Thank you to Editors Amit Parmessur and Jane Mayflower of The Pangolin Review for publishing my two poems.

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/e869c8_4849e206b6184db29f6cb9b756a2183f.pdf








Healing Your Heart

Shun the false charge you level when you say so and so said.
Once you say words you own them, all those words now yours.
Instead, use all words for healing; that’s their best use; keep false witness mute, 
contain it where it will do no harm, in your own head.

Words spoken aloud are like the fine spray of a forceful sneeze.
Once let out and freed, they can’t be reined back inside yourself.
They travel everywhere at great distance, with uncontrolled speed; 
and never forget you have borne this too, so if you must delve

and dig for truth; use your true strength, your ears designed, to hear fact 
only directly from those maligned; keep rumor inside the mind.



The Dying Time

The Elders prayed for defense from the dying time.

They wanted to control God on the mountain,

as Peter did with the tents.

But there is no weapon against fate 

and your sun

will one day

leave its path forever.

So drop your nets

and seek the peace

the world cannot give.

It’s closer than you think.

Thank you to Val Tuck of Tuck Magazine for publishing two of my poems.  Here is one of them:

http://tuckmagazine.com/2018/11/07/poetry-1811/

Choices In Frontier Towns

 Amid tumbleweeds and clapboard buildings,

standing upon dirt roads or a sawn timber dais,

snake oil men, extolling their potions,

their curing wares depleted by end of day.

Risky whiskey,

the magic elixir

of 19th-century self-proclaimed wizards.

Was it truly hope in a bottle

or just sanctioned intoxication?

The Old West version of paper or plastic.

Thank you big, big time to Editor Mark Antony Rossi of Soma Publishing for publishing my new e-book "Pairings."

https://www.somapublishing.com/2018/11/pairings.html




Linda Imbler's second ebook "Pairings," is a collection of wonderful short fiction stories loosely coupled with excellent poetry selections which help intensify the reading experience. The topics address myriad subjects and styles ranging from selective mutism to speculative short fiction to revealing new historical facts. These are vital writings rooted in the values of a valiant civilization.

Thank you to Editor Lanning Russell of Event Horizon Magazine for publishing "Centrifugal Force" "Huh?" "Emma Jean" "Gladrags" and "Mistrust" in Issue #6.


https://eventhorizonmagazinecom.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/issue-6-free-pdf-download.pdf

Thank you to Editor Nina D'Arcangela of The Sirens Call E-zine for publishing my 2 poems in Issue 41.  A special thank you to Lee Forman for suggesting that one terrific tweak that would really showcase that one word.

Mary Roberts

Mary Roberts, are you alive?

I thought you were twitching.

Living eyes shifting and darting

as you study the room,

but you’re made with skin of plastic,

your traveling cannot be.

You can only stay in one place.

Your eyes in that face cannot see.

Mary Roberts, are you alive?

I’m sure you were twitching.

Showing much more wrist than before,

hands stretched from the gingham,

fingers pulling on the stitching. 

If your arms could rise much further,

just what could those hands do?

What is that lying on the floor?

Mary Roberts, you are alive!

I just watched you twitching.

Feet moving inside pretty shoes,

and those legs, if they moved,

could they possibly be creeping?

Warm liquid now on floorboard seeping.

Now prone, I hear feet being shuffled.

Now prone, I hear breath being muffled.

How did you get from there to here?

Josephine

Kiss Josephine’s cheek

and smooth her hair

so she won’t be afraid.

Yes, Mother.

Now, 

tell her goodbye.

Yes, Mother.

The casket shut.

We drove home.

Josephine, I love you.

Thank you so very much to Sunflower Sutras.  Such an eloquent reading of my four poems!

Happy Halloween all you ghouls and ghosts!
In this week's episode, we talk with look author, historian, Baha'i leader, all-around-awesome dude Duane Herrmann about his works past, present, and future!
Poetry in this episode was graciously submitted to us by Wichita poet Linda Imbler.


https://castbox.fm/…/Interview-with-Duane-Herrmann-id130177…

Thank you to Editor Glory Sasikala of GloMag for publishing "What Old Portraits Warn."

https://view.joomag.com/glomag-glomagoctober2018/0977701001540694061?short

What Old Portraits Warn

Portraits on dusty bookshelves

where dire warnings rule

bad beliefs disabused,

good sense overruled.

We on the upswing,

their memories slipshod,

best advice not taken

their cautioning declarations.

We become roped in,

doubtlessly shaken,

we skip along sidewalks

ignoring the roadblocks

pinning us in to taste sin.

We, like shipwrecks that had been,

from back when

fires were set near rocks

to draw prey in.

Weren’t those ancient tales just meant to shock?

Walking those burning sidewalks now on feet unshod,

tells us the hindsight of those portraits

were not just facade,

and what they wish to tell,

their retrospect alarm bells

delivered from their watchfulness

and their cautiousness,

we should heed.