The Reader’s Darling

To all the readers of all the writers — past, present, and future.

~*~

There are so many of us
vying for the attentions of others.
To be a reader’s darling.
The next great pager turner,
nerve wrecking nail biter,
throw-it-against-the-wall goodness.
Leave them fuming
yet wanting more.
So they pick it up,
straighten the bent pages.
Read it again.
Never return it to their friend.
Light up the stars,
paint their words upon our walls
that justify our raison d’être.
The reason for out ink stained hands,
our sleepless nights,
our angst,
our anxiety-fueled self loathing
of our own words.

That one reader
to make all the difference.

~*~

Thank you for passing through.

You can find me on Twitter: @sm_saves

~*~

 

Advertisements

The Leader of All Things (An Etheree)

Today was definitely a Monday-kind-of-Monday.
The worst kind of Monday…

~*~

I
never
saw myself
as a leader.
And now I’ve become
the leader of all things.
The one uplifting spirits.
The one going down with the ship.
Forging ahead despite the lost souls.
Fooling myself into wanting this role.

~*~

Thank you for reading.

 

Monsters Upstairs

There are monsters upstairs. Their stomping feet wake you from sleep. You lay frozen under the covers, and listen to them howl.

IT’S MINE! GIVE IT TO ME!

You listen as they chase each other above your head. The words turn into guttural screams that drive you from your bed. With phone in hand the grey line of dreams sharpens to the black and white of reality.

~*~

The Mister and I were woken up by our up-above neighbors. I don’t know the details of what started them fighting, but the guttural screaming was enough of a reason to call 911.

This flash fiction was meant to illustrate the transition from half-wakefulness to reality-setting-in-wide-awakeness.

Thank you for reading.

~*~

Find me on Twitter! @sm_saves

Tea for Everything

Empty cups
with tea stained rings.
Fortunes held within the leaves.
Read them to absolve the past
and fill up on another brew
to match your current mood.
Tea for sickness.
Tea for health.
Tea for your mental self.

~*~

I discovered last weekend that there is such a thing as Earl Grey with double bergamot.

I am in love…

~*~

Find me on Twitter! @sm_saves

The Tea Tree

Written was the epic,
the journey takes thee home.
A body in need of healing
back and hands both sore.

Seek out the tea tree
by the babbling, boiling brook.
Leaves dry and crisp
despite the steam
creating a gossamer mist.
Most unwary travelers will miss
it’s gnarled, char-colored limbs.
Those who do notice flee.

Approach light of foot
with offerings of bergamot and honey
to leave amongst its lifted roots.
Gather the leaves that fall to your feet
and ladle the brook water to brew.

If you care, then stay awhile.
The tree yearns for company,
but only ’til your cup is empty.
Departure is necessary
or there you’ll stay forever.
Always with a cup.
Never again with a pen.

~*~

It’s been quiet on the little blog…

I hope you weren’t worried by my absence.

Coming off hot from writing 31 poems for OctPoWriMo, writing a novel for NaNoWriMo was a nice change of pace. Unlike last year, I wasn’t scrambling to finish. The bulk of my words were written on the weekends at the kitchen table (to deter the cats from sitting on my arms).

This is the first year I engaged with other NaNo writers. I’ve been a lone wolf during previous Novembers but I much prefer the engagement on Twitter and seeing how other’s were progressing, their shout-outs of encouragement to each other. It was heartwarming during the struggles and triumphs of expanding The Vow of the Peacock from a standalone short story to a novella. Now it rests and I rest as work calls me away from writing (hence the reason for the gushing of words on the weekends).

So, lovely readers, what have I missed? Please link me in the comments below to a piece you posted during November while I was away. I need to catch up on some reading.

And as always, you can find me on Twitter! @sm_saves

~*~