Month / August 2015

by J.L. Smith

In the Works…

Right now I am working on a lot of fiction pieces.  I even have a couple nonfiction pieces in the works, too.  Not putting poetry on the back burner, but I have been inspired to use different forms of expression.  I even have a horror/Halloween inspired story I am working.  I have never written a purely genre work before.  I hope to post it when it is polished, complete, and, maybe even, published 🙂

by J.L. Smith

Poem published in Eunoia Review

Yea! My poem just got published this morning at Eunoia Review. Check out their Facebook page to see my work, “A Happy Poem.” Like them and get two works in your FB feed each day! FREE

This poem goes back to my SIU days. I believe it was even presented for workshop in Katherine/Katie Riegel‘s class (Yes, I found you!). I am pretty sure it was in the final portfolio at least. I have just recently started writing and submitting my old work after a very long break! This is the seventh poem I have had accepted in the last 4 months.

Now, get to work on more! Deadlines are looming. Enjoy!

by J.L. Smith

Word List Wednesday

I both hate and love word list poems.  They are great for creativity.  How often do you reuse the same words and metaphors over and over again?  Check your last 5 works; you might be surprised.  I hate them because it can be difficult to incorporate most, if not all, words in the list into one poem.  Yet, I am up for the challenge.  Anyone else game?  🙂

To be fair, I am using a dictionary to pull these words.  OK, to be honest, it is a Russian-English dictionary.  Wait, don’t worry!  The words will be in English.  It is just way of making sure I pull enough random words as possible without bias.

Use as many of these as you can in a poem or story for next Wednesday.

12 words

loan reference stabilizer erect install stage training glass steel torso statue head

Good luck!

Jennifer

by J.L. Smith

Poem published by Eunoia Review

Last week I received notice that another one of my poems was picked by the Eunoia Review.  It should appear in late October.  Yay!  I will post a link when it appears. I have another one that will appear in the next two weeks in the same journal, too.

Happy!  Check them out if you can.  They have a neat sign up that sends works to your email everyday from the site.  It is a nice way to get in a little creative reading each day!

~Jennifer

by J.L. Smith

First Poem Published

My first publication.

This is the one that started it all.  Although I’ve always considered myself a fiction writer, I’ve published mostly poetry.   Of course, I have just returned to writing and publishing after a 10 year sabbatical of sorts, so we will see if I can get some fiction published.

In the meantime, this is the first poem I published.  The funny thing is, I never intended to write poetry; poetry found me.  This is the second poem I had ever written.  It was for Jon Tribble’s beginning poetry class at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.  I struggled every week for something to turn in, while it seemed, everyone else had a workbook of material to pull from each week. After that class ended, I took a gamble and sent this poem in with two others to Grassroots for its Fall 1999 issue (yes, that long ago!).  This one was accepted.  Enjoy!

Sara

Cool September breeze ruffles

the cheap, tattered peach color hair tie.

Lovely off-white recital gown

laced with light pink ribbon lays loosely on your skin.

A dull plastic pearl necklace—

perfect for the performance.

Luscious cantaloupe colored gloss,

fuchsia nails as possible finishing accessories

The stage cages you with its cheap metal.

There is no release.

Death is the only null in your contact.

But, even death would never redeem

your torture whether it be in heaven or hell.

That never mattered—

they still wanted more.

They went ahead.

Poked your side.

Yanked your tail.

Batted your head.

You are not human.

You just wear the dress

your owner gave you.

Feelings are not yours to feel.

You are incapable of it.

They said so.

What happens when you are the monkey in the cage?