Do you believe in dreams?

I'm lucky to live in a town where, if you pay attention and look around just a bit, you'll see the most wonderful sights. I usually make a mental note of such things. And a week and a half or so ago, I saw this bumper sticker on a passing car:

"Help make 'starving artist' an oxymoron."

Cold Chair

Next to me on this cold chair
there is no paper ghost,
no laughing smoke,
although I am told that we are well past
the days of imaginary friends.
Get real, everyone says,
but there is no one here to get real with.

*Just like last week, this next week will be full of tests and deadlines for me, and I don't have any posts scheduled, so I won't be around much, if at all.

5 weeks!

I'm summer-bound! In exactly 5 weeks I will be free to waste a perfectly good two and a half months. Sounds like fun, right?

As the weekend approaches, and I get down to work fixing up the failures and not-so-failures of April's poem-a-day challenge, here are some quick things:

1. My website was remodeled and has been up and running since April 26, and you're very welcome to stop on by and check it out. It looks really lovely now, with a news section, updated press section, updated/refurbished/improved bio, updated homepage, and updated events page. Long story short, the whole thing has been revamped. And I love it.

2. I'm going to be in the ReadWritePoem NaPoWriMo anthology! Yay! I believe the anthology is due out late May, and it's so great to be a part of the "final tribute" kind of thing for such a wonderful site.

3. Erin posted a video of a beautiful cover of "Paparazzi," and it's worth the listen.

4. This weekend, I'm keeping my eyes and ears open -- as I always do, but moreso now -- especially in accordance with Big Tent Poetry's weekly prompt. Of course, the prompt is for us to link our pieces tomorrow, but I think I'll use the prompt to propel me into next week. Try listening a little more intently and see what you find. It's really very neat.

5. SUNSHINE in Washington. Summer is coming!

Letters

Early this morning, in the car next to us, there was a soldier in his complete uniform. His little Honda car was fairly old and, to an extent, dusty and somewhat rundown. I didn't think anything of this, other than the slightly startling fact that he was fully dressed in uniform, including his hat. Then I saw the stack, stuffed into the cassette-tape-holding space, and his facial expression, and it nearly broke my heart. He'd stuffed a huge stack -- several inches thick -- of letters and envelopes into that little space, and he looked sad, the saddest person I've ever seen.

Thank you, whoever you are. You're amazing.

Happy Mothers' Day

Thank you to my mother and grandmother for everything they've done for me. Lots of love. :)

Happy Mothers' Day!

(photo taken by my sister on her photo-taking spree)

Missing in action

Will be back after everything has cooled down -- I'm not sure when that will be, but hopefully soon. On a happier note, I've been on a roll in terms of writing...plenty of editing, writing, and messing with words whenever I get the chance!

NaPoWriMo #30

Texas Gratitude

Rusty sunlight
in my hair and a three-sixty
of yellow-green grass.

A good morning.

Every heartbeat
is a stretching tide,

the sound tangles
in the open grass and
places left behind.

I fold wasted maps
into paper airplanes.

They set sail,
headed for sky,
headed home

heavy with crossouts and
outlines.

I find notes in my pocket
full of cities,

Nashville, Seattle,
Cincinnati.

I start a new beginning
and a brand-new ending.

*****
I can't believe I just made it through April writing a poem a day. It has been so much fun and such a cool experience for me, and I come away from the month with many potential-filled drafts. Congratulations to everyone who has pulled through the month successfully as well, including my sister, a first-time NPWM-er! If you didn't stop by her blog throughout April to see what lovely poetry she's been writing, you really should -- it's so worth your time.

On a sadder note, ReadWritePoem is leaving! Today was its last day as a fully-functioning social networking and poetry site, and RWP has left such a footprint on the world of online poetry sharing that I'm sure there will be sites to fill the gap but nothing quite as big. Big Tent Poetry has started up, and it's worth a look around as well, although it's fairly new and expanding day by day...it looks quite promising and I think BTP might just cover up the gap -- after all, it does sport many of the same team members/staff.


Nevertheless, thank you to everyone who's commented this month and provided encouragement and support! I really appreciate it!