POEMS OF THE WEEK BY MYRNA, VIVIAN AND GRACE

Today we are featuring poems by Myrna Rosa, Vivian Zems and Grace Guevera that we think you will enjoy. Each one gives us such a lovely portrait of the poet who penned it. Let's top up our coffee and immerse ourselves in the beauty of their reflections.

SUNDAY MORNING

In my room, 

Messy like the world,

My dogs sleep peacefully.

Their snores are music from their dreams.

I join my mountains in their devotions

To the sky, insects, coyotes, deer, all animals,

all people trampling on trails.

Awed, I stare at this rocky mass 

Jutting into air, so serene

It slows the rhythm of my worries.

But I cannot be still for long.

Blood rushes through soft flesh,

Limbs swerve, shift, shake.

My mountains shine green with tint of envy,

But speak what any good friend would,

"You can move, I cannot.

Become your own prayer."

Then, through the window in my messy room,

My mountains watch 

As I dance.

Myrna's mountains

Sherry: I love the idea of being the prayer. And the mountains watching you as you dance. Sunday mornings have a special feeling to me, too, because of my childhood. Thanks so much for this.

Myrna: Perhaps because of my early years of structured religion, Sunday mornings still seem special to me.  I hear the silence louder, I breathe the air more deeply, as if I am called to acknowledge something sacred.  Most Sunday mornings I sit in my quiet, messy room for a while waiting for thoughts to transform into poems.  Too often this doesn't happen.  Instead, I stare at my mountains.  While they stand still, I become aware there is commotion within them - much like in me and the world.

The morning I wrote this poem, no poetic thoughts arose.  I decided to give up trying.  "Alexa, play Beethoven", I ordered, as I prepared to doodle in a sketch pad.  Suddenly, I remembered an article by a spiritual writer who advised that we need not kneel or be in any particular place or pose in order to emit positive energy or, in effect, pray.  All we do can be prayer, we can be the prayer.  I paraphrase and I don't recall his name, but I believe his advice.  

I then wrote this poem inspired by the mountains I love and the fact that often, as I cook, do dishes or paint, I play loud, rhythmic, salsa music and take time out to dance. I pretend I move the way I did when young, as I shuffle to the music of my heritage (I'm Puerto Rican), expressing my joy, honoring my ancestors, emitting positive energy and, in effect, praying.  

Sherry: I can see you, dancing in your kitchen! Now and then, I do a lick or two across the room to John Lennon. Smiles. Thank you for this lovely glimpse of your Sunday morning, Myrna.

Vivian's poem  "Emergence" speaks beautifully about our passage through life, how we are honed by the difficult passages. Let's read, and be encouraged. 

EMERGENCE

If I had known
that a nest so beautiful
needed to be built
with broken branches
I would not have
……cried at the tearing
                     ……nor sobbed at the ripping
               ……or despaired at
                    the breaking
                                       of the branches
                                 of me

Sherry: Yes, had we known that pain was growing and stretching us, it might have been easier to bear. I love the nest imagery in this poem so much!

Vivian:  The poem was born out of the realisation that hard times can give birth to new and beautiful beginnings or realisations. Tough times may seek to break you, but perseverance sees you emerging from the tunnel stronger, wiser and full of gratitude - hence the title, ‘Emergence’.

Sherry: I love it, Vivian. Thank you for sharing it. 

Let's take a look at Grace's affirmative poem, "I Am, My Story", a beautiful story indeed.

I AM, MY STORY

I am, my story

i was at war with 
myself & the world

i am here,
not to provoke you
despite
that i am not you
that my skin is dark rose
that my hair is thick as forest
that my tongue is quick as snake

i am here, because you have given
me compassion
       & priceless gifts
that i can speak freely
that i can act and believe in my
       faith and decisions
that i don't need to cover my face
       nor hair if I choose not to
that i don't need to step back
       for someone else to go in
       first
       favored

i am here, because you made me
see that sky is blue
       not charcoal in dust or gunpowder
see that streets are clean
       not mired in holes or littered by dead
       bodies, whose faces i knew
       whose lives i knew
       whose nightmares I heard
see my reflection upon the emerald lake
       underneath this scarred face & body
       ...a fire in my eyes
       ...a sword my hands move
                                                 to grasp

i am here.
thank you for a new 
beginning

source

Sherry: We are so glad you were granted that new beginning, Grace. So many are denied it. I love that now the sky above you is blue, no longer grey.

Grace: We are lucky to live in a country, Canada, where we respect and afford human rights and freedom to all people. Sadly that is not the case in other countries - where women specially are not allowed to travel or move around without the consent of male guardianship, like in Saudi Arabia, or where women are not allowed to write, speak, dress without the conventional garb, and fight for their beliefs, like in Iran.   

I admire my country for taking in the victims of the ISIS war, specially the children and the women brutally raped, sold and victimized during the war in Syria.  There was also this case of the Saudi teen escaping Saudi Arabia because her family did not afford her the freedom she wanted.  With these events as a background, I wanted to feature my country as a place where you have the privileges of a free individual, who can determine their own future.

Sherry: We are very fortunate to live in this country. We have to be careful that these freedoms are safeguarded, against the rise of those who would curtail them. 

Thank you, Myrna, Vivian and Grace, for your insightful poems. Each one carries a wonderful message.

Poet friends, do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!

POEM OF THE WEEK~ BY GRACE GUEVERA

Recently I read a poem that moved me very much, penned by Grace Guevera, a Canadian poet who lives in Mississauga, Ontario, and who blogs at Everyday Amazing. I wished to feature it by itself,  and you will see why when you read it.

source

THE VIEW BEYOND MY SISTER'S ROOM

My body stretching like a tear

along the paper*

Static
   that second night 
   of mourning
My hands caught air
of your fragrance, 
   bamboo, eucalyptus,  
   aloe vera

My mom dragged her feet 
   in slow circles
while my brother silently grieved - 
   he's a wounded sparrow -

Outside the window,
  the bird's nest, a music of hungry
        cries & squeals
  the busy cars honking 
        thirsty for summer rain

The wind turned,
dripping of sun's tears-
        the sky, blue-matted 
                        blanket, times
        another season
                        knitted new
        canvas, bright orange

My eldest placed his new born
child into my arms
       He, feather-light
       Weighs our universe 

They brought him and autumn   

rushed in, tossed its cape of starlings,   

tattered the frost-spackled field.**

* First lines, from Louise Gluck, The Egg
**Ending lines, from The Corn Baby by Mark Wunderlich



Sherry: This poem goes straight to my heart, Grace. The grief, your poor mother pacing in circles, then the new baby placed in your arms, weighing your universe.

Grace: I wrote this poem due to two recent events in my life - the death of my sister last April, and the birth of my first grandchild, a boy, last May.   I used the prompt of Amaya (here - MTB — Bridging the Gap) to write my poem.  I used two quotes, one for the opening, and another for the ending, building my own lines in the middle.

I thought about the cycle of life, just like mother nature with her seasonal changes.  On one hand, I was sad to see her going ahead of us (my mom is still alive), yet on the other hand, I am filled with hope with the birth of my first grandchild.

Sherry: It often happens this way, one soul leaving as another arrives. I am so very sorry for your loss, Grace. And so happy for you that your new grandchild is here to fasten your family's hopes upon. Thank you so much for sharing this very personal passage with us.

Wasn't this beautiful and moving, my friends? Do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!

Moonlight Musings

Why is it so difficult to write erotica?

And if it isn't, please tell me your secret!

Sometimes I envy the graphic artists, who don't need words. Rodin's The Kiss – here shown in the large marble version rather than the small bronze often photographed – was considered scandalous in its day for being so, well, graphic.

I'm not at all inhibited in my speech, and I firmly believe no subject should be taboo to a writer, but if I try to put sex scenes on the page, I can't figure out how to do it without sounding either crude or ridiculous.

I'm better at it in verse than prose, I must admit. It's easier when I can use metaphor.  For example this one (a notorious poem in its day, which I'm still proud of – but a rarity for me).

I actually belong to a facebook group called Erotic Haiku, though I post there fairly seldom because I don't often write anything applicable. Many of the others who post there are quite explicit. Personally, I don't always find this a turn-on, but rather stating the obvious. Judging by comments, plenty of others do think the explicit is hot. My efforts tend more to the subtle and understated. Such as these. There are probably readers who would not find anything so restrained a turn-on.

So I can manage it now and  then, in my own way, but I'd never be able to make a career out of it – unlike one of my friends, who used to write porn fiction for a living. 'Just create a couple of characters,' she says, 'put them in a location and a situation, think about things you like in bed – and away you go.' She makes it sound so easy! Doesn't work for me. I do know how to fantasise. My difficulty is putting it into words which adequately convey the thoughts. 

I'm not the only one. These musings came about because I recently edited a whole book of erotic love poems by a woman who wanted to celebrate the passionate love between herself and her lover. The trouble was that she was not only trying to depict the sexuality but simultaneously to put into words their transcendent love. She ended up using abstracts to try and describe the ineffable. The writing tended to tell, not show. It neither moved nor aroused this reader.

I think the only way one can write of the ineffable – something which, by definition, is inexpressible in words – is to ground it in sensual imagery. Shakespeare talks of a summer's day – of the flowers, and the strength of the wind. Byron writes of the night and the stars; Burns of 'a red, red rose' and 'a melody that's sweetly sung in tune'.

Those famous examples, however, are more romantic than erotic. One present-day poet whom I think brilliant at erotica is Mary Grace Guevara from the dVerse team, writing as Scarlet at her blog Scarlet Verses. I am in awe of the way she writes poem after poem on sexual love, and manages to make each one not only truly erotic, but new. She does use metaphors; also lots of references to actual human bodies and their interactions – always hot but never crude.

Our own Sanaa (blogging at A Dash of Sunny) with her love of lush, sensual, musical words, is wonderful at poems which are both romantic and passionate. Bjorn is another who creates amazing poems of love and desire (as well as amazing poems on all sorts of other topics) at Bjorn Rudberg's Writings. Another who comes to mind is the fabulous Magaly Guerrero, at her blog of the same name, who manages to say the most lubricious things without a trace of obscenity (as in four-letter words) – but lots of heat.

I know that many more of you, my fellow-poets at Poets United, can write erotica. I recently read and enjoyed your 'Lust' poems for Midweek Motif. (I myself cheated and wrote of a different kind of lust.) 

So how do you tackle such topics? Is metaphor best? Do you prefer the subtle or the bold? Do you too find it challenging? If not – or even more, perhaps, if you do – what advice would you give to an aspiring writer of erotica?


The photo of the Rodin is in the Public Domain.

A CHAT WITH BJORN AND GRACE: PRESENTING THE DVERSE ANTHOLOGY CHIAROSCURO

This week, we are chatting with Bjorn Rudberg and Mary Grace Guevera, of dVerse Poets Pub, about the recent publication of their beautiful anthology, "Chiaroscuro". It truly is a thing of beauty, and we wanted to find out what the process of putting it together was like for them. Let's dive in.

Available here

Sherry: Hi, Bjorn and Grace. First, we must congratulate you on your beautiful anthology, Chiaroscuro. It truly is a thing of beauty! You and your team did a marvelous job.

Take us back to the beginning. When did the idea of an anthology occur to you?

Bjorn: I think the idea was there from the beginning. dVerse has published two anthologies before, but with external publishers. We wanted to have full control this time, but at the same time we were scared of the amount of work. After discussing back and forth we decided to bring in the whole team to help us with the work.

Grace:    Bjorn and I talked in 2016 about doing an Anthology, where the dVerse team would be responsible from beginning until the end.  We didn't have any experience in this, but there are several self-publishing platforms where we can explore and learn on the job. This time around, as main editors, we would have a hand in selecting, editing and publishing an Anthology by the dVerse team.

Björn: It was a joint decision, and we brought in the team and discussed how to share the workload. Each prompt was treated as a submission, and we tried to select the best poems each week instead of having a big submission event.

Grace:   This is not work by one person, but a team.   Bjorn and I have not thought of doing this project by ourselves as it can be overwhelming, as we have seen in the past.  We decided to involve the team right from the beginning so the load is lighter, so to speak.

Leaf with Dewdrops by Michelle Beauchamp

Sherry: Considering each prompt a submission sounds like a good idea. Did either of you have any idea of the amount of work involved?

Grace: We knew it will take a lot of work but we didn't realize it would take longer. It was our first time to do the editing and finally putting it altogether in a printable form.  The editing part took longer as we got in touch with the poets and they had to agree to the changes we recommended.

Björn: I agree, the amount of work involved in editing and contacting all the poets took a lot more time than we thought.

Grace:  Also we took the self-publishing route, which proved to be a learning curve for Bjorn and I.   Bjorn took a lot of time learning the CreateSpace of Amazon and it did prove to be a good platform to meet our needs.  We had poets from all over the world, and we wanted to ensure that the printed copy would be accessbile whether you are in Asia or Austrailia.    We were happy with Amazon's reach and delivery part of our printed copy.

Bjorn: I actually enjoyed learning the tricks and trade of self-publishing and as for myself I will probably use it again when I finally write my own book.

Sherry: I am blown away by the access to markets self-publishing has these days. Especially the access to Amazon. Chioroscuro can be ordered directly from Amazon here.

What was your process in putting it together?

Bjorn: Ha... we actually announced that from now on each submission will be treated as a submission for the Anthology, but still many were surprised when they were contacted. To have many small submissions instead of one giant one was a good one. We also wanted to reward the poets who are active in the community.

Leaves by Kim Russell

Grace: We decided that we didn't want a call to submissions, one time, and read like 300+ poems from several poets.   We didn't have the time to read so many poems on top of our regular weekly hostings. So we planned with the dVerse team, to select and read as we go along, week to week, with various poetry prompts.  

We announced the Anthology project last July 2016 with our 5th anniversary celebration. We stretched the timeline to over 4 to 5 months, as we selected, voted and compiled poems. Bjorn and I decided on the title, theme, and way we would arrange the poems as we started reviewing the compiled poems.  

The initial work was made easy, with the dVerse team helping with the prompts and selecting the poems. But at the end of the process, Bjorn and I made the final decision of being inclusive to those actively participating in our dVerse prompts. At the end, we invited over 100 poets to be part of our Anthology project.

Sherry: It is wonderfully inclusive! 

Grace:   The whole dVerse team helped us with the selection and finally the editing of the material.  It was important to have a different set of eyes, as it was really tiring to see the same material over and over again.  I could not anymore see where and what the changes are and needed to be.

Björn: I also want to extend a big thank to the team for the effort in the selecting and editing of the poems. Even if we wanted to leave them as close as possible to the original, we needed to format and correct typos — and confirm with the poets.  The team who helped us are:   Kim M. Russell, Victoria Slotto, Gayle Walters Rose, Lillian Hallberg, Frank Hubeny, Walter Wojtanik, Toni Spencer, De Jackson, Michelle Beauchamp and Paul John Dear.   

Sherry: You had a wonderful team! The artistic photos on the cover and throughout the book are  beautiful. Did people submit these along with their poems?

Sunflower by Michelle Beauchamp

Bjorn / Grace:   We were lucky to have in our dVerse team, not only poets, but amazing photographers as well.  We chose, for the book cover, the stunning photo from the photography collection by Paul John Dear.  The black and white photos are from Michelle Beauchamp, Kim M. Russell and Candace Kubinar.

Sherry: When it came to the selection process, was that difficult?

Bjorn / Grace: Yes, there are some outstanding poets in our group. It was definitely hard to select which poems went into the Anthology.

Some prompts proved easier to select from; sometimes we were awed by all the great entries. Sometimes it was hard.

Sherry: Were there moments when the workload seemed overwhelming and you wondered if you would ever complete the project?

Bjorn: Ha... yes, I have to say that, especially when we were in the middle of it all and we were editing. Also the formatting took a lot of time. I remember when I just had to start all over because Word simply wouldn’t do what I wanted. But I’m so grateful that Grace pushed us all. At the end it proved easy, we wanted it ready for Christmas.

Grace:    Yes, when the editing took forever, I thought it would never be finished.  But putting a deadline on the work pushes you to complete it. I told Bjorn that we need to see this project done by end of 2017, and we worked to finish it.   

Sherry: What did it feel like when you finally held the finished copy in your hands?

Bjorn: I remember when holding the first proof in my hand and seeing what a great book it would be. The color and the matte finish really made this a pleasant book to hold and to flip through, seeing and remembering all the poems and the poets. I imagine we could just get together one day and read our poems to each other.

Grace:  Sweet and very grateful for everyone's efforts in putting it together. We hope we can pull off another one in the near future.

Sherry: Congratulations to you and the team for producing a truly beautiful book! It is outstanding! I would like to commend you on the huge time commitment and effort involved in producing the anthology, as well as keeping a large community like dVerse afloat. On behalf of all of us who enjoy all of the features and prompts, and the wonderful community of dVerse, a very big thank you for a job well done!

There you have it, my friends, the amount of work that goes into putting together an anthology. With a wonderful result, in this case! Do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!

Poems of the Week ~ by C.C., Kathleen and Grace

We have three delightful poems for your enjoyment and contemplation this week, my friends, written by  C.C., of Conscious Cacophony, Kathleen Everett, of The Course of Our Seasons, and Mary Grace Guevara of Everyday Amazing. We think they go well together, and will leave you feeling uplifted. Enjoy!

Sunrise in Mexico - by CC

NEW DAWN

yes, love is a shadow
a tattered tassel
hanging
frayed
in the wind

but, every morn’
the sunrise offers you
a bouquet of orange
for you to interpret
as you choose

will you board
up your heart
hold the line
in silent darkness
or listen to the drum
that still beats
in your chest
and dance to
the speakers
that pump music
through your soul?

yes, love is a shadow
but light filters
back in
when you honor
the signs at work
in each new dawn

CC photo

Sherry: I love the honoring of the signs in each new dawn. A wonderfully hopeful message, C.C.

C.C.: Sylvia Plath is one of my favorite poets. Her words always strike me with such force that I often feel emotionally compelled by them. When I read, "Love is a shadow. How you lie and cry after it. Listen: these are its hooves: it has gone off, like a horse" I felt compelled by sadness, thinking of someone who gives up on life when Love gallops away. I had this image of someone boarding up her heart in silent darkness and beating her chest, lying and crying alone forever. 

What a shame! There is too much beauty offered up to us each day. Live for it. Stay open to it. Embrace it. It's there for the taking for all of us. So, I was inspired to write about the choice that each new dawn offers every single one of us, no matter what hoofbeats echo in the grief and shadows of the darkest corners of loss in our lives.

Sherry: I love the idea of those hoofbeats of grief. I think we all have heard them a time or two. Thank you for this, C.C., and for the lovely photos of that new dawn. I always think how wonderful it is that, no matter what is happening in our lives, the new dawn comes up each morning, giving us a brand new day in which to begin again. Morning is one of God's best ideas, I think.

Kathleen enchanted me, with her recent lines about Dusk, a charming fellow, presented in this poem as I have not seen him before. Let's read:

Kathleen and Bob

Kathleen Everett photo

DUSK AND TWILIGHT

dusk saunters up the lane
whistling for his dog
and filling his pipe

leaning against the fence post,
he squints into the setting sun
and waits for twilight to arrive

wrapped in a mantle of early evening stars,
she skips down the lane
her steps light and lovely

tipping his hat,
dusk climbs the western ridge
trailing shadow
and wisps of smoke

as twilight fills the darkling sky
with the smiling crescent moon
and the scent of sweet honeysuckle

Sherry: I absolutely adore the voice in this poem, insouciant Dusk strolling along, filling his pipe, anticipating Twilight tripping down the lane in her long skirts. Such gorgeous imagery and delightful personification.

Kathleen: This poem came about when I was writing snippets of poetry on Twitter. It was one of those long spring afternoons when the sun was stretching out shadows and the character of dusk just came to me. And of course, he needed a partner, so why not twilight. I love giving them a life and a bit of a story. Maybe I will follow them again to see where they might lead.

Sherry: I could read a whole chapter like this, and never stop smiling! Let's take a look at Grace's poem, also rich in imagery, shall we?

TODAY I LET THE LIGHT IN

the sun is a milk-cotton daisy
blooming along side glorious tulips

              i will not count
              creases on my forehead

the sky sings a breezy fruity tune-
while dandelions sip yellow tea 

             i will not rue
             emerging strays of white hair

the wind brings lake's salty tears-
seed pods open, spraying golden grains

             i will not bother
             creaming my wrinkled hands 

the trees are shimmering glassy chandeliers 
covering cracks, like leavening on dry crust- 
             
             i am grateful -
             another day of beginnings

Sherry: Grace, from the title to the closing line, this is so uplifting, and so welcome in these days of dark news. We do need to remember to be grateful for the beauty and love around us. It is our solace and relief. How did this poem get born?

Grace: That day was my special day, my birthday.   I wanted to remind myself of the beautiful lessons I have learned from other people who are aging gracefully.   That of acceptance and perseverance, and also a healthy attitude towards embracing change.  I still have many things I want to accomplish, so this year will be another year of milestones for me.  

I also love nature and marvel at the changing seasons.   Each season is beautiful and though there is decay, the cycle of life is always a journey of beginnings.  

These lines are positive affirmations for me. I count my blessings and I am grateful for the love and support I have at home, at work and with my friends, including poets and writers around the blogosphere. 

Sherry: Positive, indeed. We have to hang onto gratitude for our blessings, for the beauty of nature, for friendships near and far. Our solace in turbulent times, which make such blessings even more dear. Thank you, Grace.

Thank you, dear poets, for lifting our spirits with your beautiful poems. I hope our readers come away with more hopeful hearts from this reading.

Wasn't this lovely, my friends? Do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!