A Poem of Great Intensity: Is There Any Other Kind?

Water is dripping Drip, drip, drip Snow is melting Wakka, wakka, wakka.

Hey, that doesn’t even rhyme!

Fine.

Here’s a real poem that I wrote, but it doesn’t rhyme, either.

The Power of the Whisperers

Shadows flicker across my path
like flashing figures on a silent movie screen
Bleak spirits whisper softly in my ear -
We follow you, they say.

Branches lazily whip the heavy air
like tired cowboys at the end of a hard drive.
Move along now! they shout, warning me
to watch for phantoms in the trees.

I catch a glimpse of one such creature
Yearning mouth and brooding eyes
mere hints of life – fleeting, ephemeral
like storm clouds racing across an abandoned sky.

I am empty now, deserted like an old house.
Wild dreams beg to fulfill me
Instead I freeze like a rabbit
in the shadow of a hawk.

Copper pennies weigh down my eyes
and my legs tire as I stand alone
amongst the whisperers
I wait to fall from unreachable heights.

They will not catch me.

Kristina Schram

———————————

I wrote that poem when I was in college. My inspiration? Walking down a sidewalk at night, alone and feeling lonely, but still able to admire the beauty of the streetlight shining through the tree branches as they danced about in the wind.

Okay, maybe you had to be there…

Some years later (today), I decided to share my poem with you - yes, you, cruel world - to open myself up to your ridicule because I, like many poets, am a masochist. Bearing this in mind (your cruelty, that is), I ended up rewriting and editing the poor thing, possibly to death. I wanted my heartfelt words to at least be decent ones, to not be entirely trite and dull. My poetry (like a lot of poetry) may not make a lot of sense at first, but hopefully, as you read it, it begins to resonate within you, to strike a cord. Or at least, not make you roll your eyes or turn off the computer in disgust.

Writing poetry is a great way to practice for other kinds of writing, like short stories, novels, even papers or unique and interesting blogs. In a few lines, you have to capture a mood, a world, a story. It’s really quite challenging. But there’s a positive outcome. The more poetry you write, the better you’ll become at maintaining a rhythm in your writing. Your descriptions will also improve as you search for strong, emotive words to use to capture so much in so little. If you are looking to become a writer, I recommend trying your hand at poetry. The practice can only make you better (or maybe, drive you insane - if that happens, don’t blame me, blame your cat).

Only a few will go on to be great poets, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t get something out of the process. I’m not a great poet - I’m too cliched. But I have fun with the process; writing poetry allows me to display my deep, dark and dramatic side. I’m not all about the laughs, you know. So anyway, let the poet within leap out and remember…

Wakka, wakka.

The January Slump

Lots of people feel depressed at this time of year. The holidays are over, the treats have been devoured, the weight has been gained and the bills are coming in. Tis the season to be sorry. So what’s a person to do? Well, you could do as the Romans do and feed people to the lions, but I’m pretty sure that’s illegal in most countries.

Most people go into hibernation mode. I like to hunker down with a good book, a heavy quilt and more treats. I figure that acquiring extra layers of fat is the only way to fight off that chill I seem to always carry around at this time of year. More fat means less oil consumption (of the petroleum variety - I inhale plenty of the other stuff) and that means I am doing my job as a citizen of this planet. I am saving precious resources and I am supporting all those people who make food for a living.

Go me!

The month of January (and February, possibly March) doesn’t have to be depressing. You can think of this time as an opportunity to regroup…to prepare for Spring. I figure I don’t have anything else to do so I use the time to catch up on all sorts of indoor activities. Sorting socks, for instance. Or I might actually take on the dust bunnies gathering beneath my bed. I’d better go after them soon, though, I think they are preparing for battle. I can hear their drums at night as I try to sleep. It’s keeping me awake. They want revenge for all those Cadbury eggs I keep stealing from their kind.

I like to catch up on my reading at this time of year. One particular book I like is The Chronicle of Anaedor: The Prophecies. You know why I like it so much? Because I wrote it! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Did you know that people can go mad from cabin fever? I’m sure that won’t happen to me, but watch for signs of it in yourself. Here are the symptoms: excessive sweating, irritability, bloating, food cravings, depression, restlessness… Wait, maybe that’s PMS. Either way, look out!

So, in sum, if you notice that my blogs start sounding a little strange over the next couple of months, beware! In the meantime, eat.

Ta!

Beware of Writing Scams

Anyone who wants to become a published author has a dream. We imagine ourselves sending in our first book, someone reads it and is so impressed, they actually call and ask to serve as our agent - for peanuts. We graciously accept their offer. They send out our book and immediately several publishing companies compete for the rights to it, clamoring, fighting, giving each other swirlies. We go with the company who has the best reputation, seems honorable, and most importantly, offers the most money.

Not long after our book is published, we hit the New York bestseller’s list, in record time, of course. We do the talk show circuit, our fans just can’t get enough of us, and we become famous.

And then reality hits…

You send in your book to several agents. One shows some interest. He/she says, "Hey, I’m interested in your book, but you need some editing. Pay us $800 (or whatever) and we’ll fix you right up." So you pay the money, they ‘edit’ it, you fix it, and send it back in. Great, great! It looks great. Then you don’t hear from them. After a couple months, they tell you that they just can’t find anyone interested. Your book doesn’t fit into any genre (or whatever excuse they want to use). Maybe wait 6 months and we’ll try again. Or they just stop answering your emails/phone calls. These are not agents who can find publishers for you, they are people who charge you a lot of money to edit your book.

They take advantage of the dreamers.

Well, here’s a place to check out agents and publishing companies to see if they’re legit or not. Keep in mind that there are legitimate editing agencies out there. However, they should not be selling their editing services under the guise that you must pay for these services and then they will represent you and your book.

Anyway, here’s the website.

Preditors and Editors:

http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/pealc.htm

FYI: The $ sign next to listed agencies "indicates verified sales to legitimate royalty-paying publishers on record." In other words, it’s a good thing; it doesn’t mean they charge you money.

So, in sum, make sure you do your research on the people you’re sending your book to. Don’t just send your precious ‘baby’ to anyone.

Dream Big (but be sure that you also do the legwork!)