Kwame Dawes is the editor of Prairie Schooner and one of my colleagues at the University of Nebraska. Had I never had the privilege of getting to know him I still would have loved the following poem, for its clear and matter-of-fact account of a sudden loss.

Coffee Break

It was Christmastime,
the balloons needed blowing,
and so in the evening
we sat together to blow
balloons and tell jokes,
and the cool air off the hills
made me think of coffee,
so I said, “Coffee would be nice,”
and he said, “Yes, coffee
would be nice,” and smiled
as his thin fingers pulled
the balloons from the plastic bags;
so I went for coffee,
and it takes a few minutes
to make the coffee
and I did not know
if he wanted cow’s milk
or condensed milk,
and when I came out
to ask him, he was gone,
just like that, in the time
it took me to think,
cow’s milk or condensed;
the balloons sat lightly
on his still lap.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2013 by Kwame Dawes, “Coffee Break,” from Duppy Conqueror: New and Selected Poems, (Copper Canyon Press, 2013). Poem reprinted by permission of Kwame Dawes and the publisher. Introduction copyright 2015 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – On Saturday, Jan. 24, the Ukiah-based trio of Margie Salcedo Rice and her sisters Rosie and Patricia will appear in an intimate “Concerts with Conversation” in the Meeting House next to the Tallman Hotel in downtown Upper Lake.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

Coffee and cookies are served prior to the show.

“Margie Rice has one of the most perfect voices I’ve heard since I ‘fell in love’ with Joan Baez many years ago,” says Tallman owner Bernie Butcher. “She captured an audience here in 2011with her voice and violin together with Elena Casanova on piano. I’m anxious to hear her play with her talented sisters.”

Rosie, Margie and Patricia were born to Ecuadorian parents Fernando and Marta Salcedo and grew up in Riverside. Theirs was a religious family infused with music and the sisters began performing together at an early age. They all attended Loma Linda University and graduated with degrees in business and music.

Margie channeled herself toward a musical career by studying piano, violin and voice and singing in small groups. Her dedication to music continues at the local level.

She is currently concertmistress of the Ukiah Symphony Orchestra and she has often been the featured soloist over her 24 seasons with the Symphony.

Today, Margie also teaches string instruments and directs the choral program at the Ukiah Junior Academy. 

In 2005 she performed at Carnegie Hall with her youth choir and in 2006 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

“I love performing with the symphony and in religions settings,” says Margie, “but the concert series at the Tallman is something special. The acoustics are great and I love the informal setting. I’m looking forward to performing there again with my talented sisters Rosie on piano and Patricia on flute.”

The Salcedo Sisters have recorded two albums of inspirational music which have continued to sell widely over the years.

Their first album "By My Side" was released through Chapel Records in 1997 and the second "Carry Me On" was completed two years later. Margie’s solo album “In Your Holiness” was released in 2010.

In addition to their musical pursuits, Rosie Salcedo owns her own company and lives in the Bay Area. Patricia Salcedo Williams is currently vice president of Behavioral Health at St. Helena Hospital, Napa Valley.

The Tallman Concerts with Conversation series continues monthly through April and will feature the folk duo of Fineman & Hurd on Valentine’s Day, Jenna Mammina and Alex DeGrassi in March and the country singer Rita Hosking in April.

The full schedule can be seen at www.TallmanHotel.com/events .

Tickets at $25 per person plus tax may be purchased by calling the Hotel at 707-275-2244, Extension 0.

The Tallman Hotel is located at 9550 Main St.

TAKEN 3 (Rated PG-13)

The Liam Neeson action series “Taken” has arrived at its third and presumably final installment, given the tag line “It ends here” would appear to settle the matter.

This comes not a moment too soon for many critics who disdain the action heroics of well-known stars only a few years removed from having a Medicare card.

Fans of this franchise are likely to be far less disappointed than disaffected film reviewers. After all, Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills, a former CIA operative, is one tough cookie as he dispatches an assortment of villains with his usual workmanlike efficiency.

If “Taken 3” is to be the last chapter, it’s not a threadbare farewell.

Yet, the third installment does, on the whole, lack the excitement of the previous exotic foreign venues, such as when Mills in the first film, on the loose in Paris, hunted down with brutal effectiveness the Albanian slave traders who had abducted his daughter.

“Taken 3” begins with catching up on the family dynamics.

Bryan’s daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), now in college, has recently become pregnant by her boyfriend, and is afraid to tell her father when his idea to celebrate her upcoming birthday is an inappropriate gift of an oversized stuffed animal.

Byran’s ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) also figures into the story once again, this time seeking support as her marriage to the super-wealthy Stuart (Dougray Scott) has turned shaky.

It’s obvious to practically everyone, except Lenore, that her husband is a shady character tied to dubious business partners.

An unfortunate murder occurs at Bryan’s apartment while he’s out getting warm bagels at a local coffeehouse.

An elaborate frame is set in motion by sleazy Russian thugs connected to mobster Oleg Malankov (Sam Spruell), leaving behind a messy, bloody crime scene that makes Bryan the prime suspect.

Once again, Bryan is a man on the run, but this time in the Los Angeles area, and as the target of a manhunt conducted by the LAPD under the command of Inspector Frank Dotzler (Forest Whitaker), a relentless pursuer who has to cope with the incompetence of unproductive subordinates.

On some levels, “Taken 3” lacks the sense of urgency of the previous two films in that Bryan is not in a race against the clock to rescue his daughter or ex-wife from savage Albanians.

This time, he’s forced to evade arrest for a crime he didn’t commit just long enough to solve the case at least two steps ahead of Inspector Dotzler.

This being an action film in the spirit of its predecessors, “Taken 3” generates the requisite amount of fistfights, shootouts and car chases.

The special circumstance of being chased by the police requires a balancing act of Bryan taking tough measures to escape the clutches of the LAPD without resorting to the use of any deadly force in self-defense.

The most exciting moment comes when Bryan steals a squad car and ends up being pursued by half of the Los Angeles police force on a freeway chase that involves a spectacular wipeout of police cars, random vehicles and even a massive truck trailer.

One insurmountable problem for “Taken 3,” which may be overlooked if only because Liam Neeson kicks ass, is that the action is at times somewhat incoherent and ludicrous, lacking the requisite logic. Even Neeson is neither lucky nor good enough to survive multiple car explosions and freeway accidents.

Keanu Reeves in “John Wick” killed more guys in a brutal fashion than occurs here with Bryan once he penetrates Malankov’s penthouse lair. Still, the film is a guilty pleasure when Bryan’s no-holds-barred brutality is unleashed with furious abandon.

It is observed more than once that Neeson’s Bryan Mills has a special set of skills. That’s why he is so elusive every time the police are on his immediate tail.

“Taken 3” has its own distinctive skills, namely delivering the action goods, even if somewhat diminished from the more exalted standard of the superior first installment.

Even with some of its faults, it’s hard not to like Liam Neeson in the full-on action mode. His forceful heroics are fun to watch.

Action junkies should likely judge that “Taken 3” is a satisfying measure of the aging star’s ability to deliver the goods.

There may not be a “Taken 4” but Liam Neeson probably has enough left in the tank to supply a few more films in this genre. 

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

AMERICAN SNIPER (Rated R)

As a director, Clint Eastwood’s best work is arguably realized in bringing the story of a true American hero, a former Navy SEAL who devoted his military career to saving the lives of fellow soldiers on the battlefield, to the big screen in “American Sniper.”

The Oscar-nominated film’s screenplay is based upon the runaway bestselling autobiography of Chris Kyle, the U.S. military’s all-time sharpshooter, a man who racked up more than 160 confirmed sniper kills in four tours of duty in the Iraq war following the terror attacks of 9/11.

Portrayed by actor Bradley Cooper, Chris Kyle is first seen positioned with rifle in hand on a rooftop in a small Iraqi town, watching a deserted street as U.S. armed forces approach on foot and in tanks.

Suddenly a woman and young boy appear, looking suspiciously like insurgents ready to detonate an improvised explosive device.

Tension mounts as Chris sizes up the situation, being mindful that the misstep of killing civilians could land him in a federal penitentiary, as his commanding officer cautions him. Still, he can’t risk the lives of his fellow soldiers depending on him to provide safe passage.

This powerful scene sets the tone for a suspenseful film.

Waiting in the hot desert sun allows plenty of time for flashbacks.

After the tense opening, we get a quality glimpse into the formative years of this heroic American soldier, going back to his youth when he learned to shoot with precision and discovered his role in life would be that of the protector, an instinct that carried through his military career.

The fact that Chris volunteered for subsequent tours in war-torn Iraq did not go unnoticed. Chris’ reputation caught the attention of film producers Peter Morgan and Andrew Lazar.

Morgan noted, “We heard about all his accolades as a Navy SEAL and obviously knew what a great patriot he was.”

And yet, the producers learned that there was more to Chris Kyle, raised in rural Texas, than his faithful adherence to the code of “God, Country and Family.”

Sure, Morgan knew of his heroism, but said that “the more we delved, what kept coming across was what a genuinely good person he was … how loved and admired he was by his family, friends and those who served alongside him.”

Normally, I wouldn’t quote film producers extensively, or even at all, but the flavor of what they could see in the titular character is that the faith, belief system and patriotism of Chris Kyle was genuine and grounded in his humble upbringing. All that, and the love of a good woman, was a compelling reason for Chris’ sense of purpose.

During his training, Chris meets his future wife Taya (Sienna Miller). It’s an uneasy courtship at first.

Not surprisingly, Taya is wary of an emotional commitment with a soldier ready to be shipped out for another tour of duty.

But love prevails, and while Chris and Taya start a family, their relationship gets tested by his willingness to keep returning to the battlefield.

Events on the front lines are marked by a number of rough circumstances, including enhanced interrogation techniques that deliver vital intelligence. War is a tough business.

As good as he is, the good soldier Chris is unable to prevent every ambush. There is plenty of pain in the loss of fellow soldiers in the heat of battle.

While Chris and the rest of the military are presented in a favorable light, there is no sense here that “American Sniper” is turning the Iraq War into a celebration of gung-ho American valor that marked most films set in World War II.

On the other hand, it clearly demonstrates that the Americans were up against savage and brutal enemy forces, not unlike what we face now with the vicious, cutthroat ISIS, or if you will ISIL, terrorists.

As Chris moves into his third and fourth tours of duty, the fighting has only gotten more difficult.

Al-Qaeda has placed a bounty on Chris’ head. An elusive enemy by the name of Mustafa (Sammy Sheik) is an Olympic medal-winning sharpshooter whose skill has raised the stakes in a terrifying manhunt.

Things also get messy when a fellow soldier is killed in a raid, and Chris returns home to attend the funeral.

Chris’ loyalty to his buddies and his commitment to service leads to more conflict on the home front. After his final tour, Chris faces a troubling period of adjustment.

In the making of “American Sniper,” Clint Eastwood relies on plenty of intense action to move the story.

One very powerful scene is when Chris and his comrades, during the midst of a sandstorm, appear trapped in an ambush before managing an escape.

But the auteur director puts a lot of stock in the development of personal relationships, whether it involves Chris with his wife or his brothers in arms.

Moreover, he doesn’t shy away from the psychological toll that multiple tours and absence from family have on Chris.

Sadly, “American Sniper’ comes to a tragic ending, and though little is revealed about the valiant soldier’s demise after his retirement, the film’s most moving footage involves the tribute that ordinary Americans paid to a true hero during the funeral procession.

Rolling out wide this month, “American Sniper” is one of the best films of 2014.
  
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

I’ve read lots of poems about the loss of beloved pets, but this one by J.T. Ledbetter, who lives in California, is an especially fine and sensitive one.

Elegy for Blue

Someone must have seen an old dog
dragging its broken body through
the wet grass;
someone should have known it was lost,
drinking from the old well, then lifting
its head to the wind off the bottoms,
and someone might have wanted that dog
trailing its legs along the ground
like vines sliding up the creek
searching for sun;
but they were not there when the dog
wandered through Turley’s Woods looking
for food and stopped beneath the thorn trees
and wrapped its tail around its nose
until it was covered by falling leaves
that piled up and up
until there was no lost dog at all
to hear the distant voice calling
through the timber,
only a tired heart breathing slower,
and breath, soft as mist, above the leaves.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2012 by J. T. Ledbetter, from his most recent book of poems, Old and Lost Rivers, Lost Horse Press, 2012. Poem reprinted by permission of J. T. Ledbetter and the publisher. Introduction copyright 2015 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

Just as it was to me, Insha’Allah will be a new word to many of you, offered in this poem by Danusha Laméris, a Californian. It looks to me like one of those words that ought to get a lot of use.

Insha’Allah

I don’t know when it slipped into my speech
that soft word meaning, “if God wills it.”
Insha’Allah I will see you next summer.
The baby will come in spring, insha’Allah.
Insha’Allah this year we will have enough rain.

So many plans I’ve laid have unraveled
easily as braids beneath my mother’s quick fingers.

Every language must have a word for this. A word
our grandmothers uttered under their breath
as they pinned the whites, soaked in lemon,
hung them to dry in the sun, or peeled potatoes,
dropping the discarded skins into a bowl.

Our sons will return next month, insha’Allah.
Insha’Allah this war will end, soon. Insha’Allah
the rice will be enough to last through winter.

How lightly we learn to hold hope,
as if it were an animal that could turn around
and bite your hand. And still we carry it
the way a mother would, carefully,
from one day to the next.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2014 by Danusha Laméris, from her recently released first book of poems, The Moons of August, Autumn House Press, 2014. Poem reprinted by Danusha Laméris and the publisher. Introduction copyright 2015 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.