I am so pleased to announce that my poem, voided wind, is now available at MasticadoresUSA. Thank you to Gabriela Marie Milton, and the team at MasticadoresUSA for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.
voided wind
I stand at the precipice of the lost
where pieces of my skin
rotate back, and forth
within the voided wind
as my soul resonates
with the words that come…
I would be honored if you would read the rest of my poem here. Thank you!
Photo by Layers, Pixabay
It’s been a couple of months since I’ve created a month in review, and, as you know, it’s been busy in all aspects of my life. Life is like that, it comes, it goes, both the painful and the pleasurable, and today, I accept all aspects, even when it’s really difficult.
It’s summer time here in Oregon, which means the sun will be out more often, and the temperatures will rise, which I always enjoy.
I didn’t spend much time in the community garden until last weekend, and I made a lot of progress, as you can see from the pre and post pictures above. I’m going smaller this year, only planting tomatoes, peppers, and some herbs. I also planted some lavender, which I love.
This summer I will get out on some hikes, and may also travel down to see my mom and sisters in Los Angeles.
The team is doing well, creating new personal enrichment classes, new leadership training opportunities, training new teenage drivers, getting people ready for new jobs in the workforce, and advising our local small business on how they can grow and gain traction in their businesses.
It’s a wonderful department to belong to, and serving our local communities is a blessing each day. Here is a look at our summer schedule of classes.
This month, I sent my book manuscript to Ingrid Wilson, and we are now in the editing phase, which is not my favorite part, yet, as we all know, it’s one of the most important.
I am hopeful to reveal the cover and title in the next month, though I am in no hurry at all, so we shall see.
I’ve had a poem accepted and published at Spillwords Press almost every month this year, which included being voted Author of the Month for Jan/Feb and three nominations for publication of the month. Such an honor to have my poetry so well received and read.
I was also part of the #1 Amazon Bestselling Poetry Anthology Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women. Every part of this experience has been a blessing to me.
Additionally, I am still submitting two poems a month to MasticadoresIndia & MasticadoresUSA, and will continue to do so for the remainder of this year.
The blog just had its two year anniversary, and we have now surpassed 3,400 readers. I am so honored and grateful to each of you for being here. Some of you have been here from the beginning, and some of you just joined recently. Either way, I honor and appreciate each of you for your participation in this blog and your engagement with me. Thank you!
I’ve iterated my posting schedule on this blog many, many times. There was a time when I posted about 10 to 11 times a week, and now I am posting 2 to 4 times a week, which is perfect for my life today.
I am also now going to iterate how I read, which means that I will not read every single day as I do now, rather, I will read every other day. This is a change that will be hard for me, as I love reading all of your poetry and posts each day, yet because I am resistant to it, it means it is needed. All that it means is that I will read more on the days I read, and then have a couple of nights each week, where I can write and focus on other things.
Overall the first half of this year has been one of continuous growth in every aspect of my life, as I am stretched at home, work, and in my writing. It’s exactly how I like it. When we are challenged each day, we get to grow, and we get to experience the many emotions we have as human beings. It’s the experience of true aliveness when we get to experience all that life has gifted us, even in the most painful moments. A blessing.
It’s taken me a couple of weeks to work through my emotions about the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade, and I am still processing.
Though I love this country, and wish everyone that celebrates today a very happy Independence Day, I recently responded to a poem on Yard Sale of Thoughts, by K Kartless, and wrote that I’d never been so embarrassed to be a US citizen as I am right now. A paradoxical truth.
The bottom line? The United States has tremendous wealth, and yet people go hungry, have to fight for the rights to choose about their bodies, while systematic and structural oppression continues in this country every day.
Though this angers and saddens me, I know that continuing to take my actions each day, however small or large they are, to mitigate and eliminate these horrible injustices will continue.
For, it’s not the size of the action we take in life, it’s that we take our action, and then take another, and continue to do so, working toward, in this case, a better version of this country, which, collectively, I believe we can achieve.
Speaking of a better version, I was elated when I read about the new addition to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, on I didn’t have my glasses on, by Beth. How wonderful for the Supreme Court, and for this country.
Lightening Rhymes, by Navin Manik, is a tour de force of poems that enter into the reader’s heart, blossoming like wildflowers stretching towards the sun of spiritual transcendence. Navin’s poetry is raw and powerful, connecting spiritual experiences to nature in a way that leaves the reader breathless, and in want of more.
The feelings Navin evokes throughout the book are stunningly descriptive and can resonate with any human being on this planet, for we’ve all been to places Navin describes. Deep pain, trauma, heartache, anxiety, depression, etc., are woven into the language inside of these beautiful poems with an expert hand. Likewise, Navin expresses deep love, hope, and the beauty of human connection throughout his verse. I highly recommend Lightening Rhymes, it is a book that will resonate in your heart and mind.
In the book, Woman: Splendor and Sorrow, Love Poems and Poetic Prose, Gabriela Marie Milton creates contexts that spark the imagination, while inviting the reader to take a deep dive within themselves. The poems and prose are full of vibrant imagery, evoking a multiplicity of worlds, which seem far away, and paradoxically right next door; for we have all felt the deep sorrow and splendor of being in love with another human being.
Gabriela’s language is stunning, continuously creating juxtapositions between nature and the self, reimagining what it means to be in love as a human being. What does it mean to feel deep sorrow; to feel the elation of delight and splendor? Gabriela shows us through a language of love that entices the senses. (You can read more of my review of Woman: Splendor and Sorrow: | Love Poems and Poetic Prose on Amazon).
Alright, that’s all for this month. Sending you all my love and blessings for a wonderful July.
I am so pleased to announce that my poem, stems and seeds, is now available at MasticadoresUSA. Thank you to Gabriela Marie Milton, and the team at MasticadoresUSA for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.
stems and seeds
shadows are cast over my eyes
as I try to find
the nature of reality inside
the stems and seeds
gifted to me
while I await the return of the tide
within
the heart and stone romancing…
I would be honored if you would go here, and read the rest of my poem. Thank you!
Photo by knewf /, Pixabay
I am so pleased to announce that my poem, poplar seed, is now available at MasticadoresUSA. Thank you to Gabriela Marie Milton, and the team at MasticadoresUSA for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.
poplar seed
the apple orchard
lives along the shadows
of a love that lingers
sometimes in the gallows
of a destiny told to me
once upon a story made…
I would be honored if you would go here, and read the rest of my poem. Thank you!
Photo by habunman, Pixabay
I am so pleased to announce that my poem, lavender lines, is now available at MasticadoresUSA. Thank you to Gabriela Marie Milton, and the team at MasticadoresUSA for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.
lavender lines
tumbleweeds thread the head of a pin
while the size of our love’s always been
reminiscent of the dreams laden in your hands
like the flavor of morning dew
know that I’ve always seen you…
I would be honored if you would go here, and read the rest of my poem. Thank you!
Photo by AnnaliseArt, Pixabay
April was an exciting month filled with much activity, both in my personal and professional life. It’s so much fun to watch life unfold, participate in it, and be fully engaged in every aspect of life. A true blessing.
This month I spent time at the Community Garden, getting the soil ready for planting, which will begin in late May and early June. As you will read later in this review, I also spent a lot of time in April on my debut poetry book, and on book reviews. It’s so much fun.
As some of you know, I had planned a trip to London in May of this year, alas, I have rescheduled this trip to later in the year. I am excited about the new timing of this trip, as I will end up in London during the holidays, which feels lovely to me.
I am contemplating a trip to Los Angeles to see my mother and sisters this summer, which is always fun for me. It’s always great to see them and my nieces and nephews.
The team is busier than ever. The traction we have across all of the programs within Extended Learning is at an all-time high, and the services we are delivering are reaching a wider audience with each year that passes.
The Commercial Driver License Program completed its first cohort, with tremendous success; and the second cohort will begin training in two weeks.
A very busy month at home and at work, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My debut poetry book now has a title, and Ingrid Wilson, of Experiments in Fiction, is currently working on the cover design.
When the cover design is complete, I will update all of you on the cover design and the title.
Most of my writing time in April was dedicated to the book. I am excited to share that I have a rough manuscript, which I will begin to edit this month.
Once the editing is complete, I will send it to Ingrid, which will be in late May, or early June.
I am also continuing to send two poems each month to MasticadoresIndia, and MasticadoresUSA. I love being a part of both of these wonderful online publications. Gabriela Maria Milton and Terveen Gill are amazing editors and wonderful friends. Working with them is a blessing.
If you’ve never submitted to these two online publications, I encourage you to do so. You can find out about submission details on the respective websites.
April also found one of my poems, Realization Dawns, nominated for publication of the month at Spillwords Press. Though the poem was not voted as the publication of the month, the mere fact that it was nominated, is a great joy and honor for me.
I would like to thank each of you for continuing to support my writing and for being wonderful friends. Whether you are a new reader of my blog or someone that has been here for years, I appreciate each of you for taking the time you do to engage with me. You are all inspiring, and wonderfully talented.
Resounding Lights, by Tanushree Taruchaya
Resounding Lights, by Tanushree Taruchaya takes the reader through reflections, contemplations, and introspections on deep pain and brilliant beauty.
Making connections to a life lived, and to nature, Tanushree draws the reader into poetry weaved from the soul.
The poetry contained in Resounding Lights will speak to every human being on this planet, for we’ve all known pain, and we’ve all known beauty, and both of these attributes are created gorgeously in this book.
I highly recommend Resounding Lights, as it is a bright light in a world that can sometimes feel very dark.
If you are not following me on Twitter, you can follow me here.
That’s all for this month, my dear friends. Sending you all my love for a beautifully blessed May.
I am so pleased to announce that my poem, the sweetest nectar, is now available at MasticadoresUSA. Thank you to Gabriela Marie Milton, and the team at MasticadoresUSA for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.
the sweetest nectar
with the wind at my back
I relax
and
sit inside all the glory before me
the blooming flowers
and the resplendent arches on the trees
as they hang with the most delicious…
I would be honored if you would go here, and read the rest of my poem. Thank you!
Photo by mythuatungdungsla, Pixabay
I am so pleased to announce that my poem, until the sun, is now available at MasticadoresUSA. Thank you to Gabriela Marie Milton, and the team at MasticadoresUSA for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.
until the sun
I stand in line to buy lemons and limes
while reminiscing on the
times
enthralled and divined
while feelings keep coming up
I’ve tried to stop…
I would be honored if you would go here to read the rest of my poem. Thank you!
Photo by pixel2013, Pixabay
As it is officially Spring in this area of the world, I am preparing to participate in the Community Garden again this year. Last year was my first year with this garden, and I am excited to participate again. As you can see in the picture above, there is a lot of work to do!
This past month, I also completed the purchase of a painting from two of our blogger friends, Giada and Labrum, of Multidimensional Art. The painting was one that Labrum created specifically for me, and I love it. If you’ve not yet checked out Giada and Labrum’s site, I recommend you do. Giada writes wonderful poetry, and Labrum’s paintings are amazing.
I also took a trip to the coast in March. I usually go to Yachats, OR, and did so again in March. I grew up at the beach, and so I like to visit the ocean every couple of months. I always have a wonderful time walking along the coast, contemplating life, and just being with myself and nature. It’s glorious.
The department completed the spring schedule this month, and I am excited about some of the new in person classes we have this term. We also launched our CDL (Commercial Drivers License) program this week, and it is going wonderfully.
Right now, we have more people registered for classes and training since the pandemic started, which means we are serving more people, and are reaching these same community members with access to education they need. A wonderful feeling.
As you know, I was voted Spillwords Press Author of the Month for January and February, which is a huge honor. I would like to thank each of you again for your continued support. You are appreciated immensely, and I am lucky to have each of you in my life. If you missed the Q&A Interview I did with Spillwords, you can find it here.
I am continuing to write for my debut poetry book, and am on a timeline that includes writing for the book through April, editing in May, and sending it to Ingrid Wilson, of Experiments in Fiction in late May, early June. Ingrid and I are currently working on cover design. Exciting!
My blogging schedule has changed again this year, to make space for writing my book, and to write for the publications at MasticadoresIndia and MasticadoresUSA. I’ve created the goal of posting two to three times a week on my blog, which I am meeting at this time.
I would like to thank you all again for supporting me by continuing to visit MasticadoresIndia and MasticadoresUSA to read my poetry. The response to the poems I have published on these sites has been amazing, and I’m honored each time you visit these sites to read my poetry. Thank you.
For the past couple of months, I’ve been reflecting upon how I can give back to our writing community.
Over the past year, I’ve purchased many books that our writing community has produced, and this year, I’ve decided to write reviews of these books. I’m excited about this reading and writing project, and look forward to sharing the reviews with you.
My goal is to write at least one review each month, and thus far I am on par with this goal. Here are my reviews of two amazing books.
In the book, As Delicate as Snow, Shobana Gomes weaves a tale of magic, mystery, and suspense. Shobana’s use of snow as an additional character in this love story guides the reader inward, toward an exploration of wondrously delicate and beautiful imagery, and profound feelings, from the angst of meeting a new potential lover, to the love that blossoms in ones heart at the realization of true love. As Delicate As Snow will make you believe in true love again. I highly recommend this beautiful love story, by Shobana Gomes.
Being a Woman Forthcoming is a collection of poetry and prose that stirs the soul. Michele Lee Sefton takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery, through important social justice issues, such as gender discrimination, and also reminds us to honor our mothers. Being a Woman Forthcoming is a powerful read, full of empowering prose and poetry, inviting the reader to look within and contemplate issues that affect us all, from the personal to the global. I highly recommend Being A Woman Forthcoming, and thank Michele Lee Sefton for gifting us this wonderful work.
These books are wonderful, and I highly recommend them.
I will continue to contemplate how I can give back to our community this year, and will have more ideas and insights about future projects and contributions I can make to do my part to ensure that the vitality and vibrancy of our community continues.
That’s all for this month. Thank you to each of you again for being such wonderful friends. I am honored to know you, and feel blessed everyday to be a part of this amazing community of talented and gifted human beings.
Sending you all my love for a wonderfully blessed April.
I am so pleased to announce that my poem, petals made of love, is now available at MasticadoresUSA. Thank you to Gabriela Marie Milton, and the team at MasticadoresUSA for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.
petals made of love
I sit atop the river delta, wondering about
the scene
it is a
myriad
in-between
the light
casting off
in the distance
playing with the…
I would be honored if you would go here, and read the rest of my poem. Thank you!
Photo by CDD20, Pixabay
Develop. Inspire. Transform. 