Romance in Poetry & Art

This is the month of romance for many so I thought it’d be the appropriate time to introduce my 1st guest blogger of the year, author, poet, mystickal woman, LAURA STAMPS.  Laura and I have been long time internet friends and have supported each other’s creative endeavors, so I felt who better to guest blog in February as her work is seductive, romantic, erotic, creative and artistic!  She writes magickal poems, erotic novels and much more (see bio below).  So here’s an original poem by Laura accompanied by my artwork that I selected because I believe it illuminates her beautiful words….so enjoy this pre-Valentine treat!

“Actually, She’s The Friend Of A Friend Of My Best Friend” by Laura Stamps ©

“Don’t worry,” he says.  “It’s true.  I’m

older than I look.”  How did he know

I was thinking about that?  I study his

face again, the smiling face of this stranger

I’ve just met.  Maybe I missed something. 

Maybe it’s that odd ruggedness lurking

beneath his youthful features, those sharp

edges softened by playfulness.  They tug

at me.  It’s as if he’s experienced more

hardship than he would ever admit. 

Although maybe he just did, maybe this

age comment is his confession.  Still,

he doesn’t look a day over thirty. 

“You can read my thoughts?” I ask. 

“No,” he says.  “But your eyes are very

expressive.  It makes you easy to read.” 

I snort.  “Hardly,” I say, as I gather up

the cat toys in my display.  It’s after

six o’clock, and the Mayfest Arts and

Crafts Fair is officially closed for the day. 

When it’s done, I’m done.  “Are you

a Witch, too?” I ask, grabbing the plastic

storage tubs hidden beneath my table. 

“No,” he says.  He sets the bag of cat

toys he just purchased from me in an

empty chair.  “But my brother is married

to one.”  I fold the tablecloth and tuck

it into a tub.  “Who is your brother?”

I ask.  “Drayton Manigault,” he says. 

“He married Sara Gadsden last month.” 

He turns the display table on its side to

collapse the legs.  I smile.  I guess he

was serious about helping me pack up

my booth.  “Ah,” I say.  “I heard about

that.  Sara and I have mutual friends.”

(This poem first appeared in the literary journal, “Bactrian Room”)

Goddess of Gratitude & Greenman (c)Lauren Curtis

Laura Stamps is Wiccan, Seelie Fey, and a Fey sorceress twirling joyfully on pink wings. Bestselling author of Pagan novels (positive, empowering, many are romantic: Witches, vampires, faeries). 58 books published in 26 years. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in over 1000 literary journals and anthologies worldwide. She is the recipient of many literary awards, including a “Pulitzer Prize” nomination and 7 “Pushcart Prize” nominations. She’s also a runner, vegan, feral cat rescuer, and an avid gardener.  You can find her every day at her Tumblr blog:  http://laurastampserotica.tumblr.com/

Art with soul; a call for artists & poets!

Art can bridge gaps, start discussion and have healing effects.  These are 
some of the main reasons i love being represented by Gallery U in Red Bank!
They strive to help others through creativity and here's just on example.  So
if you're an artist/poet and also a social worker, this one's for you!




CALL FOR ARTISTS AND POETS WHO ARE SOCIAL WORKERS
 
In celebration of Social Work Month 2013, Gallery U in Red Bank NJ
presents a month long celebration of social workers in New Jersey. A
number of events are scheduled for the month, including an exhibition
celebrating artwork by social workers and a special edition of POETRY
U focusing on poetry by New Jersey social workers.
We are currently looking for artwork by social workers (current,
retired and students) who are also artists. You can find submission
guidelines at https://www.facebook.com/groups/251637761584426/ in our
"file" section.
 
We are also looking for social workers who are poets to join this
special POETRY U event scheduled for Friday, March 22 from 7-9 PM. If
you would like to be considered for a featured reader spot at POETRY
U’s SWART event, please send three sample poems to
rlangdongalleryu@gmail.com. Submissions must be received by March 1,
2013.
Please pass this opportunity to anyone who may be interested.
 

Healing with words; an artist’s poetic ode to her mother.

Today I’d like to post a blog about my friend (& artist/writer) Gail Whitter’s newly on-line published book, A Time for Ashes . In this long-time compilation of touching poems, as well as a few visual pieces, Gail addresses the intense and difficult emotions a family goes through when the matriarch is faced with cancer.

Here’s the intro. to the book, written by Gail’s friend who helped get this book out to the world online:

What this book tells me is that there is a story behind every death by cancer; that there is a real person with important things to say about her life – as a patient, her medical care and about being a woman within that context. It is also about noticing and being eternally grateful for the tender loving care of her daughter and knowing, knowing she can do nothing to ease her loss, or to stop her own leaving. It is also about setting the record straight before she leaves. This is a very powerful book, a very important book because it is breaking one more of the silences, the silence that women do not drop weakly into the hereafter, but more often than not, take care of business, say what they need to say to those they most love and then walk bravely into the void; that they cope first with incredible pain and the ugliness of this horrendous disease and are often fed up and angry with the platitudes of their medical caregivers and wish only for honesty and straight talk.

It also says that family members only become more of what they have always been. The weak stay weak and betray and fail to change even to the end, do not say goodbye or help in their loved-one’s care, while the strong and the true are exactly that, even to changing dressings and standing watch until the final hour. And then finally, it is about how that love carries on; how even death does not end it, and we each in our own way have to find the exorcism we require to come to terms with it.
– M.B.

Here’s the direct link to this meaningful, heartfelt book; it’s FREE to read the entire publication!!: http://www.scribd.com/doc/44648034/A-Time-for-Ashes