K R Smith

Friday, July 29, 2016

Shore Leave 38 - Saturday - Panels And Pictures

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Saturday July 16, 2016

Saturday is the day the sessions given by the guests and the panel discussions begin in earnest. Of course, you can't do all of those activities without a good breakfast to start the day. This time I tried not to consume everything available at the breakfast buffet.

OK. Better luck next year.

After breakfast, it's off to the races. Which writing panels can I attend while seeing as many of the speakers as possible? And why are so many of the writer's panels held at the same time so I have to choose one and miss the others? Will I get to even see the art show? (I didn't, BTW.) It's always mass confusion on Saturday and the last minute changes to the schedule didn't help.

At 10:00 am I had the choice of two panels: Myths About Writing and Pitching. I chose Pitching, which is surely a weak spot for me.

Pitching

Panel members:

Since many of these panelists have been on both sides of the author / editor (or agent) scenario, they were able to share stories about their experiences, usually pointing out what not to do. Like annoy the editor. One point the panel made was that agents aren't as critical to have as they used to be. That being said, they added that a good agent can be a great buffer between you and the editor. Approach editors with your ideas at appropriate times; don't follow them into the restroom to pitch your book. They emphasized that you should always have a quick pitch ready for your book because you never know when you might run into the right person, either an editor or potential agent. The pitch should be 3-4 sentences of about 50 words. Many editors don't have time to listen to an exhaustive description of your idea. For more formal pitches, they want something no longer than a page unless there is a really good reason. If you are emailing (or sending by post) your pitch, personalize each pitch or query. And keep tweaking it to make it better. Above all, make yourself interesting (that may be the most difficult part!). They also recommended checking Writer Beware to see if an editor or agent was legitimate.

At 11:00 pm I had the choice of three panels: Writing Behind the Scenes for TV & Movies, From Fan Writing to Pro, and Working with Editors. I chose Working with Editors because I thought that would be the most useful for me, though not necessarily the most interesting.

Working with Editors

Panel members:

The panel began by discussing the different types of editors:

acquisition (finds stories for a publisher),
production (oversees production of story/book),
copy (corrects spelling and grammar),
content (checks consistency, factual errors),
line (clarifies meaning, checks the way language is used), and
proofreader (goes over the work for errors after the other editors are finished)

In an ideal world, these should all be different people. In my world of small-press anthologies, of course, they aren't. The overall job of editors is to help focus the reader's attention by making the story readable and tightly written. The suggestions or corrections they make should not be considered as a personal attack. Still, there are times when things become tense between an author and an editor. In situations such as these, an good agent can act as a firewall between the two. There wee many examples given where authors and editors did not see eye-to-eye and how the panelists handled the situation. There is no formula for this. Each individual must be addressed in a way that will bring the project to completion. There are times when a good editor will suggest the author work with a different editor because they are better suited to the genre of the story or the personality of the author.

One item that was suggested that made a great deal of sense for those writing in the SF or fantasy genres where there are odd names and unusual spellings. Provide the editors with a cheat sheet of character names and quirks of dialect so they will know exactly how the author meant them to be. This can greatly assist the editors in doing their job.

~~~

At 12:00 pm I had the choice of two really interesting panels: Kick-ass Women Heroes or The Whole Package (book covers). Unfortunately, this was also the time slot for the only celebrity photo I had planned for the entire conference. So that became my choice. Here I am with celebrities from Star Trek TOS, Barbara Bouchet and Michael Forest.

Barbara Bouchet, Me, & Michael Forest at Shore Leave 38
(I'm in the center, just for clarification)

That's all for now. I'll have more about the happenings on Saturday in the next post!

In the meantime, you can read my story, The Song of Aiden, in Human 76 - a post-apocalyptic, shared-world anthology!

Check #Human76 on Twitter for news!

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Shore Leave 38 - Friday - Michael Forest

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Friday July 15, 2016

Michael Forest is another actor that many at the convention will only know from Star Trek. Even after seeing photos of his earlier television appearances, younger attendees, unfamiliar with the shows, may not appreciate his other work. As I browsed through the photos of his many roles in the early westerns (and Zorro), a flood of memories came back. When I was a child, evening television programming was awash with westerns. A half-century has passed and I can still remember the characters he played. They must have made a bigger impression on me than I thought.

Michael Forest at Shore Leave 38

Many of Michael's roles were as villains or "Indians" in the westerns. The reason he got so many parts was his height (along with his acting ability, of course). The "good guys" in those westerns were tall. These were stories about big men in a big country—and they needed big bad guys to fight against. James Arness, Clint Walker, and Fess Parker were all very tall. James Arness, for example, is listed at 6'7" (2+ m). Having a fight scene with a person of average height would have looked a bit awkward—perhaps even silly. Michael is listed at 6'3" (but I think he may be a hair taller), so he fit the bill. And even though he is part Native American, that's not what got him his roles playing "Indians." It was his height.

We were getting an autograph on one of Michael's Star Trek photos as Apollo when I made mention of a few old black-and-white photos he had out. That's when Michael said he had some pictures he really liked. He pulled out several portraits from a folder he had behind his table. They were not items he had out for sale. I hadn't planned to purchase a lot of photos at the conference, but when I saw these I knew at least a couple of them were going home with me. Best of all, he related the following story of how they came to be.

After his work in television in the United States, Michael lived in Italy for a while. Italian director Vittorio de Sica asked his personal photographer to take pictures of Michael and other actors/actresses to be used as publicity shots. Michael was surprised when asked to accompany them. He didn't know the director had such an interest in him. They went out into the Italian countryside where the following two pictures were taken (in a barn, Michael told us). It seems that the Italian actors were not pleased with the attention Michael was given, an gave him a bit of the cold shoulder. Michael is still in awe of the work the photographer did. He said, "I didn't look this good. The photographer made me look this good." The scans really don't do the photos justice. "That's not me," he said, gazing at an old image of himself. "That person doesn't exist anymore." This is one of those stories that might never have been heard had he not chosen to show us these pictures. Please do not use or distribute them for commercial purposes without getting Michael's permission.

Old photo of Michael Forest taken in Italy - please do not distribute for commercial purposes. © 2016 K. R. Smith / Michael Forest

Michael Forest in Italy

Michael Forest in Italy

Here are a couple pictures I took of Michael Forest at the Shore Leave 38 convention.

Michael Forest laughing with one of the attendees at Shore Leave 38.
I believe that is his wife, Diana, in the foreground.

A few final notes on Michael Forest:

He has a lot of energy for an 87 year old person. Like Barbara Bouchet, he arrived at the conference early and stayed late. He was more than willing to talk at length about his career or pose for pictures with the convention attendees.
He comes across as a very humble man.
He also signs autographs that are readable.
Michael's Wikipedia page is HERE.

I hope to see him again at a future convention. I'd like to get another one of those old pictures with just his autograph.

In the meantime, you can read my story, The Song of Aiden, in Human 76 - a post-apocalyptic, shared-world anthology!

Check #Human76 on Twitter for news!

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Shore Leave 38 - Friday - Barbara Bouchet

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Friday July 15, 2016

Like many at the Shore Leave convention, my knowledge of Barbara Bouchet began and ended with her appearance in the Star Trek TOS episode By Any Other Name. I knew there had to be more to her career than that, and there was!

During her talk (which she shared with Michael Forest, also of Star Trek TOS fame), she answered questions about her work on Star Trek. She also mentioned the time William Shatner came to her trailer and asked her to dinner. She didn't recognize him. He wasn't wearing his hairpiece. But she did go out with him. She said many good things about David Niven with whom she did the original Casino Royale playing the part of Miss Moneypenny.

Once she reached the age of 39, Barbara decided to stop acting in movies. In addition to her American and British films, she had acted in numerous Italian films until that time. She continued to do some television work. It wouldn't be until Martin Scorsese asked her to take a part in the movie The Gangs of New York (2002) that she would return to the American screen.

After Barbara left movies in the '80s, she was faced with a decision about what to do next. She said she was not one to just set around twiddling her thumbs. It was about this time that Jane Fonda was coming out with her exercise videos, and that struck Barbara as something she could do. Also, gyms were not very popular, especially for women, at that time in Italy. So she recorded exercise videos, opened a gym, and eventually added a line of clothing. She became the Jane Fonda of Italy. She said, "If you find Italian women attractive, you can thank me for that." She ran her fitness business for 12 years.

As of late, she has been doing theatre in Italy. She lamented about the low pay and the less-than-glamorous environment when travelling. Unless the show is in a major city like Milan, the tour does one night in each town, then it's off to the next venue early the following morning. Still, she loves the theatre.

Here are a few of the pictures I took of Barbara Bouchet at the Shore Leave 38 convention.

Barbara Bouchet at Shore Leave 38 (July 2016)

Barbara Bouchet signing autographs at Shore Leave 38 (July 2016)

A few final notes on Ms. Bouchet:

She arrived early on Friday and stayed late on Sunday, even after most others had left and many of the vendor stalls had been dismantled. And she was available for autographs and questions nearly all of the time. She seems to take her convention responsibilities quite seriously!
She was very friendly and was willing to talk at length about here life and her time at the convention.
When she signs an autograph, you can actually read her signature. She thought that was important. "So many of them are just squiggle, squiggle, squiggle." I can't remember if those were her exact words, but it's close.

I hope to see her again at a future convention, though that may not happen as she lives on the other side of the pond. When I mentioned possibly going to Italy someday, she said, "Sure! Come on over to Italy!" Maybe I will.

So, while I'm over in Italy you can read my story, The Song of Aiden, in Human 76 - a post-apocalyptic, shared-world anthology!

Check #Human76 on Twitter for news!

Monday, July 18, 2016

Shore Leave 38 - Friday

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Friday July 15, 2016

I arrived at Shore Leave 38 around 3:00 pm and checked into the hotel ( Hunt Valley Inn Wyndham Grand ). A few of the actor guests were already set up in the main hall. The book vendors and authors were starting to arrive. I went to the registration desk and got my badge, then unloaded the car. Unfortunately, I had to leave for a while to take care of some personal business. When I got back, it was time to head into the "Valley Room" where the show was already underway.

At 8:00 pm, I listened to the talk given by Barbara Bouchet and Michael Forest.

Barbara Bouchet and Michael Forest

Shore Leave is a mainly a Star Trek convention, and both of these actors appeared in episodes of Star Trek TOS. Michael was also in an episode of Star Trek Continues. Although Star Trek was a minor part of their careers, many people only know them from these roles. I'll have more on both actors in upcoming posts, including stories they relayed during their appearance and when I talked to them afterward.

After Barbara and Michael were finished, it was time for the comedy group Luna-C to do their skits.

The Luna-C players taking a bow

Once Luna-C was done, it was 11:00 pm. It had been a long day and it was time to turn in.

There will be much more about Shore Leave 38 to come!

In the meantime, check for my story, The Song of Aiden, in Human 76 - a post-apocalyptic, shared-world anthology!

Check #Human76 on Twitter for news!

Monday, July 11, 2016

Shore Leave 38 - The Preparation

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Shore Leave 38 is coming up this weekend. It's a month earlier this year. That leaves less time to work it into my schedule—which is unfortunately full.

Logo on Shore Leave polo shirt
(from http://www.shore-leave.com/emporium/)

I'm not as excited about the convention this year. Partly because the guest list doesn't hold a great deal of interest and partly because other events in my life are making it difficult to get into the proper mood.

The one thing that could be interesting is the 50th anniversary of Star Trek. There will be lots of fan-made movies and I can imagine many of the attendees will be decked out in their best costumes. There will be a showing of the Starship Farragut movie The Crossing along with many others, most of which I've never seen.

So, the plan will be to post to the blog from the convention with, perhaps, a few interesting pictures! Maybe I'll try to do a video this year. Until then, you can check this out:

I'll keep you posted!

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

This Month's Free Photos - Moonstruck

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A sliver of a moon obliged by appearing during the twilight hours allowing my little point-and-shoot camera to capture it with not-great but acceptable photos. If you zoom in on the first photo, you can even see the hint of a crater or two. Not bad for a the type of camera used (Nikon Coolpix S6800). Eat your heart out, Hubble!

Image MOON_2_2016_07_06.jpg © 2016 K. R. Smith - may be used with attribution

A sliver of a moon above the horizon

Image MOON_1_2016_07_06.jpg © 2016 K. R. Smith - may be used with attribution

Zoomed out a little...

Image MOON_3_2016_07_06.jpg © 2016 K. R. Smith - may be used with attribution

A tiny arc in the purple evening sky

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Human 76 - Goodreads Giveaway!

The only thing better than a book is a free book. Especially when it's signed by an author!

Michael Wombat is having a giveaway for Human 76 on Goodreads, signed by himself. He's one of the authors and also the editor. The giveaway will run until July 31, 2016. If you want to try your luck, here's the link:

HUMAN 76 GOODREADS GIVEAWAY

There's only one copy and 100 people have already signed up! There were less than 50 when I first checked this morning and took the picture I've posted here. So make sure you add your name to the list. It's a big book, too, coming in at 368 pages on Amazon.

Good luck!

Friday, June 17, 2016

Human 76 - It's Here!

The long-awaited post-apocalyptic anthology Human 76 is finally here!

This isn't some skimpy little collection of short stories. It's a beefy assortment of post-apocalyptic excitement from 14 points of view, all based around a young woman's search for her younger sister in an often-unfriendly world. The main character, Ghabrie (aka Human 76), is pictured on the cover, modeled by Bekah Shambrook. You can read more about how the idea for this anthology came to be on Lisa Shambrook's blog.

My story, The Song of Aiden, involves another young woman, Maeve, who has come from the barren Northlands to live with her cousin Kendra and her mother. It is in Kendra's village, Pentreffen, where she meets Aiden, a musician travelling with a small band of performers. It is also the place where she meets Ghabrie for the first time, though not in the best of circumstances. Maeve's idyllic life (for a post-apocalyptic world) takes a sudden turn and she embarks on an adventure that will determine her future—and possibly Ghabrie's! Here is a snippet of the interaction during that first meeting:

As the girls faced each other, the silence overwhelmed them. Opposite to where they stood, the circle began to part. Just beyond the opening, a young woman waited, her dark hair swept back, the markings of a warrior on her face.
Kendra whispered to Maeve, her voice quivering, "It's her! Don't look into her eyes, Maeve! If you do, she'll kill you!"

Shortly thereafter...

Maeve launched herself at Ghabrie, but the deft swing of a muscled arm sent her sprawling in the dirt. Ghabrie grabbed her collar and lifted Maeve onto her knees.
"Look at me!"
"Please! Please don't hurt him!"
"Why won't you look at me?"
"They said you would kill me if I did."
"I may kill you if you don't."

I don't want to give away too much of this scene. It could spoil the story for others!

You can get more info on the book on the Human 76 Facebook page.

Here's the story line-up...

Leaving the Nest by Lisa Shambrook
Follow the Leader by M. S. Manz
Where the Wild Things Are by Nick Johns
Glint by Michael Wombat
Behind These Walls by Alex Brightsmith
Hiero Worship by Jeffrey Hollar
Human X by Michelle Fox
The Hunted by Steven Paul Watson ( also on Wordpress )
What You Put In by Julia Rios
Underneath by Denise Callaway
The Song of Aiden by K. R. Smith
Sand by Michael Wombat
The Oasis by Rebecca Fyfe
Sheshwatay by K. J. Collard
The Ballad of Ash and Hum by Alison Deluca
We Make The Future by Lisa Shambrook

Edited by Miranda Kate

How to get Human 76...

   Lulu (paperback)
   Lulu (ePub) - free for a two-week period!
   Amazon - paperback (Kindle coming soon)

And please remember...

All proceeds from this book will go to Water is Life, a global charity that provides clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education programs to schools and villages in desperate need. Our book is about those displaced and struggling to survive in a dangerous world and this charity fits perfectly with our stories. So when you buy the book you will be helping those in need.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Cover Reveal - Human 76

The long-awaited post-apocalyptic anthology Human 76 is just days away now! Here is the cover!

Here's the story line-up (I believe—I haven't seen the book yet, but this should be close).

Leaving the Nest by Lisa Shambrook
Follow the Leader by M. S. Manz
Where the Wild Things Are by Nick Johns
Glint by Michael Wombat
Behind These Walls by Alex Brightsmith
Hiero Worship by Jeffrey Hollar
Human X by Michelle Fox
The Hunted by Steven Paul Watson ( also on Wordpress )
What You Put In by Julia Rios
Underneath by Denise Callaway
The Song of Aiden by K. R. Smith
Sand by Michael Wombat
The Oasis by Rebecca Fyfe
Sheshwatay by K. J. Collard
The Ballad of Ash and Hum by Alison Deluca
We Make The Future by (unknown at this time)

This started out almost a year ago as the glimmer of an idea by Lisa and Bekah Shambrook. In just a few days, it should be here!

Here are the Twitter accounts for those who worked hard to bring this anthology to fruition:
Bekah Shambrook @bekahshambrook
Lisa Shambrook @LisaShambrook
Miranda Kate @PurpleQueenNL
Wombat @wombat37

If you like the book (or even the cover) let them know!

Saturday, May 28, 2016

This Month's Free Photos - Roses

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Oddly enough, I have a few new free photos to post even though it hasn't been a month since my last posting. Think of it as an early June entry.

Knock-out rose

In the back of the house, I have a few pink roses.

Knock-out rose, pink

This flower came up on its own...

Image of inner bloom of a dandelion, named DDLION-0322.JPG, free for use with attribution

Alien monster?

No aliens here (and that's the story I'm sticking to), it's just the inner part of this dandelion (below) that sprouted along the side of the house.

Image of a dandelion, named DDLION-0322_WHOLE.JPG, free for use with attribution

My single dandelion, growing beside the house...

Don't count on early editions of free photos too often. I barely get them posted at all!

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Coming Soon: Human 76

Coming soon! Human 76

You may have noticed the hints on this blog that Human 76 is coming. It's also likely you have no idea what I'm talking about. It's a post-apocalyptic anthology I was invited to participate in by Lisa Shambrook. I haven't seen a cover yet, but I do have the story line-up (with my contribution conveniently in bold letters):

Leaving the Nest by Lisa Shambrook
Follow the Leader by M. S. Manz
Where the Wild Things Are by Nick Johns
Glint by Michael Wombat
Behind These Walls by Alex Brightsmith
Hiero Worship by Jeffrey Hollar
Human X by Michelle Fox
The Hunted by Steven Paul Watson
What You Put In by Julia Rios
Underneath by Denise Callaway
The Song of Aiden by K. R. Smith
Sand by Michael Wombat
The Oasis by Rebecca Fyfe
Sheshwatay by K. J. Collard
The Ballad of Ash and Hum by Alison Deluca
We Make The Future by (unknown at this time)

Sorry I don't have links for all of the authors. Or even all of the authors. I'll add them in as I get them.

Picture of scene from Human 76 featuring Bekah Shambrook

Scene from Human 76
featuring Bekah Shambrook
as Ghabrie

Coming soon! Human 76

...with my story, The Sword of Hexworthy Manor!

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

News - In Creeps The Night Audiobook

Coming soon! Human 76

I was browsing through Amazon at the books in which I have stories and noticed the "cover" for In Creeps the Night didn't look quite right. The image seemed to be truncated and I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized it was the cover image of an audiobook! I didn't even know one was being developed.

The cover image of the In Creeps the Night audiobook on Amazon

The audio book cover for
In Creeps the Night

Now I can hear someone read my story, Little Monsters, back to me! There's ever a sample on the page you can listen to. One warning, however. The audio file for my Android phone is rather large at about 178 MB. Might have to bump up the limit on my data plan if I download a lot away from a wi-fi connection.

When you play the audio (which seems to require headphones/earbuds), the words are highlighted as the narrator speaks. This could be useful in teaching reading. And the inflection isn't always the same as when I read it, but most of the time it's pretty close. Everyone has a different little voice in their head. I have several, but don't tell anyone.

Here's a screen shot of the audiobook page on Amazon (US). You can see the button for the sample audio playback.

They don't list the authors on here, however. Unfortunately, Amazon has a limit on the number of authors it lists even on their book web pages, but I am in the book!

Partial author list with my name for In Creeps the Night

Partial list of authors from a screen shot of the table of contents
showing my name included

Now I have something new to play with—and it includes one of my stories!

Monday, May 16, 2016

This Month's Free Photos - Earth and Sky

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It started out as This Week's Free Photos. Now, it's This Month's Free Photos. Perhaps I should rename these posts This Year's Free Photos. I tend to be a bit irregular in putting up new images.

While waiting for the Human 76 post-apocalyptic anthology to come out (it happens to contain a story I wrote - The Song of Aiden), I thought I'd post a couple of free images. They're just phone-camera pics, so they aren't great, but it's what I've got...

I've always been intrigued by the colors of the sky when the sun is about to go down and blue hovers near indigo, fading to black. The air has to be clear to get this effect. I noticed it a few evenings ago and took a shot with my phone.

Image of Maryland sky

Earlier that day I met this snake (a garter snake) as I got off the train on the way home. There is a lot of open area around the make-shift station I frequent, so finding wildlife there isn't surprising.

Image of Garter Snake

Check back the next time the Earth is in the same position around the Sun. I may have another picture posted!

Monday, May 9, 2016

Oh, Dear... There's Even A Video

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I have a story coming out soon, so I believe, in a post-apocalyptic anthology. I think it is to be titled Human 76. While there have been a few pictures available on Twitter (hence the image on my blog header), I hadn't had any news about it for a while. So, I did a little Google search and found this video. The video has a blurb: "Human 76 - a post-apocalyptic anthology coming soon, featuring the talents of fourteen of the finest Indie writers in the world."

Fourteen of the finest indie writers in the world? It seems I've come up a bit in stature since, well, yesterday. Or else there are fifteen writers for the anthology.

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Day 30 - I've Been Quite Wordy

A post-apocalyptic surprise coming soon!

Finally. It's the end of the road. And I need a rest. Desperately.

So, without further ado, here is the last, and quite possibly the least, poem* for National Poetry Day. Published late because I was too tired to format, etc...

The Last Poem

I thought it would be easy.
I didn't know it would make me queasy
Thinking up a new idea each day.

It's also harder to do a rhyme
On time
With something meaningful to say.

But now it's done
And it was fun,
Though I surely need a rest

From writing all this inane stuff
And silly fluff
While making myself a Twitter pest.

So, you won't see me for a while,
And though that may bring a smile,
Rest assured, I shall return.

I will write some brand-new lines
That make you cringe and whine,
And possibly your stomach churn

From puns and silly jokes and such
For which you'll say, "Thank you very much,"
And I will say "You're welcome."

K.R. Smith

*I'm trying to write a poem each day for National Poetry Month. It's difficult to come up with original titles (that are interesting) for each post. I chose silly instead.

Here are the links to the poems so far:

   Day 1 National Poetry Month - Kick-off (National Poetry Month)
   Day 2 Haiku, For You (Haiku)
   Day 3 A Poem For Free (The Good Morning Man)
   Day 4 Wait, There's Even More (Monday)
   Day 5 I'm Still Alive (TMI)
   Day 6 I'm Resorting To Tricks (A Walk Through Kipling's Wood)
   Day 7 It Almost Like Poetry Heaven (Metal Monsters)
   Day 8 I've Got A Lot On My Plate (The Ides Of April)
   Day 9 Another Poem Would Be Fine (Storm Spirit)
   Day 10 I'm At It Again (What A Tree Is Not)
   Day 11 Yes, Number Eleven (A U-Turn For The Worse)
   Day 12 I Feel Like One Of Santa's Elves (Avoiding The Plague Like The Plague)
   Day 13 By The Poetry Machine (Sounds Of A Spring Night)
   Day 14 Rhymes With Thirteen (Bluebells)
   Day 15 I'm Just Being Mean (No Poem Today)
   Day 16 And I'm Full Of Beans (Steel Circles)
   Day 17 I'm Getting The Hang Of This Routine (Of All Things)
   Day 18 As Words Careen (Swamped)
   Day 19 The Last Teen You'll Be Seein' (Haiku)
   Day 20 Poems? I've Got Plenty! (Sleeping On The Train)
   Day 21 A Poem For Fun (Drunk On Blogger)
   Day 22 One More For You (The Other World)
   Day 23 And Another Poem For Free (Downtown Rain)
   Day 24 There's Still More (Questionable Premises)
   Day 25 The Streak Is Still Alive (It's All For A Good Cosplay)
   Day 26 Another Poetry Fix (Haiku)
   Day 27 Til I'm Done, I Ain't Leavin' (My Poetry)
   Day 28 I Hope I Won't Be Late (My Dark Friend)
   Day 29 I'm Approaching The Finish Line (Fido)

Friday, April 29, 2016

Day 29 - I'm Approaching The Finish Line

It's been a long grinds, trying to come up with a poem* each day. Many of them were short, a few good, a few bad, and most of them silly. Still, it keeps me writing even a little bit while I'm waiting for things to clear up and allow me time to get back into a my real projects.

Remember: there is only one more to endure after this.

Fido

Once upon a midnight dreary while I pondered, eyes all bleary,
Hoping to come up with a quaint and curious poem for National Poetry Month—
While I wondered what was lacking, suddenly there came a yapping,
Also something gently scratching, scratching at my kitchen door.
"Must be that stupid dog again," I muttered, "yapping at my kitchen door—
Only this an nothing more."

Yeah, I think it was in mid-December,
Although I'm not sure I remember.
Eagerly, I was eating marshmallows; I would have to get some more tomorrow
And I, full of sucrose and not of sorrow, except, perhaps, for the wanting more—
Then checking the price on the name brand I'd gotten—
I'll buy the generic brand, for sure...

And then, my sad, old curtains of uncertain color rustled,
That thrilled me—filled me with terror I'd know too well before.
I'd probably have to fight my way past the little mutt to get to the store,
"It has to be that stupid dog again, yapping at my kitchen door—
The neighbor's stupid dog again," I muttered, "yapping at my kitchen door—
Only this an nothing more."

Presently, my soul grew stronger until I couldn't stand it any longer,
"Fido, or whatever your name is, quit your yapping at my kitchen door.
I'm busy now, if you don't mind, so I don't have time for being kind."
But still there was that awful scratching and, of course, that fitful yapping
Until, so disturbed was I, I opened wide the kitchen door—
Darkness there and nothing more.

Then from behind me I heard a rustle, the sound of plastic in a tussle,
And I saw that ADHD Jack Russel, who had sneaked past my opened door,
Licking up my few marshmallows like the hungriest of fellows,
And, so, I picked the little critter up, setting it outside on all fours,
Where once again he took to yapping, all the time outside my door.
Quoth from me: Never more.

K.R. Smith

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Day 28 - I Hope I Won't Be Late

...in getting this posted. Listening to the Caps game tonight—priorities, you know.

My Dark Friend

The night has a personality,
Character, if you will,
Unique, and alive to those unafraid to listen.

It has a voice,
A distant voice,
That speaks to me in whispers.

Even on a busy street,
Surrounded by crowds and the lights,
I hear it calling from over my shoulder

Bringing comfort,
A protective shroud of darkness,
That puts my mind at ease.

But we are friends,
The night and I,
And most will never understand.

They can neither speak its language,
Nor see its subtle gestures,
Or even sense its presence.

But I can.

K.R. Smith

BTW - The Caps won.

Friday, July 29, 2016

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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Monday, July 18, 2016

Monday, July 11, 2016

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

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Saturday, May 28, 2016

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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

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Saturday, April 30, 2016

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Thursday, April 28, 2016

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