Poetry Month: Take 1

Melting Doubt

I have seen the sunrise
just above the horizon --
an enormous, copper orb
sizzling with intensity
against the winter sky,
and I know spring is coming.
Its audacity
erases my timidity
my doubtfulness that spring --
that summer --
will ever come.

Though the vaulting sky
glows robin-egg blue,
cold still chills my bones.
Ancient stirrings caress
melting blankets,
waking myrtle,
and I know my blood
will warm.
The ground and my soul
will thaw together.

I have seen the crocus
just above the last snows –
a miniature, royal bud
bursting with intensity
against the frozen ground,
and I know spring is coming.
                           - Roberta Worthington

Small Bites

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
 

April is poetry month, and I've decided to dedicate Monday and Friday posts during April to the smaller bites of writing that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.

My students wrote some found poetry a few weeks back, and it’s been on my mind ever since. Many teens think poetry has to be about love and all their internal problems. This type of poetry is usually filled with angst and may be theraputic, but rarely has any staying power. It’s too personal.

Talented poets can create a story in a very small space. They chose their words and the way the words play together very carefully.

I had the opportunity a few months ago to meet Amy LudwigVanDerwater, a poet and children’s author, who has a wonderful site called ThePoem Farm. She posts her poetry there. Every so often, she said she harvests poetry from the site based around a theme. She’ll bundle them up and propose an idea to her publisher. She now has two books in print, Forest Has a Song and Every Day Birds, the second recently published. When I talked with her she had the artists proofs for the book with her. They are beautiful collages made of textured papers.

Poetry is not an easy sell, but Amy has found a great outlet.

 

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

There are so many chances for new starts, and I count Easter as one of them. Spiritually it means a lot to me, but also here in the northeast, there is more sunshine, longer days, and plants are starting to come alive. It all feels like a new start, especially with such favorable plans on the horizon for Relic!

So, eat a chocolate bunny ear, and take in all the smells and sounds of nature. Remember the impact on all your senses, store them away, and use them on your next writing day!

Relic News!

In an interview at the back of Cinder, Marissa Meyer said one of the most difficult things about writing is the publicity side. And she has a major publisher behind her.

As an indie author, I have to agree. She said that she has learned that following the publication of a book, the marketing takes a front seat and she has learned to write the next book during the lulls in between. Good advice.

Over the holiday break I have been working on making Relic more available. You can now purchase it as a Kindle e-book here. The paperback version will be carried in two local stores, Tile Pharmacy in Cheektowaga, NY, and Sinclair Pharmacy in Warsaw, NY. They may seem like odd venues for book sales, but both have a large gift-seeking clientele and Tile has a “locally-made” section.

The big news is that on July 20, I will have an author talk and book signing at the independently-owned Monkey See, Monkey Do book store in Clarence, NY. It looks to be a special event with cookies from the book and tea! Watch for more details. I can’t wait!

A Literary Great

Sad news this morning that author Harper Lee has died.

I’m currently studying her pulizer prize winning book To Kill a Mockingbird with my 8^th grade students. All I want them to do is love it.

It is an incredible read, so well crafted that there is absolutely nothing that happens randomly in the story line. Every word is so well chosen, every character so completely developed, that when I think of it, it is no wonder it is the only book the woman completed.

Ah, to have a title like that bearing your name. One was enough. Rest in peace Harper Lee.

Relic to Wear!

I’m really excited to announce that Relic fans can now purchase t-shirts and coffee mugs as reminders of Samantha’s spooky adventures in Willowbend!

T-shirts are available on wilseymc.deco-apparel.com in a wide selection of colors and feature the beautiful cover image of “The Ick” on the back and one of Samantha’s musings, “I heard someone say once that Fate throws people together because they need each other” on the front. Click on the link above or the images to the right to purchase. I know I’m buying one of each!

A Benchmark

Yea-hah!

Ink Slinger has officially had more than 1000 views!

Not many people comment, so it makes me wonder who my readers are.

I hope they are readers eager to find out more about Relic and other stories that are to come. I hope they are writers who find helpful tips here.

Blogspot stats let me see where my readers are. It’s fun to see countries around the world light up!