Blogs of the Week ~ Farewell to Mary and Sherry

Today is a bittersweet day, my friends, as Mary and I step away from behind the scenes at Poets United, after nine and a half wonderful years. But never fear: we won’t go too far. We are still poets who love poetry! And we love this community. So we will be around.

Mary 2011

Mary 2019

Sherry asked me to share a poem.  I have written hundreds of them, but I wanted to share one that I find personally meaningful. I wrote it in 2007 before I knew the blogosphere even existed.  It is the poem that inspired the title of my blog (6th line), and it is about my mother. (I think, no matter how old one is and how long one’s mother has been gone, one’s mother is always missed.)  I chose  a short poem, as personally I like short poems best (to read and to write), as they say what is important without rambling on and on.

Each spring I listen for you

Spring was always your season and you waited patiently 

for this time of rebirth so I know you are somewhere 

in my garden perhaps hiding behind the arbor vitae

overseeing and tending to the coming to life as you always did 

and sometimes when I stoop to tend plants in the greening earth

out of the corner of my eye I catch of glimpse of your smile 

between budding branches and hear your whisper in the warm breeze.

Sherry: What a moving and lovely poem. Thank you, Mary. Will you share your thoughts about this journey we have made at Poets United? When you look back, did you think, in 2010, we would still be doing this almost ten years later?  What were the joys, and the highlights. What stands out for you?

Mary: When we began participating in Poets United in 2010, I had no idea how it would evolve and how long I would be involved.  It was just a fun and exciting thing to do then — and the poetry blogosphere was still very young.   And I ‘met’ so many talented people through this medium, and somehow to me it became so very important and real. 

Sherry, you were there right alongside me from the very beginning, and from the time Robert Lloyd left up until this very day we were a great team - as were the other members of the Poets United staff who came on board.  We had a wonderful working relationship for all these years.

Sherry: Yes, we did. Such harmony! How has this community, this site, and the blogosphere impacted your work?

Mary: I had written poetry before Poets United & the poetry blogosphere in general, but after becoming involved with Poets United I was inspired to write much more poetry.  I looked forward to each new prompt, each new time to share one’s poetry (old or new), and also looked forward to reading what others had written.  I know I would not have written as many poems had I not been part of Poets United & other sites in the blogosphere.  Admittedly, Poets United always felt like ‘home’ to me.

  

Sherry: Me, too. What would you like to say to our members on this day of retirement?

Mary: Thanks to all of you who have participated in Poets United over the years.  (And a very special thanks to Sherry who ‘retires’ along with me!) I have enjoyed sharing poetry with you all. 

It boggles my mind sometimes when I think of knowing people through poetry from all over my country and also in so many countries of the world.  We all came together in one venue and shared.  What a wonderful time it was. 

And thanks, more specifically, to people who read and commented on my poems.  It is nice to be ‘heard,’ I think; and because of your comments I felt ‘heard.’  I am not sure if I am really retiring or not.  I will probably be around at one time or another, and when I do it will be nice to find you here!  I wish each of you well & much good writing ahead, as Poets United carries on without us.

Sherry 2010

Sherry 2019

DEAR POETS UNITED,

“Where can I find other poets?”
I asked Blogger Forum in 2010.

“Why don’t you try Poets United?”
Robb Lloyd replied.

This began one of the best journeys
of my life.

Here you all were.
How we loved words,
rushed to share,
received each poem
as a gift of love.

I may step away from my desk,
but never too far,
for I still love words,
and you.

And a day is not complete
until I have shared
my latest poem
with you.

Thank you, my friends,
for almost-ten of the best years
of my life.

They have brought me joy,
and three thousand poems
I would not have created
without you.

Together
we have watched
our worlds changing.
We have mourned,
we have cheered.
We have cared.

We have shared our joys
and some tears.
Thank you, my friends,
for all these
wonderful, poetic
and so fulfilling
years.

Sherry: Sigh. When I found Poets United, I was living in a town where my writing was drying up for lack of encouragement and inspiration. My friend encouraged me to create a blog, and I found Poets United with such delight! At first, I worried I wouldn’t be able to come up with new poetry, or keep up. But once the flame was lit, my pen took off.

I had written around a thousand poems during my life. But I have written three times that many thanks to Poets United and all of you. I had no idea, when Mary and I took it over, that we were embarking on an almost ten-year journey. Very soon, I began doing the Monday features: an interview a week for all these years, telling the stories of poets leading such amazing lives! How I have loved it.

I will be forever grateful to Poets United for what it did for my writing life. And for the wonderful friendships that have resulted with people from around the world. What a journey it has been!

So, yes, blogging has made all the difference in my writing life. Not many people read my poems before I came online. I have been so grateful that people visit my site, read the words of my heart, and leave me encouraging words. It is something that I never take for granted. And oh, my! The amazing poems I have read! There is such astonishing talent online. I often think more of our online poems are read than if they were in books waiting for someone to pick them up off a shelf somewhere.

I gave a lot of my time and energy for the love and support of poets and poetry, through these years. I gave  whole-heartedly, and loved every minute. But believe me when I say, I received so much more than I gave.

What do I want to say to you, on this, my last Monday feature? Just thank you: for being there, for being you, for sharing your words and your friendship, and for showing up every week to share our love of poetry. What an amazing journey we have made together. And more poems and journeying lie ahead. I am grateful for it all.

Thank you, Mary, for steering our ship so steadily through the years. Thank you, also, to the staff, who have worked alongside us with such dedication, even during times of challenge in your personal lives. And thank you to each of you, members past and present, who have shared your poems, your words, your lives and your hearts with us. Our lives have been made richer by every one of you. So, today, we say, not farewell, but “See you in the ‘sphere!”

A CHAT WITH WENDY BOURKE: WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THAT POETRY!!

Today, poetry pals, we are chatting with Wendy Bourke, of Words and Words and Whatnot, who has been contemplating the question: What to do with all that poetry! I am sure we all have a ton of it, tucked away in journals and drawers. Wendy and I chatted about some ideas that may prove useful. We hope to hear what you do with your poetry in the comments!

  

  

Sherry: Thanks for thinking of this topic, Wendy. I am sure all of us have reams of poems, in drawers and totes, on cd’s and thumb drives. What to do with it all?

Wendy:  While trying to get a handle on organizing the mountain of poetry I have produced throughout my life, I came upon the following piece, that I had written in 2016

~ poetry ~

I wandered, in the hustling, unfamiliar city

on whizzing roads, through concrete mazes

in peaceful, bright spirits and spacey hazes,

that, often, accompanies a dreamy ramble through

the frenzy and the fuss that modernity confers …

as image after image, on the shifting canvas,

gifted me with snippets of scent and sound,

abracadabra’ed with bits of memory and emotion ...

impressions ... that bloomed like garland blossoms

strung together, with words that floated, as free

and natural, as notes of birdsong on a breeze

~ poetry ~

City Scene

And as I read this poem, plucked from a pile of many, many other poems, I thought to myself: 'for poets, poetry is everywhere ... figuratively ... and literally' ~ smiles ~

The first couple of years that I blogged, I saved my poems in scrapbooks ~ mistake ~ for a myriad of reasons I won't waste time going into here. Then, when I finally switched to putting them in binders, I filed them chronologically ... which worked fine ... for about a year. Who can remember if a poem was penned in 2008 or 2013? I found myself back-and-forthing through good poems and poems in need of a redo – over and over and over. And I got to the point (which is where I am now ... drowning in a sea of poems) where it became clear, that I really have to give some thought to my archiving options, before putting any more effort into yet another badly thought out direction.

It occurred to me that it might be helpful to share some methods I've employed (in my endless trial-and-error approach) that I have found beneficial ... and ask for input and info from fellow poets, about what has worked for them. Basically I want to hit the pause button and review and inquire into: 'What to do with all that poetry!'

Sherry: Let’s dive right in to this thorny topic!

Wendy: Keeping my poetry organized has been a real job, and I have often been dissappointed with the end results. I have read comments from other poets saying they have just about given up organizing their poetry.

Sherry: I hear you! I must have had a thousand poems written before I started blogging, and have written 2800 more online, according to Blogger. I have poems in notebooks, in drawers, loose in a tote. I began to get worried that when I die, my kids might inadvertently (or advertently, lol) send my life’s work to the landfill. Later, in this discussion, I will tell you how I resolved this.

Wendy: Well, let's begin at the beginning, Sherry ... which is publishing our poetry. Getting published by poetry publishers is very, very hard. I recently heard back from a publisher that had asked for submissions of one poem-per-poet. I was rejected, of course, but I took solace in the fact that so were the 5,538 'other' poets.

An organized approach can help. I once believed that volume-volume-volume was a good strategy, but (at least in my case) I have not found that to be very effective. That said, it really does make a difference if you put in the time, and read the kind of poetry that a potential publisher publishes. If it doesn't sound like a fit to your work, it won't be published.

I have found themed anthologies, or journals with a themed prompt, offer a much better chance of success. Also, new publishers (who do not have 20 years of email subscribers) are less overwhelmed with submissions.  Organizations that are supported by membership fees such as The Tanka Society of America and The Ontario Poetry Society usually guarantee inclusion of at least one piece (though they ask for several to choose from).

Smaller pieces, such as Japanese and other, often niche, small-form poems, have several publication vehicles and include more pieces (therefore, much more publishing opportunity) in their hard copy and e-zine offerings. Occasionally a poetry forum will put together an anthology from poems that have appeared on their site – as was the case, fairly recently, with the d'Verse Anthology: Chiaroscuro. 

 Poem Archives

Sherry: Poets United did a small anthology too, back in 2011. Anthologies are a lot of work, but very satisfying to members.

Many of us write mostly for ourselves and each other, and don’t bother submitting poems (though many of the more serious poets do, of course.) I have been more than happy that anyone comes along to read my poems on-site, LOL. I haven’t submitted work very often. I have work in only a half dozen anthologies.

But self-publishing is a great option, and I do know quite a bit about that.

Wendy: Self Published Books are a truly viable and, I am told, affordable option, which is why I'd love to learn more.  Also, 'one-of' photo books that celebrate a grandchild or a wedding can be a lovely, and very personal, memento.

Sherry: I am all about self-publishing. I had a cancer scare some years back, (thankfully the tumor was benign), and my one regret then was that I had not archived my work. Since getting the all-clear,  I have been using the self-publishing house lulu.com (there are many) to put my work into solid form for posterity. These companies offer affordable options, a choice of layouts and templates, hard cover and soft cover, coil or perfect bound, and I can assure you the result is an affordable, bookstore quality product.

I don’t try to sell mine, but many poets do, some very successfully. I create my books mainly as an archive, though a few are available for sale. 

But one has the option of making their books available at both lulu.com and Amazon. You pay as you go, per volume, order as many or few as you like. They are reasonably priced, so you can add your margin to the actual cost of the book and not only reclaim your initial cost, but make a small profit, if that is your objective.

Also, you can put a link on your blog, your readers can click on it, and it takes them right to the publishing house and/or Amazon, where a reader can purchase the book directly. The writer doesn’t have to do anything but tuck away the small profits as they come in.

Wendy: Wow! That is awesome information, Sherry. Thanks for taking the time to lay that out so thoroughly for us. I feel like I'm ready to wade into the self-publishing waters now.

Sherry: All year long, as I am blogging, I enter each poem in a template (for poetry, I use the 6x9 inch US trade perfect bound paperback template). At the end of each year, I have a book of that year's poems to edit and publish. A 225-page book of poems (text only) costs about 10 dollars for paperback, more expensive for hardcover. The books are bookstore quality. I’ve been doing this for years.

I also have done some special editions of selected poems and stories, and plan a few more. And I have made some wonderful photo-books as gifts for loved ones. I enjoy doing those the most. They are much more expensive, but absolutely wonderful to give as a gift.

I have a small shelf of my own books now, and I feel satisfied that I have honoured my work in this way. (On the far left are three large photo books. Note coil bindings are also available. But the best format is publisher perfect bound, which I use for the poetry books.)

Wendy: Golly you've got a real handle on this thing, Sherry ... beautiful bookstore quality books that hold your life's work and lovely gifts for loved ones to treasure.

In addition to going the self-publishing route though, I think I will probably continue with my binders for several reasons:

• I like the flexibility to be able to rejig pieces that I don't feel are quite ready for publication.
• I like to be able to move pages around, so that similar themed poems are facing each other and I get a good idea of how a book would lay out, when published.
• I like to be able to include small coloured photographs, pertinent emails and comments and personal notes (i.e. I wrote this poem the last night we spent at the lake) that might give more meaning to the poem for others, as they come upon them.

Sherry: Oh, they sound like a treasure trove of memories. I envy you them!!!

Wendy: In a way, I guess, I think of my poetry binders almost like a journal of my poetry journey.  If anyone reading this has not yet committed to hard copies of your work, I would urge you to give it some thought. Having worked as a University Academic Secretary for decades, I have  lost track of the number of technical advances that have rendered the previous data storage device unretrievable.

Personalized Binder

As far as personalized binders go, I am a big fan. Online companies, like Zazzle, offer a plethora of imaged binders (everything from old tomes that look like something out of the middle ages to garden scenes to forests) which they personalize to your specifications. Of course, you can send in a photo you've taken and they will use that. 

These binders are in the $40.00 range. (Mine were given to me as gifts from my family.)  A binder with a clear window cover (that you can fill yourself) is a much cheaper option at around $10.00. I also am a big fan of clear sheet protectors (around $12.00 per 100). If you opt not to use them, you'll have to 3-hole punch your page, and that, with any pieces you may have taped to it, can quickly take on a tattered, messy appearance.  I use double-sided tape (as many glues eventually dry, discolour and leach through the paper). I also insert thin card stock sheets between the pages of poetry. It just gives a nicer feel to what would, otherwise, be very wobbly pages. All of these supplies can be found at any Office Supply Store.

Before filling your binders, you should decide how you want to organize it. Chronologically (which has its pros and cons), by subject matter (such as nature, for example – blog labels are made for this), or perhaps (as I did) by my favourites (my 2 pink floral binders house the poems that mean the most to me (and here, movable pages really pay off, as time goes by ... lol)

Binder as a Working Journal

I think the main idea is that the poetry that you are most happy with, proud of, and that says something about who you are, should be archived in a special way and not left to languish amongst the do-overs ... or worse: can't be found at all.  However you choose to archive your poetry, it should clearly indicate that it is poetry ... and not just a box (or binder) of papers.

Sherry: That is very key! (Am thinking of the landfill as the Last Resort of my work. Ack!) 

Wendy: We put so much of ourselves into our poetry. We owe it to ourselves, to our family and friends, and to our descendants (who – you never know – might have a poetic bend and be curious about what Great-great-great grandma or grandpa wrote) ... Well, a poet can dream ...

Sherry: Yes, we dream, we dream……..my family tends to act as if my poetry is a slightly embarrassing aberration we don't talk about, but maybe once I’m gone, they’ll pop one of the covers. Smiles.

Thanks for this informative chat, Wendy. Friends, we would love to hear from you. Do you archive your work? In what format? Have you tried any of these options and, if so, how satisfied are you with the results? Let us know in your comments, okay?

And do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows, it might be you!

BLOG OF THE WEEK: VIVIAN HAS TWO NEW BOOKS!

Today we are pleased to feature the very busy Vivian Zems, a mother, a dentist, a songwriter, and poet who lives in London, in the UK, and who blogs at Smell the Coffee. Vivian not only launched her book Lift Off! in April; she also produced a book of the poems she wrote during April in a second book, Verses of April. I don't think that has ever been done before. Let's dive in, and find out how she managed such a feat!

Sherry: Vivian, congratulations on the recent release of your TWO poetry books, Lift Off! and Verses of April. Both of these books swiftly rose to Number 1 in the Amazon Best Seller categories of Poetry/Anthologies and Literature and Short Fiction Reads. This leaves me breathless. How are you feeling these days? (Smiles.)

Available here

Available here

Vivian: Yes, indeed! Both  Verses of April and Lift Off! briefly got to the #1 Amazon Bestseller position. And for a moment in time were both #1 and #2. I was thrilled beyond words!

Sherry: Congratulations! I was impressed that you produced the book Verses of April during the month of April itself. A feat I am not sure has happened before in the history of National Poetry Month. How did you manage this, during the white-heat writing of a poem-a-day?

Vivian: I actually ran the writing and publishing of Verses of April as a social experiment, and gave updates on my Facebook Author Page. I wanted to find out if it was possible to complete the book in 26 days…and I managed it in the nick of time. I’d learned from my previous marketing mistakes and applied my new lessons to  both books. Incidentally, I’ve made Lift Off! permanently FREE.

Available here

Sherry: How wonderful! That is lovely. You have another poetry book, as well, titled Waxing Lyrical, that came out in 2018. And three previous books, which we talked about during our last chat. Wow.

As you are living arguably the busiest years of your life, I think what we all want to know is: how do you do it? Do you have a regular time set aside for writing, in the demands of working and family life? Or is it sheer determination?

Vivian: I wish I had a more stringent routine, but as it stands, I get up at 5 a.m. every morning and make sure I’m the first one in to work. I get some writing done then. After work, it’s another 90 minutes in the car - on my phone - before I head home. The problem with peering into my phone for so long is that I now need spectacles!

Sherry: Well, we are all left in awe, at all you accomplish. Let's look at a few of your poems, and sample the goodies awaiting us in your books.

 Soul Search - from Lift Off!

This poem reflects how the journey of self-discovery can take the author down a myriad of paths. The speaker is thinking that the choice they have is either to find the answer in a bottle or, better still, puzzle it out with reasoning.

Dewey Love - from Verses of April

This was quiet observation on my way to my car- on a crisp April morning.

Two Great Creatures - from Waxing Lyrical

This poem was from my first-ever collection. I still read the book and smile/cringe. Nevertheless, this piece was about my two sons with their questionable fashion sense..and yet, very warm hearts.

Day 10 of National Poetry Month

Sherry: I love the way you present your poems so artistically, Vivian.  I am not sure you have much spare time but, when you do, what do you like to do?

Vivian: You’ve got me there! My life is very much all used up between work, writing and keeping house. However, to unwind, I’d probably watch Netflix, visit friends, and of course play with our woof, Zeus.

Sherry: I love the beautiful Zeus, whom we have met before. What is his and your favourite pastime? And how is the family?

Vivian: We’re doing well. Everyone is busy with school/work/life. Zeus’ pastime is at odds with ours. It’s hide and seek; he hides our possessions and sits back while we scurry around looking for them! He virtually runs the entire household- including making our holiday plans. He’s apparently chosen a beach on the UK coast for our next vacation!(smiles).

Sherry: There is no creature happier than a dog on the beach! 

Vivian, it has been such a pleasure, visiting with you. Again, congratulations on your recent book success. We are thrilled to have you at Poets United, and look forward to many more of your wonderful poems (and books!) Is there anything you’d like to say to Poets United?

  

Vivian: Thanks Sherry! I’d just like to say that being part of this collective has boosted my confidence and improved my writing. However, I still feel like I have a long way to go, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my poetry with you and everyone else here.

And we are happy for the sharing, Vivian. Do come back, poet friends, and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It could be you!

BLOG OF THE WEEK : CHATTING WITH SUSIE CLEVENGER

Today, my poet friends, we are chatting with one of the very first members at Poets United, Back In the Day, Susie Clevenger, who blogs at Confessions of a Laundry Goddess, Black Ink Howl, Susie’s Sentences, and her new blog, The Sound of Ink. Susie lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband. She has two daughters, of whom she is extremely proud. Let's chat, and see what she's been up to!

Sherry: Susie, it is so nice to be catching up with you. I love your long hair! Bring us up to date, kiddo. How are you and your family doing?

Susie: We are doing well, so glad to have 2018 behind us. Dawn is doing much better, and our youngest daughter, Carrie, is busy as ever with her job at The Art Colony. 

Dawn

Carrie

Charlie and I will have a busy schedule this summer with my 50^th class reunion this month and summer tours with Mike Zito and his band.

Me and the Band

Sherry: Touring with a band! What fun! Tell us about that!

Susie: Mike Zito came into our lives late in 2007. Dawn at that point had already suffered years of autoimmune related illnesses, and it was taking an emotional and physical toll on my husband and I. We had always loved live music, so on a whim we decided to attend a local bar to hear Mike play so we could focus on something other than sickness. 

Well, we became instant fans. Shortly after that we became close friends. We now travel across the country with him whenever we can in whatever capacity he needs us. At times it is just as fans/family, but a good part of the time we work for him selling his merchandise. 

Although, I don't feel it is work. You can't put a price on joy. We call him our adopted son. His band members are part of our chosen family also. Music is healing. I am so thankful for that first evening we heard Mike. It was life changing.

Sherry: It sounds joyful indeed. Nothing like being involved in live music, and touring sounds like nothing but fun. 

Your latest book, Splinters, has just come out. Congratulations! Would you tell us a bit about it?

Available here

Susie: The book is co-written with the talented poet, Ben Ditmars. He approached me with the concept of writing a poetry collection with a target audience of young adults, but which would also appeal to readers much older. It is a poetic journey through childhood to adulthood. There are topics addressed in it from silly to serious. For example some of the poem titles are, Pimple Popper, Indoor Boy, Bra Capping, and Confused. There are some splinters that barely puncture the skin and there are others that go deep into a lifetime.

Sherry: What a wonderful concept! I hope lots of teens get to read it.

You are recently back from the Lucidity Retreat. Do tell us about it.

Susie at Lucidity

Susie: This was my third time to attend the retreat. Its location in Eureka Springs, Arkansas is the perfect place for it. It has a strong writing/art community and exquisite scenery. Lucidity’s mission is to gather poets together to learn, participate in creative critique of their work, and open themselves to incredible life changing experiences.

This year’s featured lecturers were Nathan Brown and Dr. Charlotte Renk. Nathan is an author, songwriter, and an award winning poet, as well as Oklahoma’s Poet Laurette 2013 to 2014. He lives in Wimberley, Texas. Charlotte is an award winning poet who teaches English and Humanities at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens Texas.

I can’t properly express the gratitude I feel for having had the privilege of being able to sit with such talented poets and leaders, to feel their passion for poetry and gather knowledge on how to become a better writer.

 Susie and Group at Lucidity

Nathan Brown shared he has a ritual when he sits down to write. It begins with brewing coffee, preparing his mind to be open to creativity, and when he’s home, writing in the small space he’s personalized with items that have significant meaning to him. He writes every day. It doesn’t matter if it is good or not. Poetry won’t come if he hasn’t kept an open channel for it to speak. Nathan’s latest book is 100 Years, a poem for each year of life from 1 to 100.

An excerpt from 73- Thumb Twiddling

“So much time on his hands.

He doesn’t know what to do

with all these hours that pile up

like unanswered letters thrown on

to a desk where he no longer works.”

Charlotte Renk often writes about nature. She lives in a house in the woods with windowed walls without curtains. Whether she is outside or inside nature is always in full display. She is immersed in inspiration. In her latest book, The Great Turtle Heart (the Tao of Turtlism) she draws on biology, myth, folklore, history and literature to describe the journey of a box turtle.

An excerpt from Mobile Home

“When survival’s frenetic stress is too much,

the seeking, the getting, the struggle,

she remains unimpressed by mirages

of any kind”

Sherry:  It all sounds wonderful, Susie. What a privilege, to be there.

I adore a recent poem of yours, “Feathers Wild as Dandelion Seeds”. I would love to share it here, if I may.

FEATHERS WILD AS DANDELION SEEDS

I always dream of wings. There is within me the desire to fly, to feel the wind’s breath guiding me to where dreams roam wild, where feathers are ink and pen. I believe it is because I carry the weight of my mother’s lost dreams. I saw them in her eyes as she searched every face to see if she could find the soul who could read the stars she couldn’t translate into words. I’m not sure why she left them with me, but I feel them whenever poetry floats just beyond my reach, in the urgency to find my voice in silence.

Where are my wings,
green feathers wild
as dandelion seeds?

Let me climb the tallest oak
so I can hear the sky speak
of the sun’s love of the moon,
and feel the wind teach me
how to fly the grass I walk.

Take me where poetry nests
in the hungry heart of my muse.

Sherry: This is so lovely. I love poetry nesting in the heart of your muse. Are there two more poems you would like to share?

Too Close to the Edge

       

The midnight lake puts its lips

to my eyes and drinks every

starlight wish swimming in hazel.

Not satisfied with the brew of visions

it sends watery death into my lungs

to flood my last breath of July.

Thrashing in waves of lost I am tossed

the life preserver of 1:00 am and a cat

purring rescue across my chest.

Shaken I reach for pen and paper

beside my bed and pray my muse

has escaped the drowning pool of empty.

                        *  *  *

My Chair of Tears

Sunflowers weep brittle petals

from their frosted death mask,

and I beg spring to come and

take the funeral from my garden.

Winter has written so many

entries in its journal of bone chill

I breathe its story each morning.

Pain walks through my thighs

on the command of a barometer,

a stab here, a burn there…

a Pinocchio dance on legs

too stiff to react as human.

In my chair of tears I wonder

if this petrification will bring me

closer to humility or will I merely

live my own wasting one splinter at a time.

If not for love, I would make my own

journey to spring, but to pill myself

into eternity would break the heart

of a man who would bear my pain

if the universe would allow him.

Hope is truly fragile, a paper thin glass

one demon away from shattering.

I must have faith I’m a day closer

to a robin song, and not a hymn sung

where I am coffined in silence.

                *  *  *

Sherry: I love "I'm a day closer to robin song." When did you begin writing poems, Susie? What do you love about poetry?

Susie: I started writing poetry when I was fifteen. I love poetry because it helps me write out some of the thoughts that tumble through my head. My therapist once asked me I kept a journal as part of my therapy. At first I said no, but then I realized my poetry is my journal. I am empath and wild weed. Poetry is healing.

Sherry: How has blogging impacted your work and companioned your muse?

Susie: Blogging has made a huge impact. I came to the blogging world a stumbling, infant poet, and because of the influence of talented poets I’ve met here at Poets United and at Real Toads I have learned to walk with a bit of confidence I have something to say others might like to read. As far as my muse is concerned, she loves the prompts and images provided to inspire her to whisper words into my pen. The two things she doesn’t like are poetry forms and rhymes because she knows I’m not good at either.

Sherry: I beg to differ. But I find forms challenging, too. What other interests do you pursue when you aren’t writing? 

Susie: I began about a year a go designing and making jewelry pendants as well as sun catchers. I find it calming. I don’t worry or struggle for words when I am working with wire and beads. It is the free flow of creating that intrigues me.

Sherry: Your work is beautiful, Susie!

 

Available here       Available here         Available here



Susie: Oh, I forgot, I did an author fair May 18, and Carrie Thackeray Van Horn was also there. I am including the photo.

Author Fair

Sherry: It is so cool you and Carrie were at the same event! How wonderful! Two of our first members!

Susie: Also I have a new poetry blog, The Sound  of Ink. 

Confessions of a Laundry Goddess  is the grand dame of my work, but I just felt I needed another one. :)  It is brand new with a couple of poems, but it will be growing. 

Sherry: Yay! We'll be watching. Is there anything you’d like to say to Poets United?

Susie: Gratitude, I don’t think I can say it enough. I came upon Poets United quite by accident. I had written a poetry blog for over a year with only one man reading it. I knew it wasn’t very good. I wanted to learn, find better ways to express myself through poetry. 

Dear poets, thank you for having patience as I grew, and continue to grow. You have been part of my healing path after a brain injury in 2006. There were parts of my memory erased. I once did scrapbooking. That is what I am told any way. I opened a bedroom closet door where the entire shelf was filled with decorative paper, albums, etc. I turned to Charlie and said, “Who does this?” Poetry returned when I so desperately needed it.

Sherry: We are so happy that it did, and we are the beneficiaries. Thank you, Susie, for this wonderful update. And for your long participation at Poets United.

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