Prescott poet Linda Boser puts her faith in community. She is the founder of Prescott Poetry, which hosts local monthly poetry slams. “Our goal is to facilitate a space and platform for artists and poets to come together, celebrate who they are, and help build a strong culture of support for slam poetry and all artists.”
A core belief is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. “Community-building is essential to establishing strong societies. It takes resources to lift those struggling, and this is done with far greater success when working collectively. We are stronger together than when we are on our own and, in a world of billions, no one should feel alone.”
Linda grew up in Buckeye, spending summers with her grandparents near Prescott. “I enjoyed Prescott so much as a child I got myself here as soon as I could. I have been back since 2009. I enjoy the nature of the area, and love that I can get to so many beautiful locations across our state in a matter of hours. Prescott has always been home to me and it will always have a place in my heart.”
Since childhood Linda has turned to poetry as a creative outlet and solace. “Poetry allows us to express the deepest and truest parts of ourselves. I see poetry as healing in many ways. It helps to strip away the layers and reveal us to ourselves, not just as individuals but as a society.” Linda writes in various styles, but feels personally invested in slam. “It’s one of the best ways for writers to explosively express their personal truths.” Slam poetry combines performance, writing, competition, and audience participation. “At its deepest root, slam is a space where great hearts and minds come together for connection, entertainment, and friendly competition. When you get these kinds of people together — caring, empathic, and feeling — I think the support is present in such an organic way. The community that is created is one of love and support for each other’s struggles and triumphs.” The slam event recently moved to the Cove Café, a new woman-owned coffee shop and hangout spot in Prescott.
Linda’s themes cover many aspects of her life experience. “I’m drawn to write from my heart. I write about the world around me and the one within me.” Ideas for poems can arrive at any time, in any form. “At 3am, while walking through the woods, downtown, or talking with others. What usually happens is a line will come to mind and, as long as I don’t delay its capture, I can extend upon that line at a later time. It’s just a flow that comes and doesn’t stop until it’s done.” She sometimes has groups of poems that eventually coalesce into a longer piece. “I can have three or four pieces that touch on the same theme or topic, and they work well together, and those will become a performance piece. I have one that took three years to come together all the way, and many more sitting in my journals now. Sometimes my writing fits specific styles and that’s what I would call my ‘traditional’ poetry. Slam poetry is competitive, so those pieces might have more purpose and structure, whereas the rest of my writing is very organic and free-flowing.”
Linda’s poem “6th Ave East” beautifully captures the sights and sounds of daily desert life, while touching on nostalgia. “I had finally reached an age where I could go back to my hometown and see the many beauties and blessings that the desert contained.”
“I believe words can lift us out of the darkest places, help us understand one another, and harness compassion for one’s situation. Building community is a principle pillar of Prescott Poetry. It’s an intentional endeavor to bring people together to engage in human connection while establishing and building the culture of our community. It truly is a beautiful thing.”
More at prescottpoetry.com, coveaz.com
Roosters crow at 4am.
Dogs bark at the neighbors sheep and run amuck beyond the yards,
chasing cars that come and go bumpin’ the radio.
Birds hang out on fenceposts.
Tumbleweeds cruise by.
Weeds whisper songs of deserts sighs.
Rain rushes the ground in burst of rage.
Lightning crashes, igniting the horizon.
Hardened soil absorbs factions of life.
Flowers surge through cracked dust.
Sunsets emerge in glorious sights.
Oh, beautiful and treacherous desert life.
The sun beats at 115, somedays it raises.
Water screams, pools left unswum.
Asphalt dances with the mirage sizzling on the barren surface.
Amidst it lies a plenteous soul
secretly awaiting darkness of night.
Safely tucked out of sight,
creatures of the moonlight.
The desert breathes and comes alive!
Time passes.
Concrete and commerce move in
upon the silence.
Cacti are cut,
The land gutted for growth.
The rooster still crows.
The dogs still bark.
The cars still cruise.
The tumbleweeds are few as
asphalt moves through
desert covered in concrete
meeting streetlights
where fields of cotton once
sprawled out yonder.
For now,
the birds still sing
on 6th Avenue East.
Dee Cohen is a Prescott poet and photographer. deecohen@cox.net.
