The Pursuit of Happiness...Baring Your Soul

I must admit, I have not been devoting the kind of time I would like to in the pursuit of happiness...for me, that is poetry. A few more things have been opening up for me in pursuit of acting. Which also brings a great deal of happiness...it's just two different kinds and it can be difficult to explain.

I am absolutely thrilled when I am engaged in both acting and poetry, in nearly any form, doing it or observing it. I just like being a part of people sharing their heart. When it come to poetry though, it seems like there is an automatic community, like no matter how different we are, when we come together as poets, we have the same heartbeat, we all know we've been down roads that could have left us stranded or in the ditch, and we pressed on, repaired our flats or hitch-hiked back to the world of pain that had us fleeing in the first place.

Actors also must bare their soul; there is a part of you that must absolutely be present in order to portray a role with any level of believability. Both require a vulnerability that is not needed in many professions outside of the entertainment industry...but there's something about the poet, that extra little courage it takes to tell your tale, not portray another person's tale but to put it out there in order to enlighten, move, rectify, resolve or any other manner of manifestations that take place when your word goes forth, as you spit your last word, holding your breath for the world to devour, or spit out?

Looking for Work...MUSE For HIRE

Muse for Hire

Freelance muse, looking for work;
Motivating your creative works the perk.

I’ve had various odd jobs, here and there,
Writing political manifestos and news letters with care.

I’ve encouraged architects and interior decorating décor;
Inventions never cease, wickets, widgets, and gadgets galore.

Instigating grant proposals, evoking ad execs for their best campaign;
Stirring new flavors for burger toppings, and secrets for assembly line gain.

I’m looking for steady work, this partial resume is extensive, I know it;
But all I want to do for the rest of my days is inspire a true poet!



Photo by: RT Norland

Submissions Chicken Soup for the Soul

I just submitted quite a few poems and 1 story to Chicken Soup for the Soul, they have a couple of issues coming out in the future, one on Parenting and also on New Friendship...so I submitted

"Slowly Unfolding" Here is a snippet:

Our new friendship is something…kind of like a cloud
Needed for covering when the sun is too loud.
It is like a rare book, aged, you don’t want to touch
Curious of what’s inside, kept safe in a hutch.

For their Parenting Issue, I submitted "You're a Mommy Now", "Never Refuse a Cuddle", I Am Not Fluent In Squawk", "Return on Investment", Welcome to Motherhood", "Discombobulated", and "Shape Up or Ship Out"

Here is "Welcome to Motherhood"

Welcome to Motherhood

Hocking loogies, feeding baby, trying to cough in the other direction;
Mother’s do not get days off, even when they’re full of infection.
The job is demanding, the boss never takes ‘no’ for an answer;
There’re no days off, even if you happen to be dying of cancer.
There is no debating allowed here, no could, would or should;
This occupation is for life; welcome to motherhood!



Photo taken by: Peter Lang (From the Mass Mutual Commercial Shoot October 2011)

PAPER AND INK ARE MY WEAPONS OF CHOICE

an Excerpt from Paper and Ink Are My Weapons of Choice

My weapon has been drawn, dipped in fresh ink;
Crisp white canvas with blue stripes, that link
The things that pour forth from this furious war,
Spill like blood on the page, score after score.

There’s no writers block, only a cease fire;
Then the call back to battle after being inspired.
Whether writing history or solely ...for entertainment fix;
You can change more perceptions than with politics.

Boo Hoo or Try Again?

Got my second rejection letter when I asked for quotes for my second book... people say they don't give quotes anymore because they get too many requests so they automatically say no to every author who asks?

Poem Popping not Pill Popping

this is a pix of the first book I wrote and published through Xulon press... Poetic Prescriptions for Pesky Problems... as you can see on the cover there is a prescription pill bottle, but instead of pills popping out there is little scrolls of paper... poetic prescriptions.

It seems a lot of people take the easy way out and just pop a pill when they have anxiety or depression or a myriad of other things, it's much harder to look within yourself to clear up what is causing these adverse things and find the true solution that will last long after your prescription has run out. We all want to take the easy path, the path of least resistance, the wide road that's already been paved and full or rest stops rather than the road full of rocks, thistles, thorns, and road blocks. Happiness seems to come in a bottle for many, but it's not long lasting, and can make you dependent, damaging not only your body but your psyche... there is a better way, search for it and you will find the answer, if you knock on that door seeking the truth it will be opened.

Tough times don't last, tough people do

I've been juggling a lot of ideas for books, as well as compiling poetry books, I have been writing poetry since high school, but only really truly seriously gotten back into it as a regular thing in 2003, when we were in a tough situation where my husband lost his job, lost the cash for the down payment on an apartment from severance pay, and we were about to be homeless. Some friends took us in and we had to cram all of our belongings into one tiny room and space in their garage... I think we may have had to rent storage too? Not sure, it took hubby about 6 months before he found a new job and we were living off of credit cards basically. I was trying to "break in" to the acting world (as I still am). But tough times are always seeds that grow into something great, depending on how often they are watered and given sunshine and whatever else they need.

So the last 6 years that I have written, I have hundreds of poems, not all that great, but deep heartfelt expressions on how I felt at the time, whether I ever decide to share them with the world or not, I don't know. But at least they mean something to me. They got me through some tough times, and as I've said before, paper and pen are much cheaper than a shrink. Thank God for self expression.