The audience watches askance
As they dance
On the edge
Of a ledge.
Feet moving faster.
The music and laughter.
What follows after
Cool reflection or disaster?
She stoops but who conquers?
The situation bonkers.
A man old enough to be her father.
They would rather
Not think
On those who wink
And titter.
A bitter taste
Is a man’s disgrace
Yet still men dally
With silk and lace.
Many skirt
The issue.
The time is short
And dearly bought.
A tissue
Of lies
And midnight sighs.
A girl growing up forsook
The straight path and took
A step down a perilous track.
One may turn back
But many lack
The will.
In the still
Of night
Delight
For one.
A soul is gone
And time rolls on.
Greying hairs.
She swears
All is not lost
And counts the cost
Of fixed smiles
And denials
No longer believed
By those she deceives.
One of the things I love about doing what I do is that I have the ability to connect so closely with you guys and speak on the topics that matter to you. Yesterday, a fellow writer shared an article from The Guardian, For me traditional publishing means poverty. But self-publish? No way. She wanted my take on what the author had to say.
All right.
For those who’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, I hope I’ve been really clear that I support all paths of publishing (vanity press doesn’t count).
All forms of publishing hold advantages and disadvantages and, as a business, we are wise to consider what form of publishing is best for our writing, our work, our goals, our personality, etc. But my goal has always been to educate writers so they are making wise decisions based off data, not just personal…
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An important issue which is not given the attention it warrants. Kevin
Although my blog is primarily for Authors and Readers to get together, there are causes I feel need (and can) to be addressed by everyone, regardless of who or where they are, but especially by authors and bloggers, who have a greater influence than most.
Depression and suicides appear to be on the increase due to all sorts of reasons, from fear of terrorism to health issues through to job losses, etc.
Young Sam has already appeared on my blogHERE discussing depression (which many of you went to, shared and gave his efforts a big boost).
This is a follow-up post from him that I hope will be shared even more.
It should be noted that although Sam’s blog is especially aimed at Teenagers, he is trying to help everyone.
TSRA
When a family member tries to commit suicide, the entire family is plunged into confusion and grief. Life is instinctually valued by all of…
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Nightmare.
Terrors buried deep
Creep
Out and stare
Me full in the face.
There is no hiding place
When the black mare
Stirs
From the stable.
Her coat sable
As night.
Banishes delight.
Awaking.
Shaking
Off fear
Yet nightmare crouches near.
In the shadows she hides
And bides
Her time waiting for sleep
Then out she doth creep.
I turn and run
But my dark mistress must have her fun.
When day is done
She will come.
Yesterday evening I met a friend who works for Transport for London. After a few pints he confided in me that London Underground will be introducing fines for those found to be reading books on the tube. According to my friend who, for obvious reasons wishes to remain anonymous, there have been many accidents caused by commuters so absorbed in their reading matter they have failed to notice the person closest to them and poked them in the eye with a book, newspaper or magazine. There is also, he says an issue with people missing their stop due to being engrossed in a good (or bad) book (good and bad are, after all subjective terms).
Consequently as from today (April 1st)anyone caught reading on the tube will be subject to an on the spot fine of £5 (if paid by cash rather than card this will be reduced to £4.50). My friend believes that this will enhance the customer experience of those traveling on London Underground. Rather than taking refuge in a book or paper commuters may, actually talk to their fellow passengers! The idea does, he says have the added advantage of creating employment as a significant number of “Book Banners” will be required to enforce the policy.
What do you, my readers think of the idea? Will it work? Is it a good one? How would you feel where you to be subjected to a fine of £5 for reading on the tube?
Kevin
This is a wonderful idea. My local station’s waiting room has a bookcase full of books anyone can read, while my favourite local pub has a sellection of titles that anyone can borrow. Kevin
We often support schools and communities with promoting summer reading. We want students to continue their “readerly lives” over the summer. A few years ago, we were researching ideas to get books to students in different communities and we came across Little Free Libraries. We immediately feel in love! We were so enamored by this idea we decided we had to give it a try ourselves. We put a Little Free Library in Tammy’s yard.
After several years of having a Little Free Library in Tammy’s yard, here are our top 10 Reasons why we plan to create more Little Free Libraries.
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You visit in the early morn.
Your note chill
Sends a thrill
Through man and mouse.
The house
Is quiet.
Only your cry forlorn
Does warn.
Disquiet
Carrying from the Lawns.
A mere bird
Yet your voice heard
Down the long years
Inspires fears
And seers
Grey
Fortell a dismal day.
—
The Lawns is an historic park situated close to my home in Upper Norwood, (http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=CRO040).-
I have found the ebook of my collection of poetry, “Lost in the Labyrinth of My Mind” available via sites with no connection to me. I have no idea whether these sites are click farms (I suspect they are) or whether my book is, in fact being offered (in an unauthorised manner) free. Kevin
Close to two years ago, I discovered that my eBooks, both of them, were being listed for sale on a site about which I’d never heard before. They were not under contract to sell my eBooks nor was I receiving any payment for the nearly 1000 times the site reported my novel had already been downloaded. There was a link on the site authors could write to, if they felt their copyright had been infringed. So I wrote, asked them to take down my books, and … nothing happened. That’s when I contacted my friend Tim Baker, whose books were also listed on the site, and he wrote this blog post about our experience. Many of our friends also took up the cause, sharing this blog post and following up with more information as they heard of it – good friends like Chris Graham who blogs as The Story…
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A perfect pare.
So ripe and fair.
To have you there
A perfect pair.
No one to stare
Where
The perfect pare hangs
Within easy reach of hands
That desire
To quench a fire.
The love of fruit
Is At the root
Of the fall from grace.
A place
Called Paradise, where Eve ate the apple.
The sunlight no longer dapples
Eden’s Lawns
where innocent fawns
Where wont to Play.
Or so the moralists say.
All this will pass away
But I have fruit today …
