Category: relationships

A Mad Poet’s Thoughts On Life

There are three things which dictate the way we live: the society we’re born into, the experiences which impact us, and the reality which we choose to believe in.

None of us can help the first two. No one gets to decide the time, place, or family they’re born into and, while we may have some control over our experiences in general, the things which impact us the most are usually out of our control.

It’s “thing” number three on the list which us mad people are experts at: reality. Or, rather one’s choice of reality.

Oh, you think reality is a fixed thing, do you? It’s solid, reliable, steadfast, and true? Well, my dear reader, allow a mad mind to enlighten you with one simple question….

Can you describe the color blue?

“Of course I can, you mad writer! Blue is…well…it’s blue- The color of the sky, of the ocean, of…those raspberry-flavored ice-pops from my childhood!”

Okay, now go and ask someone who grew up in Alaska or India or Japan, for that matter. Is their version of blue the same as yours? No. It isn’t. Better yet, ask a widower whose wife’s favorite color was blue to describe it. Then, ask a woman who’s color blind. Ask yourself the meaning on a sunny day and one on a day full of storms and sorrow.

Reality is fluid, flexible and the reason for this is because it changes based on our perception of the moment at hand. Want to know the secret to a mad life full of adventures? It’s quite simple:

Choose The Reality You Want To Live

Mad people get it because we already don’t like to be held down by something as paltry as reality. We understand from quite a young age that reality is meant to be questioned, to be rebelled against, to be contorted to our own quirky wills.

How do we do this? By choosing what we want to be true and then making it so:

  • The world isn’t crashing down around me; it’s just raining opportunities.
  • It’s not a failure; it’s just a fantastic way to learn.
  • Thank God I was wrong! Being right all the time is boring.
  • It’s okay if he/she doesn’t like me. I don’t need anyone’s approval to be awesome.
  • I’m not broke; I just spent too much on being responsible.
  • I’m not lost; I’m just on an adventure.
  • This job isn’t boring; it’s just making it easier to have fun when I’m off.
  • Maybe it isn’t loneliness. Maybe it’s boot camp for self-love.
  • It’s not daydreaming. It’s idea cultivation.
  • Life truly is an adventure.

“You can’t help that. We’re all mad here.”

-Cheshire Cat

Do you have any mad sayings that help you choose your reality? Share them with us!

Thursday Tea Party

Hello lovelies! Tonight, I have coffee instead of tea… And lots of it. I am in the home stretch for Beauty’s Tears – only 9 poems left to write. I am hoping to knock out the writing before the first. I likely will not be getting to Layout until December, but it means that Heart Drops will be started with the poems of the PAD challenge.

Fae Corps will be doing another round of daily prompts in November. I will probably be reblogging many of them. The first group got a good reception so we decided to do them for nano/poetry writers in November.

I have been approached by another poet/author about doing a guest blog. Her idea intrigued me! So I will be posting it as soon as she gets it to me for you to read. I enjoy her poetry so I believe that you will enjoy the post.

So… I am facing my fears… And then some. I asked about doing a author signing event yesterday. I also have found a craft fair to try and sell my art and crafts at. This is such a big thing. I have been making art, jewelry, and resin pieces. And due to fear, I have been sticking it all in bins. Anxiety often keeps me from doing. I was called out for my bs. Joe, my boyfriend, told me that if I was not going to do anything to sell or use it then I should stop making it. I hate it when he is right. So I am swallowing the what if I fail fear. The first craft show is a local hot dog sale on the first Saturday in November. I have to get to earning money for books for the signing event. I personally have 19 poetry volumes, 3 kids books, and a memoir. Plus Serena’s 2. And the anthology. That makes it expensive to have even a small amount of copies to sell. Those numbers just make me want to cry.

The beginning of the year will be seeing a lot of new things, from me and from Fae Corps. We have a lot planned. I will be seeing the release of my Beauty’s Tears and the anthology Faery Footprints in December. I am hoping that Serena will have a book ready for release with the new year. I am looking at the release of the audiobook version for the princess lost.

This year is still going to be bringing new challenges. What are you hoping to do before the end of 2019?

Tuesday Tunes

Kenny Rogers – Buy me a Rose

Lyrics
He works hard to give her all he thinks she wants
A three car garage, her own credit cards
He pulls in late to wake her up with a kiss good night
If he could only read her mind, she’d say

Buy me a rose, call me from work
Open a door for me, what would it hurt
Show me you love me by the look in your eyes
These are the little things I need the most in my life

Now the days have grown to years of feeling all alone
And she can’t help but wonder what she’s doing wrong
Cause lately she’d try anything to turn his head
Would it make a difference if she said

Buy me a rose, call me from work
Open a door for me, what would it hurt
Show me you love me by the look in your eyes
These are the little things I need the most in my life

And the more that he lives the less that he tries
To show her the love that he holds inside
And the more that she gives the more that he sees
This is a story of you and me

So I bought you a rose on the way home from work
To open the door to a heart that I hurt
And I hope you notice this look in my eyes
Cause I’m gonna make things right
For the rest of your life
I’m gonna hold you tonight
Do all those little things
For the rest of your life.

My 2 cents

This one is hard, mostly because I think that we are all guilty of the ignorance in the song. We get busy with life and our own stuff and let things fall by the wayside. But it goes both ways. Communication is the most important thing in any relationship. She should speak up, but he should notice when she is not happy too.

Thursday Tea Party

Hello lovelies! Today my tea is a lovely jasmine found at the local Asian market.I really love the tin as well as the tea.

Today is definitely a hot cup of tea kind of day. I love fall, the crisp cool of the air, the decorations, just the feel in the air.

November is barreling towards us so quickly! If you are going to submit to Fae Corps Faery Footprints, your time is running out. October 31 is the deadline. Art, poetry, and short stories are being accepted.

November is also a busy month for me. Serena is doing Nanowrimo. If you want to follow her on the site her user name is SerenaMossgraves. She has two wips she is going to try to tackle. Kingdoms of Sin & Life, Guilt, and Undeath. She said that this way if one is blocked she has a back-up. I am again doing the P. A. D. Challenge. I looked this morning at Beauty’s tears. I have 42 poems out of the 70 needed to publish. (Poetry volumes vary in length, however I have always done 70 in each of mine.) So, the P. A. D. should put me over what I need. I will have to decide what title my next volume will be soon.

I also am still going to be writing for coffee house writers biweekly. My new post with them will publish on Monday. I am really enjoying working with them.

So, I am seeing December being a time of Layout and publishing. Fae Corps will be releasing Faery Footprints in December, and I will be releasing Beauty’s Tears. With any luck Serena will have something new to release then as well.

I am working on recording the audiobook for the princess lost. So I am hoping to release that soon as well.

Serena is currently working on her story for Fae Corps Through the Sunshine anthology. It’s a cute whimsical light faery story about snowflakes. The deadline for that is January, so she has time.

My best friend is also doing Nanowrimo this year. She’s trying her hand at fantasy romance! If you want more information about her writing, check out her blog.

So… Help me out. I’m going to post 3 different book covers. Tell me which you think I should use after the publication of Beauty’s tears.

All three are eventually going to be titles of my poetry volumes. It’s just a matter of the order of release. So drop your opinion in the comments. Which would you like to see released next?

Interviewed!

My Interview by D.Gabrielle Jensen

She asked seven questions and posted my answers to them on her patreon. Please show her some love!

Release Day Inspiration Without a Home

My memoir is live. I thought I would give you a sneak peek. The first story…

My first memories are good ones, as not many are. I was perhaps four? We lived in a town in the hills of West Virginia. Renick in Greenbriar county.
This was a small place, a single store, and it doubled as a laundry, and the gas station. I believe that the post office was in that building, but I am not sure. Children don’t notice such things, and I was so very young. It was Mama and I. We lived with a kind old couple on a farm. I called them Grandma and granddad. I loved them, and I believe that they loved me.
Mama was in high school, and I used to go with. The sewing teacher babysat me while Mama learned.
The memory has been expanded on, as the story was to cute for words. Well I often ran around the yard at the farm while Mama did homework. The day in question, I was doing the exploring that I was prone to do. I came across an old car and I opened the door.
I know, nowadays children are not given so much space for exploring…. But this was like 1979…it was a sheer miracle that most of my generation survived. Still as soon as the door opened, I discovered that the vehicle was a huge yellow jacket nest. So I screamed and ran home. (From a few feet away). One of the insects attached itself to my face, stinging as I ran. I remember clearly the fear. I was terrified.
Mama gathered me up and tended the sting. That is the end of the memory, but I have gotten the rest of the story from my mom. According to her, when I was asked about why I was stung I promptly informed her that it was because I had ran into a Japanese bee. She asked me how I knew it was a Japanese bee, and with the logic that only a child has, I told her that before it stung me it said “Ah So”…

Thursday Tea Party

Today is a coffee day. So much on my mind today, and no where near enough sleep.

Did you see that my bestie has a new book out? You can get it here. I am so proud of her. She worked really hard to get it out.

I applied, and was accepted, for a position with Coffee House Writers. I will be doing a bi-weekly article for them. My anxiety is through the roof. After all what do I write? Especially for the first one. After I get used to it, I don’t think that it will be as bad. The article has to use 5 of their tags… Which are expansive, but I am not one who is used to conformity with tags. I am stuck in a debate whether to write an article, a story, or a poem. It is so much to think on.

Have you preordered Inspiration Without a Home yet? It releases on the 30th of September. It is a hard story for me, my own. Memoirs are never easy to write. This was not any different.

I have been working on my studio. I nearly have all craft and art supplies moved in. I still have to organize it. I will be posting pictures as I get it useable.

Social anxiety is no joke. I have jewelry pieces and paintings to sell. I have an online store but it is not as active as I would like. I think it is due to me not being as good at taking pictures of what I make. My resin pieces and art always look so much better in person. I can get a table at the local flea market for $5 a day. The problem is that I am terrified that I will make a mess of selling it. So I may be putting out time and money for a fail. I love making the pieces. But I am often putting a lot of money into crafting with no return. So I am planning to do the flea market the first weekend in October.

Thursday Tea Party

Hello, lovely friends. I hope that this tea party finds you well? If not I think that I can find you some lavender and jasmine blend to ease the belly.

My tea today came from the gas station . I have a weakness for peach.

It is really good, and all of the ingredients are pronouncable. I wonder about the chemicals that are in food nowadays. Sometimes, I feel like a lab rat for all of the chemicals in my food. So, when possible, I like getting more natural food.

A friend shared a nice meme with me yesterday made me smile.

I am not sure that I qualify as a Positive Patti. Though I do try. Some of the topics that I discuss are not meant to be positive.

My memoir is in preorder. I almost did not write it. I am not famous , not someone who most people would seek out to read the life story of. However, I tell my stories semi freely. I can’t help it. I don’t want to hide the past… Hiding brings shame. I have no reason to be ashamed.

Well a couple of women in one of my author groups on Facebook pushed me to write a memoir. Memoirs are for people who are famous or have enormous stories to share, I argued. They pointed out that my stories were bigger than I realized.

From stories of surviving abuse and rape to cute childhood memories, interspersed with poetry, I believe that Inspiration Without a Home is worth the read. It is my truth. There is some people who have reason to claim I am lying. I don’t intend to argue. This is my story, my truth. Let them tell theirs if they wish.

I am finally in a place in my life where I can speak my truth and not fear for the cost.

Friday my bestie, and partner in Fae Corps Publishing, releases her new YA novel. A Royal’s Undoing by Cyndi Pilcher is the first book in what looks to be an interesting set. It is filled with Elves, Murder, magic and political intrigue. Not wanting to spoil it, because I truly think it is worth the read, but the ending has a great twist.

Creative’s Rising E-Zine is in the process of production. Things that caused the summer edition to be stopped have been set to rights. So the Fall edition will be on time. I will have poetry within.

I recently interviewed for a bi-weekly writing position. If I get it I will be doing a bi-weekly article there as well. Maybe I will get in to their poetry department.

In order to apply for them, I had to do a resume. I was surprised by the amount of places I could claim in the last few years. Though I have been writing my whole life, I have only been doing the publish and share thing since 2010. Which seems like so much longer than it really is.

Oh my! Rambling on today. I didn’t realize how much I had to say! So, I am going to leave you with a question. If you had to write a memoir, what is the first memory that you would want to include?

Tuesday Tunes

Welcome back all of my lovely friends. Today’s song is a very deep and fun verse.

Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez

Lyrics :

Hey girl, open the walls, play with your dolls
We’ll be a perfect family
When you walk away, it’s when we really play
You don’t hear me when I say,
Mom, please wake up
Dad’s with a slut, and your son is smoking cannabis
No one never listens, this wallpaper glistens
Don’t let them see what goes down in the kitchen
Places, places, get in your places
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces
Everyone thinks that we’re perfect
Please don’t let them look through the curtains
Picture, picture, smile for the picture
Pose with your brother, won’t you be a good sister?
Everyone thinks that we’re perfect
Please don’t let them look through the curtains
D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees)
Hey…

My two cents :

I think that at some point each of us has had the moment where we hope that no one looks in the curtains. The outside world always sees only the superficial. Anything that is forced will never be comfortable. What do you make of this song? Do you like it? Why?

Tuesday Tunes

Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the Wall

Lyrics ~

We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey, teachers, leave them kids alone
All in all it’s just another brick in the wall
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave those kids alone
Hey teachers, leave those kids alone
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall
“Wrong, do it again! Wrong, do it again!”
“If you don’t eat yer meat, you can’t have any pudding
How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat yer meat?”
“You, yes, you behind the bike sheds, stand still, laddy”

My two cents ~

Ok. I promised to give you a story last week. I had my first child at fourteen. I was six weeks late starting high school as he was born on September the first. Talk about hell. Starting a new school late and for such a scandalous reason. I was so nervous. I was terrified.

One of my step brothers was dating this amazing girl. She was held back a couple of years, and was so beyond caring about the “social norms”. Our school had the main entrance into the cafeteria. She knew the day I was starting. She knew how scared I was. So I got off of the bus, and saw her sitting there at the doors with a boombox (it was 1989.) Seeing me, she hit the button. Out of the speakers, at a volume that shook the glass in the doors of the cafeteria, she blasts that song. It started my high school career off on a better note. I was laughing. I was suddenly feeling like I was accepted. This song has been that feeling for me ever since.