by Kelsie Engen I’m deep in the throes of editing my current WIP right now, Broken Time, which is why my poor blog has been taking a backseat. And what this really means is that I’m deep into the nitty-gritty of grammar, word usage, syntax, and pretty much the non-glamorous aspects of writing.
Category: Uncategorized
How Objects Tell Your Story — A Writer’s Path
by Mindy Halleck In 2011,I embarked on one of the harshest undertakings; I placed what I thought was the final draft of my novel in a drawer for one year. Why? Because, as I told others in my most knowledgeable author voice, “A writer needs distance from their material before editing and rewriting.”
So You Want To Be A Poet? Top 5 Tips — Natalie Ann Holborow
I’m often sent messages from aspiring writers who want advice on the paths to publication, submissions, competitions and editing their work. I love being able to help people grow and develop as writers, so thought it’s about time I compiled this advice into a blog post for you to access at any time. Remember, I’m […]
via So You Want To Be A Poet? Top 5 Tips — Natalie Ann Holborow
Read Poem: BROTHERHOOD, by Margaret Jeune
2.1.2020
Black clouds drift across the sky
The wind has blown smoke across the Tasman Sea
From the massive bush fires in Australia
The tragedy is depicted daily on the TV News
It is translated into a visible poignant reminder
Of what is happening in Australia
An Australian cricketer is interviewed on the radio
He says that he is lucky to play international cricket
While so many of his fellow Australians are suffering
The New Zealand cricket captain says that losing to Australia
Is put into perspective by the sheer scale of suffering in Australia at present
This tragedy is unfolding in front of our eyes
Margaret Jeune
New Zealand
Read Poem: CHANGES ARE COMING, by Jacqueline Mead
In the midst of the night
When silence surrounds
A terrible tragedy was waiting to be found
Tom, a small child, sat up in his bed
Pulling the duvet up over his head
He silently shook
Scared to speak out
Not knowing what the rumbling noise outside was about
Tom slowly rose from his bed
He went to find his parents room
They would know what to do
When Tom reached the room he sought
The number of Parents it contained, was nought
Quietly Tom tiptoed down the stairs
Careful not to bump into any chairs
Still, any adults he couldn’t find
Home Alone the movie, sprang to mind
He searched for the switch on the wall
From which a glowing light would fall
Tom shed some light upon the floor
And lit the path to the back door
Bravely he turned the handle
And quietly walking in his sandals
Took a sneaky peak outside
He couldn’t believe what he saw
His eyes stretched very wide
The biggest tree Tom had ever seen, in his very short life, had fallen down!
And all the adults Tom had sought plus others, were standing in a circle looking at the tree
They were trying to devise a plan, they could all agree
“How did it happen?” Tom heard someone say
“I know” said Tom who was very bright
“Maybe I can shed some light”
“I heard a man on the news say, climate change is happening not tomorrow but today”
Tom continued “very soon the Planet as we know it, will be changed, from excessive heat and excessive rain”
“But today where we live in the Forest, men are cutting down the trees”
“to allow progress and build roads for cars, we are taking away the Earth’s lungs to breathe”
The adults listened to what Tom had to say and all agreed with the young lad.
But what to do about it, if they did nothing, then very soon
There would be no green areas for the children to play, and this made the group very sad.
The group decided to raise a petition and present it to the Top
Cutting down healthy trees must now stop
For every tree we cut down, new ground for seedlings must be found
As a Town we could do more
No more plastic bags, something we should explore
Recycling our waste, we must unite
Let’s start thinking about our carbon footprint tonight
Make a change to our electricity and our gas, someone explained
We could purchase energy that is made 100% from wind sun and rain.
Tom couldn’t believe what he was seeing and hearing
Here in his back garden a council meeting was taking place
Agendas were being made
It was only a small step in Toms world but all the same
If this was happening over and over in other Towns around the world, there would be bigger rewards to gain
And not just in Toms world either but all around the Globe
Fishes would live longer no plastic bags to get caught in their gills or small plastic pellets to ingest
This would be one change they could immediately put to the test.
They would have a plastic bag amnesty; people could return their old plastic bags and get a town embossed shopping bag made from 100% cotton thread
The adults were elated with the changes they were to mak
They were hoping to see the changes make a difference where they lived
It was only a little effort but it showed such promise to give
Tom was excited and tired
Retreated back to bed
He could rest now, his Town was in safe hands
His Mum and Dad plus others stayed outside to make their plans
Sometimes it takes small person to pick up a big fight
(c) Jacqueline Mead
Genre
Poetry, General, Climatechange
Read Poem: Read Poem: Nobody Wins, by Imina F. Edebiri
Things are different now, roles are reversing
Smiling to conceal the frown, accrued pains without healing
So many fragile egos
We’re walking on eggshells of emotions
We’re too quick to pass judgements now and condemn
Each party think they’re so righteous and clean
We can persist to no good end
But really, nobody wins
The femmes have become hell bent
On passing chores to the gents
The gents want to be free of responsibilities
Pointless fights and arguments, but nobody wins
We jump into relationships blind
Then break up right quick or marry just for the title
Of course, when things go south we unbind
And wonder why divorce rates are so high
Only a few have found their missing ribs
They’re the lucky ones
The rest of us are yet to realize
That time for us is nigh
It used to be love your neighbor as you would love yourself
Now it’s more like, “my love is for sell”
Treat others the way you want to be treated
No, we have more hypocritical habits
We seem to have forgotten the love stories our parents told
We’d rather play these toxic games, than fold
This is getting old, and frankly, so are we
I’m speaking to my generation, we’ve lost our guarantee
Girls fall for what they hear
So guys became more crafty with their words
Guys fall for what they see
So girls became more deceiving with their looks
We recycle these toxic traits
Make unhealthy decisions on a whim Clench our fists and grit our teeth
Ready to damage the next victim
Tongue sharpened, ready to go to war with words, fueling hate
Whatever happened to healing each other with love, only a few can relate
If we took a step back
Maybe we could make amends
Maybe we could get back on the right track
Let’s be our real selves rather than pretend
Because, at the end of this war,
Nobody wins
The poem above, as well as the many others I have written, belong to the genres; Death, Family, Fear, Friendship, Hurt, Life, Love, Painful, Personality, Relationships, Rhyme, Romantic, Sad, Heartbreak, sexual and Sensual.

“When all lies, deceit, pretense is stripped away, what remains? The truth of a painting, or a book or a man.” — Art of Quotation
When all lies, deceit, pretense is stripped away, what remains? The truth of a painting, or a book or a man. William S. Burroughs, writer Photo: Pauline Loroy
“There can be no beauty if it is paid for by human injustice, nor truth that passes over injustice in silence, nor moral virtue that condones it.” — Art of Quotation
There can be no beauty if it is paid for by human injustice, nor truth that passes over injustice in silence, nor moral virtue that condones it. Tadeusz Borowski, writer, Polish, holocaust survivor, book quote from “This way for the gas, ladies and gentlemen: and other stories”, 1967
“If we put corrupt men in public office and sneeringly acquiesce in their corruptions, then we are wrong ourselves.” — Art of Quotation
If we put corrupt men in public office and sneeringly acquiesce in their corruptions, then we are wrong ourselves. Theodore Roosevelt, president, related: 51 Senators
“Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed: I was here… I had an idea and I had a good purpose and that’s why I made works of art.” — Art of Quotation
Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed: I was here. I was hungry. I was defeated. I was happy. I was sad. I was in love. I was afraid. I was hopeful. I had an idea and I had a good purpose and that’s why I made works of art. […]






