Journal Entry 1 by annulla from Brooklyn, New York USA on Sunday, January 11, 2004

Purchased on a frozen January day at the New York Public Library, Cardinal Cooke Branch (51st & Lexington), from the book sale cart, for 50 cents. This is a library discard and still bears some library markings. A couple of days after buying it, I posted a poem from the book in the bookcrossing forums - and then another - and that led to the creation of The Great Valentine Bookring. Here's a list of the bookcrossers who've asked to join the ring - in order. Please let me know if I've missed anyone:

TexasWren - Whitney, Texas, USA
Daidy - Flint, Michigan, USA
Awesome Aud - Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Rainbowbabe - West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
Sparky-Redhead - Chesapeake, Virginia, USA
ALIVE - St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
Gory Details - Nashua, New Hampshire, USA
Mojosmom - Chicago, Illinois, USA
Dei - Singapore, Singapore
Sprockitt - Singapore, Singapore
silentmiaouw - St-Légier, Vaud, Switzerland

And just one more poem from the book:

Things by Fleur Adcock

There are worse things than having behaved foolishly in public.
There are worse things than these miniature betrayals, committed or endured or suspected;
There are worse things than not being able to sleep for thinking about them.

It is 5 a.m.
All the worse things come stalking in and stand icily around the bed
looking worse and worse and worse.

Okay, okay, one more:

Mollie Haggarty by Dorothy Barnham

Poor old Mollie Haggarty
Ate chops when they were maggoty.
Now her conscience can't decide --
Did she commit insecticide?

Enjoy!

By the way ... if you are a poetry-lover, check out this book.
 

Journal Entry 2 by annulla at post office - Roosevelt Station in New York City, New York USA on Saturday, March 06, 2004

Release planned for Monday, March 08, 2004 at Roosevelt Station Post Office in New York, New York USA.

This book will be released via mail. Most of the people who signed up for this bookray have probably forgotten all about it, but I had to read this book and then re-read it and re-read it again. Wonderful stuff.

Lullaby by Rosemary Norman

Go to sleep, Mum,
I won't stop breathing
suddenly in the night.

Go to sleep, I won't
climb out of my cot and
tumble downstairs.

Mum, I won't swallow
the pills the doctor gave you
or put hairpins in electric
sockets, just go to sleep.

I won't cry
when you take me to school and leave me;
I'll be happy with other children
my own age.

Sleep, Mum, sleep.
I won't
fall in the pond, play with matches,
run under a lorry or even consider
sweets from strangers.

No, I won't
give you a lot of lip
not like some.

I won't sniff glue,
fail all my exams,
get myself/
my girlfriend pregnant.
I'll work hard and get a steady/
really worthwhile job.
I promise, go to sleep.

I'll never forget
to drop in/phone/write
And if
I need any milk, I'll yell.

 

Journal Entry 3 by TexasWren from Hillsboro, Texas USA on Tuesday, March 16, 2004

I simply don't know where to start, but I'll start with a warning. Be sure that you have access to a woman friend when you read this book. You will find yourself craving another woman to read them to, so that you can say, "That's exactly the way it was/is" or "I thought the same thing!" I'm thinking that this would be the perfect book for one of our sauna days--Marco might be the type to appreciate them. I found things that made me sad, things that made me giggle with the truth it told, and some to make me sigh for the way it was....

I read it in the truck, on the way to work, but, unfortunately, men don't appreciate the wisdom in here--or at least mine didn't. So, here I am, back amongst my women friends, and I find that I want to quote the book to you! I'll try to control myself, and only quote pieces that I can't resist. Some of the poems have been copied to share with sis and dils.

This one made me unbearably sad. I've read it 4 times now, and each time, I find myself wanting to write to the mother and tell her that it doesn't have to be that way. I'll only quote the first verse.

Her First Toy by Sylvia Parker

I thank you for saving her life
my child
I really do
But did you have to give her
as her first toy
a white
doll

In my experience, small children don't see the color of their dolls. All are loved equally, until someone points out that there is a difference. What if we could muffle the voices of the ones who point out the difference?

This one is going inside all of my baby shower gifts from now on!

For an Unborn Baby by Janet Shepperson

If she's a girl,
I hope she'll stretch her wings
and grow up free, wide ranging
like a seagull, dealing with the winds
competently, swifting on currents of air,
able to live on anything she can find
in the murky sea, or even on rubbish heaps,
adapting with ease when storms drive her inland.
May she choose wisely if in the end
she settles on one name, one piece of ground.

May she banish those who'd seek to protect her
from heartbread, or joy.
--And may he achieve no less
if he's a boy."

Ok, I had several more marked, but, I'll let you savor them yourselves. Don't miss This Cat, Advice to a Teenage Daughter, or Grown Up. Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman is in here. I saw her recite this one time on some tv show, and I was able to read it with her voice in my head!
Ok, it is moving on tomorrow. Goodbye little book!

Annulla, thank you so much for sharing this with me!
 

Journal Entry 4 by TexasWren from Hillsboro, Texas USA on Saturday, March 20, 2004

I didn't get this mailed on the day I planned. It did go out today, and to make up for the delay, I sent it first class. 

Journal Entry 5 by daidy from Kansas City, Missouri USA on Monday, March 29, 2004

Reading this one as soon as I can. I will PM the next person on the list and mail it in about a week or two. 

Journal Entry 6 by daidy from Kansas City, Missouri USA on Sunday, April 18, 2004

Just realized I forgot to make a journal entry on this one. I mailed it to AwesomeAud a while ago. Some of the poems are quite good, but some just left me flat. I suppose that's the way it always is with an anthology. 

Journal Entry 7 by AwesomeAud from New Dundee, Ontario Canada on Friday, April 30, 2004

eek!! I got this in the mail at work last week, and was thrilled (really)!!! then I put it in my briefcase so I could make the journal entry when I got home ... but it's such a slim book, I guess I just .... forgot it! I'm a total idiot - shoot me, kick me, beat me with a wet noodle .... I'm SORRY!!!

*whimper* 

Journal Entry 8 by sparky-redhead from Mankato, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Got this in the mail from Awesome Aud this afternoon. I can't WAIT to read it. 

Journal Entry 9 by sparky-redhead from Mankato, Minnesota USA on Thursday, February 17, 2005

OMG...I can't believe how long I've held on to this book!!! I'm soooo sorry. I swear, I'm sending a PM to the next person on the list right now!!! 

Journal Entry 10 by sparky-redhead from Mankato, Minnesota USA on Sunday, February 20, 2005

At the request of Alive, I'm sending a PM to the next person on the list (Gory Details). Could the list possibly be amended to move Alive the end of the list?
Thanks,
S-R 

Journal Entry 11 by GoryDetails from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Monday, March 21, 2005

I Wouldn't Thank You for a Valentine arrived safely in today's mail; many thanks! Looks like a truly wonderful collection, especially judging by the previous comments... 

Journal Entry 12 by GoryDetails from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, April 07, 2005

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of poems - so much so that I got another copy for my sister and niece (and I hope the nephews will read it, too!). Lots of memorable poems here, covering a variety of topics and moods - not all specifically feminist, despite the subtitle, but most with some aspect of respect and appreciation for differences. Juanita Bell's "Indian Children Speak," for example: "People said, 'Indian children are dumb. They seldom make a reply.' Clearly I hear Delores answer, 'Yes, the sunset is so good, I think God is throwing a bright shawl around the shoulders of the sky.'" And Gabriela Pearse's "This Cat":

This cat
she expects love.
Demands it
stalks it
feels she has a right to it.
She is not ashamed -
I wish I were more like this cat.

When sweet Echo met Narcissus
She desired to be his missus.
But Narcissus took a dekko
At himself and not at Echo.
Now forever must he shiver
As he hovers o'er the river.
Echo too is out of luck
All she wanted was a man to love and cherish her.

Journal Entry 13 by mojosmom from Chicago, Illinois USA on Monday, April 11, 2005

Very soon, you won't have to join the ring. You'll be able to read all the poems in the journal entries! I think that's a sign that people liked this book.

Hope I will, too.