From “Sweat”
In a city of visitors
absent its usual power suits
and Starbucks hands,
an ordinary day
lingers on.
Coming soon! Weathered Fragments, Weathered Souls.
Medusa, The Lost Daughter – Available now at Politics and Prose
https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9781624291272
From “Dirt”
Red earth mountains rise
from the plains outside
of Oklahoma City
made from everyday life’s one-night stand.
Coming soon! Weathered Fragments, Weathered Souls.
Medusa, The Lost Daughter – Available now at Politics and Prose
https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9781624291272
From “Roots”
that strips the color you hide
when you are naked,
but not the color you prefer
when you are clothed.
Coming soon! Weathered Fragments, Weathered Souls.
Medusa, The Lost Daughter – Available now at Politics and Prose
https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9781624291272
From “Mud”
Her hand did not rise
to point at the pure cup,
but to the one soiled on the outside,
because she trusted not
what seemed to be clean and perfect,
Coming soon! Weathered Fragments, Weathered Souls.
Medusa, The Lost Daughter – Available now at Politics and Prose
https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9781624291272
From “Acid Rain”
…devoid of the yellow jackets that normally
pierced
my feet, as I danced a rhythm of thunder
beneath the sky lightning.
From “Burns”
Your skin chills,
snow seeps,
scrapes down your ankle,
searing skin that forgot
how the arctic burned
when it met warm flesh.
Excerpt from “Dust”
I don’t know where
these pieces fit,
or if they are even mine,
but I feel they are,
whether they are all with me,
clinging to my body
or still behind in that box
that remains unopened in the corner
marked kitchen goods.
Excerpt from “The Fragments You Carry”
The box remains to pick up
the rest of your things:
the permanent markers,
the bottle of Tylenol,
the loose change,
the card from a friend wishing you a safe journey,
the receipt from your favorite pho restaurant
and the cheap vodka you had last night.
My new chapbook, Weathered Fragments, Weathered Souls, will be out by the end of March. To help mark this occasion, I will be posting excerpts from the work through out the month of March.
Look out for it! Details on when it is available for purchase will be posted soon!
JL
Back from holiday, it is time to get serious for 2018.
Writing-wise, I feel it was a good year. Though, the number of individual works published was low this year, I did manage to publish my first book, Medusa (you can see it here: http://www.politics-prose.com/book/978162429127 ) and a second book –Love Departing–was a finalist in Local Gems Press’ NaPoWriMo contest and will be out in 2018. A third book, “Weathered Fragments,” should be out by April 2018.
What will 2018 bring? I have made my goals for 2018. If you are serious about writing, you know you have to make these tangible goals. Last year, I said I wanted two books published, and I am proud to say, I have done it. However, it all started with a goal.
Got yours? Join me!
Writing highlights for 2017:
Medusa, The Lost Daughter – first poetry collection published, based on the Medusa myth
Love Departing – poetry chapbook – finalist for NaPoWriMo contest
Weathered Fragments – poetry collection – due out by April 2018
9 individual poems published – this is less than half of the previous year’s output, but this year I focused on publishing my first collection.
Goals for 2018:
*Focus on fiction. I would like to complete the draft to my incomplete novel (tentatively titled) The Fleeting Lights. Ready it for publication.
*Finish Medusa part 2. I have 3 parts planned in that poetry collection.
*Publish 10 individual pieces, whether they are fiction, nonfiction or poetry.
*Create 30 new poems over the year. Start one large prose project.
Sounds like a lot, but I do believe it is feasible.
Wish me luck! Have goals you are setting? Best of luck to you, too, in 2018!
Have a wonderfully productive year!
J.L.
J.L. Smith 