Back in March I took a Challenge to write 15 poems of 15 lines or less in 10 days and it got turned into a Chapbook that to my surprised someone found when they Googled me and got sent Amazon. . .
In April, National Poetry Month, there was another Challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days with the top three winners getting a publishing contract with Local Gems Press; uhhhhhhhhh, I didn’t finish among the top three but the there’s more to FINISHING than completing a project or subjectively placing into a top three tier that has a poetic justice of itself. . .
I have piles of legal pads with poems or bits pieces of them all over the place, often spilling out of folders and books that surprise me with the horror/delight of:
“I WROTE THAT?”
I’ve known for a long time that I think in poetry, mostly one-liners that pop up in the middle of the night, or during a conversation or while I’m reading, walking, meditating, listening to music or hearing the story someone whotrusts me with as I sit at their bedside or hospital room or coffee shop as I listen to their lives spilling out. . .
These little pop up bubbles are blank but for brief moments as they hover above my head but they are more heart-thoughts than head-scratchers or mind-blowers and they are unstoppable. . .
They are a Blood Letting that literally allows my heart to beat better; please know, it’s NOT FOR PUBLICATION. . .that’s a poor excuse, I’ve found for writing. WRITING for WRITING, because it can’t be helped; can’t be stopped; won’t be dammed up; is a form of happiness I’ve yet to find in other ways that have uncovered this truth:
I WILL DIE WITH WORDS LEFT IN ME, NO MATTER HOW MUCH
I WRITE/SELF-PUBLISH/SHARE
Do you feel that? Know of it? Feel like joining me?
Well, here’s the Challenge. . .
Autumn Poetry Chapbook Challenge – Local Gems Press (localgemspoetrypress.com)
Who knows. . .
Maybe that Blank page which calls for you
is exactly what
Someone
needs to read. .
FIND OUT
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