Writing Lessons #2: Sparrows

(The prompt for this week is surroundings and we were encouraged to focus on one aspect of nature as it relates to the story.  I chose sparrows.) Out the back gate, across the farmer’s field and into the woods I go in search of the child, knowing that she comes here frequently, alone, despite the […]

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Brush Strokes (Fiction)

The brush felt awkward in Kate’s hand and she could feel her frustration mounting. The last time she had painted had been the twin’s room more than a year ago and that was because the boys had outgrown the pastels of the nursery. Now, here she sat, legs crossed on the floor with four other […]

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How Illness Improved my Writing

It’s no mystery that stripped of all obligations and confined to a bed provides the coveted time to pursue writing skills, however; it is the actual experience of illness (in my case ME/CFS) that provides the platform for expansion.  Although I have been a ‘writer’ since my early years, the past four have marked a […]

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Another Open Mic

Here’s yours truly reading Absence and They’re Just Family, After All at an Open Mic (only my third).   To see the full poems, please click on the links.

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Why Write Poetry

First, a disclaimer:  I am in no way an authority on poetry; it is just something I happen to do… a lot.  In fact, my original blog, One Woman’s Quest, is dedicated to my poetic escapades. A cancer scare prompted me to start writing a blog in the first place – I needed somewhere to […]

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Glue: A Dream Perspective

(Sometimes, the best way to approach dream interpretation is to retell the dream from a different character’s perspective.  What follows is just that.  The ‘she’ referred to is the ego self.  To gain further insight, I also wrote a poem, simply titled “Glue”.) How can I justify this current state of malaise, given the opulence […]

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A Nightmare in Prose

Inspiration for my writing often comes from the Dreamtime.  I play with the words, find new meaning and typically create poetry, although some dreams offer up the basis for short stories. A recent nightmare is not cooperating with any attempts to break it down, and so I’ve decided to rewrite it in both prose (offered […]

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A Tapestry of Poems

I write poetry.   I play with images conjured up while sleeping, until a message appears.  (I describe this process in an earlier post:  Composing Poetry. )  I’ve noticed that the dreams, and consequently the poems, will follow a particular theme, and I thought it might be interesting to introduce the poems of a series to one […]

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Brief Notes

Dear Parents, Sorry I didn’t always do things in the way (or order) you thought I should, but quite frankly, your screwups made me seriously doubt your wisdom, and besides, what could I ever hope to learn from conformity? p.s.  I hope I turned out alright in your eyes. Dear Kids, I know I haven’t […]

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That Kid

I am that kid. First day of school, teacher proudly organized, in charge, forgets she is addressing humans not machines programmed to comply.  I cannot tolerate oppression: authority already overbearing in my life.  I am a pressure cooker, combustible, ready to explode, like an uncorked grenade counting down the seconds. “We need to set some […]

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