Inspired! – 11/26/16 #NaBloPoMo #CheerPeppers

For today’s Inspired! I came across this poem and found it inspirational. Thought you all might too:

Why Not You

Poet: Julie Hebert, © 2012

Growing up we are told many things,
One being, you can do anything.
But somewhere between child and adult,
Things change and we no longer sing.

Life takes on a whole different meaning,
From what we may have first believed.
We all get so caught up in what life expects,
And forget what we all could achieve.

Whoever told you, you weren’t allow,
To follow all of your dreams?
Was it someone who took away your dream,
Or was it you who was afraid of your schemes.

Whatever the reason, I now must ask,
Why not you, don’t you think
It’s time for you to take control of your life,
So you’ll be happy to look back with no regret.

Found here: http://www.wow4u.com/why-not-you/index.html

How does this poem make you feel, dear readers? Do you ever ask yourself what happened to your dreams? Or are you living them? Let’s discuss it in comments.

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Linking up with Nano Poblano

The Sandbox Writing Challenge #28 — Can You See Me?

This week’s challenge is Do you see something of yourself in this little child? If so, what?

Trashed

I’ve been no better than trash
mindlessly tossed away – forgotten

I.
Mother, how I begged
for your attention
craved it
but you couldn’t be bothered
you tossed me aside – abandoned

II.
Oh how I loved you
worked so hard to please you
gave up my youth
to be by your side
you tossed me out – homeless

III.
Did our friendship
mean more to me than you?
I devoted my time to you
gave you every piece of me
but you too tossed me away – crushed

IV.
Our marriage was built on lies
no deep love to be found
I was a doormat
a battleground of abuse
left out in the cold – tossed away.

Now to pick myself up
toss you all out of memory – trashed

©2016 Lori Carlson. All rights reserved.

Celebrate the Small Things – 02.19.16

Today I am celebrating…

I’ve already begun scheduling some of my posts for the A2Z Challenge in April. I am doing two blogs this year. Here at As the Fates Would Have It and over at Promptly Written. The ones here, I am able to schedule ahead of time. The ones over at Promptly Written will be spontaneous and written on the day of each challenge day. I am excited. The challenge is only 40 days away! Hard to believe it is that close to April already.

I’ve also begun writing new poems for a chapbook of poetry that I hope to publish or enter into a contest next year. This is something that I had hoped to have finished by this year, but it never happened. This year I am determined that it will be finished!

And finally, I am celebrating my returned health. Shortly after I posted last week’s Celebrate the Small Things , I went out shopping and brought back a nasty little bugger of a cold. It lingered almost all week, but since yesterday, I have been feeling back to my old self again.

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Each Friday, I join Lexa Cain and friends for a weekly blog-hop called Celebrate the Small Things, where we celebrate all of those small moments from the week before.

The wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:

1.	Lexa Cain	2.	Fiction and Film
3.	Writing Off the Edge	4.	Kidbits
5.	TheCyborgMom	6.	Thoughts and Ideas from Deanie Humphrys-Dunne
7.	My Inner Geek	8.	Eclectic Alli
9.	Intentional Insights with S. Kelley Harrell	10.	Constantine
11.	My Miracle Life	12.	Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams
13.	My Creatively Random Life	14.	Shells Tales and Sails
15.	Lara Lacombe	16.	TF Walsh
17.	Caring for my Veteran	18.	Life, Yoga and Other Adventures
19.	About myself, by myself	20.	Suzanne Furness
21.	Elizabeth Seckman	22.	Avalon
23.	Cherdo on the Flipside	24.	My Baffling Brain
25.	Planet Kimberly	26.	Shah Wharton
27.	Mere Joyce	28.	Victorian Scribbles
29.	Tanya Miranda	30.	God, Entertainment, & Annoying Things
31.	Ann – A Friend of Jesus 2013	32.	Special Teaching At Pempi’s Palace
33.	Square Pegs	34.	Patricia’s Place
35.	Yvonne Van Dalen	36.	Anne Higa
37.	My Antimatter Life	38.	Into the Imagination Vortex
39.	Bouquet of Books	40.	Lightravellerkate
41.	Curious As A Cathy	42.	Thoughts for the Day
43.	Julie Flanders	44.	As the Fates Would Have It

02.16.16 – End of Day Notes

What I did today: I woke up this morning after only four-ish hours of sleep last night. It’s been nearly a week since I’ve done that and it felt good to be back in my routine. I was able to do most of my writing projects early before the household stirred and it got noisy. I tackled my to-read list from the numerous challenges and bloghops that I belong to. I didn’t complete the list, but I did whittle away a huge chunk of it. I’ve yet to tackle the growing emails though. I am feeling tons better, not yet 100% but definitely better. My energy has returned.

What I learned today: If I am ever to complete the new poems I want to get written this year for a chapbook, then I must schedule the time for them. Yes, it has come down to that, because otherwise, I will just continue to procrastinate, dream, and do anything and everything besides write these poems. So I have scheduled two days a week for the remainder of the year to write them. Now I just need a theme.

What I am most proud of today: I am proud that I have taken the initiative to conquer my dream of a chapbook by the year’s end. No more excuses.

What did you do today? Learn any lessons? Have a reason to be proud? Share your thoughts with me in the comments!

#joyfuljan – Day Eleven

For today’s #joyfuljan, I find joy in poetry.

For the past 6 months or so, I have been saving poetry in my email from various sites who send a “poem a day.” I hadn’t actually read any of the poems, just merely put them in a folder for a day when I had time to just read. Today has been one of those days. I have read classic poems, contemporary poems, haiku, and even prose poems. The topics have ranged from love and hate, joy and sadness, to pastoral and whimsical. I don’t know why I put off reading them for so long. They have brought me immense joy today!

What are you joyful about today? Let me know in the comments.

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Throughout the month of January, I will be celebrating Joyful January with Satya and Kaspa over at Writing Our Way Home

 

What Fuels My Soul

In response to Cristian Mihai’s Passion post

Cristian asked some very pertinent questions about Passion, that which drives us and makes us feel alive. I could have answered in the comments, but I wanted to explore this a bit, more than a quick response.

I am most passionate about the written word, whether as poetry, short fiction, novels, or non-fiction. I truly believe there is power in words: the power to move, encourage, or enslave, the power of freedom, revolution, self-realization — like in this poem by the Indian poet, Sanober Khan:

“Words
are powerful
forces of nature.

they are destruction.
they are nourishment.
they are flesh.
they are water.
they are flowers
and bone.

they burn. they cleanse
they erase. they etch.

they can either
leave you
feeling
homeless

or brimming
with home.”
― Sanober Khan

I enjoy reading poetry and prose that inspires me, that wrenches at my heart, and that puts me in the grip of Knowing — that silent moment when what someone else has written rings so true with you, that you are in complete awe. That is the way I write, or at the very least, I strive to write that way. And so I have made it my life’s goal to write poetry and short fiction, to give back to others the passion that fuels my soul.