Shayla Dancing

Ron's granddaughter Shayla often made appearances at Ron's salons and other celebrations. I caught her dancing for Ron and friends during a return feature by Prabakar Rajan back in 2010. 

One time she teamed up with Molly at the anniversary party for Ron and Sue at Doyle's. Shayla teamed up with Molly to make a concoction of everyone's discarded drinks along with paper straw covers and pieces of a bar napkin (these were artisans at work). Shayla pushed the glass over to me and simply said "Drink it! with a wicked smile.

That was about fifteen years ago. I saw her again during Ron's funeral all, ready to enter college. Now I just want her and Molly to get together and drive around the country solving mysteries. 

 

Happy Eightieth Birthday, Ron Goba

Thank you for all the years.

 

 

My poem For Prabakar T. Rajan

Before Prabakar's reading at The Goba Salon this past Friday, Tom Daley emailed several of us, asking us to bring work (by ourselves or others) to read in honor of Ron's guest of honor.

I haven't been as close to Prabakar, Ron Goba and Keith Nystrom as others in the poetry scene, but I've become closer as I've joined their Friends of Poetry workshop since my own Goba Salon reading. I owe so much to Prabakar for not only inviting me to read for the salon (he had booked the talent for Ron since the two founded the series) but for being the person who first verbally gave me the invitation to join the workshop.

It was keeping this in mind, as well as trying in some way to honor his wish that he'd rather hear poems about his friends than about him, that I wrote the poem below, based on the first time Ron, Prabakar, Keith, and myself were at the same workshop together a couple of weeks ago. I jotted down all the quotes as I heard them during the workshopping of Ron's poem and mine, making very few alterations.


Salon Poem

Ron's poem sizes up
pointed, loaded weapons
for a Sigmund-style salvo,
says, "I was entertaining bazookas,"
clashing phallic cymbals,
asking us to compare sounds.
Keith suggests a big black fanny pack
down by the poem's center
to help keep weapon partially concealed.
Even so, could you still stand up
with said poem on stage
and not be asked to step down?
Ron scoffs. "Even Ashberry
played with hs dictionary."
Prabakar scimitars my failed sonnet,
finds the Kafka I'd sneak in at college,
rewrites one stanza into
a well wrought urn to keep it in.
Ron leans forward: "What an incredible birth."

Prabakar T. Rajan Says Farewell at The Goba Salon, December 18, 2009

Prabakar says farewell to the Boston poetry scene courtesy of the Wollaston, MA venue he helped to found with friend Ron Goba.

I have these going up on Facebook, but I wanted to make sure Prabakar could see these. Not everyone has Facebook accounts, or can even access them if they have work computers.



Vicki Murray got the brunt of my pics while
documenting the Round Robin given that she was
directly across the room from me, and it was awkward
to take pictures when we the salon sits in a circle.


Tom Daley and Prabakar listen to the Round Robin
before the feature.


Prabakar reads as dear friend Ron Goba listens
intently, his glasses off just about any time a poem
was being read by anyone.


The applause at the end of the feature.


As I knew from first hand experience, there is a
discussion after the feature reads. For Prabakar, who
has been booking for the Salon for a couple of years,
the discussion was lively, even feisty at times.



And this was all before the second round robin,
where both poetry and tributes were read for
Prabakar, even by a friend of a friend who just
met him.




Keith Nystrom, co-documentor.







Kieth going super sleuth.


Like a ninja!




The break before the 2nd Round Robin.


Anthony Baldor is just as happy to see me
with a camera as most people are (not very).


Back to the circle.


Michael Mack in the audience. He did an impromptu
reading of a poem about his father which he was
able to have relate to Prabakar.




Ron reads the final poem of the night.


Back to the photos. Prabakar poes with Ron and
Gabrielle Fee and her mother Isabelle, both of
whom knew Prabakar from his day job as a doctor
and were indebted to him when Gabrielle was ill.




You pose enough for me, and inevitably, more
people want to join in.




Some other faces at the reading: Eric Howes.


And Sue Goba, co-master of the house.






Keith without camera. I hope he sends me the
photo he snuck with me behind Prabakar.


And Jade Sylvan.


Fact: Naming Jade Sylvan in your blog will
garner you 30 extra hits!


Prabakar signs a book for new friend Lynne Sticklor,
who couldn't be in the audience that night.


Nate Connors says goobye to this photo session.