Writers’ Pantry #59: Love and Loss

Greetings, dear poets and storytellers. I hope you are well. I hope life is being good to you (or, at the very least, fair…). I’m in a melancholic mood, thinking about love and loss, about the connections between the living and the dead, about the truth weaved into this Sarah Dessen’s quote:

“You never got used to it, the idea of someone being gone. Just when you think it’s reconciled, accepted, someone points it out to you, and it just hits you all over again”

If you have ever lost someone, you know just how true Dessen’s words are. Grief, like love, is forever—it dulls, it grows, it changes... but it never truly dies. Living, after loss, can be easier when we remember this. Or, like Mary Oliver says:

“To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.”

Don’t let my mood affect your ink. Let your prose or poetry be cheerful (unless you aren’t feeling it). Let your words be new or old, short or long, fiction or nonfiction... One link per participant, please. If you choose to give us the gift of your prose, let the word count be 369 words or fewer. Let us write, read, and share our thoughts.

- for our next Weekly Scribblings, our Rommy would like us to create new poetry or prose inspired by one (or all) of the following Hamilton quotes: 1. “I’m looking for a mind at work.” 2. “History has its eyes on you.” 3. “Talk less. Smile more.” 4. “Dying is easy, young man. Living is harder.” 5. “Love doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints.”

photo by Jill Dimond, on Unsplash

Weekly Scribblings #58: Two Into One Will Go

Any writings linked late-ish in the week to our Pantries or Scribblings may easily be overlooked. Let me draw your attention to lovely stuff being shared recently by two very accomplished newcomers to P&SU, Graham Lester at his (also very new) Graham Lester’s Poetry Blog:

 

 and Candace Kubinec (Candy to us) of rhymeswithbug:

 

 

I mention Graham because not many have seen his work yet and it’s much too good to miss. 

However, it’s Candy’s newly-invented form I want to focus on today: the Waltmarie Poetic Form, outlined by Robert Lee Brewer at Poetic Asides (Writers’ Digest) as:

• 10 lines
• Even lines are two syllables in length, odd lines are longer (but no specific syllable count)
• Even lines make their own mini-poem if read separately 
• No other rules for subject or rhymes.
  

You’ll find a number of examples at Candy’s blog. Here is her Valentine’s Day poem, which I particularly like:

 

Let’s give it a try!

But what if you would rather write prose at present?

The Waltmarie is a type of embedded narrative – a story within the main story (or an incorporated variation on the theme). Read all about embedded narratives at Wikipedia. You may give us one in prose, inserting the second narrative in any way you choose.

Prose pieces should still conform to our blanket rule of 369 words or fewer.

One link per person, please.

In poetry or prose, the subject matter this time is entirely up to you.

Enjoy!

 ***************************

 

P.S. (Housekeeping).  If you leave us a comment here (below) we'll always reply – as soon as we can. So if you are asking a question (or even if you're just saying 'Hi') do check back until you see the answer; don't give up!

Material shared here is presented for study and review. Poems, photos, and other writings and images remain the property of the copyright owners, usually the authors. (Older material may be out of copyright).

The poem Waiting for Love remains Copyright © Candace Kubinec 2021 and must not be reproduced without the copyright holder's permission.

Writers' Pantry #58: Is it Spring Yet?

Hello, Word Artists and Admirers! It feels like we’ve been getting snow every other day here in the Philly ‘burbs, giving February an extra surreal, Groundhog’s Day kind of flavor. And I know we’ve got it pretty easy compared to other parts of the United States right now. The ice has been pretty vicious to my neighbors in the southern part of the country, especially Texas.

One of the things I’m trying to do is remind myself that February (and this time of isolation) isn’t going to last forever. My friends and I keep talking about things we’re going to do when this is done to keep our spirits up. I’ve already promised to make special hot chocolate recipe for a friend of my Darling Youngest when we’ve all had our vaccinations (thanks Magaly for that recipe!) and a couple of friends of mine are contemplating day tripping to Philly’s Chinatown. What about you? Are there any future plans that add a little brightness to your day?

This upcoming Wednesday Rosemary will invite us to try a new poetic form, the Waltmarie, which allows for two poems in one (or two variations on the same theme). If you’d rather use prose, you could try an embedded narrative arranged in any way you choose.

Now it’s time to share all your word-filled wonders! I’m taking words old and new, poetry and prose, fiction or non-fiction. Just remember, one entry per person and if you chose to share a prose piece, please keep it to 369 words or fewer.

Weekly Scribblings #57: Let Us Write (together)

Greetings, dear poets and storytellers. I hope you and your muse are in the mood to play with someone else’s muse. Because for today’s prompt, I’m sharing three of my blackout poems and inviting you to write new prose or poetry which uses one (or all 3) of the poems as inspiration. You may choose to use the exact words, or not.

Be an uncrushed flower.

Burst into constellations of dance.

 

Love can be a monster, or not.

 

This prompt will stay open for a week. We welcome fiction and nonfiction, short and long pieces—if you go for prose, let the word count be 369 words or fewer. One link per participant, please. Add the direct link to your post, and not just the link to your blog. Take a moment (or 3) to visit other participants. Share your thoughts about their words…

Writers' Pantry #57: Infinite Variety

 

Hello dear wordsmiths. Happy Valentine’s Day! 

I’m sure we may expect a few pieces on love and romance, on this of all days. 

However, this is Sunday, when our Writers’ Pantry is always a rich feast of varied offerings. Therefore we invite you to contribute any piece of your writing you wish, on any topic, in any form. It can be poetry or story, fiction or non-fiction, new or old.

Reminders: Link to your specific blog post using Mister Linky below; one link per person. Prose pieces to be a maximum of 369 words (excluding title). The link will stay open a week. Please make time to read a few others too and leave comments. We all grow and blossom with encouragement.

Advance notice: On Wednesday, our Magaly will invite us to scribble new prose or poetry inspired by one (or all 3) of the following lines (which are blackout poems, created by her): 1. Be an uncrushed flower. 2 . Burst into constellations of dance. 3. Love can be a monster, or not. Feel free to use the exact words, or not—the choice is always yours.

You are all my Valentines, always giving me such a lot to love. "[Time] cannot wither nor custom stale [thy] infinite variety."

Material shared here is presented for study and review. Poems, photos, and other writings and images remain the property of the copyright owners, usually the authors. (Older material may be out of copyright).

The rose photo is my own. © Rosemary Nissen-Wade 2020.

Weekly Scribblings #56: Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Hello, Word Artists and Admirers! For this week’s prompt, I’d like you to reflect upon either the phrase “pull no punches” OR “pull your punches”. Definitions of the phrases can be found here and here. 

You do not have to use the exact wording of either, but your word art should incorporate the idea behind them in some way. I’m taking prose and poetry, fiction or non-fiction. If you choose to play with prose, please keep it to 369 words or fewer. Thanks and have fun!

Writers’ Pantry #56: Random Bits of blog-Housekeeping

Greetings, dear poets and storytellers. I hope you are well, enjoying winter (if you share the Northern Hemisphere with me) or delighting in summer (if you dwell in the Southern and—at the moment—much warmer bit). Today, before we open our 56^th Writers’ Pantry, Rosemary, Rommy, and I wish to share a couple of obvious but helpful reminders:

- We really enjoy sharing this space with you: I know you already know this, but I’ve always believed that good things are worth repeating. And during these days of isolation, in particular, having a group of souls to share words with is a great gift.

- Please try to adhere to prompt guidelines: Most of us are great at remembering the small things (i.e., one link per participant, 369 words or fewer for prose, and so on…). But some of us often forget helpful parts of the guidelines (i.e., adding the direct link to the post we are contributing, and not just the link to our blog). This is not a huge deal, but it does make it harder for anyone who might not be able to visit you right away to find your post.

The latter is very easy to do. Just click on the title of your post (or the date, in the case of certain platforms), and that will take you to the direct link we wish you add. Like this (click images to enlarge them):

I know all this sounds a bit silly, since we all know it. But good and/or necessary things are worth repeating every now and again, don’t you think?

Now, our Pantry is open. We welcome pieces new and old, fiction and nonfiction short and long—if you choose to share prose, please let the count be 369 words or fewer. One link per participant. Please, take a moment (or three) to visit other poets and storytellers and comment on their work (read and discussed words grow yummier).

One more thing, remember that we’re always open to suggestions that might help us improve Poets and Storytellers United. If you have one, please email Rosemary at (rosemary dot lifemagic at gmail dot com) or me at (magalyguerrero at live dot com). ❤️🖤❤️

- for our next Weekly Scribblings, Rommy would like us to write new poetry or prose while “reflect[ing] upon either the phrase ‘pull no punches’ OR ‘pull your punches’.”

Let’s rejoice in the magic of words!