tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11297776125214027062024-03-13T00:33:48.793-07:00Stanzaic StylingsPoetry and Creative Arts EzineJoanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.comBlogger587125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-83230323915331370492021-09-04T16:50:00.002-07:002021-09-04T16:50:24.084-07:00Stanzaic Stylings Retired<p> Okay all after 20 some odd years of publishing Ive made my decision to retire Yasou! And Stanzaic Stylings for good. They will remain online to preserve the archives.</p><p><br /></p><p>At this point in my life I just want to play and enjoy. The only responsibilities I want are the everyday tasks and My Sammers. He is my main focus.🐦♥️</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks to all who have supported Stanzaic and Yasou! Over these years.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thank you and love you all.</p><p><br /></p><p>♥️</p>Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-30889687436747355032021-05-15T19:24:00.001-07:002021-05-15T19:24:10.198-07:00Biological Clock by Joanne Olivieri<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW-MeXqs5OhNFQs3bg_8FfwBbs7LnhHz-UoPS_BuevzPS3oDa16dUnoxbRbdNJol4st_07LEOirImWvdijAzXR34X-HbLLDNLBEnm96gSi5ePtbQJN0_84dWsobtygUxrLm29B0mFBBAN/s512/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW-MeXqs5OhNFQs3bg_8FfwBbs7LnhHz-UoPS_BuevzPS3oDa16dUnoxbRbdNJol4st_07LEOirImWvdijAzXR34X-HbLLDNLBEnm96gSi5ePtbQJN0_84dWsobtygUxrLm29B0mFBBAN/s320/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <a href="https://sammersantics.wordpress.com/"><b>Joanne Olivieri Websitee</b></a><p></p>Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-76380147172111333892021-01-08T15:17:00.004-08:002021-01-08T15:21:57.236-08:00Closed to submissions<p> Stanzaic Stylings is now closed to submissions </p><p><br /></p><p>You may submit as per the guidelines to <a href="https://yasouezine.blogspot.com/p/submission-guidelin.html?m=1">Yasou! Ezine</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Thank you</p>Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-76969990461527726192020-09-13T12:55:00.000-07:002020-09-13T12:55:26.217-07:00Poetry by John Grey<p> <span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">AS A BEACH BOY</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The tern floated atop the waves</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">like a blossom.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The wily pelican</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">trailed the fishing boats.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I ran back and forth</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">along the pier.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I never did hold</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">a moment too long.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Until my hands reached out</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">to catch a flying dolphin.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">A ride on its back</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">was all I would sit still for.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">THE SEA, THE SHORE</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I’m captive –</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">treating the blustery grasses,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the trembling brush, to my circumspection.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I yield, succumb to the coastline,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">relive those old, never-to-be-forgotten</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">childhood moments on the beach.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Wind off the seas,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I collect its tang in my nostrils,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">like information from the deep,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">translated by the adolescent boy</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">who once combed the shore for sea dollars,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">who strode atop the dunes</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">like riding a humpbacked camel.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">On blue mornings such as this,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I’d venture out as far as the undertow,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">feel its pull on my toes</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">then step back.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Back into now, when I’m so much older,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">less accepting and more conscious</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">of being alive.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Meanwhile, the sun lights</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the same old fire in the sky,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">skin flutters near like tinder paper,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the aim of exercise</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">is to tan on the surface,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">blaze somewhere inside.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">ONCE MORE, SNOWED IN</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Another six inches of snow forecast</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Already a foot and a half on the ground</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">but nature abhors an odd number.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Somewhere beneath, these drifts</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">surety lies the circuitry of spring.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">But the sun is vague on the subject</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The temperature won't hear of it</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Some days just feel</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">like every other day must be like this.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The memory is as iced up as the windows.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Flakes block every passage to a different season.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I have a hearth at least.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">But even raw flame feels artificial.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It's Winter.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Bad news falls from the sky.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The world stops in its tracks.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Time's like a swaying pendulum</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">between day and night,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">unable to midge forward.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Nothing changes.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Nothing can change.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">And life is too short</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">to feel like it's forever.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </p>Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-21008631918305854242020-09-11T14:13:00.000-07:002020-09-11T14:13:00.590-07:00I Am San Francisco by A.D. Winans<p> <span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I AM SAN FRANCISCO</span></p><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I have witnessed the waterfront decay</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the ships disappear</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the piers given over to tourists</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and sunbathing sea lions</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">gone the Haight Theater</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">in the old Haight Ashbury </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">where as a kid I paid a dime to see</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">two movies a serial and a newsreel</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">gone the old Embassy Theater</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">on Market Street where</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">they spun the Wheel of Fortune</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">playing Ten-O-Win</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">with a busty female usherette shouting</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">“In the Balcony, 1-2-3-4 Silver Dollars”</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">her breasts bouncing in unison</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">with each coin that hit the tray</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the old Fox and Paramount Theaters</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">now ghostly memories</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the old Market Street porno house</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">boarded down</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">gone McFarland’s Fudge Shop</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and Merrill’s Drug Store</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">gone the old Hoffbrau house</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">on Market Street</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Breen’s on Third Street</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">with the worlds best Martini</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">gone I Magnum’s Department Store</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and the old City of Paris</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">where as a child I thrilled</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">at the sight of the giant Christmas tree</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and who can forget The Emporium</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">its indoor ice-skating rink</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and a Santa Claus workshop</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the roof top garden where</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">rides included a Ferris wheel</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">a small roller coaster</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and a train for children to ride</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Gone the North Beach Beat hangouts:</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">“The Place The Co-existence Bagel Shop</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and the old Coffee Gallery where</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Janice Joplin sang as an unknown</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">gone the old Barbary Coast where</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">as a teenager I tried to sneak into a bar</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">to catch a glimpse of a naked female dancer</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">long before Carol Doda</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and topless and bottomless bars</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Lenny Bruce and the old Purple Onion</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">fading memories like</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Play Land at the beach</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and the old burlesque house</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">in the Mission</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">gone the way of trolley car tokens</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Fleer’s Double Bubble Gum</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and the Sutro baths</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Third and Howard Street</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the old skid row given a face lift</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the new skid row between</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Sixth and Seventh Streets</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">home to drug dealers and alcoholics</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">an open festering wound</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the city fathers ignore</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Martini’s now an old people’s drink</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Whiskey Sours just a memory</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the Waterfront dives that served</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Seamen and Long Shore men replaced</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">by new movie complexes and parking lots</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The Mission once home of the Irish</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">has gone Latino</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">North Beach is moving</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">from Italian to Asian</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The Greeks long ago moved to Burlingame</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and no one knows what happened</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">to the American Indian</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and the bar they frequented</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">on Valencia Street</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and yet the city remains a magical</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">living breathing theater</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">of eccentric characters</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">that go back to Emperor Norton</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">You can still get a reasonably priced drink</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">at the 3300 Club in the Mission</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">or if you can afford it</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">go to the Top of the Mark</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">for a $13 hot chocolate drink with</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">a shot of Stolly Vodka and Southern Comfort</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and enjoy one of the most beautiful views</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">in the world</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">or on a hot summer afternoon enjoy</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">an ice cream at Mitchell’s on San Jose Avenue</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">where my father took the family</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">for an after dinner treat</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">You can still sun yourself</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">at Washington Square Park</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">watch young lovers lying on the grass</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">old men feeding pigeons</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">or walk the streets of Noe Valley</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">once a blue-collar neighborhood</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">now a Yuppie paradise</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">see young mothers with kids in stroller’s</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">eye women joggers</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">admire a dog sitting outside</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Martha’s Coffee Shop</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">faithfully waiting with pleading eyes</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">for table scraps from its owner</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I ‘m a Giants baseball fan</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and a lifetime 49ers football addict</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">my heart still bleeds over the loss</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">of Seal’s Stadium and the old time</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">San Francisco Seals</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I am the possessor</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">of framed achievement awards</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and a baseball trophy from Panama where</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I played a decent outfield</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I am the only word-slinger</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">in a working class family</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I am a ghost lost</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">in poetry books struggling to find</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the right words to a hit song</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">like my idol Hank Williams Senior</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I am at war with my shadow</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">who shamelessly stalks me</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I survived my apartment fire</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">to reestablish family ties</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">long buried in quicksand</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">my niece my nephew my grand nephews</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and grand niece share my blood</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">a mixture of white and Mexican roots</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">my father’s ghost walks my dreams</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">stares out the window of my soul</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">like he stared out the living room window</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the year before his death.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">my mother sitting at the dinner table</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">serving meat loaf and mashed potatoes</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the air heavy as an anchor dragging</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the ocean floor</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I am San Francisco.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-52817886741481321772020-06-13T17:11:00.000-07:002020-06-14T09:06:43.149-07:00Soul Wings by Sue Pullen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQODDX_wdy4bfN8-VYUqYitXB4jE4adOd_oNd_0Fs0mmcVpR5Z5-F7wejjnHgvUEr8_SvtxyoYrFce_sgo7v9m-cyOvOzvJl9k1dcNaNIlaaaNLAufjsqhyphenhyphenap3-98hS5ZL7RpnWYf1x7ep/s1600/2c3f4e331d55f88c6b9f58a7248866cf.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQODDX_wdy4bfN8-VYUqYitXB4jE4adOd_oNd_0Fs0mmcVpR5Z5-F7wejjnHgvUEr8_SvtxyoYrFce_sgo7v9m-cyOvOzvJl9k1dcNaNIlaaaNLAufjsqhyphenhyphenap3-98hS5ZL7RpnWYf1x7ep/s640/2c3f4e331d55f88c6b9f58a7248866cf.0.jpg" width="510" /></a></div>
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Soul Wings by Sue Pullen </div>
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©Sue Pullen 2020</div>
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All rights Reserved</div>
Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-20673012076671907382020-03-25T11:29:00.000-07:002020-03-25T11:29:27.479-07:00I Love Your Hearty Laugh by C. R. Daugherty<div style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yivSrdYkxCXeCTf28pQjAE4e9Mj6dUOjXob_7tSGpDtOv2QIvL1mVfJCYhHq0rZE4F4kl15dxxRAw-AcU-coLTR0mygbDWdU718qcfWtxESvvid2KQTQPyx3lmOXnB6UJzV9-Ochx8ZA/s1600/daisy-3392654_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yivSrdYkxCXeCTf28pQjAE4e9Mj6dUOjXob_7tSGpDtOv2QIvL1mVfJCYhHq0rZE4F4kl15dxxRAw-AcU-coLTR0mygbDWdU718qcfWtxESvvid2KQTQPyx3lmOXnB6UJzV9-Ochx8ZA/s320/daisy-3392654_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I Love Your Hearty Laugh</div>
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There’s this lady I’ve met;</div>
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She’s a woman I know,</div>
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and I hold her quite closely and dear.</div>
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She’s the apple of mine eye,</div>
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a diamond in the rough,</div>
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though we share a love of gemstones so queer.</div>
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We can spend hours on end</div>
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spelunking rock gardens</div>
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for amazing crystals to see</div>
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Or moments in the donut shop,</div>
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being quite overtly crass,</div>
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over bitter cups of hot jasmine tea.</div>
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She is heaven; she is argent…</div>
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She is the lover I have dreamed of,</div>
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and I want to be with her throughout—</div>
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The cold and the warm,</div>
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the sun dog and storm,</div>
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until our time here has run out.</div>
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© C.R. Daugherty 3-24-2020</div>
Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-15325513322684287732020-02-06T19:27:00.004-08:002020-02-06T19:29:04.313-08:00Be Stronger and I Am Human by Ahmad Al-Khatat <div style="background: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 33.488px; margin: 0cm 0cm 4.5pt; widows: 1;">
<b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">Be Stronger</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">Stronger than before<br />I’m here under rainfall<br />Getting stronger than<br />before, because of you</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">Stronger than feelings<br />I’m wiser, and faster than<br />the curious heart breaker<br />We’re stronger than love</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">You once made me happy<br />I melted my heart into steel<br />Just to always remember you<br />Harder, better than memories</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">Your friendship made me<br />-stronger than the old times<br />When I hear your voice alone<br />I become stronger than death</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">No more castles and empires<br />Together we are stronger than<br />greater, higher than old figures<br />You make the heart grow healthier</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">But the wind of your sweet scent<br />-were stronger than a drunk soul<br />Between us there is no intimacy<br />we strongly keep on shining respect</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">I Am Human</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">I am human<br />from all races<br />I am looking<br />for respect,<br />condition<br />-attitude<br />and good<br />behaviours</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">I am human<br />dancing with<br />no silky touch<br />but on my own<br />for no reason<br />sometimes, I<br />am trying to<br />live like a human</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">My name is<br />human being<br />My age is the<br />numbers of<br />days of the<br />dead fighter<br />My soul is<br />already taken</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">Another human<br />I once met her;<br />she is the reason<br />why the night is<br />sad, no matter<br />what I do aside<br />from writing a<br />poem or a song</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">Can someone<br />walk me home<br />I am blind to<br />trust strangers<br />I am a silent<br />human listening<br />to dreamers talking<br />to machine believers</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black;">Bio</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Ahmad Al-Khatat was born in Baghdad, Iraq. His work has appeared in print and online journals globally and has poems translated into several languages. He has been nominated for Best of the Net 2018. He is the author of The Bleeding Heart Poet, Love On The War’s Frontline, Gas Chamber, Wounds from Iraq, Roofs of Dreams, and The Grey Revolution. He lives in Montreal, Canada.</span></div>
Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-82684676856204337982020-02-04T14:14:00.001-08:002020-02-04T14:14:54.041-08:00Those Crazy Birds by Ahmad Al-Khatat <div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04r4AID7z0cOXavvx8p-Vm0OykAccNlT7KhuLHkoy1UMKZEN1eHbQY5cCYc59bg9RgiDh84M8TIizJDzEm8otiacSz0SRMMpo34mrON25Tp016VXdIKw9YcgvBCJBs9zgeXEimwwxOCmv/s1600/animals-1835337_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04r4AID7z0cOXavvx8p-Vm0OykAccNlT7KhuLHkoy1UMKZEN1eHbQY5cCYc59bg9RgiDh84M8TIizJDzEm8otiacSz0SRMMpo34mrON25Tp016VXdIKw9YcgvBCJBs9zgeXEimwwxOCmv/s320/animals-1835337_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Those Crazy Birds</b></div>
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Those birds set free </div>
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They never fly again </div>
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They don’t sing to you </div>
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cause we broke their wings </div>
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Those birds are mute </div>
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They are extremely wild </div>
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But their sorrows turned </div>
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into flightless birds in the cage </div>
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Through the early morning </div>
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I’m the caged bird standing </div>
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in front of the fragile mirror </div>
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Looking for a smaller cage </div>
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This life is a beautiful soul</div>
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But people have damaged</div>
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-the birdhouse inside of my </div>
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spirit, I will be fine by the blue skies </div>
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Those crazy birds will sing to </div>
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us, just keep your head very up</div>
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Look for meaning and change </div>
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-the way you sit under the shadow </div>
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<b>Bio</b>:</div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 33.488px;"><i>Ahmad Al-Khatat was born in Baghdad, Iraq. His work has appeared in print and online journals globally and has poems translated into several languages. He has been nominated for Best of the Net 2018. He is the author of The Bleeding Heart Poet, Love On The War’s Frontline, Gas Chamber, Wounds from Iraq, Roofs of Dreams, and The Grey Revolution. He lives in Montreal, Canada.</i></span></div>
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Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-84017667948416913822020-02-04T10:13:00.001-08:002020-02-04T10:25:00.515-08:00Poetry by Lynn Long<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; widows: 1;">
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photo credit pixababy</div>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></i></span>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></i></span>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></i></span>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>Poetry</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />Let me wander </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Through the caverns </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">of your soul</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">And, I'll give you </span></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">my heart </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">To eternally hold</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Let me explore</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Just a while</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Drifting in your kiss</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Upon true love's Nile</span></i></span></div>
<i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Let me soar</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Beyond the night</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">To return once more</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">A Phoenix</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">In flight</span></i></span></div>
<i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">And let us fall</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Again and again</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Into the abyss</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Deep within</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<section class="comments embed" data-num-comments="0" id="comments" style="border: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 20px 20px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="comments" style="background: rgb(240, 249, 255); color: #6dbde7; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"></a><span style="background-color: #f0f9ff; color: #1f201f; font-family: "roboto" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></span></section>Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-48141051119373549832020-02-03T11:49:00.001-08:002020-02-03T11:51:17.264-08:00Close The Book by Ahmad Al-Khatat <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">Close the Book</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 33.488px;">It’s the time to close</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">the book of negativity<br />Stop flipping over the<br />pages of wasted years<br />and stand in front of<br />-waves of confidence</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">It’s the time to close<br />the book of remorse<br />Start creating a place<br />for satisfaction above<br />-some dark thoughts<br />of attempting suicides</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt;">It’s the time to close<br />the book of long isolation<br />I want to feel like I am loved<br />to my country, back to my life<br />Smile again without wearing an<br />emotional smile that lasts forever</span> </div>
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Bio:</div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 33.488px;"><i>Ahmad Al-Khatat was born in Baghdad, Iraq. His work has appeared in print and online journals globally and has poems translated into several languages. He has been nominated for Best of the Net 2018. He is the author of The Bleeding Heart Poet, Love On The War’s Frontline, Gas Chamber, Wounds from Iraq, Roofs of Dreams, and The Grey Revolution. He lives in Montreal, Canada.</i></span></div>
Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-29446472802322513152020-01-26T17:13:00.001-08:002020-01-26T17:13:32.490-08:00Poetry by Lynn Long<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Poetry</i></div>
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<i>Falling amid the night</i></div>
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<i>A shooting star</i></div>
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<i>This being of light</i></div>
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<i>On a quest from</i></div>
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<i>afar...</i></div>
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<i>Steadfast her course</i></div>
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<i>She whispers goodbye</i></div>
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<i>To moonbeams and</i></div>
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<i>star-dust, floating on</i></div>
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<i>high...</i></div>
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<i>Afraid, she is not</i></div>
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<i>She perseveres</i></div>
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<i>The path long sought</i></div>
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<i>Finally clear</i></div>
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<i>And the fall bittersweet</i></div>
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<i>As her journey begins</i></div>
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<i>This being of light</i></div>
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<i>Shining within....</i></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f0f9ff; color: #201f20; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Lynn Long Book Page at Cyberwit</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.cyberwit.net/publications/1288" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #e76d80; font-size: 12px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none;">https://www.cyberwit.net/publications/1288</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;">Lynn Long Nature's Musings</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/lynn-long/natures-musings/paperback/product-24062476.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f0f9ff; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #e76d80; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"></a><a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/lynn-long/natures-musings/paperback/product-24062476.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #e76d80; font-size: 12px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none;">http://www.lulu.com/shop/lynn-long/natures-musings/paperback/product-24062476.html</a></div>
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Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-85393375923764393342020-01-24T13:44:00.000-08:002020-01-24T13:44:19.273-08:00McDermed, Kelly, Last et al by Michael Ceraolo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>McDermed, Kelly, Last et al</i></div>
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One of us would have been one too many,</div>
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yet there are several more than one of us</div>
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There are no commemorative plaques anywhere,</div>
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so this poem will have to suffice</div>
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The next time you are at a professional game,</div>
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even though it might not have happened at that particular park,</div>
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take a moment to remember those of us</div>
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who were killed during the building of some parks</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'open sans', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Michael Ceraolo is a 61-year-old retired firefighter/paramedic and active poet who has had two full-length books (Euclid Creek, from Deep Cleveland Press; 500 Cleveland Haiku, from Writing Knights Press) and several shorter-length books published, and has a third full-length book, Euclid Creek Book Two, forthcoming from unbound content press.</span></div>
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Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-26993710914379268792020-01-12T11:54:00.002-08:002020-01-12T11:54:24.716-08:00Way of Peace by Eliza Segiet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">Way of Peace<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">These times<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">do not honor the wisdom of the elderly.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">There are no longer the sapient ones<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">who can remedy<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">the wrong decisions.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">In the dark<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<span lang="EN-US">it is hard to find<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">a way of peace.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">We’re still in a place<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">where we should not be.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Can people be punished for innocence?<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Nobody will answer anymore.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Even silence<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">is a bad adviser.</span></div>
Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-71619752394538142082020-01-11T15:16:00.002-08:002020-01-11T15:22:07.394-08:00Poems by David Francis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvg_9j5efWc5oKultqydDjWYsoS_VsYWfKSBrksvCnyNsbkhJ_wAwkbAuXGs4wOXYXoWgiqoLlFo0Mh7Rc9yTeFtqnms4NN08DZglocbcINOKgEReFPWtgjCW5HQhDGRSNBA1AmFvEWTC/s1600/IMG_20200111_152029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="1448" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvg_9j5efWc5oKultqydDjWYsoS_VsYWfKSBrksvCnyNsbkhJ_wAwkbAuXGs4wOXYXoWgiqoLlFo0Mh7Rc9yTeFtqnms4NN08DZglocbcINOKgEReFPWtgjCW5HQhDGRSNBA1AmFvEWTC/s320/IMG_20200111_152029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Although I love all genres of music and all styles of poetry I've never been a fan of the spoken word being accompanied by music. It's like peanut butter and chocolate. I love both but don't like Reeses peanut butter cups.</div>
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That being said, I did enjoy listening to Poems by David Francis. The musical compositions enhance the tone and lend to the overall emotions each poem evokes.</div>
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Davids poetry tells stories, paints pictures and puts the reader living amongst each stanza. </div>
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This CD is definitely unique with that creative touch only David Francis can provide with his creative mind and voice.</div>
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Be sure to check out his website below for more information and ordering on CD Baby.</div>
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<a href="https://www.davidfrancismusic.com/">https://www.davidfrancismusic.com/</a></div>
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Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-16333449829496649082020-01-10T19:16:00.002-08:002020-01-10T19:16:40.260-08:00Brain Washed by Blanca Alicia Garza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitC2-CHeNb7A0CVwvlI0B_mj-ay2tfUOq9lPWDCGufJj58HRinfGG498kn8A1IPzBY8UD6fw0fP2euBbawoQHCXsQtkwn9cWvh_EJNRfrAk3cZW9pGfWG-jXq_3lmqf-5QANycOIqbLErK/s1600/82586150_2793223020760187_2627564217489686528_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitC2-CHeNb7A0CVwvlI0B_mj-ay2tfUOq9lPWDCGufJj58HRinfGG498kn8A1IPzBY8UD6fw0fP2euBbawoQHCXsQtkwn9cWvh_EJNRfrAk3cZW9pGfWG-jXq_3lmqf-5QANycOIqbLErK/s320/82586150_2793223020760187_2627564217489686528_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;"><b>Brain Washed</b></span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">What is happening </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">with our beautiful world </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">It is tumbling and</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">Falling apart. </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">We're destroying it</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">with hatred and beliefs </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">We're living with fear </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">even to turn on the TV</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">To find just bad news there</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">and meaningless advertising </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">Poison in our food </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">New diseases </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">But less cures</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">Where the clowns now</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">wear suits and ties </span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">And the Justice has</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">closed their eyes.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">Blanca Alicia Garza is a Poet from Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a nature and animal lover, and enjoys spending time writing. Her poems are published in the Poetry Anthologies, "Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze", and "Dandelions in a Vase of Roses". Blanca's work can be found in The Poet Community, Whispers, The Winamop Journal, Indiana Voice Journal, Tuck Magazine, Raven's Cage Ezine, Scarlet Leaf Review as well as Birdsong Anthology 2016, Vol 1. Blanca was recently nominated for The Best of the Net 2017.</span>Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-31587546356243383062020-01-06T12:02:00.000-08:002020-01-06T12:05:35.538-08:00Poetry by Lynn Long<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia04MNgH2YAGYDuIU7lBQ-owjGNbHvBzzrLS3KGGCa5fiLaLPVqr2MyUFcFljMPOBzVsjOZzvDCsoGNT8Ip5LzZyKKiDrVnu1Lhs2QL29RX6uZqJj08Awc3gpPejmlT_MLcGOVS9pTwA3K/s1600/5hl4ds1570418010.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia04MNgH2YAGYDuIU7lBQ-owjGNbHvBzzrLS3KGGCa5fiLaLPVqr2MyUFcFljMPOBzVsjOZzvDCsoGNT8Ip5LzZyKKiDrVnu1Lhs2QL29RX6uZqJj08Awc3gpPejmlT_MLcGOVS9pTwA3K/s1600/5hl4ds1570418010.png" /></a></div>
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Poetry<br />
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Lately, I find myself<br />
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measuring time-<br />
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by the memories<br />
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of long ago...<br />
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Random moments, suddenly<br />
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remembered, almost as a<br />
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cry from the soul...<br />
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Awakening my senses are<br />
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the yesteryear's repeated<br />
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lessons- still unlearned<br />
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Forever a student<br />
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I ponder their return...<br />
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Lynn Long Book Page at Cyberwit<br />
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<a href="https://www.cyberwit.net/publications/1288">https://www.cyberwit.net/publications/1288</a><br />
<br />
<br />
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Lynn Long Nature's Musings<br />
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<a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/lynn-long/natures-musings/paperback/product-24062476.html">http://www.lulu.com/shop/lynn-long/natures-musings/paperback/product-24062476.html</a><br />
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Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-71785634987876980802019-12-22T19:13:00.002-08:002019-12-22T19:13:40.586-08:00Poetry by Lynn Long<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSWaAYYrbtF1Tx4eLotP5JCTDjGwn7haONFuBYF7dTlFv13IGOQ-bm9-74D5UIDIWIbgspHK_F_MD5Qf5Ab4zGz_aVGozRnRoXr4cx8Z3HAyrg2Rlm_Q7sjpr1b3815sD0WvxYQBJJzTc/s1600/IMG_20191222_121510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="627" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSWaAYYrbtF1Tx4eLotP5JCTDjGwn7haONFuBYF7dTlFv13IGOQ-bm9-74D5UIDIWIbgspHK_F_MD5Qf5Ab4zGz_aVGozRnRoXr4cx8Z3HAyrg2Rlm_Q7sjpr1b3815sD0WvxYQBJJzTc/s320/IMG_20191222_121510.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">Poetry</i></div>
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<i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">Visions of wonder</i><div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i>True sights to behold</i></div>
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<i>Are the vistas within</i></div>
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<i>The depths of your soul</i></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff5f0;">Lynn Long Book Page at Cyberwit</span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(255, 245, 240); color: #e76d80; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.cyberwit.net/publications/1288" style="background: transparent; color: #e76d80; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://www.cyberwit.net/publications/1288</a></div>
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Lynn Long Nature's Musings</div>
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Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-50741892893616537672019-12-19T11:27:00.000-08:002019-12-19T11:27:07.224-08:00Ella Black by Michael Ceraolo<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 31.2px;"><br /></span>
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<i>"Ella Black"</i></div>
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<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
I was the Pittsburgh correspondent for <i>Sporting Life</i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
during the one season of the Players League</div>
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There were a good many then who didn't believe</div>
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a woman could write knowledgeably about sports</div>
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(I understand there are fewer of those now),</div>
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and I wasn't helped by headline writers' creations</div>
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that rarely coincided with my column's content</div>
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(I understand that hasn't changed at all)</div>
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But I proved the doubters wrong,</div>
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and having done so, I vanished</div>
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without any further trace in the historical record</div>
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Nobody knows if Ella Black was even my real name</div>
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If you're a fan of the game,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
you should know who I am,</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 31.2px;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
even if nobody knows who I was</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 31.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 31.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 31.2px;">Michael Ceraolo is a 61-year-old retired firefighter/paramedic and active poet who has had two full-length books (Euclid Creek, from Deep Cleveland Press; 500 Cleveland Haiku, from Writing Knights Press) and several shorter-length books published, and has a third full-length book, Euclid Creek Book Two, forthcoming from unbound content press.</span>Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-80241904461500583912019-12-05T15:07:00.000-08:002019-12-05T15:08:29.858-08:00E.G. Green from Dugout Anthology by Michael Ceraolo <div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiCncPt2En18r4BtIfV8SvcJfInYBX19prOjNsJon9m2ZwU34qfDDfr8WUENnm4nb4P8GIf5_fCK3xXJkB5T95BZSipS9TWVLIZ2N59h6VmW7lv_GgZFGqiZxCidII0K7x61RGYQJXsT-/s1600/5hl4ds1570418010.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiCncPt2En18r4BtIfV8SvcJfInYBX19prOjNsJon9m2ZwU34qfDDfr8WUENnm4nb4P8GIf5_fCK3xXJkB5T95BZSipS9TWVLIZ2N59h6VmW7lv_GgZFGqiZxCidII0K7x61RGYQJXsT-/s1600/5hl4ds1570418010.png" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
<i>E..G. Green</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
This was my baseball nom de plume:</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
E for Eliza, Green my maiden name</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
(I survived three husbands, but they aren't germane</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
to this poem so they won't be mentioned here;</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
you can look them up if you're interested)</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
For a decade I was the official scorer</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
for the Chicago White Stockings of the League</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
Except for Mr. Spalding, who hired me,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
no one, not even the League president,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
knew that E.G. Green was a woman;</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
it was amusing to be sitting</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
with the players' wives during games,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
undercover, so to speak</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
And it was even more amusing</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
to hear them, and later, their husbands,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
kick about an official scoring decision;</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
sometimes they even asked my opinion</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
about the correctness of such decisions!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 31.2px;">Michael Ceraolo is a 61-year-old retired firefighter/paramedic and active poet who has had two full-length books (Euclid Creek, from Deep Cleveland Press; 500 Cleveland Haiku, from Writing Knights Press) and several shorter-length books published, and has a third full-length book, Euclid Creek Book Two, forthcoming from unbound content press.</span></div>
Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-8822955059052507822019-12-01T14:11:00.001-08:002019-12-01T14:11:30.390-08:00Poems from Argentina by David Francis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvBkXxvkBhjFLBcVoz045ZJaqSQ4qb1AO_W7TyDqTM-s-zaNmKX_j5AidGU_PutGkin5NERKbFcSamWNu_H3fhaoUVpKUPhTU2XYMGO0ZSXvgivPO25coRNV1meLcTj5Lc-FhF59VHmcw/s1600/31o5WgX51BL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvBkXxvkBhjFLBcVoz045ZJaqSQ4qb1AO_W7TyDqTM-s-zaNmKX_j5AidGU_PutGkin5NERKbFcSamWNu_H3fhaoUVpKUPhTU2XYMGO0ZSXvgivPO25coRNV1meLcTj5Lc-FhF59VHmcw/s320/31o5WgX51BL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; widows: 1;" /><a href="https://kelsaybooks.com/products/poems-from-argentina" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; widows: 1;" target="_blank">https://kelsaybooks.com/<wbr></wbr>products/poems-from-argentina</a><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; widows: 1;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; widows: 1;" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poems-Argentina-David-Francis/dp/1950462404" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; widows: 1;" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Poems-<wbr></wbr>Argentina-David-Francis/dp/<wbr></wbr>1950462404</a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1.3rem; margin-top: -0.4rem; padding: 0px;">
David’s poetry reveals the soul of a musician and the mind of a storyteller. His words embrace color, light, and depth within a spectrum of inspiration and understanding. David Francis and his poetry reflect the artistry of words within musical cadence capturing stories of life, love and sheer wonder. A true treasure of the heart, mind, and soul.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1.3rem; margin-top: -0.4rem; padding: 0px;">
Joanne Olivieri - Publisher,Writer, Editor of <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Stanzaic Stylings, </i>San Francisco</div>
Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-6759708313441934202019-11-17T15:11:00.000-08:002019-11-17T15:11:08.047-08:00Death Valley by John Grey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAhuVp9dE2rl3nuznEmAnUSOmRXnKlGCXfa26Pzkh7Ksr1qKdi6CRIv5nRsUjD2swChZuQjlZC_TYhz22tM3onuiNQxTMAV8thTigEghmI6ya4-gKvCacyGRCPrx_k-Uk8W_NHfwch57j/s1600/pexels-photo-226366.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAhuVp9dE2rl3nuznEmAnUSOmRXnKlGCXfa26Pzkh7Ksr1qKdi6CRIv5nRsUjD2swChZuQjlZC_TYhz22tM3onuiNQxTMAV8thTigEghmI6ya4-gKvCacyGRCPrx_k-Uk8W_NHfwch57j/s320/pexels-photo-226366.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Photo courtesy of Abby Kihano</div>
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<br /></div>
John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident. Recently published in<br />
That, Dunes Review, Poetry East and North Dakota Quarterly with work upcoming in Haight-Ashbury Literary Journal, Thin Air, Dalhousie Review and failbetter.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
DEATH VALLEY<br />
<br />
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<br />
Sand abbreviates a ghost town’s story,<br />
<br />
shutters the mine,<br />
<br />
buries the roads leading in and out.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A lesser history gives birth to saltbush,<br />
<br />
No trees. No shadows.<br />
<br />
The sun’s advance is unstoppable.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Grainy wind<br />
<br />
blows from the west<br />
<br />
Dust devils dance<br />
<br />
on rocky floor.<br />
<br />
That’s it for movement.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-34763274563534424122019-11-11T11:25:00.001-08:002019-11-11T11:25:19.083-08:00The Dutiful Dozen by Michael Ceraolo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyEtsOw3uw8VL9PEb9Q4wNMdYuDIu95NSG1r98LK0VVZw5D1YweSeHyTtoLiyH8Id5qGJLL1HohhyphenhyphenW_QBx-L6oJdDWUSuxFcpL_46P6V3QXT5sg6WdP_4akOMNYd5dlUUmficadLNwri6/s1600/5hl4ds1570418010.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyEtsOw3uw8VL9PEb9Q4wNMdYuDIu95NSG1r98LK0VVZw5D1YweSeHyTtoLiyH8Id5qGJLL1HohhyphenhyphenW_QBx-L6oJdDWUSuxFcpL_46P6V3QXT5sg6WdP_4akOMNYd5dlUUmficadLNwri6/s320/5hl4ds1570418010.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><b>The Dutiful Dozen from Dugout Anthology</b></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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As I, Robert O. "Bob" Neighbors,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
am currently, and hope to remain, the last,</div>
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I will take it upon myself to speak for the others:</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
Harry M. O'Neill</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
Elmer Gedeon</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
Robert G. "Bun" Troy</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
Ralph E. Sharman</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
Newton S. "Newt" Halliday</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
Edward L. "Eddie" Grant</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
Harry M. Glenn</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
LaVerne A. "Larry" Chappell</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
Henry E. Chapman</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
Alexander Thomson "Tom" Burr</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
William E. "Bill" Stearns</div>
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We all loved to play ball,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
and achieved our dream of playing in the majors:</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
some of us for a few games or less</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
who were never going to play any more,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
one or two of us with the potential to become stars,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
only Eddie with a career of any real length</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
In a number of different ways,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
including training accidents and various illnesses</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
in addition to those in combat,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
in the course of four wars,</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
we each made the ultimate sacrifice</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
I apologize if I've missed any other players </div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
who did likewise</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'open sans', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 31.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'open sans', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 31.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'open sans', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 31.2000007629395px;">Michael Ceraolo is a 61-year-old retired firefighter/paramedic and active poet who has had two full-length books (Euclid Creek, from Deep Cleveland Press; 500 Cleveland Haiku, from Writing Knights Press) and several shorter-length books published, and has a third full-length book, Euclid Creek Book Two, forthcoming from unbound content press.</span>Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-91351151878573413312019-11-10T19:11:00.000-08:002019-11-10T19:11:17.958-08:00Poetry of the Soul by Lynn Long<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdyF0_y9OvAvWhBRIFswkGdLRi6gn7zPJvdxt8Ek515VCdovimMlgysjJNCQz7oRo4Uld0YbYM9qXWXcfsyo2BcYBNTQBLf-6ztcbywj_a5TP__fMdP_cFBUprpIJZMzwFMqmVKM6D6xe/s1600/IMG_20191110_120131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1308" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdyF0_y9OvAvWhBRIFswkGdLRi6gn7zPJvdxt8Ek515VCdovimMlgysjJNCQz7oRo4Uld0YbYM9qXWXcfsyo2BcYBNTQBLf-6ztcbywj_a5TP__fMdP_cFBUprpIJZMzwFMqmVKM6D6xe/s320/IMG_20191110_120131.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i style="font-size: 23.296px;"><b>Poetry of the Soul</b></i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i>It's just a soul thing</i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i>Yours and mine</i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i>A fated romance</i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i>Lost in time...</i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i>Two hearts-</i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i>in search of home</i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i>Ever to wander</i></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 23.296px; widows: 1;">
<i>Ever to roam</i></div>
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Lynn Long Nature's Musings</div>
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Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1129777612521402706.post-36372383287511764822019-11-07T15:30:00.000-08:002019-11-07T15:30:10.307-08:00Tropical Temporariness by Vatsala Radhakeesoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-j-kKbvnptuSnnuNDaynukgZyr8UPTAQDiKL-eSOgoVb_AeDGXuIQ6mZHWuhdVRCEcza-TwuBs67LoM2p93jwSbCQ2Ljiw5ah7Oh8hd0Ad7d5szNtGz7u7V-7zPtHRaV-mwD_n-03BFJv/s1600/Book+Cover+Tropical+Temporariness-page-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-j-kKbvnptuSnnuNDaynukgZyr8UPTAQDiKL-eSOgoVb_AeDGXuIQ6mZHWuhdVRCEcza-TwuBs67LoM2p93jwSbCQ2Ljiw5ah7Oh8hd0Ad7d5szNtGz7u7V-7zPtHRaV-mwD_n-03BFJv/s320/Book+Cover+Tropical+Temporariness-page-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tropical Temporariness by Vatsala Radhakeesoon is a beautiful tapestry of words and images woven together creating an insight into the tropical life of her native Mauritius.</div>
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The author illustrates her depth of pride for her homeland within each haiku along with a short detailed description for sacred and historical treasures such as the now extinct dodo bird.</div>
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Vatsala's love of nature and homeland speaks profoundly within the pages of this volume of haiku and photography. There is a sense of mystical realism which grips your soul and has you longing to experience this tropical paradise.</div>
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A few of many favorites includes:</div>
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PInk evening clouds wink</div>
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Fluffy candy floss awaits</div>
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delicious soft rest</div>
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Leaves shake wrath</div>
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Clouds pour abundance of tears</div>
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Thunderstorm kills lies</div>
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The extinct Dodo*</div>
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Subject arising debate</div>
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Souvenirs now smile</div>
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*Dodo: The national bird of Mauritius. Dodoes lived on the island during the Dutch rule</div>
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of Mauritius.</div>
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The following haiku along with its stunning image is my favorite and one which has a profound message.</div>
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Voices of sailors</div>
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In seashells of history</div>
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Echo in sea waves.</div>
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It is the mark of an exceptional writer who can capture life in all of its glory within a haiku style. This book exemplifies the artistic brilliance of the author. This volume, an ekphrastic treasure where mysticism meets</div>
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realism will have you longing to explore this cultural paradise.</div>
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I personally have always been drawn to and love the haiku style and I have to admit that this particular book of haiku paired with its sensational photography of Mauritius is the most captivating book I have ever read.</div>
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Travel through the pages of this book to experience the wonderland that is Mauritius.</div>
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Available on Amazon</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tropical-Temporariness-Vatsala-Radhakeesoon/dp/1946460141/" style="background: transparent; color: #e76d80; text-decoration: none;">https://www.amazon.com/Tropical-Temporariness-Vatsala-Radhakeesoon/dp/1946460141/</a></div>
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Joanne Olivierihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856998108256408734noreply@blogger.com0