LIFE OF A POET ~ KAREN (KB)

Today we are visiting one of our newer members, Karen (KrazyBlonde), who blogs as KB at KB's Place. Karen lives in the very beautiful country of New Zealand, which is reeling in horror right now after the terrible shootings at mosques in Christchurch on the weekend. I contacted Karen right away to see how she is doing. 

Sherry: Hello, KB. It is good to be chatting with you. What would you like me to call you?

Karen: Hi Sherry, I am happy for you to call me Karen. My original internet name was KrazyBlonde but I shortened it to KB for convenience when I started blogging. My husband’s surname begins with B so now that we’re married my initials are actually KB.

Sherry: Karen, we have all been shocked and horrified at the terrorist shootings at the mosques in Christchurch. Do you live anywhere near where these terrible events took place? How are you doing?

Karen: I think I'm still in shock really, as the rest of NZ is, I'm sure. Nothing like this has ever happened before. NZ is made up of two islands. I live in Auckland in the North Island, and Christchurch is in the South Island, so we are far from the attacks.

Thank you for checking in on me. I don't really know what to say. I am speechless really. My heart goes out to the victims and families of this vicious attack. Steve and I are safe, but still in shock. One of the great things I always loved about NZ was that I believed it was a safe place to live. That has been taken away from me now.

Thank you all for the love and support you have sent New Zealand during this devastating time.

Sherry: We are so sorry, Karen. It seems there are few safe places left any more, given the spread of white supremacy and racism across the planet.

So now, to get to know you better, let's proceed with our interview, difficult as it is to think of ordinary things at the moment.

Tell us a bit about yourself, won’t you? Who do you share your life with?  (don’t forget any critters!) Tell us whatever you would like us to know about you and your life.

Karen: I am 50 years old; I live in New Zealand with my husband Steve, (Whitesnake). Our dear dog, Coco, was part of our lives for many years but unfortunately she passed away two years ago.

Steve and I met via a mutual friend’s blog. Steve was living in Australia and I in New Zealand. We were friends for a year before we met in person. Steve came to New Zealand for a holiday for a couple of weeks and that’s when we knew we definitely wanted to be together. It took a couple of years but we have now been together for ten years and married for six next month. Best years of my life too!

Sherry: A blog romance! How wonderful! There have been a few of those in the years I have been blogging. Smiles. Where did you grow up, Karen? When you look back, do you see anything in your earlier life that you think may have led to your becoming a poet?

Karen: I grew up in Manchester, England. I loved to write short stories and keep a journal when I was younger. I always believed I was the only writer in my family until a visit with my Grandma not long before she died. She showed me a notebook she kept in her bedside drawer and it was full of poems. I was always close to my Grandma as a little girl, but it was lovely to share that special moment as an adult.

Sherry: Oh, that is special indeed. I hope you still have her book of poems. When did you move to New Zealand? I know it is very beautiful there. It is supposed to be much like my home province of British Columbia in Western Canada. What do you love about it?

Lake Rotoiti

Karen: I moved to New Zealand with my parents and sister at the age of 15. As you can imagine, being a teenager is hard enough without the added pressures of being away from family and friends. It was an extremely difficult and depressing time for me but I consider NZ my home now and am thankful to my parents for bringing me here. 

I have travelled extensively around NZ, and it’s a truly beautiful place. I love the fact that you can experience anything here without having to travel too far; hiking in the forests, skiing in the mountains, swimming at the beach, the list in endless. The thing I love most about where I live is the people, they are friendly and easygoing. My neighbours are some of my closest friends.

Sherry: It sounds like a lovely life indeed.  When did you begin writing? And what do you love about poetry?

Karen: I began writing in my journal about my thoughts and feelings from about the age of 10 and I still do! I have always been a reader and started writing short stories of my own when I was a teenager. Poetry didn’t come until much later; I started writing poetry as a way to express my feelings at a time in my life when I was struggling to do so.

Sherry: Are there three poems you would like to share with us today, and tell us a little about each one?

A Private Ordeal – One of my first poems. I was experiencing anxiety attacks at the time so I decided to write about how having an anxiety attack felt to me.

Sometimes I feel so anxious inside
I need to run, I want to hide
It's hard to explain just how I feel
It seems like a dream yet also so real

My friends think I'm so terrible rude
I have to leave early, they think it's a mood
If only they knew just how I feel
It's not for sharing, a private ordeal

Starting to sweat now, starting to shake
I knew coming out was a big mistake
It's hard to move with the walls closing in
My heart is pounding, a terrible din

I have to leave now before they find out
Feeling quite sick, I have to get out
I wish I could tell them but they'd think I'm mad
They'd know how I've missed all the great times we had

Sherry: I know someone who experiences this, and it is very debilitating. You have written this so well.

Consequences – Finding the courage to face the consequences of leaving a destructive relationship.

Twisting turmoil
emotions run amok
feelings laid out
like an open book

Nowhere to run
nowhere to hide
some secrets should
remain inside

The prison consumes
time to break free
no-one to lean on
I must depend on me

The heart is willing
the time is now
a little faith
takes care of the how

Sherry: A poem so many of us can relate to.

Good Times –written to remind me of the good times when times were tough when Steve and I were apart

Remember the good times
They'll serve you well
When life is hard
As tough as hell

Hot summer nights
Lying in bed
His strong shoulders
Resting my head

Laughing and loving
Wasting our days
Entombed in our room
Set in our ways

You doing your thing
Me doing mine
Coming together
For beer and wine

Life carries on
Memories remain
Don't let bad times
Leave their stain

Blue Lake

Sherry: I'm glad he finally made it to New Zealand!

I notice you have an interest in health and wellness and have a blog titled KB’s Health and Wellness Journey. There are some very informative articles in there.

Karen: Many years ago I was asked to assist in managing the health and wellness section of a writing site. Writing and reading about health and wellness on a daily basis furthered my interest in the topic. My blog is about taking that knowledge and incorporating it into my life. I must say, it’s easier for me to write about that than actually do it, but I’m getting there.

Sherry: What other interests do you have besides writing? You list singing and music on your profile. Do you sing publicly, or for your own pleasure?

Karen: Give me a glass of wine and a microphone and I’ll sing till the cows come home. I also enjoy reading, puzzles, music and eating my husband’s delicious cooking.

  

Sherry: Smiles. Sounds like it's a lot of fun at your house! When did you come to the world of blogging, and how has that impacted your work?

Karen: I came to the world of blogging in 2007 as a way to express myself and communicate with others. It was a time in my life during a relationship where everything I did was controlled. I felt the only way to be myself was through poetry and writing.

Sherry: Is there anything you’d like to say to Poets United?

Karen: I love Poets United, a wonderful group of people sharing poetry, what could be better than that!

Sherry: Thank you, Karen, for allowing us to get to know you better. We're happy you found us at Poets United!

Wasn't this a lovely visit, friends? Come back next week,and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!