Spring/ Poetry Week

Spring is like a perhaps hand
by E. E. Cummings
III Spring is like a perhaps hand (which comes carefully out of Nowhere)arranging a window,into which people look(while people stare arranging and changing placing carefully there a strange thing and a known thing here)and changing everything carefully spring is like a perhaps Hand in a window (carefully to and fro moving New and Old things,while people stare carefully moving a perhaps fraction of flower here placing an inch of air there)and without breaking anything.

Wondering why I started today's blog post by a poem? Well, first of all to wish you a happy spring, and as for the second reason, you will have to read on to find out.

Understanding that there are a plethora of national events, holidays or weeks that go unmentioned, I decided to share with you an event that is often undermined here in France; le printemps des poètes.

Created, in 1999 with the aim of making students discover more about  poetry, this years edition took place from March 9th to 24th.

There are more than 12 000 events that are organized in France and abroad, in schools, libraries, theaters, libraries, hospitals, etc..

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to be invited by a a rotary member to an enchanting afternoon. Taking place in an ancient manor,girls school and in today's  day event hall there was a performance by a singer as well as a pianist.

A recital of a future performance that the duo will have in Paris.Our ears where pleased to hear a variety of French poems (by Paul Bourget, Victor Hugo, Théophile Gautier, Maurice Careme,Paul Verlaine..) sang in soprano to the melodies and comp-tines of several well known composers ( Claude Debussy, Reynaldo Hahn, Francis Poulenc,Gabriel Fauré..).

All I have to say was that it was a marvelous way to end " poetry week" as well as the weekend.

Now as for you, I hope that this spring will bring plenty of pleasant surprises and changes. Until next time (or see you soon for my grandparents) :)