I have never yet
Seen a regret.
Though I have felt
A pang
That sprang
Into my heart and dwelt
There, unknown by all but me.
StillI can not be free
Of the nagging voice
That whispers, “you had a choice
And where hoist on your own petard.
This lesson hard
You should learn,
Do not conscience spurn
When it cries,
He who acts thus dies.
All regrets and sighs
Will not repair the broken shell.
This truth I tell,
Actions misjudged may end in hell”.
He met a vulture
Of sculpture
Fine.
To him she did seem divine.
Her words
Would the pretty birds
Charm
And all scruples disarm.
No alarm
He heeded
Though his conscience pleaded,
But none interceded
And the ground was seeded
With a poisoned crop.
Chop, chop
Her beak went
And a heart
Was forever rent.
He played his part
And set it down as art.
A tree may in beauty branch,
It’s leaves in the pure air,
Without a care
Dance
Tuneful birds,
Their song more precious than words
May in freedom sing
And solace bring
To the troubled soul.
The goal
Of girl and boy
Is joy.
Yet how easily does the wind of passion
Fashion
The fine tree in the crooked way.
The leaves say
Words
That cause the birds
To fly away.
One or two may stay
And the tree
By slow degree
Twists so it no longer resembles it’s noble shape.
The landscape darkens
And the vulture harkens
To the tree’s word.
Oh, would that it had gone unheard!
Free Image Licensed from 123RF Stock Photo – Copyright amasterpics123
How best to promote one’s literary masterpiece, is an issue which exercises the mind of many an author, including my own. In the spirit of reaching out to my fellow authors I thought it was high time for me to set out my thoughts on this most important of topics. Below are some suggestions which will, I hope prove helpful to those who labour over smoking hot keyboards:
1. Climb Nelson’s column and recite passages, from your books with the aid of a loud hailer from that vantage point. You will, no doubt attract a crowd of curious onlookers together with a fair quantity of pigeon droppings for Trafalgar Square is a magnet to which our feathered friends flock. If it’s a nice sunny day you might also wish to don colourful swimming attire thereby further delighting the audience who will be listening, with rapt attention to your every word.
2. Hide behind the bookshelves in W. H. Smiths or some other purveyor of books and jump out on potential readers shouting at the top of your voice, “buy my book, buy my book” and if they are so ungracious as to refuse to avail themselves of your literary masterpiece, belabour them around the head with a copy of same.
3. Remove other authors books from the shelves in public libraries (for they are mere dross when compared to your scribblings) and replace their works wwith copies of your worthy tomes.
4. When talking to potential dates, regail them with chapter and verse as to why they should purchase your books. I find it helps to back them into a corner and (if at all possible) to ensure there is no easy means of exit. You may well not find the love of your life by employing such a stratagem. However your ex date will, very probably buy your book in order to effect his/her escape!
5. Send out automated tweets, every 5 seconds or so saying “please, please, please buy my book”. Your Twitter followers will be so impressed with your efforts they will show their appreciation by purchasing your book in droves or, just possibly deserting you in droves …!
6. If all else fails, repeat and repeat again!
I have updated the “About” page on newauthoronline.com to reflect the recent publication of my latest collection of poetry, “Refractions”. For details of “Refractions” and my other works, please visit HERE
For recent reviews of “Refractions” please visit https://libroliv.com/2016/09/01/refractions/
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2C5Y543GV780B/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01L5UC2H2
https://www.amazon.com/review/R369MURZIN01WP/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01L5UC2H2 and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1YT6QRD3VUNLR/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01L5UC2H2
Victoria (Tori) Zigler, is author of the month on one of the Goodreads groups she is a member of. To ask Tori a question, or to find out more about her and her books please visit, http://ziglernews.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/im-september-2016s-author-of-month.html.
The wind came yesterday
Blowing useless thoughts away.
And the trees they whispered to me,
Speaking of what it is to be free
A fish dangling.
Itself entangling
In a net of it’s own making.
I never yet saw a creature so half-heartedly shaking
In an attempt to escape
To the waters of the vast open lake.
The fisherman reels
In the fish, and feels
No pleasure
For his leisure
Is full
Of dull thought
And so many colourful creatures, so casually caught.
Fish and man stand
Hand in hand
And dance
In a parody of romance
Upon the sinking sand.
Who holds the power, man or fish?
A dainty dish, to often partaken
Will leave the diner forsaken
And calling
Out to diverse falling
Fish
To fill his solitary dish.
As a newly opened flower reaching for the sun
Your day has barely begun.
Would that I could stay here for a while
Talking to a girl without guile.
I wonder, would you smile
Where I to relate my thought?
And would I wriggle like a fish on a hook caught?
And wish
For the floor to open,
For words can not be unspoken.
You say
“Have a nice day”
But not in the American way.
I smile
Turn, and join the crocodile
Of commuters who have somewhere to go.
K Morris - Poet 