New July poems

July 7
third cuppa coffee
still outside reading paper
in July's coolness

son's "Happy Birthday!"
greeting two days early
at least the right month

July 8
at home, reading news
from a South Carolina
paper bought last week

July 9
outside, nothing moves
but then, a wasp sips a bloom
of beautyberry

treat for my birthday:
frozen yogurt for breakfast
for lunch and dinner

July 10
Hilton Head Island
only shells I saw? bottled
in souvenir shop

July 15
looking for dishes
and dirty clothes, I end up
cleaning the boy's room
#

While on the East Coast - our Sisters' trip--Pt. 2

On Wednesday, I sit out in morning's cool
on deck (of postage size) that overlooks
a tree-filled space. Diagonally, a slough

of sorts holds Alligator Annie (Al?).
(State law forbids their feeding, else a fine
--for feeder--death for animal that's fed.)

The wrens and crows and squirrels and unknown birds
cavort and call in nearby trees, and moss
--ubiquitous--hangs almost close enough

to touch. No breeze, but sounds of fountain, air
conditioning mingle. Two of four ride bikes,
all three work hard at forming daily plans.

Not me--I'm just along. I'll go along.
By Thursday, we were zombies! Two whole days
of shopping, tours: Savannah trolley ride,

narrated by a Yank from Jersey, through
the myriad parks, their ancient live oak trees
with beards of Spanish moss like spectors. Greene,

Pulaski, Rebel soldier facing North
to guard against returning redcoats. Homes
of famous people--Mercer, Low (the Girl

Scout maven), Sherman--more I can't recall.
A trip to Tybee Island where my vet
and family were to spend this week, of all

coincidences! Sunset cruise to see
the dolphins followed food at dock-side place:
a salmon BLT for me, crab cakes

and calamari, chicken nachos, drinks...
On Friday, trip to Charleston, SC,
where we enjoyed a carriage ride with Jon

and Jake, the strongest breed of horse there is.
We sisters--last ones on--sat aft of Jake,
our front row seats kept children from their view

and mother had to scold the pouting boy.
We ate at Poogan's Porch, friend Sandra joined
us from her work three blocks away. A dish

of shrimp and grits, a steak (fried chicken style)
with mashed potatoes, long green beans and tea,
two sandwiches--one, chicken salad, one

a grilled pimento cheese--with fries of sweet
potatoes, rounded out the entrees. Talk
while waiting, eating green tomatoes (fried),

pimento cheese balls (also fried), but best
of all, large, fluffy biscuits. Afterwards,
one dish (5 spoons) of pudding made with bread.

Then back to Hilton Head mid afternoon.
The air was cool with low humidity,
a slight reminder of the coming fall,

though summer'd just begun. And now, we're home
in Arkansas. The trip holds pleasant thoughts
enough to last until this time next year. #

Adventures of three sisters in route to Hilton Head Island

A travelogue of sorts in blank verse

We set off on our yearly sisters' trip
in Honda hybrid. Baby sister, soon
to hit the 60 mark, behind the wheel.

Another sister riding in the front,
and eldest--moi--at 15 years beyond
the driver, settled in the back. In route

to Hilton Head we were, to meet the sib
from DC, who drove down another way.
(Of course.) A thunderstorm dumped tons of rain

on Mississippi's highway. Knuckles white,
our driver and the navigator eyed
the fog line, flashers blinking, searching for

a car's lights up ahead. The truckers passed
as if to say, 'Get over it and drive,
you wimps from Arkansas!' At length, the storm

abated. "Whew!" We all relaxed a while,
deciding we deserved a shopping break.
At western edge of Tupelo, we stopped

and asked directions, soon espied the place.
The first booth, first glance at the books, I saw
a title, Liberating Paris, and

it's autographed by Bloodworth Thomason!
I wondered why the "Becky" gave it up.
Then farther on, I found a Cape Cod plate--

a pie plate--unlike any I had seen.
The others came out empty-handed. Rain--
or shower--in the meantime, cooled the air.

TO BE CONTINUED

My first book manuscript's at the publishers!!

After 390 hours--logged in 2010--of "work" on my novel, I have just today sent it via the internet to iUniverse (Bloomington, IN)for them to turn it into a solid book--one with creme pages, using Garamond font, 12-point. It will be available in hardback, softback and Kindle, but iU has the say on how much it will cost.
I had seen --and liked the looks of--Sam Taggart's, Joel Cooper's and two of Elizabeth Carroll Foster's books. That's why I decided from the get-go to (ahem) go with iU. I was warned by two colleagues to try another route, but I disregarded their fears. I may be sorry, but if I am, I will spread the news far and wide so others will not be so fast to decide on this company.
What will I do with all my time, I wonder? First, a vacation to the East Coast, then time and energy first on the yard, then the inside of the house. Starting with the back porch, going to the attic, then finishing with the toolshed.
Perhaps by that time, I'll be so tired, I'll want to start another book--so I can rest!
BTW: 390 hours divided by 6 months equals 65 hours per month, which is only around 2 hours per day average. Doesn't sound as impressive this way, does it? pl

Is it still June?

What a long month! And it's only just half over. Why, during this week only, grandson/ward Billy got a job at Target (which meant two interviews and a drug test), took his driving test and passed, got his driver's license, drove to work twice, to the grocery store and to Hastings--all in my 2003 Taurus.

I, on the other hand, have submitted (to iUniverse) my 50-word bio, a 25-word mini-description of the book, a 200-word back-cover synopsis, the marketing phrases, text for the book jacket flaps, and my choices of size, and paper color for the inside. I even got to say how I wanted the cover to look.

I have formatted the 72,000-plus words into a single-spaced document with all print characters shown, first paragraphs of chapters flush on the left (industry standards, you know), and line breaks after chapters. When I'm through proofing for the final time, I will delete the page numbers and submit via email for publishing.

This time next week, I'll be in a Hylander, with two sisters, driving to Hilton Head where we will meet up with the fourth sister for a week's vacation.

Jam-Packed June, continued

Here I am at Piggott AR, participating in a week's writers' retreat at the inspiring location of the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museums. We meet and write all over the hill--some in the education center (where I am), some on the porch of the main house, some in Hemingway's barn loft and others in the work room of the ed center.

I actually finished writing my long-in-progress novel!! I needed only the last two chapters to close my story. Ironically, the finish happened--not on the H-P premises-- but in my room at the Downtown Inn bed-and-breakfast, sitting on the bed, leaned against a pillow, with the laptop resting on a long bolster on my lap. The bolster was long enough to hold my flash drive on one side of the computer and the mouse on the other.

I put my money where my mouth was and sent in all the information forms required by iUniverse Publishing. Today, I received in return, an e- letter from my "Check-in Coordinator," who attached five pre-submission forms/ guidelines.

June 24 is my goal for having all things submitted. We'll see. pl

Jam-Packed June

child's paint water
disappearing
into brown carpet
~
gift-plant stowaway
singing all night
in the house
~
interior designer's
elegant home--
the dusty skylight
~
successful short flight
from privet to windowsill
two young cardinals
~
three words
striking fear in her heart:
"It's swimsuit season!"
~
humid afternoon
the billboard painter
brushing on a smile
~
middle-aged man
staring into the ocean
shell at his ear . . . no, cell
~
bereavement lily
its orange fallout
blessing me
~
the doves' calls
(sounds I always thought were owls)
now in unison
~
Saturdays
at the auction barn
her only "night out"
~~Pat Laster
c 2010 lovepat press