ARTS The Canadian Champion, Friday, June 23, 2006 - Il nilt of otgt ow oerhwthhrfrtbo her first bnnk I Escarpment off ers inspiration By Stephanie Thiessen CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF The mysteries of nature and the complexities of mankind are subjects a local author grapples witb in ber first book of poetrv, A Meditation on Nature t he Poetry of Alîde Koblbaas. At first glance tbe topics may appear worlds apart, hut Kohlhaas says she can't keep tbemi separate. -To me buman nature and the natural ellemrents and sea- sons are inextnicahlv interwýos'en,- she wnîtes lu her pl)clte. The 68-vear-old journailist bas had ample opportuitv't% tl observe botb durîng bier extensive tras'eling. "Nature sbarpens your innd toward it (buman nature).- sbe explained. A Meditation on Nature is a collection of mostly lvrîc pocrus and Inaîku. fi was publisbed in Decemiber bv (.amKînbl Arts Productions, a company Koblhaas co-fo)und- ed. mai for Boî Vic hat Bol for soi Ha CIO So coi [e! adi bot A' fea Tai Car Dr Ti su an ha an Ba Hie ai FI M Ri si Ti f r' i fin wabh a fine, otber times tbe words presenit tbemselves as sbes going for a walk. To say Koblbaas bais led an adventurous life is an under- statement Sbe was born in Germany and, demonstrating ber inde- pendent nature earlv on, lef tbe country on ber own wben sbe was just 14. Sbe moved to Vancouver and tben furtbered ber education in England before moving to Ontario. lI've lîved in îwo dictatorsbîps - une on tbe nigbt, one on tbe left, but tbey're boîb tbe samne," sbe said, referning to ber birtbplace and ber tie teacbing in Cbina. As a l(furnalist, sbe's tackled just about everv kind ol wriî- ing imaginable, from medical to community news coverage, and currently wriîes l'or a publication called tbe Seniors Res'iew, wbîcbi is disînibuîed in tbe Niagara regeon. 1I jusi bave to express mnysell îbrougb writing,' sbe said. Koblbaas is also editing a bisiorv book, and bas tio lic- ioon works iii mnd. Knowledge ts sometbing sbe can't seem t0 gel enougb of, sble saîd. "But tben 1 always feel 1 bave to sbare it," sbe said. '(Or else) wbats tbe use of baving it?" Art is anotber bobby of Kolbaas', and tbe baiku poeins in ber book are illustraîed witb japanese wood cuis. "Wben 1 want to relax, 1 start dotng art,' sbe said. Koblbaas said sbes living proof tbaî you're only as onld as you Ibln vou are. "1 don't feel old. 1 do more (now) tban 1 did 30 years ago. 1 donni know wbat it is to be old,' sbe said, adding, -Age is a state of mind." A Meditation on Nature costs $ 18.95 and is avaîlable ai A Different Drummer Books in Burlington. .Stephanic Thiessen can bc teachcd at sthiessen@mniltoncatoa- dianchampion.com. GRAHAM PAINE!/ CANADIANe CHAMPION Alide Kohlhaas shows une of her new poetry books as sheeîsa Some onf tbe poems are lîgbî in nature, wbile otbers foncus tbe bauning stanzas. on tbe darker sîde of life. Tbere are several poems abonut tbe Tbe long-tîme Mlton area resident lives in tbe sbadow of atrocities of war, some of wbicb arose from ber fune spent tbe Niagara Escarpment and enîjoys wnrting about wbat sbe teacbing Englîsb and bistory in nortbern Cbina. sees onuiside ber window, as well as ting pbotograpbs, "Cbina es an illusion," sbe said, adding tIlre no sîcb soome of wbîcb appear in ber book. tbing as buman rigbts in tbe conuni "C anadians don't lier poems about nature largely focus on faîl and winter, undersîand bow lucky tbey are." ' er favourite seasoons. One poem, Korea Bound, talks of Koblbaas' encounter "l'm not mucb for sumrmer, 1 caîl myself a nortbemr cbild," wben sbe was a teenager wvitb a voung soldier off 10 fîgbî ni sbe said. Korea. "You laugbed, so full of die y'ou were/ on tbis loolrney Seldom does Koblbaas sut down to Write a poem, sbe said. westJ Yeî soion, too scion, vou would be dead," reads one of Ild tbe poems come to ber. Sometimes sbe'll wake up