Another Mother's Arms Are Empty

This poem is going to be in my book, 365DaysXTen, a poetry book of mine about the ten year journey of healing after my daughter's death.

January 8th, 2011

I lay back in the dentist chair anticipating
ordinary pain- a news reporter said
a nine year old girl passed, she was shot
point blank. A

life cut short
by a twenty two year old
gunman. A special birth
for the world 

born on September 11th,
2001. Does a life have meaning
before or after death
when it happens just after the New Year

begins? The first world tragedy.
Maybe one day, her mother, a fellow life
giver, will stand on the opposite
side of a window

with her hand raised up
to mine. Glass separating
our fingers, our states,
reasons not the same

as we feel the pain
of loss rushing through
our blood, as we struggle
to see deaths purpose.

For Anelisa, Christina, and all the other children taken away from a mother’s arms…

I was about to get my teeth clean when the news program up on my dentist's television was showing the interview with the Green's. As they spoke my own wounds opened up, and I asked the girl to turn it off. Tears began to flow, not for myself, but for the parents. How they would have to begin the journey I had ten years ago when Anelisa passed. Once you lose a child, to a bullet, an earthquake, drowning, or heart disease like mine did, you feel all of their pain. The wounds open up and you want to reach out and hug them.

I saw myself on the opposite side of a window reaching up to place my hand on her hand, Mrs. Green, and we became two mother's strong.

I wish them peace, though the walk will not be easy. Pain will resurface and resurface, over and over again, but you find your way back. Just today I felt my Ane sitting beside me on the bed, maybe to hug me as I began to cry. I miss her, as I am sure Mrs. Green longs to hold her Christina.

Elizabeth Stelling

Burnings by Ocean Vuong

If you have never tried ordering an eBook, then you should at least try it once. My hands crave the feel of bound paper and its cover, as my eyes crave seeing the front artwork, and each page from inside. Including publishing credits of my newly publisher friend, all the way through; like bending corner pages, to flipping the last blank page before you set it down. I am compelled however to be somewhat green, and try to do my part.

Therefore your fingertips can still push the keyboard arrows as you savour each electronic page touch in Adobe Acrobat. I know some of my friends have gotten Kindle and the other new paper free book electronics, and they are happy. But looking at your collection of chapbooks on the shelf makes you so nostalgic. Right? Decided- both can have their appeal.

Okay on to MY new eBook. I was shopping around and had put some books in my on-line cart for a few months, and was anticipating my Amazon.com gift certificate. I love these kinds of Christmas presents. However Burnings, one of the newest Sibling Rivalry Press publications was not to be found. I headed over to SRP's website and found myself staring at three options to buy the book- 'Buy Digital File' caught my attention. Well you know the rest.

Taking my time reading each poem over the past few days, I began to think about some of them while driving to the gym- like Bono, who crones us with swagger lucidly across open air on songs; Ocean drifts us motionless and with caution over memory lands. He slips us into water as if we are helping keep the boat afloat, and plants serious kisses on our cheeks with his poetry.

I am also proud to be living in a time when sexual discovery can be spoken aloud on a page like he does in his second section of his book. Having friends since childhood, especially in the south, who felt sharing their sexual preference was too dangerous- now can openly express themselves without great fear, and Ocean does it well.

An old friend of mine from cosmetology school in Texas, Jessie who came across the water on a small refugee boat back in the late 70's comes to mind. Lost memory, this opens up my mind to his stories, I realize I miss our time together. I am drawn in, and want more.

I shall never be able to totally feel Ocean Vuong's pain or experience the holes that lie in his heart, but knowing he is willing to share the experiences through memory and verse with us will suffice my desire to know the human condition. My pain in life is most certainly different than his, or yours, but we all hurt. We all long. We all bleed. Somewhere along the road, we may even cross a big body of water to begin, discover a new life.

This book is highly recommended to all. I look forward to reading more of Ocean Vuong's work!

Ocean I hope I do your work justice, and Bryan Borland, kudos to you for recognizing such great talent- but it does take one to know one right?

Welcome My Friends...

Where the party never ends...oh something like that...a song in my head, but the lyrics escape me...circus tents should be left up all around for the curious...

Photo compliments of Jim K... and it brought on a poem prompt idea...add yours if ya like!

Worth Every Penny

Listen to the silence rumble
like subways trains
beneath your feet
stirring the subconscious

in early morning they come
more frequently in summer
yards are packed
with weekend people

eyeing potential
potentially lonely when
snow and rain drape
every inch of space

bringing beauty to the eye
combined with the quiet
noise felt in the bones
a surreal symphony rises

playing to those who chose
whose time slows down
a gift a feast
Faustian settings

'Follow Me' or you will...

When we begin blogging do we realize what a commitment it can become? We notice others who come over and make comments, so often we begin to follow them. After a while, at times around a year or so we drop off from site. Not because we do not like them, but because we realized there are so many in our readers, ques, or even in our email.

Jessie Carty speaks often about how she tries to keep up with her in box que, but can only follow the people who come make comments on her site, but that does not seem fair (not reality I know). When I follow someone I have done it because I really enjoy ALL of them. So I try and get to them all at some point and time. Even the ones who are following me. If I show up out of now where I hope they realize I am lurking, and try to find time to say hello now and again...

While spending some down time today going to my followers sites, I decided to go back to one in particular, The Impression That I Get. She has only begun blogging for the past year, so I decided to go to the very beginning and go all the way through her post. Why? I am not sure, I guess curiosity. I genuinely care about people. Through the years, good or bad experiences, I like to know about people. What makes them tick, and if I can learn from their experiences or journey in life.

Why did I pick her...she mentions 'loss' in a post. To be nosy I guess. Since I have experienced loss, maybe I will learn something.

Try it, and tell me what you learned, or felt, or see, or whatever floats your boat...I also may begin doing this once a month, highlighting a blog for you to visit...more human interest and creative than food.

JL Snyder is an Alabama girl (southern like me), cares about people (notices homeless woman and writes observations), sports, writes about trying new things like movies she would not normally watch, TV shows, and so much more. She also remembers peoples birthdays and what they like. See she cares...but I have so much more to read...

(Photo above is property of JL Snyder, and from her Day 49 post...hope she did not mind me borrowing it...)