John Scarffe, Gilpin County. A new book of poetry celebrates the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland. Poet, Musician and Carousel Operator Burt Rashbaum read from his new book, “Of the Carousel,” during a night of poetry reading at the Gilpin County Public Library at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 19. 

Local poets Stith Bennet, John Haworth, Gurattan Helgeson and Christine Weeber also read poetry and prose during the event. Refreshments included cookies, pastry and vegetable soup homemade by Christine Weeber, who also helped organize the poetry reading. 

Gilpin County Librarian Michael Carlson welcomed attendees to the reading and said this is a semi-annual poetry event. He appreciates the craft and the hard work it takes. Christine Weeber has been the force behind these events. 

Rashbaum, who read last, said the book, “Of the Carousel,” was published about a month ago by the Poet’s Press in Pittsburg, PA, which was founded in 1971 and is one of the oldest independent poetry publishers in the United States. Rashbaum has operated the Carousel for nine years and has published nonfiction, “A Century of Love,” fiction, “Becoming an American,” “Tears for My Mother,” “The Ones that I Know,” and poetry “Blue Pedals,” and he has produced two CD’s of original music, “Tools of Creation” and “Quantum Limp.”

Rashbaum said he was influenced by the short stories and novels of Don Marquis, some of which were turned into silent films. He said publishing a book of poems was like throwing a rose down the Grand Canyon and waiting to hear the echo, but Rashbaum has started to hear the echo from the new book.

 In the introduction to the book, Rashbaum wrote: “The Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, Colorado, is a hand-carved carousel made by Scott Harrison, a Viet Nam veteran. The carving took almost 26 years. More than 100,000 riders a year enjoy this carousel. I am one of its operators. I’ve seen it all.”

Rashbaum said he sees older people turn into little kids while riding the carousel. He started writing a poem about the carousel with several verses, and each verse was written at work while the carousel was running. He read some of the verses to a group, and their faces were blank, but John Haworth said, “I think you have something there.”

Rashbaum then decided to turn each verse into a poem. Christine Weeber had written a book with a sequence of poems, and each poem had a number, so Rashbaum decided to use that format. The poems are non-linear and evoke the kinetic experience of the carousel.

He read the opening poem, before the carousel opens for the day, “Waiting for the first riders to appear at the gate.” The carousel attracts all kinds of people, some trying to make a statement with their shirts or hats, but once they’re inside the carousel, that all goes away, he said, which led to Poem One.

Poem two focused on the 1913 Wurlitzer, which provides the music for the carousel. It plays 88 instruments and has to be contained in a box or it will be too loud. All of the animals in the carousel are free, but the Wurlitzer, which is like a beast, is caged.

People come to the carousel for all kinds of reasons, for peace or to escape their regular lives. Women came in who were pregnant, and then the next time Rashbaum would see them, they would have two-year-old children, and then the next year they were pregnant again. 

The carousel also hosted special events such as weddings, with the couple progressing into the carousel and standing in front of the St. Bernard while the Wurlitzer pounded away. Viet Nam veterans, wearing their jackets, would come in to recognize Harrison.

“Wounded warrior carrying tears stilled bathed in death, needing to leave it all behind,”

Rashbaum wrote in poem 11.

Some are sick or disabled, Rashbaum said. Buses pull up and 15 people would get out, and they are all old. Something I’ve never been able to figure out is they weep the whole time even though I put on my clown nose. 

Others come for a while and then he never sees them again. One lady who was very sick would come to the carousel, and one day the gorilla said, “Come sit by me,” and she would hold the gorilla’s hand for the 3-1/2-minute ride. Other riders have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Rashbaum concluded the reading with the final poem in the book, printed in the shape of the carousel, describing the carousel after it closes for the day.

Gurattan Helgeson was first to read poetry and prose for the event. He has written poetry and shorts for various chapbooks and is now writing a historical novel. He makes a living in a medical engineering business while he practices and teaches kundalini yoga, raises organic veggies, works out, writes and shares awareness with friends.

He read his poem, “Ethro Joy,” encouraging people to join in the ecstasy of awareness. He read from two chapters of his book, which is set in Peru in the 1500’s before the Spanish arrived. 

His characters have escaped from the emperor in Machu Pichu and hide in the jungle, but they are found, arrested and taken to court. Helgeson also read poems “Footprint,” about footprints in the sand and “Guitar Meditation.”

John Haworth read next. He is a student of life, coaxing words from starlight in a vain attempt to describe reality. He pokes and prods at the dark parts of the human heart only to find more questions. He lives in transition between Nederland and Ward.

Haworth said he was blessed to be here with people he considered his mentors. He is trying to question where the darkness comes from and read a poem featuring the crushing of mice and how that impacted him.

He read his poem, “There is a wagon train in my blood,” in which he discussed the sins of his grandfathers and their grandfathers, comparing their days with the modern days of traffic and noise. “We are no more than a bad story we can’t quit telling ourselves,” Haworth wrote.

Stith Bennett read next. When not living off-grid or getting edgy as a political activist, Bennett is a recovering physicist, hi-tech entrepreneur, quality guru and college professor. His successful recovery trajectory — involving every one of these afflictions — engages music and poetry.

He started out by reading Haiku with Christine Weeber. While on a trip back from the La Garita Wilderness, the two got struck in traffic, so they took turns composing Haiku, a form of poetry composed of three lines with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second line and five syllables in the third line.

For the reading, Weeber and Bennett read alternating lines from their Haiku. Bennett then introduced the poetry of 15th Century Poet Kabir from India, who was both a Hindu and a Muslim and was revered by adherents of both religions. Kabir was famous for Ulatbamsi, which means upsided out language.

Bennet read a poem by Kabir and then his own poem copying the format. Christine Weeber then read her poems. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, “In the Understory of Her Being” and “Sastrugi.” 

Her poetry and prose have appeared in “A Poetic Inventory of Rocky Mountain National Park,” “Under the Devil’s Thumb,” and “Solo: On Her Own Adventure,” and other publications. She is the copy editor at SAPIENS, an online magazine that illuminates anthropological research and findings for a general audience. 

  Weeber said she attended the jazz festival in New Orleans in 2019, and it was an incredible experience, including standing on the street and eating Jamaica jerk chicken while hearing six jazz groups playing within earshot. She read three poems from that experience.

Weeber followed that by reading “Aspen Dreams,” about what Aspen trees are thinking when they turn gold, and “Desert Pulse,” about the power of a rainstorm on the desert. It rained for 24 hours and then turned into a flash flood. “It was pretty life changing,” Weeber said.” It became threatening so fast.”

The reading concluded following Rashbaum’s reading. For further information about the Gilpin County Library, visit gilpinlibrary.org or contact Michael Carlson at 303-582-0161.

(Originally published in the October 24, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)