Month: July 2014

First Kiss

Loud debate,
Drunken laughter,
And the clang
Of raised glasses
Filled the air.
From the lit ends
Of cigarettes,
Streams of smoke
Rose in ribbons
And culminated
In a fog cloud
That hung low
Over an unkempt bar.
Through the haze
I noticed you,
Looking back at me
From atop your stool.
You acknowledged
My surprised stare
With a nod of your head
And a tip of your bottle.
The object of
My obsession
For weeks,
There you were.
The breath fled
From my lungs
When you smiled
And silently
Beckoned me over.
Hastily,
I forced my way
Through the dense,
Relentless crowd.
You rewarded my quest
By placing your hand
Upon my back
And pulling me close.
You sheltered me
In the arms of
Your protective
Custody.
The heat of your hand
Burned into my soul,
Your mere proximity
Caused my heart
To miss a beat.
The din of
Our environs
Forced you close
As we spoke.
Nervous excitement
Consumed me
As I fixated
On your every word.
My gaze shifted
From your baby blues
To your satin lips
And back again.
Slowly your hand
Roamed down my back
Subtly drawing me
Into your orbit.
Anticipation
Muted the clamour
Until I could
Hear myself breathe.
The moments when
Our eyes locked
Lasted for an
Eternity.
Silent desire grew,
And time stopped.
The surrounding horde
Stood frozen.
You brought a
Hand to my face,
And delicately
Caressed my cheek.
You lowered your mouth,
Grazing mine
Just briefly
Before you pulled away.
Your expression
Begged my
Permission to proceed,
Your grasp on me
Demanded it.
My yearning turned
Frenzied rapture,
And I returned
My lips to yours.
Our hesitation
A distant memory
As tongues twisted
In exploration.
With disregard
To the forgotten masses,
We kissed
As though you and I
Were alone in
Your universe.
I felt immortal
In your embrace.
I could taste
Infinity
On your tongue.
If we had spent
An aeon there,
It would not have
Been long enough.
Love was set free
By a spontaneous kiss,
In a prosaic place where
Two souls became one.

Letter to My Online Friend (Letter Challenge #3)

This week’s edition of Jenny In Neverland‘s letter writing challenge centers around a letter to a friend that you have never met in person. Check out her post here Letter Challenge #3. I had trouble narrowing down the recipient for my contribution. I’ve received so much support from my WordPress family. From feedback, to pointers, to re-blogs and shares … I am blown away by the support I find here.

So, how did I decide? I began drafting this post right before I left for vacation last week. I typed, I deleted, I re-typed, then just saved a draft and took off. Two days into my trip, I received a message from one online friend in particular. Immediately it occurred to me, “Of course, THAT’S who my letter should be to!”

****************

Dear Steven,

When I first met you on Twitter, you were that funny Jake Gyllenhaal look-alike who had recently published “This is What Saved Me”, a book of poetry, and just happened to share the same first name as my first-born. I had recently started my WordPress blog, and you just happened to have a very popular blog here as well, SFoxWriting’s Blog. I knew immediately that you were different from the other contacts I had made, despite the fact that you lived on the other side of an ocean.

From the start it was clear that you genuinely meant it when you said that you strived to help other writers. Through you I have met so many wonderful storytellers, poets, bloggers and friends. My blog was in its infancy when I accepted your “Alphabet Challenge”. Over the course of those 26 days, my readership nearly tripled. It certainly helped when you re-blogged one post of mine in particular. To this day, that post remains my most popular. Oh, and during that time, I also learned that not only do you share a name with my son, but you are the same age too. It surprised me only because you had already achieved so much.

You helped me set a solid foundation for what I was looking to accomplish here on WordPress. You could very well have said, “Good luck, happy writing, and good-bye”. That has not been the case. It’s not just me either. I have seen you answer questions for and offer suggestions to dozens of writers. From “Help! I need a topic idea!” to “Help! I’m having technical difficulties” to “How do I attract new followers?”, you’ve made time for many.

So of course, when you saw my Facebook post last week referencing my frustration over titling my novel, you stepped up and offered to help. You probably don’t realize this, but you were the very first person to whom I’ve revealed any book secrets, other than the first chapter. Not even my husband knows what happens next! I am so glad that I did because within a couple of days, you sent me a list of 10 outstanding title ideas. Even as I type this I shake my head in disbelief. I’m not sure where you find the time in the day to work, write, blog, and help so many others to do the same.

OK, you’re probably reading this thinking, “Yeah, I know all of this, I was there.”, so here’s the point: Thank you ~ from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. I already know that your name will appear in my book’s “Acknowledgements” page. I know your reasons for helping aren’t so you’ll be appreciated publicly but anything less seems inadequate. If there is ever anything I can do help you with any of your writing projects, I hope you will ask. Until then, keep blogging, PLEASE keep writing poetry, and keep working on that book. I look forward to reading more of it.

Write on!

Sincerely,

Carrie

 

Image from flickr.com

Vacation Highlights

Up until this morning, my blog had gone 7 days without an update. That is by far the longest break I have taken since I launched Carrie Mayhem. I actually intended to post while on vacation. However, the first leg of the trip was much too busy and the second leg was at the cottage, where one is more connected to the wildlife than the internet. Anyway, I’M BACK!

Here are a handful of photos from our family holiday. They’re good pics but not the best pics. The best of the best will show up in future posts…

My favorite beach

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The lighthouse (http://fav.me/d7r32w9)

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A Ludington sunset (http://fav.me/d7q7pt2)

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Fireworks!

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Our entry Mater (from the movie Cars) won 2nd place in a “Pimp your ATV” contest!

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Return to Home

Please Don’t Grow Up!

I want to halt time

Remain your best friend always

Freeze your innocence

But even as you grow up

I’ll ever be your Mommy

 

Sabbatical

Chasing a sunset

Along a glowing pathway,

Serenity sought

Where the earth touches the sky

And fire dances on water.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We embark on a family vacation tomorrow! Even the adult kids get to join us this time. Where we’re headed, writing is easy. The words just flow. I will put some work in on the book. I may even still blog. I’ll just be doing it from the beach instead of a leather recliner. It’s not work if you love what you do. If I don’t check in before Friday, Happy 4th of July!

 

 

Photography: http://fav.me/d8yosh1

 

 

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