Today is a good day for sharing some poems written in response to Robert Lee Brewer's weekly prompts on his website Poetic Asides. But please understand that these are all works in progress if I ever submit them for publication alone or in a collection, they will undergo much-needed editing. Prompts 1. Write a poem about an unstoppable force Can't Stop Writing I write I'm compelled to write articles, blog posts, my novel, my poems. I cannot stop the force that makes me write and I don't want to. But it leaves me no peace from my spinning mind and its continual search for the right words in every piece. 2. Write a poem that deals with cruelty More Cruel than Safe We see the young man through a narrow slat in his door. He lies naked on cold cement. A thin quilt covers him. He has no bed or other furnishings. Scratches and cuts cover his body. One gash goes from his wrist to past his elbow, another on his arm˜s underside. Self inflicted wounds, … [Read more...]
An homage to Norah
I couldn't let this week go by without a mention of the death of Norah Ephron. I'm sure you've all read the articles that have been circulating about her this week, so I won't even try to repeat. I just want to share a little about how she affected me - besides how much I loved her books and movies and her brilliance and that we were just about the same age. I was fortunate to hear her speak in person twice. And I have her autograph on her last book, I Remember Nothing. I feel fortunate for that too. Little did I know that the lists: 1) what she would miss and 2) what she wouldn't miss, that she put in that book were hints that all was not well with her. A Recipe to Remember It's just a simple recipe: Mix together two tablespoons of vinegar two tablespoons of Dijon mustard. Then slowly whisk in six tablespoons of olive oil. That's it. It's perfect and delicious. I've been making it for years since I read Norah's novel, Heartburn. She put many recipes in that … [Read more...]
