But daily, I turn to Shay and Mama Zen for their mind-blowing poetry. Every day--sometimes twice a day in Shay's case) they post poetry. Shay's is sometimes whimsical, sometimes sharp but always inspiring. Mama Zen can do more with just a few lines than anyone I know. On the back of their book it notes that Mama Zen (Kelli Simpson) "is the Mistress of the short poem" but I would beg to differ; I think she's the dominatrix of short poems. She's fierce, she's most likely rocking some gorgeous boots, and she's always cracking the whip, reminding us that every word counts.
Now I have another great collection of poetry to savor--created by three contemporary poets.
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| I'm sorry, but I cannot manage to link this book cover to Amazon, but you know how to click onto Amazon and buy a copy or two, don't you? |
Hedgewitch (Joy Ann Jones), the third point in this triangle of talent, joins Shay Caroline Simmons and Kelli in this poetic powerhouse.
When this book came out, I bought three copies. One for a dear friend, one for me, and one to give away. It's a true treasure of a book.
To get a chance, leave a comment. And since I don't want to go to jail over including any of their poems/lines to entice you, I will share a poem that Shay wrote especially for me (I gave her the topic and she delivered). This poem is framed and hangs in my study:
Damn the Match
I said, damn the match that set me on fire
But no one heard--
So I fanned myself with books, and oh
How I burned.
Damn the one who made me feel nothingly small,
This lonesome girl--
Then I spit my anger on a black-curling page,
And blistered the world.
Damn the distance that keeps my love from me,
The miles are sin--
Then I wrote out my love as a pink-fire dawn,
Warm on her skin.
Bless the match that each finger is,
To strike what I feel into words that be
An incendiary flow from soul to sky,
One burned-bright star that's made from...me.
--Shay Caroline
(Hey, Shay. If this is a copyright infringement, please send the police immediately. It's the end of the school year and I would loooove to be in jail right about now, so I can miss the last couple of crazy weeks.)
So, leave a comment. I'll announce the winner in a week. Good luck.
