Musical Pencil

Blue Agave is live in The Orange Room Review's current issue - link to the left, as usual. I think this issue turned out very well. The editorial staff and contributing authors should be pleased. I'm heading out to see "Slumdog Millionaire" in a few minutes - read about it - seems to be a romantic/inspirational - destiny is the key sort of thing and I'm really in the mood for such. Hope you have a great weekend.

A short piece, a stone, is up at "A Handful of Stones" link is to the left. I like the idea behind the stone concept. It is sort of like haiku in brevity without the syllabic rules, etc. Check it out - maybe try a few yourself and send them in.

Got home from work - checked in box and there was a story rejection and two poem acceptances - both poems accepted by Children, Churches, and Daddies - one scheduled for November the other for December 2009...long ways away, but I think they are going to post them on the website in a week or two and use them in a print later, not sure about the details, need to re-read the email. Anyway, I'll focus on the acceptances and smile and simply send the rejected story elsewhere and see if it can find a home.

The poem "Deflated Contemplation" is now live at Oak Bend Review. This poem is a patchwork quilt of several previous poems, but I think it's better now than in its many various forms. Thanks to Sandee for posting it and gathering the poems of so many others. I was thrilled to see some names in this issue of poets I truly admire and the poems I've read (not my own, of course) were wonderful. I'm not sure if Sandee is quite finished with it, but what she has up so far is certainly worth a look.

Inside the Snowglobe is up at Shoots and Vines . This is an older poem I wrote based on a promt of "snowglobe" - imagine that. (link under pubbed poems on the left) Thanks for posting it, Crystal!

A bit of good news! MicroHorror accepted Tin Secrets - it is currently posted - link under published stories to the left. Insolent Rudder accepted - Cotton Candy Meltdown for their April issue. Two acceptances in one day - I love those kind of days - woohoo! A few days ago, Up the Staircase posted their new issue where Calloused Hands can be found - the link is also under published stories. Bolts of Silk accepted a new poem - Forgive the Birds , I'll post link when it's live.

Okay, it's Saturday. I've gotten some rest, had a healthy meal, went to the library and checked out several books. In my pile of books are the authors: Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Dorothy Parker, Joyce Carol Oates, Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Bishop, Flannery O'Connor, and Milan Kundera. I'm searching for inspiration. If I can't find it in those books, it isn't meant for me to find it this weekend. I've noticed how selfish I am in my writing and in a lot of other things I do or don't do. So often when I write poems, it is about my inner self and that has served its purpose in a cathartic way, but I feel this pull to remove myself from my writing - to be an observer of life and not step into the frame, but show others what I see and the significance of that snapshot as I interpret it in an emotional way that extends far beyond my own skin. Perhaps it is growing older and learning how short life is and how true happiness lies beyond one's own cluster...