ShakesQuill

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Is anybody out there? A lonely holiday poemelette

If a poem loses its home, can it still be happy as a poemelette?

Reader Alert as always.

and the party is a blur
seen from brightened corners
candles swarm
i hide out with a cousin or two
and flesh out all my secrets
smiling into egg nog cocktails
and ignoring the darkness

at 2am, we're out
i'm off the clock for today
i dream i'm on some sort of game show
but i wake up before i understand what's at stake
and it's christmas morning
my spirit is heavy with dread
i ignore flares from the outside world
trying to cocoon myself in the silk bed

we drink coffee and try to smile at each other over the island
my mom brings out unwrapped presents for us
i try to ignore my nagging guilt that i haven't brought anything with me
we eat coffee and sweet rolls and cookies
there's egg nog in my coffee
but it all sits in my swollen stomach like air

after the gifts,
it's time to load up the car
and head to the hospital
my brother and his wife are bickering in the front seat
my sister is cracking jokes
i am silent

we arrive, and i'm so tired of averting my eyes
from drains and cuts and blood and pus
i'm a spoiled who on christmas day
and i'm exhausted from the journey
so i bury myself in people magazine
and start to think that i'm really nowhere near as pretty
as i sometimes think
when i go to the bathroom, i'm grateful for the smeared pink on my lips
after a few hours penance,
we shuffle out the door
passing santa on the way
but my smile can't be mustered

on the way home
my mind flashes in different shades of blue
and i think less about a hot cock like a slip and slide
between my hands, mouth, breasts and thighs
and more about a strong arm on my shoulders
and the sweet smell of my lover's hair
and i'm sad

Friday, July 17, 2009

poet poemelette

note: all poemelettes deserve reader alerts.

some days, it is dangerous to be a poet
you forget the way that the cool earth feels as it squishes between your toes and
you find that even your laughter has a little cruelty in it
jaywalking at conversational intersections
you are overtly, dismissively, jovially casual
about lost loves
like broken necklaces shimmering in put-away dusty boxes
you drink too much
and find yourself entrancing someone
meandering
like curling smoke off of a cigarette
with all of these thoughts you scribbled on barroom napkins
that interrupted you masturbating
stunned you from sleep
free radical ideas
poems without homes

he doesn't know
he's just an audience
he doesn't know
that you're talking to yourself
and to those lost loves that were not even loves at all
only narcissistic reflections
you held tight like a pillow's embrace

and you are cavalier
using your flesh like a venus fly trap
hitchhiking with no gas money
at the end of the day,
you find yourself
smiling with orgasmic relief
next to a dumbfounded stranger
is that a smile?
you wonder,
dumbfounded, or dumb?
you feel the cracked white edges of your heart
calloused
and you worry about the day
you fall in the well
but you hope
that only happens
to other poets

Thursday, July 16, 2009

moon poemelette

Reader Alert for Adult Language

i stepped into the cool
spotlit in the dark
my blue bubble barely covering me
the moon slung back
showing a little leg
drawing lascivious stares
asking for it
winking like that

and the air took me
winding through cobblestone and
potholed streets
anxious tree branches
like the river's mucky brush
making me swerve
making me duck

and then i saw her
gaping, naked
full
exposed to us all
a fake moon
dancing over lower bourbon
not afraid to push out that apple bottom
enthusiastically showing her tits

a congregation of men
smoking cigarettes
pulling deep and gesturing
they have wrenches and cables
headsets crackle
their fingers crookedly point
at her

she is the moon turned up to eleven
with too much mascara and blue eyeshadow
she is the moon's evil twin sister
or her poor, misguided cousin
coming so close to pose for men
that she doesn't understand

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

poemelette 1

the first in a series of wee poems

Reader Alert for Erotic Themes

she fingers the line
like twisting curls around her finger
licks her lips
his smile gleams bright
as he crosses the club
cutting the crowd like water

it is only a hug
for a count and a half
it's the half, you see
where his sweat touches hers
the weight of his arms
pulls her center of gravity
she wants to push in her pelvis
to put her nose
and her lips
on his neck
to let her hands draw a vee down his back
and land on his ass
to pull him in

the sparks live in the half
and flicker to fantasy
his fingers dance against her arm
a casual gesture
to an onlooker
she scorches the sensation
into her mind

for the next afternoon
stretched out like desert highway
a joint and an iced coffee
to dream of afternoon delights
she traces squiggly lines on her nipples
driven to distraction
the kid inside
always had a wild imagination

she stands behind him
and hopes he leans up against her
she wants to build enough muscle memory
to put together a picture
but she must remain
she cannot betray a sister
so she can only allow
a count and a half

(x-p)

Monday, June 1, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

I am incredibly saddened and angered at the murder of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas. I don't want to cheapen it but I would love to hear any poetry or creative thoughts if you have them.

Rest in Peace Dr. Tiller.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Are you the next great children's author?

Cheerios® is searching for the next great children's book author!

It could be you! Just enter your original children's book story by July 15, 2009. Limit 500 words.

The Cheerios New Author Contest encourages aspiring authors to write and submit an original story for a book for children ages 3 to 8. The (1) Grand Prize of $5,000 cash will be awarded. In addition to the cash prize, the Grand Prize winning story submission will be offered to a reputable Children’s Book Publishing company for possible future publication. Two (2) First Prizes of $1,000 each will be awarded. The $1,000 First Prizes will be awarded as checks made payable to each of the two (2) First Prize winners. You are not eligible to enter and will be disqualified if you are a professional writer, such as a novelist, magazine, blogger or newspaper writer who writes books or articles for pay, or you have authored a work of fiction that has been published or is about to be published in exchange for payment.

http://www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com/registration_form/

Monday Mind Opener

Good morning and May the 4th be with you!!!

Speaking of which, Star Wars is a classic story of love, the fight for freedom, father/son relationships and cute fuzzy Ewoks.

You are hereby asked to write a story of your fight for freedom. Who are your main characters and what freedom are they fighting for?

Write long and prosper (yes, yes -- I know, that's Star Trek not Star Wars, I used to own a B'joran ear cuff for Maude's sake.)

Also, don't forget, you are all more than welcome to start submitting poetry, short stories and other writings for Shakesquill. So many people had writing that seemed to be flowing out about BADD on Shakesville, I wanted to encourage submissions. So submit!!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

Maude help me, it is 88 degrees at 9:30 a.m. and it's supposed to be over 100 today. Breaking records all over the place.

Speaking of records: You are writing a character who is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, what is she/he listed for and how did that person become the kind of person to break records.

Write my lovelies! Write!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

Good morning Shakers! Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Your assignment today, should you choose to accept it, is to let me know what, if any writing you are working on. If you are not working on any writing currently, what do you want to be working on?

Let's put it this way -- in the land where money is no object, you have a house in Big Sur with a view from your desk of the Pacific Ocean crashing against the rocks -- what are you writing?

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Monday Mind Opener - for Tuesday

Must apologize - I was at a conference yesterday and despite best intentions, never got up the Monday Mind Opener.

This morning, I'd like to ask, in light of the conference yesterday,

You have the opportunity to create an international conference.
You can have any speakers you like who are alive.

What is your meeting entitled and who is speaking?

Enjoy!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

It's almost always hard to say goodbye. Sometimes, holding onto something that isn't working just feels easier. However, saying goodbye to things and people that are holding you back allows room for new things.

This week the Mind Opener is to say goodbye to all the things you need to let go of: bad habits, dead people, alive people, partners, self-destructive feelings and behaviors, jobs, projects, re-occurring thoughts, etc. (borrowed from Learning to Love You More)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Call to Artists

Shaker juliemania wanted to let writers know about an online art gallery and juried exhibit she is working on. She writes:

We are sending out Call to Artists, but I want to make sure that writers find out as well.

We are including Written Word as one of the categories and author Kate Wilhelm is our juror. Any help you can provide would be great. AND if appropriate I would love to provide this info to ShakesQuill, as they are my favorite folks on the web.

Here is our Call to Artists:

"Contemporary Perspectives for Change”

Infinity Art Gallery is making an international call to contemporary artists who creatively express their vision for change in today’s world through visual or literary art.

Entry Deadline: July 1, 2009

Exhibition Categories:
Two Dimensional Art
Three Dimensional Art
Digital art and Photography
Functional Art
Written Word

Prospectus/Rules and Guidelines: go to http://www.InfinityArtGallery.com
Each applicant may submit artwork to one category only. Each artists may submit one or two entries.

Awards: $3000 in cash prizes
Entry Fee: $25 USD, up to 2 pieces.
Entry Form: available at http://www.InfinityArtGallery.com
Grand Opening: August 1, 2009

Artwork is displayed in order of submission until the Grand Opening, when cash winners and selected finalists are announced and exhibited for six months – online, 24/7. Visitors to the gallery will participate in selecting the Viewers’ Choice winner in each category.

JURORS for the ‘Contemporary Perspectives for Change’ exhibit are the acclaimed artists: Kate Wilhelm, written word; Johnny Swing, functional art; James B. Wood, photography/digital art; Ellen Tykeson, 3D art; and Patric Baylis-Andre, 2D art. The impressive biographies for the artists are on ‘Meet the Jurors’ page of the Current Exhibit at http://www.InfinityArtGallery.com.

Infinity Art Gallery is a new online gallery that offers amazing opportunity for artists and art collectors. Founders Julie Weismann and Charly Pritchard Swing showcase the work of international, world-class artists selected for artistic excellence. Infinity Art Gallery is especially unique because it encourages people who appreciate and support the arts to purchase DIRECTLY from artists who compete in their juried exhibits, and they display the artwork of ALL qualified submissions prior to each grand opening.

Infinity Art Gallery will soon be the international cornerstone for the creative arts - where possibilities are boundless. Whether exhibiting or purchasing art, go online to http://www.InfinityArtGallery.com and participate in the interactive, international gallery which connects artists with art collectors.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Your ShakesQuill

I want to know....

What do you want to see at ShakesQuill?

**Mind Openers to get your writing groove on?
**Words of the Day?
**Story Starters?
**Calls for Submission?
**Lit Crit?
**Book Reviews
**Brags by Shakesquillians?
**Something I haven't thought of?
**Fewer prepositions at the ends of sentences?

Let me know in your comments!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

Good morning all! As I am a West Coaster (Los Angeles to be exact), generally you all will start your mornings long before I will. There is nothing I can do about this other than wake up at 3 a.m. and that's just not going to happen. This has been a public service announcement.

Speaking of public service announcements, NBC (at least in the U.S.) has their "The More You Know" campaign. It's usually a 30 second public service announcement about a healthy breakfast, getting an annual physical and stranger danger. You are now an executive in the fictional NBC public awareness department and you have 30 words to inform the teevee watching audience about your issue. For instance:

Looking directly into the sun at sunrise, despite being really beautiful, will cause you to see spots on your computer for at least an hour and can cause permanent damage.

Go for it!

Friday, March 20, 2009

What to expect

Good morning!

Shakers seem to be looking forward to the resumption of ShakesQuill! I have a Monday Mind Opener prepared and I suspect I will soon be up to my eyeballs in submissions.

Here's some notes on what we're looking for in addition to your artistic submissions:

I am also looking for a volunteer to take on Word of the Day duties.

Please feel free to email me any questions, comments or suggestions at soqueer (at) gmail (dot) com.

As GWB says - Bring it on!

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