Lynnie Gobeille is passionate about poetry.
Along with Barbara Schweitzer and Jan Keough, she is one of the co-founders/co-editors of The Origami Poems Project, a world-wide “free poetry event.” She believes in the healing magic of words and is helping to change the world: “one free poetry book at a time."
Her worked has been widely published and includes The Orange Room Review, The Sow's Ear Review, Crone’s Nest, The Avatar, The Prairie Home Companion, New Verse News, The Providence Journal (Poetic License) and The Naugatuck River Review. She was the Editor of the Providence Journal's Poetry Corner (South County Edition).
Her personal essay about the Origami Poems Project was broadcast as part of the This I Believe series on WRNI, RI's NPR affiliate. In 2012 she recorded another essay for the series on the healing power of writing: 'Daily Words'.
In 2014 Finishing Line Press published her chapbook, 'Life not quite Understood' (cover photo by Pip Hartnett. January 2016: Lynnie Gobeille was nominated for State Poet Laureate of Rhode Island.
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November 2019 Newsletter update, we posted the following... a revisit to the Origami Poems Project 'origins' on the anniversary of our tenth year:
"It amazes us to see this "free poetry" project has reached a tenth year. And all started from a poetry prompt given by Barbara Schweizer to a small group of RI poets. After this micro-beginning came a "project' promoted by the Origami Three: Barbara, Lynnie Gobeille & Jan Keough.
(Photo from 8/20/2009 article written for The Independent by Doug Norris.)
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► Lynnie's microchaps and selected poems are available below.
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Origami Microchap |
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| A Meditation : Rowing in Wenhua’s Gardens |
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Click title to download PDF microchap
Cover Photo: The Web •
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I Wind howling through trees Rock formations tumbling down Expectations cease Thoughts scatter like rain
II Sun slants through dark skies
III Cricket’s mourning song • Lynnie Gobeille © 2019 |
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Click title to download PDF microchap
Cover photo by Pip Hartnett
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Opening Lines In real time? He has meetings to discuss his money and meetings to discuss new jobs
and meetings to design structures that will support someone else’s dream.
In real time he is always driving, driving, driving to a new jobsite. Sketching plans- an architect of steel and iron beams. In real time? She has meetings to discuss new submissions and meetings to define poetry and meetings that will ultimately build structures 26 characters 46 lines per page. In real time she is diving, diving, diving down into a new thought space. Ink on paper- an architect of some one else’s dreams. In real time? His life is filled with a wife, a dog, a beautiful home, and the glorious knowing that he has a lifelong companion at his side. His dance card is filled with good friends, plans, trips, and so many adventures still to take; his cup overflowing. His day is busy, busy, busy. He is always and forever: busy. In real time? Her life is filled with books and papers, the blessed silence of inner peace,
and the glorious knowing that she has discovered her life’s work. Her dance card is filled with the blue heron’s flight, the yellow finch and the iris breaking open in the morning light. Her day is busy, busy, busy. She is always and forever: busy. •
Lynnie Gobeille © 2013
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 Cover photo from the web
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On meeting margie in paris red checked tablecloth
order chilled wine - ice on side
sip slowly - savor
talk of poetry
talking of art and magic
leaning towards words
two elder ladies
eating a moveable feast
we laugh at ourselves
sharing time and space
falling in love with language
rejoice in word play
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Lynnie Gobeille © 2012
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Click title to download PDF microchap Photo by Richard Benjamin's kind permission • |
Opening Lines suddenly i am eighteen again
under an overpass on I-95
where my friends have left me
to overcome my fear
of being alone.
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Lynnie Gobeille © 2009 |
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Click title to download PDF microchap
The Reading
Read by Lynnie Gobeille
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Opening Lines
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The Weight of Stones in Pocket (Remembering Virginia Woolf) Back lit by skies winter light
oceans ebb and flow, gulls cry, circling us in flight. I watch the stranger on the beach as she bends picking up sea-glass with her hands. Dusting off the webs of salt and sand bringing the treasure to her lips as if to devour it. Working her fingers over the smooth surface, mesmerized by the glimmer of lavender dye. “A rare find,” she tells me
when I inquire. “more rare than eclipse of sun and moon.” Beloved sea-flower in her outstretched hand, ‘Reason enough,” she states “to empty my pockets of their weight.” •
Lynnie Gobeille © 2009
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happiness the year you lived with me
here, in my small writer’s cave, you complained bitterly about my 5 a.m. writing habit. i worried when you were late to dinner (a meal i seldom prepared before your moving in) passion gave way to discussions of light bills.. taking out the garbage… the simple acts in our day to day life. so much depends upon being the mistress not the wife. • Lynnie Gobeille © 2009
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Click title to download PDF microchap
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Lessons
Having been taught From the time She was very small That her body Was all she had Her legs Her best attribute She’d learned To use them wisely, Learned to wrap And bend and twist To “please” as Only a woman can. In bed and out Back seats And floors Hotel Lobbies Elevators Road side stops And places that would Make even the most Seasoned whore Blush. And so she views This man with Both fear And amazement. This one who’d rather Read to her, Seeking out her heart Her passion With the spoken word. • Lynnie Gobeille © 2009 |
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Click title to download PDF microchap
Photo by Maureen Conley |
September 11, 2011 10
Years Ago The Towers Fell And Thousands Died. The World As I Knew It Changed Forever. The
World As Our Children Viewed It Fell. 10 Years Ago Today Hundreds Of People Boarded Jet Planes On The Way To Work Or To Visit On Family Vacations Or To Simply Escape Life For A Time. They Never Made It Back Home. My First Spoken Words Today Were To My Cat, “God, this is good coffee.” And The Coffee I Am Blessed To Be Sipping Is Hot And Served In A Clean White Mug Of My Own Choosing Let freedom ring. Let the peace flag fly. Let God, in all his infinite wisdom, Love us deeply. Let our planet keep spinning. Let us seek a means to honor each other. Today Is September 11th 2011. • Lynnie Gobeille © 2011
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