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The Rose Compass

The Rose Compass

By The Rose Compass

The Rose Compass combines poetry readings of known and unknown authors with occasional storytelling and simple theatre performance.
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Self Reiki Meditation (for women and men)

The Rose CompassMay 14, 2020

00:00
19:38
"Anorexic": a poem by Eavan Boland

"Anorexic": a poem by Eavan Boland

For the girls who need to know they can love all of themselves, even their fleshy flesh.
Jan 30, 202404:15
Wallace Stevens meets Leon Bridges through me, over coffee.

Wallace Stevens meets Leon Bridges through me, over coffee.

This is so weird but you may enjoy it. Mash-up of the lyrics to the song "The Hardest Part," sung by Olivia Dean and Leon Bridges AND (yes, AND!) a reading of "Disillusionment of Ten o'clock" by Wallace Stevens. Djs will make new things out of already good things. Please dance. (#ceintures are not #centaurs) Namaste.
Nov 11, 202304:10
Polonius to His Son

Polonius to His Son

Polonius gives advice to his son Laertes before a venture abroad. No dating advice though. Hmm. 🤔 Let's make all the men in Hamlet women for a while.
Sep 13, 202303:17
"The Death of Marilyn Monroe," a poem by Sharon Olds.

"The Death of Marilyn Monroe," a poem by Sharon Olds.

From Olds' collection *The Dead and the Living.*
Jun 26, 202302:11
Ode to Black History: Past, Present and Future

Ode to Black History: Past, Present and Future

A reading of "Strange Fruit," written by Lewis Allans and sung by Billie Holiday. #blacklivesmatter
Feb 19, 202306:07
"Cinderella," a Poetic Retelling by Anne Sexton

"Cinderella," a Poetic Retelling by Anne Sexton

In 1971, Anne Sexton, confessional poet suffering from mental illness and rising in fame, published "Transformations," poetic versions of fairytales she reframes for a modern ear. They are fabulous.
Jul 16, 202206:55
I'm Too Hot 🔥 and it is April

I'm Too Hot 🔥 and it is April

What does Bruno Mars have in common with Chet Baker and the poet Marie Howe and Mary Magdalene? This! My performance art! Everything comes to light! Happy Poetry Month 😘
Apr 05, 202208:55
Emily Dickinson Rises Again (with Erica Jong)

Emily Dickinson Rises Again (with Erica Jong)

From Erica Jong's collection, *The World Began with Yes*. This poem called "Emily Dickinson: A New Daguerreotype."
Mar 10, 202202:12
"Moreover" by Jack Gilbert

"Moreover" by Jack Gilbert

Poetry from the collection, "Refusing Heaven"
Jan 22, 202202:27
"Music Swims Back to Me" by Anne Sexton

"Music Swims Back to Me" by Anne Sexton

From her first collection, about her experience in a mental ward, where poetry changed her and saved her life.
Jan 17, 202203:16
Love and Money

Love and Money

The most important teaching.
Dec 22, 202103:19
"The Snow Man," by Wallace Stevens

"The Snow Man," by Wallace Stevens

A soul retreat/treat.
Nov 25, 202101:20
Short Story, "Wampum" by Samantha Hunt

Short Story, "Wampum" by Samantha Hunt

From her collection, The Dark Dark. A young woman and a much older man....
Nov 25, 202129:24
Reading Keats in 2005

Reading Keats in 2005

I found some journals.
Nov 21, 202101:05
Poem: Sharon Olds, "The Race"

Poem: Sharon Olds, "The Race"

A poem from Sharon Olds collection of poems called "The Father" from 1992.
Nov 12, 202103:34
Humpty Dumpty's Life

Humpty Dumpty's Life

He is called Humpty Dumpty for a reason. Would you ever want that to be your name? The name makes the man...
Oct 31, 202101:25
Which Side Are You On?

Which Side Are You On?

Blending scripture with Natalie Merchant's "Which Side Are You On," from The House Carpenter's Daughter album. Luke 7:31
Oct 31, 202103:24
Women's Drum Circle

Women's Drum Circle

Drumming and singing as the ancient ones did
Oct 31, 202107:19
Thoughts at Mademoiselle Cafe, Paris

Thoughts at Mademoiselle Cafe, Paris

A reading from my book, *Letters to a Young Woman, Lessons on Life and Love, from Paris* 1/28/2020
Oct 31, 202104:02
"Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou

"Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou

A little channeling helped with this one. Thanks, Maya! ❤
Sep 30, 202107:07
Standing Up and Going Home

Standing Up and Going Home

I let it go, you see. That's all it was. ❤
Aug 31, 202101:55
Something I Pray You Will Never Forget

Something I Pray You Will Never Forget

These are lines you have heard and heard, but have you really heard? Please pay attention to the bus and a purring cat (*special guest).
Aug 28, 202109:51
"I Shall Paint My Nails Red" by Carol Satyamurti

"I Shall Paint My Nails Red" by Carol Satyamurti

This poem is the first poem I used for an analysis paper in college English. It holds a special place in my heart.
Aug 01, 202101:47
"A lamp on a stand."

"A lamp on a stand."

Truth!
Jun 19, 202101:12
A reading of "Peter Quince at the Clavier" by Wallace Stevens

A reading of "Peter Quince at the Clavier" by Wallace Stevens

Peter Quince is a humble carpenter/aspiring playwright in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Susanna and the Elders is a classic Greek myth and story. In this poem, Peter plays his music. The story of myth and truth unfolds. It is as old as time.
Jun 16, 202107:11
A reading of "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop

A reading of "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop

This is for people who lose things.
Jun 08, 202103:13
Women, Fiction, Money: Thoughts from Virginia Woolf

Women, Fiction, Money: Thoughts from Virginia Woolf

Oh, the things women do when they are left alone. The words they speak! The thoughts they have! Those creations! Such wild dance....
Jun 02, 202105:55
Lady Macbeth Grows a Conscience

Lady Macbeth Grows a Conscience

Behind every weak man is a conniving woman. 

May 22, 202102:09
"Speak to Us of Children" from The Prophet

"Speak to Us of Children" from The Prophet

Kahlil Gibran and Whitney Houston take a little vacation.

May 18, 202103:47
"All I Wanna Do"

"All I Wanna Do"

Sheryl Crow meets Blanche Dubois. (At least that is what Katie called this.)

May 03, 202100:57
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty."

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty."

A reading of "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats, and one of the most famous lines of literature. 

May 01, 202106:59
"The Rich and the Kingdom of God"

"The Rich and the Kingdom of God"

A well-known scripture from the motherlovin' Jesus, read by a woman.

Apr 28, 202103:58
"The Mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks

"The Mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Brooks says the personal is political. This poem, in particular, makes that so.

Apr 14, 202105:59
"The Emperor of Ice Cream" by Wallace Stevens

"The Emperor of Ice Cream" by Wallace Stevens

A poem by Wallace Stevens, read in a Southern drawl, 'cause there are a bit too many white men up in this joint and we gotta even the playin' field, no?

Apr 08, 202102:04
"What Work Is," by Philip Levine

"What Work Is," by Philip Levine

Do you know what work is?

Apr 05, 202103:22
"Homage to My Hips" by Lucille Clifton

"Homage to My Hips" by Lucille Clifton

Short and perfect and right on.

Apr 05, 202101:31
"Becoming" by Titilope Sonuga

"Becoming" by Titilope Sonuga

This poem is scripture. It will save you.

Mar 11, 202104:25
"I Have Been Her Kind" by Anne Sexton

"I Have Been Her Kind" by Anne Sexton

A woman like that is not ashamed. Nor should she be. 

Mar 03, 202104:50
"The Sun Rising" by John Donne

"The Sun Rising" by John Donne

An old, rhyming poem, as beautiful now as it was in the era of England's Metaphysical Poets. 17th century.

Mar 01, 202105:41
A message on Giving, from Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet

A message on Giving, from Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet

Kahlil Gibran's noted sequence of poetry in The Prophet has many gems, treatises on beauty, marriage, parenting. This one is about giving. May we all receive. 

Feb 28, 202106:30
"Ain't I a Woman?" by Sojourner Truth

"Ain't I a Woman?" by Sojourner Truth

I had a very clear image of Sojourner Truth one night over a chicken dinner, and I remembered her speech. Then she flowed through me, and we read it together. What a woman.

Feb 25, 202105:02
A Reading of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl"

A Reading of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl"

This poem is long and weird, like many geniuses. 

Feb 18, 202126:32
The Wise vs. the Wicked

The Wise vs. the Wicked

The witch archetype is buried deep in our psyches, so when a woman acts with wisdom, or shrewdness, we may call it evil. This spiritual lesson helps uncover the difference between wicked action and the wisdom path. 

Jan 31, 202106:21
"Divorce, Thy Name Is Woman"

"Divorce, Thy Name Is Woman"

This is for my biggest fan. Or foe. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. A reading of the poem, "Divorce, Thy Name Is Woman," by Anne Sexton, 1928-1974. (Momma, I feel I have a little bit of her inside me....)

Jan 21, 202104:36
Your Body Is Your Own

Your Body Is Your Own

Written in September 2019, this brief essay teaches women (and men) to know how God feels about their body, that their body is their own, and that their boundaries regarding their body should be respected--ALWAYS. "Your body is not an object for anyone else. It is the source of your power, and it is your church. It is your temple, your sacred altar."

Dec 17, 202010:01
How do you know the truth from a lie?

How do you know the truth from a lie?

An original spiritual teaching/oral her-story about lies, truth, evil, what is felt and known rather than what you are told to believe.

Dec 12, 202008:35
The Thunder, Perfect Mind

The Thunder, Perfect Mind

This is a reading of a classic Gnostic poem/revelation/scripture about divine feminine energy and wisdom. It was buried, lost. Those in charge did not want us to know.

Dec 10, 202020:46
Reading of "Cathedral" from Raymond Carver

Reading of "Cathedral" from Raymond Carver

An unnamed narrator meets a blind man and learns to see. From Raymond Carver's collection of short stories, "Cathedral."

Dec 08, 202040:30
"Medusa" by Sylvia Plath

"Medusa" by Sylvia Plath

Breath, moth, butterfly.

Dec 08, 202005:42
Reading of "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver (poem)

Reading of "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver (poem)

This Mary Oliver poem is much loved and much celebrated. It begins, "You do not have to be good." 

Dec 04, 202002:45