Good news to share - my poem 'Friendship' - came runner up in Caring for Carers Ireland National Poetry Competition

I’m sharing good news. My poem ‘Friendship’ came runner-up in the ‘Caring for Carers Ireland National Poetry Competition’. Well done to the winner Clara Hurley with her poem ‘Weaver’, click here to read her well deserved winning poem http://www.caringforcarers.ie/2013/02/friendships-bring-out-the-creative-side-of-carers/ I’d like to share mine with you here:

Friendship

My heart is adorned,

with many treasures,

my friend’s names,

embroidered throughout.

 

Scribed on the surface,

then absorbed deep,

where I keep them

safeguarded within.

 

My heart has lodgings,

for friends new and old,

blood may flow through,

but it’s bursting with gold.

Different Paths

It’s that time of the week again for Lillie’s Five Sentence Fiction http://lilliemcferrin.com/five-sentence-fiction-abandoned/ Check out the other contributions at http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=244375 This weeks word is ABANDONED

Different Paths

Fiona often thought back to the dreams she gave up when she fell pregnant at 16.

“She’s the brains of the family and will go far,” her father used to boast, but not after she broke the news to him.

Today, she looks around at the proud faces of her children and grandchildren as the ceremony gets underway.

“I knew you could do it and I’m delighted to be here to see it,” her father’s says and hugs her as tight as his arthritis ridden body can manage.

As she proudly accepts her degree, she appreciates that they weren’t abandoned dreams, just put on hold while she took a different path to get to this point.

Five Sentence Fiction - PURPLE

Different Shades

Sometimes they are yellow, sometimes just blue. I used to love putting on makeup to look my best, now it’s worn for another reason. Last night some came up deep purple. So many factors influence the colours. My body shows different shades of pain, just depends on how hard he hits.

Check out the other contributors http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=239604

I am a writer...

This may look like some obvious declaration to the world but it's not. I shall explain, Mary Bradford http://marytbradford-author.blogspot.ie drew my attention recently to a great competition at http://www.carousel-creates.com . They gave us four words 'I am a writer' as inspiration to write a piece. As the very worthy winners have been announced, (big congrats to Hazel Gaynor, John McCarthy and Grace Tierney and those who were short listed), I’d like to share what I wrote with you. I found it a very worthy exercise. Perhaps it will give you cause to ponder, feel free to share your thoughts:

I am a writer…

I ask my computer daily if it is ready to consume the words I’m about to write. I can feel its anticipation and sometimes I can’t type fast enough for my brain.  Then other times sit there for ages with the cursor blinking, teasing, inviting but performance anxiety gets to me and nothing pops into my head. I revert on occasion to simpler tools and choose to use pen and paper. I can even sometimes feel the journey the words take from my brain, along my arms and out through my fingers.

It’s enriched me, initiating a wonder about creativity. I look at things different to how I used to. My awareness level peaks as I absorb things that surround me. They were always around me I just didn’t appreciate them.  Now, I don’t just read a book, I immerse myself in it. I don’t just watch a movie, I appreciate how it is constructed. I think about what the person may have thought when they wrote the script. How they sat down and put everything together.

It also awakened the critic in me. I find I edit everything, people speaking, reporters on telly, D.J.’s on the radio. It’s funny because I also edit myself. I find that I have to stop and spell the simplest of words that rolled off my tongue before.

Most of all I love the journey writing takes me on. By sharing it I can bring others along too. I don’t need a vehicle to transport my readers, I don’t need to tax and insure my computer or paper. It’s a free ride on an adventure because I am a writer.