In Tribute* The Poetry of Clara B. Freeman

Poets United mourns the recent passing of former member, Clara Freeman. Clara was a talented poet, activist, author, and senior advocate. Her poetry appeared in numerous anthologies throughout the years. Today, we feature some of her works, in tribute. R.I.P.

YOU

Birds fly

bells ring

all because of you

April showers

budding flowers

clear skies of blue

Grass grows

the crisp white snow

Nature's green

Angels sing

all because of you

PLAYING THE GAME

In the game of circumstance

I sought to conquer your passions,

intent on becoming the woman of your dreams

Used feminine wiles

To tease you into certain submission

Confidence led astray,

I became blinded by my naiveté

I sought to conquer you slowly,

Enslave your manliness for all eternity

You were clever,

A fox in sheep’s clothing,

It was you who captured me

© 1994 CLARA FREEMAN

EXCERPTED FROM “HOME SOMETIMES IS…A LONELY PLACE

Website: https://clara54.wordpress.com/clara-freeman/

Image credit: Picture People

Mother's Day Tributes* By Yasmin Morais

A BOUNCED REALITY CHECK

(For Mama)

Slowly, ever so slowly

her once sharp wit and constant humor faded.

Days rolled into one. Memories were elusive

and friend became stranger.

Danger lurked in once harmless places.

Faces, before familiar, now unrecognized.

She fought to get a grip, to not let reality slip.

Yet the long trip on the roller coaster of mental torment refused to end.

Alzheimer's triumphed, enmeshing her in a prison of delusion

(c) 2011 Yasmin Morais

BLESSINGS

"God bless you my child", my grandma would say

for simple acts of love I'd do each day.

Combing her hair.

A drink of water.

Reading chapters of her favorite book.

All these elicited outpoured blessings, not fully understood

by my young mind.

Now the flowing bounties I see

confirm the legacy of my grandma's blessings

resting on me.

(c) 2011 Yasmin Morais

BIO:

Yasmin Morais was born in Jamaica. She attended the University of the West Indies (Mona) where she completed her Bachelor of Arts (Spanish) and Master of Science (Government, with an International Relations focus). She later moved to Toronto, Canada, where she completed a Master of Science in Information Studies at the University of Toronto. Yasmin also holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB, Honors) from the University of London.

Yasmin’s poems have been published in The Potomac, Nursing Science Quarterly, and Pen and Prosper. To promote the work of Caribbean poets, Yasmin created the blog Poets of the Caribbean: poetsofthecaribbean.blogspot.com. 

Her second collection, Questions in Jamaican Patois will be available in the fall of 2023.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers.

Image credit: Pixabay.com

Poets United's Founder Serves as Panelist at CPL Poetry Fest @ Harold Washington Library

 

On April 29, 2023, Chicago Public Library hosted its 24th Annual Poetry Fest celebration downtown at The Harold Washington Library. I had the pleasure of attending and serving as a panelist for their workshop on "The Business of Poetry." 

It was an enlightening experience, in which I "dropped some knowledge" and also gained a lot of useful, strategic tips from the other guest panelists, which included my new poetry idol: Eros the Prince of Poetry.

Both new and seasoned poets at the gathering posed some great questions on how to get started, copyright conundrums, and marketing their work.

Some of the key tips I shared with attendees included:

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING MARKETABLE PRODUCTS TO SELL THEIR POETRY

2. HOW TO EXPAND THEIR PORTFOLIO BY SUBMITTING TO PUBLICATIONS THAT PAY WELL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS (including Chicago Writers Association)

3. RECOGNIZING THAT PROMOTING POETRY IS NOT A "PERFECT SCIENCE," RATHER, IT REQUIRES TRIAL AND ERROR AND CUSTOMIZING ONE'S GAME PLAN FOR WHAT'S BEST SUITED FOR HIS/HER GOALS, PERFORMANCE CHOICES, TIME, ETC.    

4. REFERRING THOSE WHO DID NOT HAVE A WEBSITE TO BOOK THAT POET, WHICH PROVIDES A DIRECTORY TO LIST POETS FOR BOOKING PURPOSES-- FOR A NOMINAL FEE

The business discussion lasted about an hour and was well-attended. It was very enjoyable. The only suggestions that I would give for future events are:

1. THE PANELISTS SHOULD BE GIVEN A SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED AMOUNT OF MINUTES FOR THEIR RESPONSES--FOR EQUAL SPEAKING TIME 

2.  SEPARATE TABLES SET UP WOULD BE NICE FOR THE PANELISTS TO SPREAD THEIR PRODUCTS OUT FOR GREATER VISIBILITY AND EASE FOR PATRONS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING

Below are some photo highlights

A special thanks goes out to all those who organized and contributed to the fest to make the day a great success!

Image credits: Pixabay.com

Poetry Corner* Dr. Archan Mehta

 

 On Creativity

The “experts” said:

If you are truly a writer,

As you claim,

Well, make sure you pen

At least 1,000 words per day.

Less than that,

And we will consider

You an amateur writer

Or, what is worse,

Maybe even a fraud or imposter.

And please keep in mind

That we are busy and important

People and therefore have

No time to worship false gods.

However, I did not

Know how to convey

That I was a writer

By intuition and not by discipline.

Thus, when the muse visited me,

I would immediately put

Pen to paper. For example,

I would wake, suddenly,

At the crack of dawn, 

With sweat on my brow

And I would sit down

To the art of writing:

Well, as a matter of fact,

That sort of life

Felt truly exciting.

But put me in a room

At a certain hour

And I tend to

Run out of ideas.

I feel helpless and weak

And fail to meet

Publication deadlines

And turn into a

Helpless wallflower

At that ungodly hour.

After all,

Creativity is a mysterious process,

Which I am still struggling

To figure out:

Creative writing cannot

Be forced or whipped into action.

In fact, creativity needs

Freedom to breathe

And nobody knows

Where creativity will ultimately lead.

BIO:

Dr. Archan Mehta has earned a PhD. in Management. Currently, he is a Consultant and Writer based in India. In his free time, Dr. Mehta likes to stroll in the outdoors and party with close friends. He is also fond of meditation. Please feel free to reach out to the poet at archanm@hotmail.com at your convenience.

Image credit: Pixabay.com