I concluded my thoughts on this poem by silently recognizing how powerful human connection can be amidst a crisis. Tre wrote in free verse and used such vivid imagery that I was allowed to experience the urgency of a singular moment. And it felt all too real, as these are experiences that I, too, have had. I reflected on the impact of compassion and courage that most of us demonstrate in our daily lives, and I realized that I have allowed many opportunities to be the hero to pass by. —Nigel Byng
My writing about a dream I had turned into someone’s amazing perception of it, and not only did Nigel dissect this poem thoroughly and give it a new life with his words, but he also read it aloud.
pulse is a piece that came to me in late summer of last year, after I had what I would consider a bad dream. It garnered a decent amount of discussion from readers who felt something while reading my words. I am delighted to share what Nigel had to say about it, and also his velvety voice, too.
The moment I (and maybe you, too?) have been waiting for is finally here! Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt is live, and can be purchased in both eBook ($11.00 USD) and Hardcover ($26.00 USD) formats via Lulu.com. The hardcover format has been approved for Global Distribution, but I have no earthly idea when Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers may pick it up for distribution. Amazon did not start distributing Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fictionuntil nearly a year later, so I am not approaching this with the mindset that they or any other major book retailer would move this book before that timeframe.
Many of us like to use the phrase, “My blood, sweat, and tears” went into creating this, but I can actually say this as a fact. I’ve cried. I’ve sweated. I’ve lost blood… all in the name of producing this book in honor of my sweet baby girl, whom I miss terribly. I hope… truly hope that I am making her proud.
A blurb about Scattered Words…
In Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt, the author wants you, the reader, to experience Jernee in totality and understand why she has lost the greatest companion she has ever known. If you have ever grieved the loss of a pet, many of these poems will not only resonate with you, they will set up holding spaces in your mind, crawl into your heart, and retreat only when they have been commanded to do so.
You will laugh, cry, nod in agreement, and reminisce about your furry family member(s) and how they have become your strength. Grief is not linear, and every creeping moment it decides to invade your heart, there is a poem in this book to greet it.
In Scattered Words…, Tremaine celebrated, lamented, grieved, loved, and released Jernee Timid Loadholt. Every day, she will probably do these things again—not necessarily in that order.
If you have never met a dog who had the uncanny ability to be more memorable than some of the people you know, with this book of poems, you will have your chance.
The Specs: What will you receive, and what should you expect when you purchase it?
Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt includes 4 sections, 24 poems, and 9 original photos (digitally animated by Google Gemini). It is comprised of 40 pages, and shares the life and death of 1 dog who is no longer with us.
The photography is in color and cartoonized. The font is big enough for those of us with visual impairments and aging eyes to see. The cover is a hard one… I want this book to stand the test of time and any possible minor damage that could occur to it. It is 8.5 x 11, durable, engaging, and one you can share with your friends, family, children, grandchildren, and students.
Four months later, this is how I remember my love: introducing her to some and reminding others of who she had been to me.
I hope you will allow me to do that. I hope you can understand why I need to do it. I hope you will respect what she had been and who she still is to me. Thank you so much for your undying support. I appreciate all of you more than you can ever know.
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
AI-Generated image: A tangled web of two beautiful African American women; one with a pixie haircut, and the other has a curly afro. They are standing next to a handsome, African American & Native American man in the shadows. In the background, there are skyscrapers around them—the feel of any downtown area of a major city is what the image depicts.
Caesuras
it was in the caesura, the pause of his poem when I knew his pain.
we carried the same kind—blameless, deep, unknown to anyone else.
it felt balanced to have a partner who knew what I meant when I said, “I can’t talk about this, I have to write it out,” and not further question the conversation.
losing him, brought me her a couple years later, and she knew what I thought before I could express it; a poet, a performer. I think I fell for her voice before falling into her heart.
but we shouldn’t have been what we were, and I never got over being second best.
every so often, I think about him and her, and the pauses I have to take when I see their faces in my dreams. I am here because they were there.
the blame game
the day broke through my armor and punched a hole in me… I stumbled and wasted away down to the ankles… it hurts to walk. I’ve never suffered a blow this heavy to the mind during the “BRR” months before.
the beginning of the year isn’t supposed to feel this way. tell that to the patients who only want to hear what they want to hear—in the medical field, when your insurance cost rises and your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum do, too…
anyone around gets blamed for their pockets being just as empty as yours.
Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book& Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback(only) yet?
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
Flash Fiction: A Wayne Donald and Kinley Chris Adventure
The image above is by Erwin Bosman on Pexels. It depicts three chickens perched on a branch. The chickens appear to ascend in height from left to right; the leftmost chicken being mostly brown, the one at center being mostly white, and the rightmost being mostly black.
Wayne Donald stares outside their upstairs bedroom window. She is scratching the curly, messy knot of hair on her head while she huffs and breathes outwardly in exasperation.
“You gon’ tell Charlie ’bout them chickens of theirs cluckin’ about in the yard again, Kinley Chris, or do I have to put on my knickers and go on over there and do it myself?”
Wayne Donald is in rare form this morning. It is a raging hot Sunday in the depths of the South, and wandering chickens are the last things she wants to deal with the day before going back to school. The girls had been out for Christmas break, enjoying every moment of freedom their grandmother would allow, and now… the countdown to back-to-school has begun.
“Who out there?! Which ones? Some, I don’t mind. I put some chicken feed out near the fence yesterday morning—might be sopping that up.”
“Looks like Helen, Lucy, and Quack.” She squints her eyes to look closer outside of their upstairs bedroom window—zooming in with imaginary binoculars. “Yeah… that’s definitely Helen, Lucy, and Quack.”
Kinley Chris looks up from an adventurous book she had been reading, keenly stares at her younger sister, and nods in approval.
“Long as it’s not those other demon birds, I say, let them be. Charlie Rhett and ‘nem are at church anyway at this hour. It ain’t no need bangin’ on their door about some harmless chickens just cuz you don’t like the way they cluck.”
“They irritate me, Kinley Chris, and I just can’t take it. Why you gotta put that chicken feed out on Sunday mornings when I wanna sleep in?”
“Who are you to tell me where and when to put chicken feed, Wayne Donald? It’s late morning, and you shoulda been up about an hour ago anyway. Don’t get on my bad side before noon.”
Wayne Donald shuffles off to her bed, plops her flimsy body back down, tucks her face underneath the sheets, and fake-sobs. Through the sheets, she continues her argument with her big sister.
“I’m just sayin’… they cluck and squawk and make so much noise while they’re eatin’, Kinley Chris. How can you even read with all that racket walkin’ in through the window?”
“You were just up, Wayne Donald. You could’ve closed the window, silly. They aren’t that loud, and it’s too early to be complainin’. Get yourself a few more winks in, and I’ll go downstairs in a bit and fetch us some breakfast. If Helen, Lucy, or Quack laid some eggs, we’ll have us a mighty fine batch of eatin’.”
To this, Wayne Donald does not debate. She turns over, snuggles up into a ball, and closes her eyes. “Fifteen more minutes,” she says. “Fifteen more minutes.”
This piece is my offering for this week’s Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge, #353.I love it when these two sisters start speaking to me. When I saw the prompt roll out this past Monday, and those chickens staring back at me, I said, “Ha! Wayne Donald and Kinley Chris,” so here we are. Thank you so much for reading.
Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book& Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback(only) yet?
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
If you’ve read/viewed my previous post, then you’ve seen this photo and even got a little blurb about the above book in the caption as well. However, this blog entry is its formal review of it. Deanne (Dee) Dennis is an up-and-coming writer whom I follow on Substack. She is one to keep an eye on, seriously. I enjoy her bubbly spirit, enticing words, and drive to grow and learn more about the woman she is becoming.
I was intrigued by the title, and even more ecstatic to read the words within the cover. I began reading the poetry of Deanne Dennis by way of Substack.
Poetry is my first love, so naturally, I gravitated toward her offerings. I am happy I did, and as a subscriber, I have remained.
Big Fat Juicy Heart is short, sweet, poignant, truthful, and luring in all the right ways. The writer gives the reader just enough poetry to know her capabilities, but does not completely fill the cup or surge into an overflow.
Every poem is strategically placed, flows well, and builds a strong tower all on its own.
I would have loved to see a few more pieces about self love and familial love because these two subtopics regarding love are near and dear to me.
However, for her debut poetry book, Deanne Dennis soared high above what many have been able to do with verse, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
There’s just something about poetry that makes you want to write poetry, and this book… well, this book reminds me how good it feels to be poetic. You can find Big Fat Juicy Hearton Amazon in Kindle ($4.99) and Paperback ($9.99) formats.
Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book& Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback(only) yet?
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
with my salivating taste buds patiently waiting, I tweaked a hot cocoa recipe and took the first sip that led me to a a new lover’s arms.
I’ll be right here tomorrow; same time, same place, eager to coat my tongue with a savory chocolate heaven.
simply divine.
A savory poem celebrates rich, complex flavors and satisfying, hearty experiences, often using food imagery to evoke deep emotion or memory, as seen in poems about home cooking, spices, family gatherings, or even love and loss, focusing on hearty tastes like bacon, curries, and herbs rather than just sweetness, finding depth in everyday meals and shared moments.
Google Gemini Overview of a Savory Poem.
Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book& Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback(only) yet?
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
A Cornered Gurl 
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