My poetic topics vary. I love thinking about a poem being a photo of a specific time in life in words! I see something; then the poem comes!
Last week, I received the revision of the conclusion for my new poetry book. Next, I create the interior of my book in the app, Vellum, and release it within the next month or so.
Here’s a sneak preview of Chapter 6 of that book —each poem is a poetic photo shot of a specific time I wanted to capture.
Chapter 6
1998
During the summer of 1998, my ex-husband and I traveled to Canada and the northwestern part of the United States. I played with poems, vignettes, trying to capture what I saw even if those moments were not mine but strangers!
Canada
June 1998
Mountains capped with glaciers
Turquoise blue water
Rivers and lakes
Rock flows make them milky green.
Tall, skinny trees
Firs and pines
German heritage
Campgrounds
Showers
“Does the show take a loonie?”
New phrases
Kilometers versus miles
Canadian money
Funny money
Exchange
Rain
Search for wildlife
Moose clumping in the river bed
Big brown bear besides the road
In the rain
Turning over rocks gingerly
Looking for ants
Brown ears and eyes
Turned around
Eating grass
River winding
Clouds hanging low on the mountains
Like cotton candy
Vibrant green grass
A color so different from the Southwest
Trees
Excessive water
Maps
Places to go
Places we went
Sleepy mornings
Nightly rituals
Cool, not cold
Heater kicks on—
Thermostat
Miles passed by;
Days did, too!
Words in silence shared.
Laughter, too.
Safety created
Words spill out on the page
Of days spent,
Of being.
Relaxation can help.
I don’t have to create it.
It settles in like a snug blanket.
It’s a good book, a nap, silence enjoyed,
Word shared!
A deep side of relief
Of faith and God’s goodness and myself.
Lake
Coeur D’Alene, Idaho
June 18, 1998
Lights on the shore
Blue magic reflects the lights
Quiet except for a motor
Ripples in the blue velvet
Cool breeze wraps around me.
Laundromat
Spokane, Washington
June 18, 1998
Ingenuity of children
Big Brother sees it as a race car
Mom sees it as a laundry basket on wheels.
Little brother takes advantage of big brother’s imagination.
Down one aisle
Down another
Little Brother’s eyes glisten,
Smile and giggles filled his face.
For a moment, it was a race car—
They raced
And won,
But Mom interrupted the fun!
“Boys, stop that!”
My Heart Was Strangled
Spokane, Washington
June 18, 1998
We finished a squared dance,
And she came rushing,
Excited,
Glad to see my ex,
But his reception was stilted.
For one embarrassing moment,
The triangle that we were smothered
me and her.
Finally, she squeaked out,
“I just wanted to say hello.”
But the moment was rich with electricity
And my heart was strangled.
He Wanted to Touch Her
Spokane, Washington
June 18, 1998
He easily walked across the street,
A few steps in front of her.
It was a gentle motion,
Not premeditated
But natural.
He turned and held out his hand
And she happily took it.
He wanted to touch her, fill her near;
She wanted that, too!
A Child’s First Steps
Spokane, Washington
June 18, 1998
Timid, unlearned steps in the sand.
Dad, close at hand—
Not too close,
But close enough.
He was adorned with a baseball cap
And pants
But no shoes.
The feel of sand between his toes
for the first time.
He wobbled and wove but kept going.
Mom videotaped the whole event—
A chapter in his young life.
Larada Horner-Miller, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, (Horner Publishing Company, 2024): pp. 85-99.
Finally,
In my poetry, I celebrate a poetic photograph of words to capture a moment, an event, a happening. The poetic side of me comes rushing out! I grab a notebook, a sheet of paper, a napkin, whatever! What do you think? Can you see it? Feel it? That’s the whole purpose of poetry!
DOG ATTACK UPDATE:
I had a busy week with my semi-annual teeth cleaning on Tuesday, my Wound Clinic appointment on Wednesday, and an endoscopy on Thursday that had been scheduled two months ago.
I have an appointment tomorrow with the Wound Clinic. Last week when I went to the Wound Clinic, the nurse specialist sent me to Urgent Care for a CT-Scan, because I couldn’t move my toes and foot in a smaller bandage. After a dismal Urgent Care disaster, I didn’t get the scan.
Gradually, I have gotten movement back in my toes, but the foot is still numb and clumsy, so no driving for me. Lin changed the bandage yesterday. I’m anxious to talk to the nurse specialist tomorrow and see where we are headed.
Podcasts & My Interviews
- Listen to an interview released Wednesday, August 7, 2024 on Hump Days Calls podcast
- Check out my written out interview at Southwest Writers
- Enjoy my interview on the podcast, The Writing Table
Audiobooks Sale – Last Week – August 15 – 31 – 25% Off:
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This Tumbleweed Landed
Let Me Tell You a Story
Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook
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