature’s West” incorporates an anatomical bat cut-out. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

It’s the anatomical aspect that pushed my mind toward scary thoughts. I doubt Dodge intended that. But given we are closing in on Halloween and body parts and birds and bats can be the stuff of fright, I leaned into that perspective.

In the lower gallery, I found the eyeball popping collage, center, among a trio or art pieces hung on a wall. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

I termed Dodge’s collages initially as “ghoulish.” But the more I looked, the more I pondered, the more I connected her creations to Dickinson’s poems, the less I thought unsettling thoughts. Sure there are skulls and a popping eyeball and a chambered heart and bat and birds and such. But intermixed are the loveliness of flowers and plants and even a portrait that could be Emily Dickinson.

Tabletop domed art titled “God gave a loaf to every bird, But just a crumb to me.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

The thing about art is that it is open to interpretation. We each bring our own experiences, our own biases, our own ideas to any art we view. But then an artist like Dodge, whose talent shines, causes us to pause and look through a clear lens. I could stretch my within to beyond.

Some titles are handwritten on the art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Dodge titled many of her pieces directly after the words of Dickinson, who never titled her poems. Titles lend themselves to insights into Dodge’s artwork.

The lower level multi-purpose space where Dodge’s art is also showcased. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Even the sign directing visitors to the lower level is artsy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
I didn’t expect to see a grand piano in the lower level gallery space. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

I never tire of viewing art in a gallery like that of the Arts Center of Saint Peter, where Dodge’s collages grace walls on the main level and also downstairs in a space centered by a sitting area and a grand piano. Greater Minnesota is home to some wonderful galleries and to incredible talent.

Another still life by Holly Dodge placed among her framed collages. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

I encourage you, wherever you live, to embrace the art and artists who share their talents in your town, your region. I don’t need to travel to a metro area to see inspiring, thought-provoking art.

Dodge’s piece titled “I could bring you jewels–Had I a mind.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

In the words of Emily Dickinson, “I could bring You Jewels—had I a mind to.” Holly Dodge has brought us jewels, as have so many other artists who create and share their art here in southern Minnesota.

The Arts Center of Saint Peter is along busy Minnesota Avenue/Highway 169 running through downtown. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

FYI: The Arts Center of Saint Peter gallery hours are 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 1- 5 p.m. Sunday. The center is located at 315 South Minnesota Avenue in the heart of downtown St. Peter.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Autumn searches for water, at least in Minnesota September 30, 2024

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Parched, cracked earth by the Turtle Pond, River Bend Nature Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2021, used for illustration only)

IN AN AUTUMN WHEN RAIN REMAINS elusive and drought once again settles upon Minnesota, I am reminded of a poem I penned 14 years ago for a competition. “In which Autumn searches for Water” was among 28 pieces of prose and poetry published in “It’s All One Water,” a collaboration between the Zumbro Watershed Partnership and Crossings at Carnegie in Zumbrota.

The invitation to the 2012 “It’s All One Water” reception and group show in Zumbrota.

The winning entries were printed in a beautiful 55-page booklet that paired the writing with submitted photos, all themed to water. I opted to pen a poem personifying Autumn as a woman searching for water upon the parched land. To this day I still love that strong visual, inspired by my long ago observations at River Bend Nature Center in Faribault.

And if I were to tap further into my visual memory, I would also see a semi trailer full of hay parked in a southwestern Minnesota farmyard in the summer of 1976. That was a year of severe drought, when my dad bought a boxcar full of hay from Montana so he could feed his cows and livestock. It was the year that nearly broke him as a farmer.

A REALLY DRY & WARM SEPTEMBER IN MINNESOTA

Here we are, 48 years later, settling once again into drought/abnormally dry weather conditions in Minnesota after a winter of minimal snow followed by an excessively wet spring, a dry-ish summer and now a record warm and dry September. This September, the Twin Cities recorded only 0.06 inches of rain and the most days of 80-degree or warmer high temps in any September. It doesn’t feel like fall in Minnesota, more like summer. But at least temperatures cool overnight.

Areas of western and central Minnesota are under a Red Flag Warning today, code words for a high fire danger, due to dry, windy conditions and dropping relative humidity. We are experiencing “near critical fire weather conditions” here in the southern part of the state.

AND THEN THERE’S TOO MUCH WATER

Contrast this with the weather my friends in western North Carolina and other areas affected by Hurricane Helene are experiencing. One is OK (as is her house). But she expects to be without power for a week and is relying on limited cell service at the local firehall. Another friend, a native Minnesotan, lost his car and may lose his home in Hendersonville after a creek swelled, flooding his garage (with four feet of water) and house (30 inches of floodwaters). A foundation wall “blew out” of his home. He is currently staying with family in Florida.

So, yes, even though the lack of rain and abnormally warm weather in Minnesota concern me, I feel a deeper concern for the folks dealing with loss of homes, businesses, infrastructures and, especially, deaths of loved ones. The devastation is horrific. It will take months, if not years, to recover.

RESPECT FOR WATER & MY POEM

In 2012, the following statement published in the intro to “It’s All One Water”: It is our hope to inspire respect, protection, preservation and awe in honor of water, our most precious of Natural Resources. How one views water right now depends on where they live. But I think we can all agree that water is “our most precious of Natural Resources.”

Autumn leaves in the Cannon River, Cannon River Wilderness Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2021)

In which Autumn searches for Water

Water. The wayward word rises in a faint rasp,

barely a whisper above the drone of buzzing bees

weaving among glorious goldenrods.

I strain to hear as Autumn swishes through tall swaying grass,

strides toward the pond, yearning to quench her thirst

in this season when Sky has remained mostly silent.

But she finds there, at the pond site, the absence of Water,

only thin reeds of cattails and defiant weeds in cracked soil,

deep varicose veins crisscrossing Earth.

She pauses, squats low to the parched ground and murmurs

of an incessant chorus of frogs in the spring,

of Water which once nourished this marshland.

Autumn heaves herself up, considers her options

in a brittle landscape too early withered by lack of rain.

Defeat marks her face. Her shoulders slump. She trudges away, in search of Water.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

© Copyright 2012 “In which Autumn searches for Water” by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Latest “Talking Stick” anthology publishes & I’m in, again September 19, 2024

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I couldn’t resist posing with Paul Bunyan at Jack Pines Resort following a book launch party there on September 14. (Photo credit: Randy Helbling)

FOR 33 YEARS NOW, a writing group in northern Minnesota has published Talking Stick, a literary anthology packed with poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. It features not only the writing of well-known Minnesota writers, but also that of emerging writers. And that says a lot about this book published by the Jackpine Writers’ Bloc based in the Park Rapids area.

Getting published in this anthology is a competitive process with blind-judging. The judges—this year a university English professor and writer, a writer who moved to Minnesota for a rural artist-in-residency, and the author of a cozy mystery series—have no idea whose work they are considering for honors. The Jackpine editorial team chooses their top pieces to pass along to the judges for review and awards.

There were 280 submissions from 121 Minnesota writers or writers with a strong connection to our state in the 2024 writing competition. Of those, 113 works from 72 writers were published. That includes 63 poems, 22 creative twist pieces, 15 creative nonfiction stories and 13 fictional stories.

Me with author and fiction judge Jeanne Cooney, right. (Photo credit: Randy Helbling)

My short story, “Dear Mother,” earned second place in fiction as decided by author Jeanne Cooney. She’s written “A Hot Dish Heaven Mystery” series and has launched a new “It’s Murder” series. Did my mention of Hamburger Noodle Hotdish and red Jell-O salad in my story influence Cooney’s decision? I’d like to think not, but I suppose subconsciously it could have. When I wrote my short story, though, I had no idea who would be judging the fiction category. Hotdish simply fit into the storyline.

The beginning of my prize-winning fictional story, “Dear Mother.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)

Cooney called “Dear Mother” a “Very good story. But needs to be clearer.” She was right. Her comments helped me shape a stronger, better piece of writing. Dark writing. Mine is a story that begins seemingly ordinary enough, wrapping up in a surprise ending. Or rather an inferred dark ending.

Congratulations to everyone whose work published in “Talking Stick 33.” Those include readers of this blog. Thanks also to Managing Editors Sharon Harris and Tarah L. Wolff for their ongoing dedication to the craft of writing. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)

Last Saturday afternoon, I gathered with other writers and supporters for a party launching publication of Talking Stick 33—Earth Signs at Jack Pines Resort (no connection to the writers’ group) in rural Osage, a four-hour drive from Faribault. The event included a writing workshop (which I did not attend), book reading and socializing.

I’m not especially comfortable reading to a roomful of people, even though I’ve done so many times. But I practiced and then read “Dear Mother” with dramatic inflections and soft tones in just the right spots, managing to convey exactly what I wrote. There’s something to be said for hearing a poem or story read aloud. The piece comes alive via the voice of the writer.

As I listened to all these writers, I felt a strong sense of community. I felt encircled by a group of incredibly talented and supportive creatives. People who care about language and emotion and damn good writing.

My collection of “Talking Stick” books. I’ve been published in 15 of these 16 volumes. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)

This marks the 15th consecutive year my writing has published in Talking Stick. A poem, “Misunderstood,” and a work of creative nonfiction, “Lessons Inside the Dome,” were also selected for publication in the 2024 volume. Both are Faribault-rooted. My poem focuses on the connection between the Wahpekute and today’s homeless population living in woods along the Straight River. In “Lessons,” I write about walking inside the Shattuck-St. Mary’s School dome during the winter and lessons I learned there.

My writing is often rooted in experiences, in observations, in overheard conversations, in memories. I’ve covered everything from farming, to aging to domestic abuse, trauma, Minnesota Nice and more. Writing prompts have come from a vintage family photo, a sign on a barbershop window in Northfield, a painting by Andy Warhol… There are stories everywhere.

I’m grateful to the Jackpine Writers’ Bloc for repeatedly choosing my work for publication in Talking Stick. That includes 15 poems, 10 short stories, nine creative nonfiction stories and two creative twist stories (written using a list of pre-selected words). I’ve thrice been awarded second place (poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction). I’ve also earned eight honorable mentions (four for fiction, two for creative nonfiction, and one each in poetry and creative twist). Winning those awards is validating to me as a writer.

But just as validating is being among other writers. Writers who appreciate the craft of writing and the hard work it takes to shape a poem or a short story. Writers who understand the importance of word choice. Writers who recognize the power of words. Writers who don’t settle for the mundane, the cliché, the everyday. Writers who will spend several hours together on a glorious September afternoon in the northwoods celebrating the release of Talking Stick, a stellar literary anthology. We have much to celebrate in Minnesota, in this place that produces a remarkable number of talented writers.

FYI: To purchase a copy of “Talking Stick,” click here. Thank you for supporting Minnesota writers.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Look to Books on Central as “We Look West” September 3, 2024

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(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2024)

THEY ARE SEASONED WRITERS, also well-seasoned in life. They are Becky Boling, Heather Candels, D.E. Green, Steve McCown and Julie A. Ryan, collectively The Poets of the Northfield Public Library. And at 6 p.m. Thursday, September 5, they will gather at Books on Central, 227 Central Avenue North, Faribault for a poetry reading followed by a Q & A.

If you happen to be one of those people who claim a dislike of poetry, I encourage you to reconsider and come to this literary event. The poetry this group will read comes from their recently-published anthology, We Look West. Their poems are down-to-earth relatable. Trust me. I’ve read this 116-page book, loved it and reviewed it. (Click here to read my review.)

The writing within the pages of this volume are stories of life, in poetry form. Poems that transition from east to west, from the sunrise to the sunset of our lives.

They’re written by poets with extensive publishing credentials. Four have taught at the high school or college level. The fifth comes from a strong literary and visual arts background. Two are Pushcart nominees.

I’ve met Boling and Green and read poetry with them at an event at Mercado Local in Northfield. They are a wonderful married couple, comfortable and friendly. No stuffy poets here. And no stuffy poems. Just plain good writing that moves the spirit, fills the soul, imprints upon the heart.

I look forward to hearing The Poets of the Northfield Public Library read selected poems and then share the stories behind their poetry. As a poet, I’m always interested in learning what inspired a particular poem.

And if you have questions, ask away. Writers welcome engagement as they share their passion for poetry, the craft of writing.

FYI: Books on Central is a second-hand book shop run by the Rice County Area United Way and staffed by volunteers. Proceeds from the bookstore benefit organizations and nonprofits throughout the county.

 

Spotlight shines on Minnesota, specifically Mankato (once my home) August 23, 2024

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“The Thrill of Vertical,” posted on a sign in Spring Lake Park as part of the 2013 Mankato Poetry Walk & Ride, was inspired by my college years in Mankato. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2013)

I ARRIVED IN MANKATO with a canary yellow 10-speed bike, a simple orange backpack, my Sears portable manual typewriter, a clock radio, a quilt stitched by Grandma Ida and a suitcase filled with clothes. The year was 1974, the beginning of my freshman year at Bethany Lutheran College, high atop a hill in this southern Minnesota city.

The Ardent Mills grain silos, a massive public art project, dominate the skyline along the Minnesota River in the heart of Mankato. The art depicts the diversity of the area. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2023)

I was only 17, nervous, but ready to leave my childhood farm home some 85 miles to the west. I met my roommate, Rhonda, a beautiful high school cheerleader from western Wisconsin. She was well-traveled, outgoing, vastly different than me, quiet and shy. And she had a stereo for our cozy fourth floor corner dorm room. We were set. Despite our differences, we got along splendidly.

This shows the base of a place sculpture along the Minnesota River in Riverfront Park. The words for Mankato and Minnesota are written in the Dakota language and translated. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2023)

As I settled into the big city (Mankato’s current population numbers around 45,000), big for me when you come from a town of 362, I began to feel at home. Not only on campus, but also in the community. Happy Chef became a go-to destination for conversation and for warm loaves of bread glazed with powdered sugar frosting. A Christian coffee house also drew me off campus. I wasn’t in to the bar scene.

My poem, “River Stories,” highlights the Minnesota River, which winds through Mankato. It was posted along the river as part of the 2019 Mankato Poetry Walk & Ride. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2019)

For nearly four years, Mankato became my home away from home. The place that grew me educationally and as a person. I earned an associate of arts degree from Bethany, then only a two-year college, before moving on to Minnesota State University, Mankato, to study journalism. I worked at the college newspaper, “The Reporter.” In the winter of 1978, I earned a mass communications degree with an emphasis in news/editorial. Soon thereafter, I started my career as a newspaper reporter and photographer. Years later I returned to work for “The Mankato Free Press,” heading up the paper’s St. James-based news bureau (me living and working from my apartment long before working remotely became a thing).

I am rooted in Minnesota. This art hangs in my home office. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Why am I sharing this with you today? Because of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, now the vice presidential candidate on the DFL ticket. He lived in Mankato, where he worked as a social studies teacher and football coach at Mankato West High School. Walz, likely unfamiliar to most Americans up until recently, has put our state, specifically Mankato, on the map. As a life-long Minnesotan, I am proud to see my state, considered by many to be fly-over land, in the spotlight. No matter your political leanings, such publicity is good for Minnesota.

I’ve only attended the Minnesota State Fair a few times in my life. This mug came from my father-in-law’s collection. The State Fair started yesterday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Like Walz, flannel shirts hang in my closet. I am wearing one as I write on this cool August morning. Flannel truly is a Minnesota thing, no matter political affiliations. We like our hotdishes (not “casseroles”) and the Minnesota State Fair (although not me; too many people), our cabins Up North. We claim musicians Bob Dylan and Prince, the Coen Brothers (of “Fargo” movie fame) and other notables like vice presidents Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale.

The grain silos are a massive work of public art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2023)

I cannot imagine living elsewhere, even if I don’t especially like the frigid cold and snow of a Minnesota winter. I loved winter as a Redwood County farm girl. Minnesota is home. I live 40 miles northeast of Mankato, a city originally inhabited by the Dakota. Mankato is a river town, a college town, a regional shopping hub, a community with a rich (but not always “good”) history. It is home to many creatives. I’ve been part of that with poetry showcased on signs through the Mankato Poetry Walk and Ride.

My latest poem, “The Mighty Tatanka,” posted along the West Mankato Trail near West Mankato High School. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2023)

My connection with, and appreciation of, Mankato all started in that fourth floor dorm room with a roommate who was nothing like me. Despite our differences, we connected, forged a strong friendship, together grew and matured. We were on the cusp of our lives. Young. Open to new ideas and learning. The future held endless possibilities. For me, the 17-year-old with the canary yellow bike. And for Rhonda with her stereo system.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

My prize-winning poem: “Sunday Afternoon at the Auction Barn” May 31, 2024

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Turek’s Auction Service, 303 Montgomery Ave. S.E. (Highway 21), Montgomery, has been “serving Minnesota since 1958.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots edited and copyrighted file photo February 2014)

AUCTIONS ARE PART of my rural DNA. As such, a photo I took ten years ago of an auction barn on the edge of Montgomery, Minnesota, inspired me to write a poem. I entered “Sunday Afternoon at the Auction Barn” in the 2014 The Talking Stick writing competition. It earned second place in poetry and publication in The Talking Stick 23, Symmetry, a literary journal published by the northern Minnesota-based Jackpine Writers’ Bloc. It also earned the praise of noted Minnesota poet and poetry judge Margaret Hasse. She’s authored six full-length collections of poetry.

First, my poem:

Sunday Afternoon at the Auction Barn

Shoulder brushes shoulder as bidders settle onto plank benches

in the tightness of the arched roof auction barn,

oil stains shadowing the cement beneath their soles,

where a farmer once greased wheel bearings on his Case tractor.

The auctioneer chants in a steady cadence

that mesmerizes, sways the faithful fellowship

to raise hands, nod heads, tip bidding cards

in reverent respect of an aged rural liturgy.

Red Wing crock, cane back rocker, a Jacob’s ladder quilt,

Aunt Mary’s treasured steamer trunk, weathered oars—

goods of yesteryear coveted by those who commune here,

sipping steaming black coffee from Styrofoam cups.

In her critique of my poem, Hasse wrote:

“I loved how you turned a humdrum occasion of bidding on antiques in an old barn into a closely observed and luminous occasion. The writer John Ciiardi once wrote that close and careful observation can “leak a ghost.” The surprise of your poem was the elevation of a commercial or material enterprise into a spiritual gathering—with a fellowship, liturgy, reverent respect, and people who commune. The ending—visual and concrete—was just right. The poet Franklin Brainerd wrote a poem something to the effect, “in a world of crystal goblets, I come with my paper cup.” There’s something both unpretentious and appealing about “sipping steaming black coffee from Styrofoam cups.”

Hasse’s comment reflects that she understands the spirit and spirituality of my poem. It was a joy to write. As I recall, the words flowed easily from my brain to keyboard to screen as I visualized bidders inside that auction barn, like congregants in a church. When poetry works like that, it’s magical and fulfilling and beyond beautiful.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Poem copyrighted in 2014

 

Bilingual poetry reading connects communities May 22, 2024

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(Promo courtesy of Rice County Neighbors United)

POETRY. Say that singular word and most people likely stop listening. But listening is precisely what you should do when you hear “poetry.”

An original poem and photo by Mar Valdecantos, director of Rice County Neighbors United. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo April 2024)

Poems are meant to be read aloud, to be heard. I didn’t always understand that. But when I started attending and participating in poetry readings many years ago, I realized that poems, like music, need to be vocalized to fully experience them.

Rolled up poems were boxed (not bagged) and placed at local businesses. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo April 2024)

Thursday evening, May 23, I will be among poets and poetry lovers participating in a community poetry reading at Mercado Local, 108 Fifth St. E., Northfield, to celebrate “Poetry in a Bag!” Through this project of Rice County Neighbors United, original and favorite poems were collected, printed, then distributed to area businesses during National Poetry Month in April and into May. Customers were welcome to take a rolled up poem printed in both English and Spanish.

Mercado Local, located just off Division Street in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

So this bilingual project is as much cultural as culture. That’s part of the mission of RCNU—to connect cultures, to increase visibility of immigrants and refugees in the community, to empower them. Mercado Local serves as a home base for the advocacy organization with its store, art center and community room.

A sampling of the merchandise inside the Mercado Local store. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo April 2024)

The store will be open during Thursday’s 6:30-7:30 pm gathering in the community space. I’ll be there reading the six original, previously-published poems I submitted for “Poetry in a Bag!” Likewise Northfield poets will read their poems. It’s certain to be a connective experience.

For sale in the store at Mercado Local. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo April 2024)

The free public event also features Hispanic foods and desserts, a sure way to bring people together. Already “Poetry in a Bag!” has done that personally, connecting me with Northfield poets previously unknown to me. I expect to make more new friends on Thursday when I read poetry, listen to poetry, sample Hispanic foods and immerse myself in a culture different than mine.

Plenty of offerings inside the Mercado Local store. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo April 2024)

Two cultures connecting via words and food. Now that’s poetry to my ears, food for my soul.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Poetry that sings from Minnesota’s poet laureate May 2, 2024

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Book cover sourced online. Cover watercolor painting, “The Musician,” is by Cherokee artist Roy Boney, Jr.

HER POEMS SING with the rhythm of a writer closely connected to land, heritage and history. She is Gwen Nell Westerman of Mankato, Minnesota poet laureate and author of Songs, Blood Deep, published by Duluth-based Holy Cow! Press.

Of Dakota and Cherokee heritage, Westerman honors her roots with poems that reflect a deep cultural appreciation for the natural world. The water. The sky. The seasons. The earth. The birds and animals. They are all there in her writing, in language that is down-to-earth descriptive. Readers can hear the birdsong, feel the breeze, see the morning light… That she pens nature poems mostly about the land of my heart—fields and prairie—endears me even more to her poetry.

This slim volume of collected poems is divided into seasons of the year, each chapter title written in the Dakota language. The book features multiple languages—Dakota, Cherokee, Spanish and English. That adds to its depth, showing that, no matter the language we speak, write or read, we are valued.

This silo mural in downtown Mankato celebrates the cultural diversity of the region, including the Dakota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2023)

Westerman clearly values her Native heritage, how lessons and stories have been passed to her through generations of women, especially. Songs, blood deep. In her poem “First Song,” she shares a lesson her grandmother taught her about the importance of sharing. After reading that thought-provoking poem, I considered how much better this world would be if we all focused on the singular act of sharing.

The Dakota 38 Memorial at Reconciliation Park in downtown Mankato lists the names of the 38 Dakota men hung at this site on December 26, 1862. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2023)

This poet, who is also a gifted textile artist (creator of quilts), wraps us in her words. In the season of waniyetu, her poetry turns more reflective and introspective, as one would expect in winter. She writes of family, injustices and more. “Song for the Generations: December 26” is particularly moving as that date in history references the mass execution of 38 Dakota sentenced to death in 1862 and hung in Mankato. Westerman writes of rising and remembering, of singing and prayer. It’s a truly honorable poem that sings of sorrow and strength.

Her poems remind us that this land of which she writes was home first to Indigenous Peoples. Westerman writes of a state park in New Ulm, the sacred Jeffers Petroglyphs and Fort Snelling, where Dakota were imprisoned after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 and before their exile from Minnesota. The name of our state traces to Mni Sota Makoce, Dakota for “the land where the water reflects the sky.” It’s included in Westerman’s poetry.

I appreciate poems that counter the one-sided history I was taught. I appreciate Westerman’s style of writing that is gentle, yet strong, in spirit. Truthful in a way that feels forgiving and healing.

In the all of these poems, I read refrains of gratitude for the natural world, gratitude for heritage and gratitude for this place we share. We sang. We sing. Songs, blood deep.

FYI: Songs, Blood Deep, is a nominee for the 2024 Minnesota Book Award in poetry. The winner will be announced May 7. This is Westerman’s second poetry book. Her first: Follow the Blackbirds. In addition to writing poetry and creating quilts, Westerman teaches English, Humanities and Creative Writing at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“Poem in a Bag” celebrates the arts, connects cultures April 23, 2024

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Pick a poem from a box at Mercado Local (and other locations) as part of a poetry initiative rooted in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

PRINTED POETRY PLACED in public pleases me. Pleases me because putting poetry out there places this literary art into hands that might not otherwise pick poetry. I mean, if we’re honest, how often do we purchase a poetry book or pull a poetry volume from the 811. section of the library? Probably not all that often.

Among colorful merchandise sold by immigrant vendors at Mercado Local in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

That is why I love the latest poetry project in my area—“Poem in a Bag.” Rice County Neighbors United, an advocacy group for low income and immigrant community members, recently launched this project in Northfield, a city rich in the arts, including poetry. Mar Valdecantos, RCNU advocate director and also a poet, writer, visual artist and art teacher, is leading this endeavor.

Grab a poetry scroll from the box. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

The concept is simple. Collect, translate, print and place poems inside a box (not a bag) in locations accessible to the public. The poetry, both original and favorites, is paired with local original art, including that of Valdecantos. Anyone can grab a poetry scroll and have instant access to literary and visual art.

Northfield is home to a sizeable Hispanic population. Immigrant vendors sell their art and more at Mercado Local. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

But there’s more. The poems are printed in Spanish and in English. I can’t read Spanish. (My second daughter can; she’s a former Spanish medical interpreter and translator.) That doesn’t matter. What matters is that each poem is printed in two languages, reflecting, respecting and celebrating cultural diversity in our region of southern Minnesota.

The merchandise inside Mercado Local, including this woven tote, is a colorful, visual delight. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

Rice County Neighbors United aims to raise cultural awareness via events and activities like “Poem in a Bag,” funded by a grant from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. The arts have always been a way to connect peoples, to communicate, to inspire and more. Whatever our differences, art is universal, linking us in our humanity.

A portion of the poem, “Streetlight at Night,” and art by Mar Valdecantos. All poems are printed in Spanish and in English. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

Poems submitted for this National Poetry Month project cover a range of topics, some specific, others broader. Sunrise, empanadas, children, cancer, loneliness, life, winter, salmon, even a dead mouse, are among the subjects of original poems. I’ve lent several poems for the project.

More cultural offerings at Mercado Local. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

And then there is the poetry of renowned poets—Latin American, Cuban, American—selected and submitted as favorite poems. Nature, the mother-child relationship, a white rose and service to others theme these. They, too, are accompanied by art.

Mercado Local is located in the heart of downtown Northfield, just off Division Street. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

Art in all its forms is powerful. Rice County Neighbors United recognizes that, celebrating creativity and entrepreneurship at Mercado Local, a marketplace for immigrant vendors and also an art center, community room and education space located at 108 5th Street East in Northfield.

Mercado Local explodes with color. The “Poem in a Bag” box is on the cashier’s counter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

“Poem in a Bag” poems are available at Mercado Local and at other Northfield businesses (currently Content Bookstore, Imminent Brewery and radio station KYMN) and at the Northfield Public Library. Valdecantos aims to get poetry boxes into more Northfield businesses. In Faribault, “Poem in a Bag” can be found at Books on Central, a used bookshop run by the Rice County Area United Way.

This is an ambitious undertaking, one Valdecantos hopes to repeat next April during National Poetry Month. She intends to extend this year’s “Poem in a Bag” into May with a poetry reading set for 6:30-8 pm Thursday, May 23, in the community room/art space at Mercado Local. I appreciate all of this. To place poetry in public places, to use art to connect cultures, is truly a welcoming, neighborly gift to our culturally diverse communities.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling