Clear Weather #unexpected

blue skies

ten boys played soccer

taken by surprise

We never know when disaster will strike. My dear friend was hit by lightening several days before and survived. Sadness mingles with gratitude.

Kelly Smile #Uganda #loss #children

 

I saw your smile yesterday

broad was your Kelly smile

reminded me of memories

long as a Gulu mile

small fingers intertwined in mine

dark ash upon your cheek

fought fire with the older boys

bravest child Id ever meet

I saw your smile yesterday

broad was your Kelly smile

reminded me of memories

long as a Gulu mile

bands all sizes on the floor

we’d make them for our wrists

love you knotted one for me

in colorful sweeps and twists

I saw your smile yesterday

broad was your Kelly smile

three short years of memories

but long as a Gulu mile

in such a little caravan

your body we conveyed

grandmother held you in her arms

wept o’er her precious babe

I saw your smile yesterday

broad was your Kelly smile

reminded of our memories

long as a Gulu mile

as your teacher I then shared

the picture in my heart

a tightly woven little place

it never will depart

I saw your smile yesterday

broad was your Kelly smile

knot of precious memories

they’re long as a Gulu mile

 

 

Listen in Sorrow #birds #poetry #loss

happy you tend to the garden

waking me daily with song

bringing cheer never sorrow

I find myself singing along

*

more work is there in the morrow

gather and fashion a nest

complaints never are filed

rarely do you stop for a rest

*

little one out in the wet storm

no jacket to fend off the rain

grateful for your reminder

sun always follows the pain

*

I take my pen sadly to paper

to write about someone I love

gone toward braodened horizons

taken gently to heaven above

*

spring raindrops

birds joyful refrain

tears fall freely

Today at Poet’s United the prompt is Birds.

This haibun is lovingly written for my father-in-law Robert who left us today.

Ripple Effect #poetry #oldage

 

a blurry reflection in wintry pond

from my pocket something priceless falls

“plop” is the sound I hear

I consider as it silent calls

“ninety years is too soon”

says old, wizened but sharp of mind

two wives I never intended to bury

for the century mark, I have time

I ponder his possibilities

friends mostly gone

better save your pennies

your days are long

a blurry reflection in wintry pond

from my pocket something priceless falls

“plop” are its last words

I consider as it silent calls

 

Sharing this with Poet’s United the prompt this week Nineties

 

The Amputee #poetry

It was cold down there

where my leg once hung

I never talked to my limbs

now I hold long conversations

with something that is forever gone

We made memories

palled around as friends

we were a team you and I

well we were

I guess good things all have to end

Think about “Us”

If you could do it all over

would you run off

at the first sign of trouble

leave me without cover

I always thought

you’d stand and fight

misconceptions run in my family

you were more concerned

about being right

*** For all those who have suffered amputation it is not an easy thing you face. That part of you will never get better and your diligence is required everyday to prevent infection. I met a man at the hospital  and he was one his third bout of losing more of his foot. He had a great attitude about it I might add but his feet I could tell had become his friends.

Your Poem on the Wind #poetry #loss #photography

Finger traces words

pages escape in the wind

poetry never dies

*

I clasp the memories

near to my heart

those warm days

and you and I

chasing shore birds

we dance in the sea-foam

our laughter joins with the sea’s chorus

“come frolic with us in waves of eternity

just beyond the sun”

A tear muddies the poem

the one you wrote

of your love

tied in a bundle

with so many others

invisible fingerprints

caress the ribbon

that has untied your sentiments

too many times to count

brown and brittle are the pages now

a piece breaks off

and is caught by the breeze

I scorn its warm glow

it too wants a bit of you

finally I crumple your treasures

to brown papery dust

setting you free for the last and final time

a silent petition I raise:

“let me join you

to frolic in the waves of eternity

just beyond the sun”

 This poem is inspired by Anna Akhmatova a woman who knew the glow and loss of love.

Today at Poet’s United Midweek Motif the theme is “A Woman’s World.” One thing women have long known is the value of love and the weight of loss and yet we endure.

All I Have Are Ashes #Akhmatova #poet #societalcancer

 

I’ve cried for seventeen long months,
I’ve called you for your home,
I fell at hangmen’ feet – not once,
My womb and hell you’re from.
All has been mixed up for all times,
And now I can’t define
Who is a beast or man, at last, 
And when they’ll kill my son.
There’re left just flowers under dust,
The censer’s squall, the traces, cast
Into the empty mar…
And looks strait into my red eyes
And threads with death, that’s coming fast,
The immense blazing star.

~above is an excerpt from “Requiem ” by Anna Akhmatova*

Tears mingle in the dirt
whose ashes are these?
they look familiar
momentarily my tears sparkle in the mud
“oh yes that was my first love
he died at the hand of Lenin
my son is still awaiting my tears”
the ashes have worked their way
into the fabric of one shoe
clinging to memory
“please God  give my frailty a purpose”
this shoe I ask that they not take 
I must cling to it for warmth
when the winter breezes dry my once fresh skin
kiss my cheek with remnants of him…
~mdw

(my echo of a poem to this Russian woman who knew such pain)

Anna Akhmatova is known as one of Russia’s finest female poets. She lived during a time when freedom of artistic expression was unwelcome. Her losses were many…

This is being shared with Poets’ United Midweek Motif the topic Cancer.

This recent poem Winter’s Accusation deals with cancer the disease. I write occasionally about it but I usually try to stay clear of those doors.

Frozen #poetry #winter

 

 

She always seemed to wear pink

like a spirited blossom

that always embodied spring

where once we sat

there is a cold covering

nothing speaks of her warmth

dawning day in starry eyes

heat of molten sunsets

her flower petals drop

I traverse this white  path

her bare footprints covered

frozen is the fabric of my tears

that fall like icicles

and I sit on our bench

waiting

alone

 

I went far afield on the Poet’s United prompt today. I am snowed in at this beautiful getaway – so the snow covered bench and the rambunctious pink begonia stole the show which was supposed to be focused on “Fashion.”

Without You #grief #haiku #photography

tsuka mo ugoke waga naku koe wa aki no kaze
shake! o tomb!

the sound of my wailing

is the wind of autumn

© Basho

 

Alone, I began

spring my awakening

autumn sings my song

The Carpe Diem Haiku Kai prompt is Grief. What sounds do you hear in grief?

Friday Feature #writing #fiction #author

 Welcome to Friday Feature and Author Joseph Pinto

 

I am privileged to know some remarkable and talented writers. Joseph Pinto is no exception. When I met Joe I was living on the Dark Side of the Moon which reflected in my darker than normal poetry. I had admired his writing as well as the work written by what I consider a Horror Guild called Pen of The Damned. I don’t know what other writers ponder (when their pen is resting) but I remember wishing that some day I could write to the caliber as these engaging horror writers each with a chilling style all their own. When Joe asked me to join PEN, I was dumbfounded but gladly said “yes.”

I know that writing with experienced writers helps to improve one’s own style.  I will never arrive at the level of the horror writing that Blaze McRob, Nina D’Archangela, Thomas Brown, Craig McGray, Magenta Nero, Tyr Kieran, Zack Kullis, Jon Olson, Hunter Shea, and Joseph Pinto have achieved,  but I believe my horror has intensified because of their patience and influence.

I am pleased to feature such a fine and intense writer as Joseph and urge you to dig deeper into the core of the world he paints on the page.

 

Joseph where does your inspiration for writing horror come from? (i.e. bad dreams, everyday life…)

My inspiration for writing horror comes from a variety of places.  Most of the time, I’ll glimpse at an image in my mind; it’s almost like a still frame from a movie.  Using that image, a story will slowly develop and ferment like fine wine.  Music, believe it or not, inspires me tremendously as well.  I’ll take the emotion a particular song will churn up within me and use that when writing.  Every day life is definitely a contributing factor, whether in my own cosmos or things I’ll read in the news.  As far as I know, I don’t have bad dreams; none that I can remember, at least. lol

Tell us about Pen of the Damned. What was your original goal for POTD and what are your visions for this “guild” in the future?

I started Pen of the Damned along with Nina D’Arcangela a little more than two years ago.  It rose from a very simple concept: developing a platform that will promote and market both writer and guild alike.  So we decided upon a strict limit of only ten writers employing varying writing voices.  Each Tuesday, a new writer takes the spotlight, so to speak, and shares their work.  The material is always free for readers and of course consists of horror fiction or dark, angst-ridden prose or poetry.  We keep a strict maximum of 2,500 words per post.  This ensures a brief but impactful read for all to enjoy during the course of their day.

We’re delighted that we’ve gained so many fans and are gaining more as each week passes.  Our original goal has definitely been met.  Nina and I have many dastardly intentions for Pen of the Damned – it’s just a matter of cultivating it to fruition.

***

Which I know from experience takes alot of work and is appreciated by each of the Damned members ~Leslie

 

Please share with us

about your recently published book:

My most recently published book is Dusk and Summer with Sirens Call Publications and is actually a contemporary fantasy story.  I wrote and self-published it a little more than six years ago when my father passed away after a fifteen month battle with pancreatic cancer.  Grief stricken and unable to process my loss, I came to the realization that I had to do something to make sense of it all.  I sat to write what I’d initially believed to be a vessel for my emotions, but it unexpectedly transformed into a fantasy tale.  Inspired by my father’s passion for the sea, Dusk and Summer was born.

It’s a book of love and loss; a bittersweet tribute to my father.  It’s also a book of hope, of dreams made real, and of a fantasy world beneath the waves that is my gift to my father.  My book will not only help anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one, but will sweep readers away with its unexpected story arc.

The Sirens Call Publications team did an amazing job guiding me through the revision of Dusk and Summer nearly seven years later.  They kept it as true to the heart now as it was then.  I couldn’t be more pleased with the caring and compassionate manner in which they handled this very delicate subject matter and the professional acumen they displayed while doing so.

I’m also very proud to say that I’ll be donating a portion of proceeds from all sales of Dusk and Summer to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.

******

I won’t say too much about Siren’s Call Publications now other than please check them out they have many publication opportunities for writers. I hope to get an interview with them in a forthcoming article.

What classic horror inspired / inspires you?

The classic horror that inspired me comes from the literary medium, and that would be the early works of Robert McCammon.  Reading from this amazing author definitely opened my eyes to a new and wondrous world and pushed me to become a part of it when I was much younger.

 ***

I was not familiar with McCammon but I am diving into his River of Souls.

 

If you could be a monster what would you be?

If I could be a monster what would I be…can I cheat and give you two answers? lol First, I’d want to be Cookie Monster.  I mean, who doesn’t love Cookie Monster?  And a chocolate chip diet for life?  Sign me up!

The second monster I’d want to be is Godzilla.  I’d rise my cranky self from the bottom of the Pacific, stomp cities and scorch them with my radioactive breath- even fight some other monsters along the way.  Oh yes, hands down, Gojira, or as you know him…Godzilla, King of Monsters! lol

 *****

I have to throw this question in as I love the answers 🙂

 

  Can you divulge what is up next for Joseph?

What’s up next for me is the start of a new book.  I’ve had an idea scratching around inside my head and it’s about time to get it out!

Thank you very much for offering me the opportunity to talk about myself and my most recent book. I’m truly privileged to be featured on your blog, Leslie!

*****

Wishing best of luck to you, Joseph. It is a privilege to try to keep up with you on Pen of the Damned.

I have a new stack of fiction!

 

 

Here’s additional information about Joseph Pinto:

Joseph resides in Northern New Jersey with his young daughter and wife. You can find him in a multitude of places online.

Track him down on Twitter: @JosephAPinto;

Facebook:  Joseph A. Pinto, horror author and more…

His personal blog: JosephPinto.com

The Pen of the Damned blog

He happily shares his deranged likings on Pinterest

He occasionally lurking in the halls of  Google +.

Or, you can simply email him at authorjosephpinto@gmail.com.

You can pick up Joseph’s book, Dusk and Summer, in both eBook and print versions on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, an eBook version on Kobo, as well as other formats on Smashwords.

Please don’t forget, every purchase is more than a great book; it’s also a contribution toward the fight against pancreatic cancer through the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.

 

 

 A reminder that each Tuesday a new post comes up on Pen of the Damned. I am always surprised at the variety of horror and never disappointed.