Self-Published Saturday–May 15, 2021

Since I am going to be traveling and attending a funeral today and Saturday, I am putting up Self-Published Saturday a day early. Your Words is a delightful book of poetry and photographs by Louise Belanger. I’ve also added a link to Louise’s new website below. She is currently giving away prizes in random drawings for anyone who subscribes to her website. This first drawing is this Sunday, May 16th. Make sure you subscribe for a chance to win.

This poetry book is accompanied by beautiful photographs and primarily speaks to the author’s thoughts about the pandemic, struggles in life, and her relationship with God. There are also some lovely story poems about nature. I was most interested in the poems about nature and relationship with God. The author shares her feelings honestly and with emotion.

The poem Power in Life spoke to me. It asks the question: “How can life go on when I’ve just experienced this crushing loss?” Having lost my Mom in 2020 and my Dad in 2019 , I definitely can relate to that. I also enjoyed “A Life With You, Now and in Eternity.” This is about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins.

The photographs are well done and are a great companion to the poems.

The author’s style is warm and embracing, and she shares her faith in a loving way. I would read her poetry again.

I picked this book up on Kindle Unlimited, where members can get a digital copy for free. I also received a free copy of the print book from the author. My opinions are voluntary and are my own.

Link to Your Words on Amazon

Link to Louise Belanger’s New Website. Check it out!

Louise’s Facebook Page

My Amazon Review (Helpful Votes Appreciated)

#Publication: “Family Reunion”

This is a reblog of a post by Liz Gaffreau, a wonderful poet and author. Enjoy.

Elizabeth Gauffreau

A Celebration of Poetry Deferred

In January of 2020, my poem “Family Reunion: Newbury, Vermont” was accepted for publication by the Waterford Township Public Library’s annual 2020 Poetry Leaves exhibit. (The Township is located in Michigan.)  I was particularly pleased that my poem had been selected because it was inspired by a return to the trees I’d taken for granted in the Newbury woods–after being away for thirty years. You can learn more information about the event here: https://www.poetry-leaves.com/.

Needless to say, the in-person celebration of poetry exhibit was cancelled because of the pandemic.

Sadly, 2021 marks the end of this vibrant community project. I do hope the library is able to rally the community to celebrate National Poetry Month in a sustainable way for the future, particularly given that school children have been involved.

Poetry Leaves: April 1 – April 30, 2021

Click to be taken to the Poetry…

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Scribbles of the Mind

Scribbles of the Mind by Elie N. Azar is a poetry book with the main theme of love in its many forms. We see love that overcomes pain and endures in the midst of staggering heartbreak, love of family, love of self, love of friends, forever love, and more. Nature is often used to describe the many facets of love.

I enjoyed every one of these poems. Some of my favorites were The Oath of an Aching Soul, The Love That Hid in the Cracks of Their Home, The Dawn of a Sunset, and Changing Seasons of an Unchanged Love.

I must mention The Sunset Climb, Cracked Smile, and A Melting Fire. These three poems have only one line each, however, each line is very powerful. Authors search for these types of magical words when writing novels. Perhaps that’s next for Elie N. Azar.

I downloaded this book on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can borrow it for free. I highly recommend you check it out.

BUY SCRIBBLES OF THE MIND ON AMAZON

ELIE N. AZAR’S GOODREADS PAGE

MY GOODREADS REVIEW (Likes Appreciated if you are so Inclined)

Harold (the puppy)

Harold, our adorable wire-hair dachshund puppy, has recently turned one, which I guess makes him no longer a puppy. However, he’ll always be our puppy. I attempted a Tanka about him below. A Tanka is 31 syllables. The first line is 5, second line 7, third line 5, and the last two are 7.

Harold, our beloved puppy, just turned One.

HAROLD

He is one year old
Cute black and white ball of fur
Giant dark brown eyes
Melts your heart in an instant
With unconditional love.

I’ve told this story before, but the story of our puppy Harold is amazing to us. My husband had always wanted a wire-haired dachshund since we saw them on the Westminster Dog Show. They are hard to find and can be expensive. My Dad, Harold, died in 2019. He loved dogs and owned a couple of dachshunds in his day. So when we saw a wire-hair dachshund puppy advertised online, and saw that the breeder had named him Harold, it felt meant to be. However, a big expense came up unexpectedly and we weren’t able to afford him. Dachshunds are popular dogs and he is a piebald wire-hair as well, so we thought he’d be snapped up immediately before we could get him. Two months later, I happened to notice online that Harold was still available. We had the funds, so we texted the breeder, and after a trip to South Carolina, we had our Harold. It is amazing to me because ever since then I’ve watched this breeder’s page and the dogs are all gone immediately, sometimes even before birth. I really feel like Dad saved him for us, and he has been a joy.

This is Harold operating at his normal speed, while his brother Hermann watches him go.

What if?

Learning about Tanka poems today. Tanka poems are Japanese poems. They are 31 syllables, 5 lines. The first line has five syllables, the second 7, the third 5, and the last two lines have 7. The first three lines are supposed to evoke an image, and the last two describe an action based on that image.

Since I found out I have to get a biopsy today for a possible cancer scare, I wrote my first Tanka poem about it. Hopefully it will turn out to be nothing, but here are the thoughts in my head:

What If?

There’s a mass they said
Tests and doctors await me
Hospital is cold

I start to wonder what if?
Drawing up plans for battle.

The image I’m trying to evoke is of of course waiting to have tests done in a hospital or doctor’s office. The action would be my “plans for the worst” running around in my head.

The photo above is not of me. I hoped it could look like any woman, waiting.

The photo below is of my very favorite place, Deep Creek, part of the Smoky Mountain National Park and located in Bryson City, NC. That’s where I go in my mind to stay calm and where I go in person when I can.

Photo by Doug DeMoss

Hopefully I’ll find out in a few days that this was all nothing, but I wanted to get my thoughts down. My next poem will be about how waiting for medical news sucks.

I’ve just starting writing poetry after many years, so any feedback would be great.

Your Words

This poetry book is accompanied by beautiful photographs and primarily speaks to the author’s thoughts about the current pandemic, struggles in life, and her relationship with God. There are also some lovely story poems about nature. Although I enjoyed all of the poems, I was less interested in the ones about the pandemic, just because we hear so much about it in the news daily. However, I know others will feel differently about that. I was more interested in the poems about nature and relationship with God. The author shares her feelings honestly and with emotion.

The poem Power in Life spoke to me. It asks the question: “How can life go on when I’ve just experienced this crushing loss?” Having lost my Mom this year, I definitely can relate to that. I also enjoyed “A Life With You, Now and in Eternity.” This is about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins.

The photographs are well done and are a great companion to the poems.

The author’s style is warm and embracing, and she shares her faith in a loving way. I would read her poetry again.

I picked this book up on Kindle Unlimited, where members can get a digital copy for free. I also received a free copy of the print book from the author. My opinions are voluntary and are my own.

This Kindle version of this book is also available for free to everyone on Amazon from November 19th to November 21st.

Link to Your Words on Amazon

Dabbling in Poetry

I used to write poetry when I was a kid, although I had no idea of any rules or rhythm. I am thinking about getting back into it again. Below is a poem I wrote years ago in my first year of community college. I always remembered it because it’s about what might happen right after you die. I had to write a sonnet in iambic pentameter and that’s what I came up with. I have no idea if it’s any good or not, but I’m definitely interested in learning a lot more about poetry. It seems very simple to me many years later, but I’m curious to see what I could come up with now.

After

My name was Nancy when I woke today
But now I am a vapor in the air
When I got on the train I was okay
Now blackened fragments scatter everywhere

I’m floating, watching high above the mess
Somebody pulls a cloth over my form
A preacher kneels, and cries, and starts to bless
I suddenly feel cold, but very warm.

The mountains beckon me, but with a wish
I’m roaming through them, married to the sky.
The moon hangs gold, like butter on my dish.
The things I always wondered, I know why.

When I got on the train, I was okay.
But now I am complete in every way.