[Freewell]

Ok, so it's only the school paper, and not Random House Publishing Company or anything yet, but they published my work the first time I sent it in for consideration. I was really excited about it and wanted to share this with you guys. What's really cool is the fact that I have never even really messed with writing poetry before last semester, when I took a creative writing course that turned out to be taught by a poetry buff. It was a semester of sink or swim for me, so I dove in head first. The piece that is in the paper was my final assignment for the course! This is cool!

[Mac+]

Excellent news. Congratulations

[chucker]

Congrats!

[turtle]

You go girl! That's awesome!

[hiltond]

Terrific. Can we read it?

[Ebby]

Kinda off topic, but I read an article today and literally said out loud: "A High School student would cringe after reading this" it was so bad! I glanced up at the address of the site and I was reading the Wall Street Journal. I thought that was supposed to be quality? Boy did that leave a bitter taste afterwards.

Anyways, congratulations. We obviously could use a few more skilled poets/writers around here.

PS: Yea, post! We want to read it.

[thegeriatric]

Congratulations. This place is full of talent.
What Ebby said "Quote Yea, post! We want to read it. end quote"

[AWR]

Post! POOSSSSSSSTTTTT or it didn't happen!

Congrats!

[spikeh]

To make you feel more comfortable about posting, here is the poem I had published in a children's anthology when I was eight. Technically this qualifies me as a 'poet', but I've never used any of the perks associated with the title (excessive cardigan-wearing, chain-smoking, manic depression):

Sang The Frog

Toadstool flares and leopard hairs
All go into my soup.

Toadstool flares, leopard hairs and metal pears
All go into my soup.

Sang the Frog.

Toadstool flares, leopard hairs,
Metal pears and carrots from the bog
All go into my soup.

Toadstool flares, leopard hairs, metal pears,
Carrots from the bog and the bark of a log
All go into my soup.

Sang the Frog.

I sit here on my trusty log
Listening to the bark of a dog.

Sang the frog.

[InactionMan]

That some nice poemin', spike.

Freewell, post or else........

[spikeh]

Yeah, your readership awaits matey!

[Dorian Gray]

You must recite the poem!

I love poetry although I've never studied it formally (well, a bit of Romantic stuff in High School: I particularly liked the beauty of Keats). A Disused Shed in County Wexford by Derek Mahon is perhaps my favourite poem of all. I heard it read on the radio a few years ago, and I was just spellbound. The overwhelmingly evocative sentiment that escapes despite the deep restraint of the language, the clever segue into political expression. Magic. I just read it once more now, and it still sends shivers down my spine.

[Freewell]

Hey guys... sorry about the delay. This has been the first chance I have had to hop on Nova today! My poem is below... Fair warning to the person who said they hate hearing about anybody else's kids!

(BTW, I like your style there spikeh... much better than the last poem I heard you recite! )


My Captor’s Hold

Our nursery’s graced with one small child,
Her tender soul yet undefiled.
Such darkened voice as vice and greed,
She does not hear; she’s un-beguiled.

Her heart so pure, does not concede
To hate and lies and selfish deed.
The joy of life is in her wake,
To laugh and love…her only creed!

Alas today, my heart does ache,
Imagining that for her sake
These passing moments I could still,
And days gone by, once more retake!

But time’s undaunted, iron will
Relentless, presses forward till
Its hands grow weary, faint and still,
Its hands grow weary, faint and still.

[AWR]

ENCORE!!!!

Very sweet.

Pass the Kleenex.

[spikeh]

Originally Posted by Freewell Hey guys... sorry about the delay. This has been the first chance I have had to hop on Nova today! My poem is below... Fair warning to the person who said they hate hearing about anybody else's kids! (BTW, I like your style there spikeh... much better than the last poem I heard you recite! )

Thanks The person who hates hearing about other people's kids is me, too

Originally Posted by Freewell My Captor’s Hold Our nursery’s graced with one small child, Her tender soul yet undefiled. Such darkened voice as vice and greed, She does not hear; she’s un-beguiled. Her heart so pure, does not concede To hate and lies and selfish deed. The joy of life is in her wake, To laugh and love…her only creed! Alas today, my heart does ache, Imagining that for her sake These passing moments I could still, And days gone by, once more retake! But time’s undaunted, iron will Relentless, presses forward till Its hands grow weary, faint and still, Its hands grow weary, faint and still.

Oooh this is really good! You have a lot of talent there, good job!

[Freewell]

Originally Posted by spikeh ... The person who hates hearing about other people's kids is me, too

Yeah, I was pretty sure that was the case, ( I was too 'lazy' to go back and look it up at the moment!) but I figured there might be more than one of you out there!

Thanks so much for the encouragement guys. I really do appreciate it. I have been told for years that I should write, but always just brushed it aside and mentally dismissed such notions as coming from a biased audience. Finally this past summer, my mother-in-law (whom I love dearly) told my husband emphatically that I *really* needed to write and that he needed to prompt/prod me to do so. Now this lady is awesome, but she doesn't blow smoke or hand out casual compliments. It got my attention, so I signed up for the class I mentioned earlier. This semester I decided to take a basic English course. I figured there is so much that I need to learn, and I might as well brush up on the basics. That's one thing I learned being a music teacher... There is no such thing as an advanced mistake! Anyway, thanks again for the feedback and your encouraging words!

[thuh Freak]

All I can think about is Steve Martin in The Jerk, after getting his name in the p-hone book.

[turtle]

That really is a great piece there Freewell!! You need to keep this stuff up and get yourself published more often!