I love to help people find their voice. And to stir their creativity. And to deepen their relationships with themselves and others. Mostly I do that through my work with Tweetspeak Poetry and all its related offerings.
I adore tea, especially French and Japanese teas, and I've come late to coffee (I can't turn down a mocha now, and a hint of caramel doesn't hurt, either). Tea and coffee are my hobbies in the sense that I build my life around them in myriad ways. (I own a lot of tea cups, I write about tea and coffee, I search for the next coffee or tea shop wherever I go :). Books, of course. Poetry, well, yes. Good conversation. Studying French and Spanish for the fun of it. Art, wherever I find it.
I've been an Every Day Poems reader for 12 years (makes sense; I began the publication ;-). And it has deepened my relationship to others. I've met so many wonderful readers and so many wonderful poets. What an honor.
I'm originally from the countryside in New York. A little town in the absolute middle of nowhere. I will always miss the woods and fields. (I live near NYC now, and though it's lovely, it's not the solitude I grew to love as a child. But? The culture is vibrant and inspiring. So I'm not sure I could ever go back to... the middle of nowhere. :)
No particular ritual for reading Every Day Poems. I do read the poems on the day they release, even though I've already read them once when choosing and prepping them. If there's any ritual at all, it's just this: to give myself fully to the words that someone else gave themselves to in crafting the poem. I don't skim. I don't hurry. It's less than a few minutes, and it can easily make my day.
Cake!!! Must I choose? The Jamaican restaurant just down the avenue from me has a coconut cake that is not to be missed. And a rum raisin, too. Sometimes I am compelled to order both. It's a good thing I don't meander down there too often. Or there would surely be consequences. :)
A favorite line of poetry: Adrienne Rich ... "and somehow, each of us will help the other live"
Thank you, Bethany. You are a great encouragement. :) And I am so delighted by how you are moving forward in your creativity. Your voice is already strong... and that's why I love that you are also unfolding your expression of it.
!!!!! MMM. Ah. Coconut cake and coffee. (This morning, it's almonds, beside a Japanese sencha that's so fragrant and beautiful.)
I write, lead workshops, take care of the real estate that affords the freedom to do what I love--write, teach. I love coffee with hot milk. My partner who is a coffee fanatic orders the coffee from Finland. I put the pot on to drip while he is still asleep, the head out for my walk on the peninsula where we live, in Long Beach California. I was born in a tiny town in Oklahoma, but have live in Southern California since I was seven. My avocation of late is photography, which I find to a perfect companion to poetry. I am closing in on my next collection, Enormous Blue Umbrella, to be published by Moon Tide Press. Coconut cake is my favorite!
Thanks for sharing this, Donna! I am intrigued by your coffee from Finland! What a lovely gift to come home to after your walk on the peninsula. How wonderful about paring your poetry with photography. I love an image next to a poem, and how fun to create your own. Congratulations on your upcoming Enormous Blue Umbrella collection! :D
Donna, so nice to hear more about you. Curious to know if the real estate impacts your writing at all—or if you keep it aside as a different part of your life.
Your walks (and coffee) sound inspiring. Do you have a link to the Finnish coffee?
And? We're going to join you on that coconut cake. Yum!
Congrats on nearing the close of your next collection! (Does it focus on nature? Or is the title based on a single poem in the collection?)
Taking care of the property is a different part of my life. It just pays the bills. My new book reflects how I spend my life--walking the beach, cooking, listening to music, loving my family, grieving our losses. "Enormous Blue Umbrella ," is the title of one of the poems in the book and relates to my neighborhood. My neighborhood is the setting for my life and my work. Below is the link for the fabulous coffee!
Hi! I'm a retiree and a native Michigander living in Wisconsin. I enjoy reading, gardening, art journaling and writing poetry, essays and vignettes. I've been reading Every Day Poems each morning for a couple of years. German chocolate cake is my favorite.
You can upload them to your own Substack if you start one. Or you can upload photos to Notes, which might be a good place if you prefer not to take on the bigger project of starting and maintaining a Substack publication :)
Nice to meet you. :) I'd love to read one of your poems or pieces. I've just recently been introduced to the idea of art journaling--how fun. (Been thinking about taking an online class on it.)
Oh man, now I'm remembering the flavor of German chocolate frosting. Mmm...
Thank you for your comments! I'll have to figure out how to post my writing.
I highly recommend artismagiconline.com art journaling classes by Fonda Clark Haight. She has one running right now, but there are others that are self-paced.
Adie, do you have any social media accounts or a Substack? You could post your writing there. Also, whenever you write to one of our prompts, we would love for you to post any writing you do in response (you can post in the comment boxes at tweetspeakpoetry.com or, if you write with us for prompts at thewritetopoetry.substack.com or here at Every Day Poems, you could post in the associated comment boxes. :)
Thank you for the recommendation; I will check out the site! I've been following Amy Maricle and Carla Sonheims' art sites, and appreciate additional ideas too. :)
TweetspeakPoetry.com usually has a fun weekly poetry prompt, and there are comment boxes to share responses in, as mentioned below. Feel free to join in the fun, if you like. :)
I teach all things Library, which is to say that I am a Librarian. I also teach whatever is necessary to enrich a life. Having led a poetry group called Pegasus, I now write for and with the group. I also belong to a writer's group, Foothills Writers Guild. I have taught all ages, from elementary to adults. Nothing stirs me more than the joy of teaching an adult to read.
When I am not teaching I am on my back porch reading, writing and keeping company with Simon, my gray green-eyed cat. I also enjoy gardening, bird-watching and bee-keeping, but at this time do not have a bee hive due to colony collapse. I am therefore a lonely beekeeper, pining the loss of my hives.
I stumbled on to Every Day Poems through TweetSpeak approximately two or less years ago. My poetry consumption ritual is to read the poetry offered by Every Day Poems very early in the morning before sunrise while sipping hot coffee with half-and-half and stevia. I revisit the poetry during my lunch while sipping usually green tea or hot peppermint tea. In my life it seems there is a connection between food, coffee and tea consumption and poetry consumption.
When I think of cake, my mind and taste go to coconut cake, but not just any coconut cake. Grandmother’s coconut cake. It has been a very long time since I’ve had her coconut cake, but I do have her recipe. I have made the cake according to the recipe but do not have it quite right. I had coconut cake very close to hers at church once but never was able to identify the baker. Every so often I get in the mood to try the recipe again. One day I will get it right.
I live in a small, rural town in South Carolina and have never lived outside of this state. The community is mostly agriculture with home-grown folks. Peach season is a big deal in these parts especially west of my home. In the early spring, peach growers get very nervous as they watch the weather reports telling of late frosts. A late harsh frost can wipe out an entire crop. A gentle frost, as they like to say, can make the peaches sweeter. Growers pray for no frost or a gentle frost.
There is poetry all around me; in the peach fields, in my school, in the garden, in the empty bee hive.
Poetry writing is a release, a sort of painting with words. Poetry is the harvest of words, however bountiful or lean. Poetry can be a taste, a sip or a gulp that satisfies the thirst for words’ deepest meanings.
One of my favorite lines of poetry is from Emily Dickinson..."If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, or cool one pain..."
oh, Sharmen, we adore those Emily Dickinson lines! :) And that is so fabulous about teaching adults to read. We can only imagine the joy of that. (Do you do that through your library work? Or do you volunteer elsewhere as a reading mentor?)
Now... wow, you have Grandma's coconut cake recipe? Please do share. (Pretty please? :) We could have a coconut cake baking party here or at Tweetspeak. How fun that would be! :)
Your poetry reading ritual sounds divine and, itself, feels like a poem. :) And your description of your home state is inspiring. Also? We. Love. Peaches.
I volunteer in my community through our Adult Education program. In several pockets within my community there is generational illiteracy. If one adult learns to read, thereby breaking the cycle, there is a guarantee that their children and grandchildren stand a better chance of graduating from high school and going on to higher education.
Love this, Sharmen, and so nice to meet you! Thank you for sharing this with us. I adore libraries, and have so much respect for the beautiful work librarians do. So glad you're here with us. Your peach fields sound like rich material for poetry. You've probably read Li-Young Lee's peach poem called, "From Blossoms"?
Yes, I have read her poem! I actually drove into the peach field, husband in tow, and read "From Blossoms" right there in the middle of the peach field.
There's a peach field close by where I live. It's such a paradox that when the growers sprayed the peach trees in the spring, that probably contributed to the collapse of my hives.
We'd still love to get that coconut cake recipe if you're willing to share, Sharmen. Thinking it would be fun to do a holiday Coconut Cake post (and "invite" the EDP community to cake! :) )
I love to help people find their voice. And to stir their creativity. And to deepen their relationships with themselves and others. Mostly I do that through my work with Tweetspeak Poetry and all its related offerings.
I adore tea, especially French and Japanese teas, and I've come late to coffee (I can't turn down a mocha now, and a hint of caramel doesn't hurt, either). Tea and coffee are my hobbies in the sense that I build my life around them in myriad ways. (I own a lot of tea cups, I write about tea and coffee, I search for the next coffee or tea shop wherever I go :). Books, of course. Poetry, well, yes. Good conversation. Studying French and Spanish for the fun of it. Art, wherever I find it.
I've been an Every Day Poems reader for 12 years (makes sense; I began the publication ;-). And it has deepened my relationship to others. I've met so many wonderful readers and so many wonderful poets. What an honor.
I'm originally from the countryside in New York. A little town in the absolute middle of nowhere. I will always miss the woods and fields. (I live near NYC now, and though it's lovely, it's not the solitude I grew to love as a child. But? The culture is vibrant and inspiring. So I'm not sure I could ever go back to... the middle of nowhere. :)
No particular ritual for reading Every Day Poems. I do read the poems on the day they release, even though I've already read them once when choosing and prepping them. If there's any ritual at all, it's just this: to give myself fully to the words that someone else gave themselves to in crafting the poem. I don't skim. I don't hurry. It's less than a few minutes, and it can easily make my day.
Cake!!! Must I choose? The Jamaican restaurant just down the avenue from me has a coconut cake that is not to be missed. And a rum raisin, too. Sometimes I am compelled to order both. It's a good thing I don't meander down there too often. Or there would surely be consequences. :)
A favorite line of poetry: Adrienne Rich ... "and somehow, each of us will help the other live"
So much beauty and fun here. What beautiful work you do, L.L. Thanks for stirring my creativity and encouraging me about my voice.
Slicing you and Donna piece of coconut cake to go with your next cups of coffee. ;)
Thank you, Bethany. You are a great encouragement. :) And I am so delighted by how you are moving forward in your creativity. Your voice is already strong... and that's why I love that you are also unfolding your expression of it.
!!!!! MMM. Ah. Coconut cake and coffee. (This morning, it's almonds, beside a Japanese sencha that's so fragrant and beautiful.)
Aww, thank you for that, LL. I appreciate you.
Sounds and smells like a lovely tea time over there.
I write, lead workshops, take care of the real estate that affords the freedom to do what I love--write, teach. I love coffee with hot milk. My partner who is a coffee fanatic orders the coffee from Finland. I put the pot on to drip while he is still asleep, the head out for my walk on the peninsula where we live, in Long Beach California. I was born in a tiny town in Oklahoma, but have live in Southern California since I was seven. My avocation of late is photography, which I find to a perfect companion to poetry. I am closing in on my next collection, Enormous Blue Umbrella, to be published by Moon Tide Press. Coconut cake is my favorite!
Thanks for sharing this, Donna! I am intrigued by your coffee from Finland! What a lovely gift to come home to after your walk on the peninsula. How wonderful about paring your poetry with photography. I love an image next to a poem, and how fun to create your own. Congratulations on your upcoming Enormous Blue Umbrella collection! :D
Thank you so much for your kind words! I do feel blessed. ❤️
I love imagining that umbrella. What a fun picture. :)
The Enormous Blue Umbrella is the sky!
Ah, of course! Excellent. Going to imagine that's what's above me right now. :) These fun chats make it easier.
❤️❤️❤️
Donna, so nice to hear more about you. Curious to know if the real estate impacts your writing at all—or if you keep it aside as a different part of your life.
Your walks (and coffee) sound inspiring. Do you have a link to the Finnish coffee?
And? We're going to join you on that coconut cake. Yum!
Congrats on nearing the close of your next collection! (Does it focus on nature? Or is the title based on a single poem in the collection?)
Taking care of the property is a different part of my life. It just pays the bills. My new book reflects how I spend my life--walking the beach, cooking, listening to music, loving my family, grieving our losses. "Enormous Blue Umbrella ," is the title of one of the poems in the book and relates to my neighborhood. My neighborhood is the setting for my life and my work. Below is the link for the fabulous coffee!
https://www.amazon.com/Paulig-Presidentti-President-Gold-Label/dp/B01DO86N82?psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_hero_1_ec_sf
What a beautiful way to spend your life, Donna. Such a gift, to have the property that supports this reality. We're looking forward to your book! :)
Thank you! I will make sure you get one as soon as it comes out. Likely toward the end of 2024.
Hi! I'm a retiree and a native Michigander living in Wisconsin. I enjoy reading, gardening, art journaling and writing poetry, essays and vignettes. I've been reading Every Day Poems each morning for a couple of years. German chocolate cake is my favorite.
Ohhh. German chocolate. Mmm. :)
Art journaling sounds inspiring. Do you have an Instagram where you share? Or is it something you keep private?
Wisconsin is a beautiful state! (And we know there are some other Michiganders here.)
Do you have any themes you particularly enjoy writing on, Adie?
I don't use Instagram, but I share on Facebook. Is there a way to upload photos on Substack?
I write about nature and memories of my family primarily.
Amy
You can upload them to your own Substack if you start one. Or you can upload photos to Notes, which might be a good place if you prefer not to take on the bigger project of starting and maintaining a Substack publication :)
Nice to meet you. :) I'd love to read one of your poems or pieces. I've just recently been introduced to the idea of art journaling--how fun. (Been thinking about taking an online class on it.)
Oh man, now I'm remembering the flavor of German chocolate frosting. Mmm...
Thank you for your comments! I'll have to figure out how to post my writing.
I highly recommend artismagiconline.com art journaling classes by Fonda Clark Haight. She has one running right now, but there are others that are self-paced.
Adie, do you have any social media accounts or a Substack? You could post your writing there. Also, whenever you write to one of our prompts, we would love for you to post any writing you do in response (you can post in the comment boxes at tweetspeakpoetry.com or, if you write with us for prompts at thewritetopoetry.substack.com or here at Every Day Poems, you could post in the associated comment boxes. :)
Thank you for the recommendation; I will check out the site! I've been following Amy Maricle and Carla Sonheims' art sites, and appreciate additional ideas too. :)
TweetspeakPoetry.com usually has a fun weekly poetry prompt, and there are comment boxes to share responses in, as mentioned below. Feel free to join in the fun, if you like. :)
I teach all things Library, which is to say that I am a Librarian. I also teach whatever is necessary to enrich a life. Having led a poetry group called Pegasus, I now write for and with the group. I also belong to a writer's group, Foothills Writers Guild. I have taught all ages, from elementary to adults. Nothing stirs me more than the joy of teaching an adult to read.
When I am not teaching I am on my back porch reading, writing and keeping company with Simon, my gray green-eyed cat. I also enjoy gardening, bird-watching and bee-keeping, but at this time do not have a bee hive due to colony collapse. I am therefore a lonely beekeeper, pining the loss of my hives.
I stumbled on to Every Day Poems through TweetSpeak approximately two or less years ago. My poetry consumption ritual is to read the poetry offered by Every Day Poems very early in the morning before sunrise while sipping hot coffee with half-and-half and stevia. I revisit the poetry during my lunch while sipping usually green tea or hot peppermint tea. In my life it seems there is a connection between food, coffee and tea consumption and poetry consumption.
When I think of cake, my mind and taste go to coconut cake, but not just any coconut cake. Grandmother’s coconut cake. It has been a very long time since I’ve had her coconut cake, but I do have her recipe. I have made the cake according to the recipe but do not have it quite right. I had coconut cake very close to hers at church once but never was able to identify the baker. Every so often I get in the mood to try the recipe again. One day I will get it right.
I live in a small, rural town in South Carolina and have never lived outside of this state. The community is mostly agriculture with home-grown folks. Peach season is a big deal in these parts especially west of my home. In the early spring, peach growers get very nervous as they watch the weather reports telling of late frosts. A late harsh frost can wipe out an entire crop. A gentle frost, as they like to say, can make the peaches sweeter. Growers pray for no frost or a gentle frost.
There is poetry all around me; in the peach fields, in my school, in the garden, in the empty bee hive.
Poetry writing is a release, a sort of painting with words. Poetry is the harvest of words, however bountiful or lean. Poetry can be a taste, a sip or a gulp that satisfies the thirst for words’ deepest meanings.
One of my favorite lines of poetry is from Emily Dickinson..."If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, or cool one pain..."
Sharmen
oh, Sharmen, we adore those Emily Dickinson lines! :) And that is so fabulous about teaching adults to read. We can only imagine the joy of that. (Do you do that through your library work? Or do you volunteer elsewhere as a reading mentor?)
Now... wow, you have Grandma's coconut cake recipe? Please do share. (Pretty please? :) We could have a coconut cake baking party here or at Tweetspeak. How fun that would be! :)
Your poetry reading ritual sounds divine and, itself, feels like a poem. :) And your description of your home state is inspiring. Also? We. Love. Peaches.
I volunteer in my community through our Adult Education program. In several pockets within my community there is generational illiteracy. If one adult learns to read, thereby breaking the cycle, there is a guarantee that their children and grandchildren stand a better chance of graduating from high school and going on to higher education.
How wonderful!
I could make a decaf coconut oatmilk latte right now... You know, just for community building. ;)
ha ha ha.
go for it! :)
Love this, Sharmen, and so nice to meet you! Thank you for sharing this with us. I adore libraries, and have so much respect for the beautiful work librarians do. So glad you're here with us. Your peach fields sound like rich material for poetry. You've probably read Li-Young Lee's peach poem called, "From Blossoms"?
Yes, I have read her poem! I actually drove into the peach field, husband in tow, and read "From Blossoms" right there in the middle of the peach field.
There's a peach field close by where I live. It's such a paradox that when the growers sprayed the peach trees in the spring, that probably contributed to the collapse of my hives.
Oh no!
Yes. They were weak hives, and that just finished them off.
Concerning my bee hives, I pened this poem when I discovered the hive was gone.
Lonely Beekeeper
A beekeeper without a hive,
I wander aimlessly about
Searching, wondering where
Is my cherished hive?
They left without notice,
Just like a lover leaves
Without a word, a letter.
I should have seen the
Dire warning…weakening
Of strength, attention
Gradually waning.
In their wake, their
Hive home is
Dark, dismal, desolate
Void of life, no honey
To sustain life - me or them
Lifeless bodies strewn
At the mouth of home
Speak to destruction,
Mayhem, a battle for life.
Surrounding nature weeps,
Grieves for this loss
Knowing all is vanished,
A gaping pit is created
In this world
The garden knows it will
Suffer, struggle to overcome
I grieve over the indignity
Of it all….I am a lonely beekeeper
Without a hive.
By Sharmen Oswald,
April 29, 2023
We'd still love to get that coconut cake recipe if you're willing to share, Sharmen. Thinking it would be fun to do a holiday Coconut Cake post (and "invite" the EDP community to cake! :) )
I LOVE that! Let me see if I can "dig it out". It's been two years since I attempted it with fair results.