Our Determined Moon

 

Tracks in the snow
around the headstone
lit by the moon
in their going somewhere—
sparrow, hedgehog, booted foot
lit by the moon determined and blue
and there! a wreath dropped
on a headstone fragrant and green
blanketed by snow and lit by the moon.

"How high the moon?"  asks the poets at Poets and Storytellers as they invite us to write about the moon. 

In the Library of My Mind

A poem written to the prompt at  Shay's Word Garden using three words she culled from The Book of the Dead, classic tales of the supernatural. 👻 

A natural for the month of October!

In the spirit of compliance I went two better. 😀

In the library of my mind

I speak Latin.
I’m kind, lucid, and brave.
I remember the poor
drop a coin on the plate
and one in the cup
of the man wrapped in wool

braced against the cold
at the end of the road.

I decided to add a little bonus content using one more word. (Can you find it?)

 

Someone poured a stein for the man in the box,
the no more man who was a father who was dead
and set it on the mantle like a plate for the missing
on the Day of the Dead.

On The Beat!!!

I'm excited to be invited to read from and discuss my debut novel Let Evening Come at Detroit's premier bookstore, Book Beat.

They've been specializing in quality Lit since 1982!! They even added some reviews. I'm sharing the night with another author, Donald Levin, who wrote The Ghosts of Detroit, there to talk about it just in time for Halloween.

It's been six months since my novel's release so this feels like a mini celebration for me. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get booktores to take a chance on a new (unknown) author, so I very much appreciate the opportunity and social media push.

Also, I just received a new review from the UK!  And have you heard of Blackwells? In addition to normal retail outlets, the book reviewer has included a link to the bookseller based in Oxford, For some reason that seems exotic to me. (Delivery to the United States included in the cost.)  Imagine seeing your novel on a bookshelf in a book store in Oxford. It might not be that big of a deal but it seems so to me. 

It's been quite the publishing journey. I feel like I should have more words of wisdom but they elude me. For now I'm just sharing the epigram for the poetry compilation I'm submitting for publication. It sums up the feeling I'm feeling.

It is a serious thing

Just to be alive on this fresh morning

In this broken world

- Mary Oliver