Harborside residents and local student poets made intergenerational magic happen
Poet reader Maxine Berlin read her poem, Summer Memories, at the Celebration of the Arts event at Cedarmere Estate, Roslyn. Also present were, Harborside residents: Chelly Dorfman, Judy Schmertz, Lisa Miller, Weber Middle School poet, Sofia Leder, teaching artist/actor coach, Karen DeMauro, and Tracy Warzer.
On Sunday, June 4, the 2nd Annual Summer Celebration of the Arts featured contemporary dance, live music, sculpture, and poetry. The event, at Cedarmere Estate in Roslyn, was presented by Friends of Cedarmere and N/N Dance Collaborative and featured over 20 musicians and dancers performing within a sculptural stage set in the rose gardens of Cedarmere.
Spoken word poetry was woven throughout the performances, featuring Carl Safina, renowned poet/author, professor and recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, and a poem written and presented by Harborside resident Maxine Berlin. Teaching artist and actor coach Karen DeMauro provided performance coaching for Maxine who presented her “Summer Memories” poem with confidence and flair to the audience from the porch of William Cullen Bryant’s former home.
This was the second time The Harborside residents were invited to collaborate with the artists for this event, and it was the first time that high school students were also invited to perform their poems alongside the seniors. Sofia Leder from Weber Middle School and Chloe Lin from Herricks High School read their beautiful poems, which reflected the themes of the event- to honor the legacy of William Cullen Bryant, deriving inspiration from nature.
The crowd appreciated the intergenerational aspect of the poetry readings, which helped convey the importance of all ages sharing the arts together at gatherings in nature. It was indeed a day of celebration of the arts, to connect with others, honor the past, reflect on the present, and imagine what’s to come. Despite the cool temperature of the day, it was a gorgeous setting to reflect and enjoy a great experience!
About The Harborside
The Harborside, located in Port Washington, is a premier retirement community on the north shore of Long Island for active and independent older adults offering gracious resort-like living that feels like home. The Harborside, a New York not-for-profit corporation classified as an Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)(3) exempt organization, is the sole member of Amsterdam House Continuing Care Retirement Community, Inc.
—Submitted by The Harborside
poem, Summer Memories.
(Contributed photos)
Summer Memories
By Harborside resident Maxine Berlin
The Ocean is a huge coffer
With some amazing things to offer
There are plants, mammals and fish
Coral and pearls if you wish
Specks of garnets in beach sand
Look for the telltale reddish band
We’re even mining the ocean floor
For what’s erupted from our planet’s core
What I collect from the remarkable sea
Are what others might just call “debris”
Things washed up by receding tide
Are what I searched for far and wide
Sea glass in colors of myriad hue
Shards of beer, coke and Noxema too
These did no damage to my hand
Smoothed by churning water and sand
All kinds of shells I would take
For the simple jewelry I’d make
Driftwood from a discarded tree
Original sculpture it seemed to be
I still keep many treasures of the sea
These hold wonderful memories for me
