A Literary Citizen
This blogpost talks about the many aspects of literary citizenship, or ways to support writers near you.
writing
Unpalatable
This poem sets forth the dismay of a poet who writes in rhyme, in an age when few appreciate it.
Free Speech
This schizophrenic poem urges writers to be bold, praises free speech, calls on us to be more circumspect in what we say, and demands we drown out those we disagree with.
Until Dawn
This poem is both a devotion to my mother and a lament as to the fate of the countless undiscovered or passed over, but worthy writers like her. By Andrea LeDew.
Noise
This poem records the conflicted emotions of anyone who attempts to work at home in the midst of family and noise. By Andrea LeDew.
The Price
This poem is pretty simple and self-explanatory, but all the while it asks deep questions we all struggle to answer. Perhaps the poetic side of our nature is there for a reason. Thanks for coming by to read! What are the number of leagues Between our views, Do you suppose? Only a poet Only a …
The Weight of Words
In my recent readings, I came across an image showing Vainglory and Pride as two separate depictions, two separate entities. (Image before the last chapter, depicting a mural in a 13th century tower in Siena, Italy, in The Square and the Tower, by Niall Ferguson.) I always thought of the two as being the same …
The Jealous Type
This poem reviews the deadly sin of Jealousy, and asks whether we can help being the envious beings we are. I notice this failing in myself, particularly with respect to writing and body-type, and I find it very hard to rise above. I believe my own jealousy is a side effect of, on the one …
Less Precious
This is another poem on writing. I recently read a comment on a Facebook group by Patrick Gallagher. He essentially said to “get less precious about your writing, because the magic comes, when you don’t have any choice in the matter.” Using routines and other tortures to ensure regular writing is something most of …
The Writer
I wrote this poem about the eternal conflict between a writer’s desire to live life fully, and his entrapment, in the habits that make him successful. My wish is, that each of you, who seek to write, strike a happy balance in your own lives. It should never be either/or. Thanks for coming by …
Confidence
Hope this poem encourages you in your travels through life. I find that especially in the pursuit of writing, as a vocation or avocation (or vacation), everyone needs to hear that they are worthy and learn to believe in themselves. I guess this is a bit of a fake-it-till-you-make-it poem. But half of happiness is …
Her
Fair Warning: This tongue -in-cheek poem is written in a made-up backwoods Southern dialect that breaks all grammar conventions. And my intro is much longer than the poem itself, so feel free to skip the sermon and go right to the rather silly poem in bold print. A Word on Cancel Culture I know …
Ballast
This poem laments the modern malady of too much stuff. Too many distractions, standing in the way of achieving one’s purpose. We all need to cast off a little ballast, in order to soar higher. We love to be pleased and entertained. But there comes a time in life, when we realize, just how …
The Creature
This poem is about a creature that prefers to go unnoticed, to stay hidden from view, and the dismissive way in which such behavior is sometimes received. The shy may employ this technique, in order to evade criticism. The outgoing may consider such behavior suspicious, anti-social or malevolent. In any case, hiding does …
The Quill
This poem talks about an inexperienced, youthful, or just unsuccessful writer’s sense of awe, in the face of the Great Masters of the craft. A toast, to all the writers of all time. If you write, you are a writer! Thanks for coming by to read. I respect all Who take up the …
Waiting
This poem is about the anguish of waiting for approval from an important person in your life. All writers know this pain, as do most people who have ever sought the limelight, or tried to attain something controlled by another. My wish is that they all somehow find validation within, rather than relying on …
A Word
This poem is in response to Friday Fictioneers‘ lovely photo-prompt by Jeff Arnold. Hope everyone is getting lots of writing and reading done, or at least enjoying one of the many film adaptations and musical lyric recordings which each, inevitably, began with one word. Thanks for stopping by to read, when you have so many …
Big Sky
{This is a response to a prompt from What Pegman Saw, a writing challenge based on Google Maps Street View. This week we are in Big Sky, Montana. I composed a simple poem based on the picture shown. Hope you enjoy it. The sparcity of punctuation is intentional. Thank you for the prompt and for …
To the Poet (Poem)
This is in response to a challenge of one of my favorite bloggers, Calm Grove. It voices an opinion often thought, but not as often said out loud,by people who don’t particularly like poetry, or take the time to understand or enjoy it. Pictured above is a pink multi-petaled rose and bud covered with rain …