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eve, wild in the night – a poem … and your Wednesday Writing Prompt

angel300-c12182011she’s present
returned to bite through the umbilical of tradition,
to flick her tongue
and cut loose the animus-god of our parents,
like a panther she roams the earth, she is eve wild in the night,
freeing minds from hard shells
and hearts from the confines of their cages,
she’s entwined in the woodlands of our psyches
and offers her silken locks to the sacred forests of our souls ~
naked but for her righteousness,
she stands in primal light,
in the untrammeled river of dreams
the yin to balance yang
the cup of peace to uncross the swords of war ~
through the eons she’s been waiting for her time
her quiet numinosity hiding in the phenomenal world,
in the cyclical renewal of mother earth,
whispering to us in the silver intuition of grandmother moon
watching us as the loving vigilance of a warming sun ~
she, omen of peace birthed out of the dark,
even as tradition tries to block her return,
her power leaps from the cleavage of time

Illustration ~ this lovely watercolor painting by Gretchen Del Rio with its girl-tree, panther and other spirit animals was the perfect inspiration for a poem on the spiritual return of the divine feminine. The real back-story on the painting is just as interesting. Gretchen says, “I painted this for a 14 year old Navaho girl. It is for her protection and her power. She sees auras and is very disturbed by this. She is just amazing. Beauty beyond any words. You can see into the soul of the universe when you look at her eyes. She has no idea. I loved her the moment I saw her. My blessings for her well being are woven into the art.” Such a delightful piece. I purposely posted it full-size so that everyone can enjoy the detail. Bravo, Gretchen, and thank you.

©2016, poem, Jamie Dedes (The Poet by Day), All rights reserved; illustration, Gretchen Del Rio, All rights reserved.

WEDNESDAY WRITING PROMPT 

Write a poem, a fiction or a creative nonfiction piece telling us how you envision a feminine God or about the feminine side of God.  What might S/he be like?  Does/would such a view change the way you feel about yourself and the world? Would it change the world? How? You don’t need to believe in God or in a feminine aspect of God. This is an exercise in imagination not faith. Have fun with the exercise and if you feel comfortable, share the piece or the link to the piece below so that we might all enjoy.

2015, Kevin Young at Library of Congress National Book Festival September 5, 2015 Washington, DC, by fourandsixty, CC BY SA 2.0
2015, Kevin Young at Library of Congress National Book Festival September 5, 2015 Washington, DC, by fourandsixty, CC BY SA 2.0

The recommended read for this week is The Art of Losing by Kevin Young.  I find this to be an extraordinarily beautiful anthology about grief and recommend it for all those who work with living and dying, clergy of all faiths, hospice workers, physicians and nurses as well as those grieving a lost family member or friend. It was conceived and edited by Kevin Young, a poet in his own right and the editor of four poetry anthologies. His book Jelly Roll: A Blues was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It won the Paterson Poetry Prize.

51cc7pivgl-_sx329_bo1204203200_By shopping at Amazon through The Word Play Shop or through links in the body of a post, you help to support the maintenance of this site. Thank you!

The WordPlay Shop offers books and other tools especially selected for poets and writers.

THE WORDPLAY SHOP: books, tools and supplies for poets, writers and readers

LITERATURE AND FICTION oo Editor’s Picks oo Award Winners oo NY Times Best Sellers

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Three by Readers In Response to Wednesday’s Writing Prompt – Bravo! – Renne Espiru, Paul Brooks and Sonja Benskin Mesher

c Jamie Dedes
c Jamie Dedes

These intrepid poets shared their responses to last week’s Wednesday Writing Prompt. Enjoy!

I DREAM OF THE OCEAN

I dream of the ocean always and I am there

breathing in the depths of salt water
swimming above the coral reefs

I am the sea turtle and the sea turtle me

my journey is long with storms along the way
as I swim gracefully through beds of sea weed
and dine on banquets of algae

I am the sea turtle and the sea turtle me

sea anemones colored pink, green, orange, blue
every tentacle waving every imaginable hue
beauty surrounds me the power of the sea

I am the sea turtle and the sea turtle me

to be driven with determination and tenacity
to give birth thousands of time in a life
if only with you in my dreams

I am you the sea turtle and you are me

© 2017 Renee Espriu

c796b9e96120fdf0ce6f8637fa73483cRENEE ESPIRU: I am a daughter, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and seeker of Spiritual Peace and Soul Filled Freedom. I have been to graduate school at Pacific Lutheran University and have a Bachelors Degree in Sociology. I have also been to Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary from which I acquired a Certificate in Theology. I have eclectic beliefs that encompass many faiths and believe Nature to be the basis of everything that is and that everything that is is also a part of Nature.

Due to emergent open heart surgery in 2015 I am now retired and devoting more of my time to writing, which includes the writing of a fiction book and one that is solely poetry. I have a Blog site at reneejustturtleflight where I have been posting my writing since 2011. I have been a guest contributor to The BeZine and participated in The BeZine 2016 100,000 Poets for Change virtual event. I also have a passion for art. I draw and paint.

When Beast Comes O’er Thee

Trogging dahn r streeart
met a wolf going opposite
way

he clambered inside
r marth like it were his
home as he’d abandoned

not long since and climbing
in pissed off ma eagle
and dragon that’d

clawed way over
ma tussiepegs not half
hour since. Reight crowd.

a cud barely speeak.
eagle beddin’ dahn
in ma noas

dragon peggin’
in ma balls while
wolf stays in ma gob

© 2017, Paul Brookes

unnamedPAUL BROOKES was shop assistant, security guard, postman, admin. assistant, lecturer, poetry performer, with “Rats for Love” and his work included in “Rats for Love: The Book”, Bristol Broadsides, 1990. His first chapbook was “The Fabulous Invention Of Barnsley”, Dearne Community Arts, 1993. He has read his work on BBC Radio Bristol and had a creative writing workshop for sixth formers broadcast on BBC Radio Five Live. Recently published in Clear Poetry, Nixes Mate, Live Nude Poems and others. Forthcoming in the spring 2017 an illustrated chapbook “The Spermbot Blues”, published by OpPRESS. You can read more of Paul’s work at The Wombwell Rainbow.

 

this bear

this bear appears without acknowledgement from you,

or you. not knowing the demands of an early life,

you cannot imagine the decisions, none made lightly.

you trip your tongue, then walk away. the bear arises

and sweats worry with torment until time tells.

it was assumed that if you had not tried it,

you may still understand.

these loads are not too heavy, the bear will find

other ways, then sleep again.

© 2016, Sonja Benskin Mesher

SONJA BENSKIN MESHER, RCA UA

sonjabenskinmesher2011SONJA BENSKIN MESHER, RCA UA is a British artist and writer.  She says about her visual art that  “The work is my statement.  I have worked full time as a visual artist since 1999, and have spent those years exploring ways to communicate thoughts and concerns with my paintings and drawings. Its not all you see on the surface, it goes deeper than that. The work goes back touched and collected. My present surroundings, here in Wales, and that of Cornwall where I spend much of my time, inform the work, and inspire the subject matter. Then with the work I remember, and try to make sense of it all.” Your may read more of Sonjia’s poetry and view her artwork – I love her dancing mouse – at this sites:

2015, Kevin Young at Library of Congress National Book Festival September 5, 2015 Washington, DC, by fourandsixty, CC BY SA 2.0
2015, Kevin Young at Library of Congress National Book Festival September 5, 2015 Washington, DC, by fourandsixty, CC BY SA 2.0

The recommended read for this week is The Art of Losing by Kevin Young.  I find this to be an extraordinarily beautiful anthology about grief and recommend it for all those who work with living and dying, clergy of all faiths, hospice workers, physicians and nurses as well as those grieving a lost family member or friend. It was conceived and edited by Kevin Young, a poet in his own right and the editor of four poetry anthologies. His book Jelly Roll: A Blues was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It won the Paterson Poetry Prize.

51cc7pivgl-_sx329_bo1204203200_By shopping at Amazon through The Word Play Shop or through links in the body of a post, you help to support the maintenance of this site. Thank you!

The WordPlay Shop offers books and other tools especially selected for poets and writers.

THE WORDPLAY SHOP: books, tools and supplies for poets, writers and readers

LITERATURE AND FICTION oo Editor’s Picks oo Award Winners oo NY Times Best Sellers

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in the face of a rose, a poem

IMG_0688.JPGthey line the pebbled walkway like so many faithful, meditating
along the El Camino, earnest little faces catching the sunlight
or tossing Gregorian chant into the weather when it rains

their bright colors and blessed incense bare witness to the sacred,
soften the brittle longitudes and aching latitudes of the heart

© Jamie Dedes

2015, Kevin Young at Library of Congress National Book Festival September 5, 2015 Washington, DC, by fourandsixty, CC BY SA 2.0
2015, Kevin Young at Library of Congress National Book Festival September 5, 2015 Washington, DC, by fourandsixty, CC BY SA 2.0

The recommended read for this week is The Art of Losing by Kevin Young.  I find this to be an extraordinarily beautiful anthology about grief and recommend it for all those who work with living and dying, clergy of all faiths, hospice workers, physicians and nurses as well as those grieving a lost family member or friend. It was conceived and edited by Kevin Young, a poet in his own right and the editor of four poetry anthologies. His book Jelly Roll: A Blues was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It won the Paterson Poetry Prize.

51cc7pivgl-_sx329_bo1204203200_By shopping at Amazon through The Word Play Shop or through links in the body of a post, you help to support the maintenance of this site. Thank you!

The WordPlay Shop offers books and other tools especially selected for poets and writers.

THE WORDPLAY SHOP: books, tools and supplies for poets, writers and readers

LITERATURE AND FICTION oo Editor’s Picks oo Award Winners oo NY Times Best Sellers

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SUNDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS: Calls for Submissions, Contests and other News and Information

img_2990 CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

Opportunity Knocks

LITTLE RED TREE PUBLISHING is accepting unsolicited full-length manuscripts of fiction and creative nonfiction throughout the year. Translations and bi-lingual manuscripts are considered, but all work must be in the English language. There is a reading fee. Details HERE.

BERLIN REVIEW OF CULTURE, BERLIN QUARTERLY accepts submissions of previously unpublished work. Submissions of poetry, fiction, essays, photography and pitches for reportage, nonfiction and interviews should be uploaded through Submittable HERE. “BERLIN QUARTERLY is a European review of long-form journalism, literature and the Arts. It’s a new cultural journal with global perspective. It combines in-depth reportage, literature and visual culture. BERLIN QUARTERLY aims to bring you insightful and inquiring reportage and stories from around the globe. At their best, journalism, literature and the visual arts can be keys to mutual understanding, allowing us to interpret the past and to prepare ourselves for the challenges of the future. With a starting point of Berlin we look towards the rest of the world for inspiration beyond the German capital.” You can purchase issues from the site using Paypal.

HAMILTON ARTS AND LETTERS MAGAZINE (HA&L) is a biannual magazine publishing “new literary works,” graphic novel excerpts, exploratory writing, poetry, literary nonfiction and visual art. It is run by an arts collective in Ontario and funded through a number of sources. Editors accept submissions from the wider international community. Details HERE. The magazine hosts a short-works prize for local writers but hasn’t as yet published details for 2017. 

DIME STORE REVIEW publishes work periodically online and print publications three-times a year. All work must be in English and categories are : fiction, flash fiction, ten word stories, essay and poetry. Details HERE.

EMPTY SINK PUBLISHING has ceased doing a magazine format but is accepting submissions of short fiction and creative nonfiction.  Details HERE.

LITERARY MAMA publishes writing about motherhood including poetry, fiction, columns and creative nonfiction “that may be too raw, too irreverent, too ironic, or too body-conscious  for traditional or commercial motherhood publications.”  Submission guidelines HERE.

THE MASTERS REVIEW, a platform for emerging writers is accepting submissions for a sixth anthology of fiction and creative nonfiction.  Submission guidelines HERE.

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY “Is a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive. We provide help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages that reflect God’s design, and for parents to raise their children according to morals and values grounded in biblical principles.” Details and guidelines HERE.

THE BeZINE, a publication of The Bardo Group Beguines, a virtual arts collective, is a digital publication that is published on the fifteenth of each month. The deadline is always  on the tenth. Submit via email to bardogroup@gmail.com.  Each issue is themed and the themes for each month are included in Submission Guidelines.  Please read the guidelines, one or two issues AND the Mission Statement before submitting. Special issues are April for interNational Poetry Month and September when we host a virtual 100,000 Poets for Change (100TPC) event for reader participation. This year 100TPC will be on September 30 and the September issue will post on the fifteenth as usual. The site was established in 2011 and the Zine is in publication now for three years. The theme for March 2017 is Science in Culture, Politics and Religion. Submission of poetry, essay, fiction and creative nonfiction, music videos, photograph and art are welcome.

CONTESTS/COMPETITIONS

Opportunities Knock

LITTLE RED TREE PUBLISHING announced that is  is proud to launch the 5th Vernice Quebodeaux “Pathways” Poetry Prize for Women, which includes a $1000 cash award and offer to publish a full-length collection of poetry with a generous royalty contract. The book will be published sometime in 2017. There is a reading fee.  Details HERE.

ALL POETRY regularly hosts poetry competitions.  Details HERE.

FELLOWSHIP

ALSCW FELLOWSHIP AT VERMONT STUDIO CENTER – heads-up: Deadline for one of the fellowships is February 15, 2017.  Writers and translators are invited to apply for a four-week fully funded residency.  There are fellowships for visual artists as well. Details HERE.

KUDOS

LITTLE RED TREE PUBLISHING L.L.C. for making it to the best poetry anthologies list on Amazon for the inaugural edition of the “Peacock Journal — Anthology” — Beauty First, [Vol 1, No 1], edited by W.F. Lantry. The anthology features fifty-five poems and ten short stories. It includes biographical details of all sixty-five poets and authors. Started in August 2016, the Journal has expanded to include art and non-fiction, as well as translations. Details HERE.

TIDBITS

ABOUT THE POET BY DAY

2015, Kevin Young at Library of Congress National Book Festival September 5, 2015 Washington, DC, by fourandsixty, CC BY SA 2.0
2015, Kevin Young at Library of Congress National Book Festival September 5, 2015 Washington, DC, by fourandsixty, CC BY SA 2.0

The recommended read for this week is The Art of Losing by Kevin Young.  I find this to be an extraordinarily beautiful anthology about grief and recommend it for all those who work with living and dying, clergy of all faiths, hospice workers, physicians and nurses as well as those grieving a lost family member or friend. It was conceived and edited by Kevin Young, a poet in his own right and the editor of four poetry anthologies. His book Jelly Roll: A Blues was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It won the Paterson Poetry Prize.

51cc7pivgl-_sx329_bo1204203200_

By shopping at Amazon through The Word Play Shop, you help to support the maintenance of this site. Thank you!

The WordPlay Shop offers books and other tools especially selected for poets and writers.

THE WORDPLAY SHOP: books, tools and supplies for poets, writers and readers

LITERATURE AND FICTION oo Editor’s Picks oo Award Winners oo NY Times Best Sellers