Category Archives: Poetry

Spring Heralds

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ― Anne Bradstreet  

Posted in Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

April Poem

I post this poem every spring. From my chapbook Nightmares With Moons (Pudding House Press). Happy Stay-At-Home-Wednesday. Full Flower Moon May (mostly), the petticoat swirl of rising pink meadow, petite showers, buds. I say: rose, peony, phlox. And I say: petal- shorn, … Continue reading

Posted in Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Poem

Flawbag There is the girl, woman this 3:02p.m., midway on twinkling crosswalk. Her voice thumps her hip, tucked in a dropped- bottom bag working on its 5th shoulder strap. Walk-lope: she doesn’t like you, though it is doubtful she could … Continue reading

Posted in books, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Death Poem

Orphan We are the children. Cream to curse. In- structed: here ya go, go, here ya, here ya go, go, go fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck Did you say that? Well. I did. Finally: where were you … Continue reading

Posted in Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rain Or Shine: Strike On

A couple of weeks before the strike, I was John Snow: I knew nothing. There are always excuses I can credit a busy mother. But everyone is busy. I simply wish I had paid any attention to events leading up … Continue reading

Posted in books, Children's Books, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

#MeToo

I didn’t look at Twitter for 24 hours a few days ago. #ROSEARMY I posted a bit on FB. #metoo I switched FB from public to only friends. #WTH”FRIENDS”??? I’ve been reading FB and Twitter in bed before turning out … Continue reading

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Faction, Poetry, Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

4th Fireworks (“Shh!” Edition)

Happy 4th! This:  This splendor in this country: Here, they viewed this: Our 4th?   This: Visiting family, as we were in the middle of watching ‘Moana’, I cried: OMG TIME FOR FIREWORKS. And my FIL brought us here, to … Continue reading

Posted in Poetry, To Explain, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where I Discovered Poetry Last Weekend

Here: And here: How my family inspired me last weekend? Via this: And this: And this: What it feels like to finish a pre-mini-vacation writing goal and move to the next? This: Came down with the flu upon returning from family shenanigans. However, today … Continue reading

Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Inspiration (Mother’s Day Edition)

What inspiration looks like. Feels like. That guy, reading me his MDay card.

Posted in Adult writing, Children's Books, Faction, middle grade, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Third Eye (April Edition w/Cat)

Woke up at 430am, pressed on with the last 40 pages of revision, my 3rd eye drowsy, but game. Now that I’m wide awake, overly caffeinated and the little boy is at school and the husband is off to heroic … Continue reading

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, Pets, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Coffee Kick & Go (Tremble Edition)

It may be poetry month in the USA, but here at PB Writes the author was up late revising her MG novel, prepping it for the agent requesting a read. This sweet, cool and sunny spring morning–after creating pancakes-secreted-with-carrot-puree for the boy, feeding … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Pets, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

April Is Poetry Month (As If You Didn’t Know)

  At the recent SCBWI Writers & Illustrators Day (see my SCBWI piece),  editor Pam Gruber had her workshop attendees write down a bit of world building. In honor of all those writing a poem a day this month (I am … Continue reading

Posted in Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SCBWI-LA Writers & Illustrators Day 2017 (Links Edition)

I was asked by SCBWI-LA to write about my experience at the recent WID. The piece is up on the Kite Tales blog. 1, 2, 3: LINK. Such a luxury for me to discard certain hats (taxi-mama, chef of sorts, … Continue reading

Posted in books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Kids Poetry Night

Tuesday, February 28th, a freaky political event occurred on TV, but also Poetry Night at my son’s school. Children and parents gathered to read/share poems from books they brought to the event and books supplied by the school’s librarian. Loved hearing … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Poetry, poetry reading, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hearts

Just. So. Simply. Timely. And simply nice.

Posted in Adult writing, books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Island Infusion

Recently a boat deposited me on Santa Rosa Island for a few days, one of a handful of remote scapes comprising the Channel Islands National Park . I traveled with a geologist, an art dealer and two canvas artists who … Continue reading

Posted in books, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Santa Barbara, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Boo On Drugs

I wrote in a frenzy from 10 a.m. to 1:00p.m., then lay down for a nap before zooming to fetch my 3rd grader from school, but my iPhone was on mute, so I didn’t hear the alarm, but I did hear, … Continue reading

Posted in books, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Louise Penny

Where has Louise Penny been all my life? I was completely not swept up, but vacuumed into A Great Reckoning and have since been binge reading the Chief Inspector Gamache novels–but I have to say, so far the other books … Continue reading

Posted in Adult writing, books, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

RIP Poem

Because my father resides in me I am what others expect to see– though not as or not ever without less this or that & always 1 count behind or is it ahead of much worse: that 70’s divorce, old split/split … Continue reading

Posted in Adult writing, books, Poetry, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Valley Chapbook

Part of our summer my son and I spent with family in my Ye Olde Hometown. We ate organic foods. Socialized con gusto. And my soon-to-be-3rd-grader attended a local summer camp. His hands were slobbered by the purple tongues of … Continue reading

Posted in books, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Chapbook Publication

Finishing Line Press is releasing my chapbook of poetry, Valley Meditation (with Palomino), March 23rd, 2016. Yes, that’s right: This March, the one right around the corner from El Nino–except that EN isn’t really hitting my portion of summer-deflated valley. … Continue reading

Posted in Poetry, Steps In Promotion, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Fire

We left our drought-socked stifling valley at 815am and by 2pm—Hwy 99 to orchard-heavy back roads with stop signs, to another “highway”, to back roads with stop signs and colonies of slender giants we realized were members of the Stanislaus … Continue reading

Posted in Faction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Snooze House

Lately, instead of writing at night I’ve resorted to rising early in order to revisereviserevise certain projects and I’ve realized: The loudest sound in the house at 5am? Despite our small zoo? And the programmable coffee maker’s generous peeps? And the refrigerator … Continue reading

Posted in Adult writing, books, Children's Books, dog, Faction, Fiction, ocean related, Poetry, Quotes, Santa Barbara, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

This Just In (Elusive World of Poems Edition)

Bigger than George Clooney’s marriage. Bigger than my son eating cheese flavored Chex Mix for the first time yesterday (wish it had been broccoli, but at least he’s branching out…double edged sword, this pickiness business), bigger than the beachwalk I recently … Continue reading

Posted in dog, ocean related, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Step Away From All Chariots (Burning Edition)

CONTENT WARNING: Vague to extreme silliness–and back again. Since 1990 I’ve been visiting Ana S. every other month, less when I was younger and single and living on a leaky  sailboat and a semi-working actress with miracle hair never listing towards … Continue reading

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment