I’m excited to share that my poem “Fade the Shadow” is featured on Gobblers by Masticadores! I want to offer a huge thank you, as always, to Editor, Manuela Timofte, for featuring my writing.I am grateful to have my work showcased among so many talented authors. 🙏
Fade the Shadow
The world is beautiful, proof dances all around… leaves fluttering in a breeze, butterflies floating by with grace, but the world is more beautiful with him. Even if the sky unfolds, and a storm rages, his presence adds a glow to fade the shadows and quiet the fear. If the universe has stolen my spirit and descent is imminent…
To read the full poem, please visit Gobblers by Masticadores by clicking on the link below. If you’re unfamiliar with this site, take some time to peruse. You’ll discover beautiful and profound pieces of writing from some of your friends and authors you’d like to know.
Today is the day! I’m excited in a bittersweet way to announce the release of my poetry collection, King Copper – a tribute to my family’s friendly, lovable chocolate lab mix who crossed over the rainbow bridge on March 3rd. I had already written several fun and happy poems about Copper when he was with us. But when he left our world, I began writing through the heartbreak, providing a destination for grief in the form of poetry. I’ve also included color photos to bring life to the poems.
But today isn’t about feeling sad, bittersweet, yes, but this day is for my family and I to celebrate Copper through this special book. We can ‘see’ him frolicking with his friends in a magical place where pain doesn’t exist, only lush green meadows, redwoods, cheerful sunflowers, smiling daisies, ladybugs, and butterflies. It’s about believing…
My son with a young Copper
My daughter with a young Copper
I wasn’t going to do a formal blog tour, but I couldn’t believe the outpouring of support.Several friends offered to help spread the word about King Copper. So,the blog tour began with my good friends, Maggie at Ephemeral Encounters on Monday, and Mike at Silent Pariah continuing yesterday. More good friends will continue the tour as follows:
I hope you’ll follow the tour to get to know these amazing writers and to learn more about the book. Each post will offer something new…
A little back story of how my family became Copper’s humans:
When I knelt down to Copper’s level, my heart melted. His amber, soul-searching eyes told me all I needed to know.
I recalled sitting at the table, perusing a Labrador rescue website. A lab sporting a copper-colored coat stood out like a citrine crystal in a bowl of black diamonds. I had to meet the handsome fellow.
So, on a late winter March day in 2012, my family drove to Oakland to meet Copper. A woman was fostering him in her small apartment. He had a gentle demeanor, and after a walk around the block and some play time, I was ready to take him home. My son and I were excited to welcome Copper into our lives. But my husband and daughter were hesitant to adopt another dog so soon. Would we be replacing Lucky Girl, our black lab mix, who passed just four months earlier?
Despite telling the woman we needed time to make a decision, only three days later, we found ourselves signing the adoption papers. Copper effortlessly jumped into the back of our car for a ride to his new home. We heard that the best way to get past the grief of losing a pet is to get a new one, and that’s what we did. Lucky Girl would always be in our hearts. But after many conversations, we felt the timing was right. I, especially, couldn’t shake the feeling that Copper was meant to be our next canine friend.
From the hugs, cuddles, and games of fetch, Copper learned to trust us. And so, he became family. For thirteen years, he gave us unconditional love. He crossed over the rainbow bridge this past March. It is serendipitous to know that he came into our lives in March and left our earthly world also in March – the month of new beginnings. He was a bright light in our lives that will shine eternally. This is the power of our dogs or any pet. They leave a positive, long-lasting imprint on our souls.
Some samples of poetry:
A Special Connection(an excerpt)
Every canine that has joined my family owns a part of my heart, but when Copper trotted into our lives, something different, something special clicked inside of me.
Warmth radiates from his amber eyes that see into my soul. Cliche, yes, but it is through those eyes that we are linked. How can an impression be described?
He is my third child, a copper-coated lovable boy…
March to March (an excerpt)
From March to March he arrived with youthful spirit and left with angel wings – thirteen years in the spaces now glowing memories around each corner. We celebrate his life – those soul-searching eyes that connected to us – we were links in a golden chain and now one link is missing…
Copper when he first ‘came home’ at 18 months
I hope that if you read this special book, you will laugh out loud. I want a smile to form, crinkling your eyes at the corners. And I even want the heartache to be felt because it was intense when I wrote the grief poems. Every emotion plays a role in reaching the point of acceptance. Every stage of grief is necessary. But I also hope you feel comfort if you’ve lost your beloved furry family member because Copper and all those who keep him company live in our hearts. It’s choosing to believe so we can find a way to move forward without our loved ones, humans or pets.
The paperback and e-book versions are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and e-book only on Kobo. Click on the ‘buy’ button above for the image below for your copy from Amazon.
So, thank you for being here. I appreciate you, and I’m sorry if I’ve missed your posts. It’s been a head-spinning week (in a wonderful way) with the blog tour, so I hope you understand. And I want to thank again all of my friends who are sharing about King Copper. I am so grateful for your friendship and support. I wish you all a wonderful day, and if you are a dog parent, give your pup a hug for me. ❤️🤎🎉
Copper was his given name when we brought him home, so we kept it because it fit with his rich, copper coat. 🤎🧡
Those eyes. That face. He had his head on my knee.
Dear Friends,
This is the most bittersweet book promotion I’ve done. My poetry book in tribute of Copper, our chocolate lab mix, who left our earthly world in March will be released on Wednesday, August 6th. Both paperback and e-book versions will be available. I’m partial to holding a book in my hands, so the paperback is what I prefer. When my copy arrived, my emotions got the best of me. I’m so proud of this compilation to honor Copper, and in a way, all of our dogs that have blessed our family.
Both versions: paperback and e-book are available on Amazon, and Barnesandnoble.com. Kobo offers the e-book only. Just fyi, the e-book format is a bit different than the paperback. If you’re interested, you can pre-order now. For Amazon, you can click on the front cover image…
This collection is a combination of freestyle poems, tanka, limericks, micro poetry, and haiku, including color photos. The first section consists of poems written when our golden boy was still with us. Then when he received his angel wings, the mood shifts because I wrote through the initial grieving process.
A few samples:
Tour De Force
Prancing on the left like a well-bred horse Staying in step, not drifting off course Stopping for sniffs And frequent leg lifts His character is a tour de force!
Showstopper
There once was a dog named Copper Whose good looks were a showstopper A hugger and kisser Love he’ll deliver Bit with love comes lots of slobber!
One More Moment
A dog barks in the distance causing me to pause, it sounds like Copper’s – a wild imagination longing for one more moment.
To the Best Family (an excerpt)
I felt sad to leave you, but my body was tired, it wouldn’t stop hurting. Then I couldn’t walk. How could I live like that? I was too big. I needed to be able to get around and sniff and lift my leg and play. I was old, and I lived a great life with you, Mom, Dad, Sis, and Bro!
You gave me a loving home, and before you adopted me, that’s what I wished for, so you made my wish come true…
An excerpt from the Preface
When I knelt down to Copper’s level, my heart melted. His amber, soul-searching eyes told me all I needed to know. I recalled sitting at the table, perusing a Labrador rescue website. A lab sporting a copper-colored coat stood out like a citrine crystal in a bowl of black diamonds. I had to meet the handsome fellow.
So, on a late winter March day in 2012, my family drove to Oakland to meet Copper. A woman was fostering him in her small apartment. He had a gentle demeanor, and after a walk around the block and some play time, I was ready to take him home…
***** I’ve decided not to do a formal blog tour, but if any of you are interested in sharing about my book on your blogs or social media, please let me know. I would be grateful. 🙏
Thank you for your support this year when I shared about Copper and the heavy hearts that my family and I have had. If you have a cuddly pet, give them a hug for me. And if you plan on purchasing a copy to read about our beloved King Copper, thank you so very much. ❤️
At first, I was uncertain. How would I live with my own personal white noise tailing me like a spy? I couldn’t make a James Bond escape. A daunting shadow stalked me for days because the constant hiss felt claustrophobic though I’ve never been…but then time doesn’t concern itself with rest, and I learned to tune it out (the irony). So, to you who reassured me that life goes on despite the hiss, I offer my deepest gratitude. And then I rotated my thoughts, tumbling them in the frontal lobe like clothes in a Kenmore dryer, until my attitude experienced a transformation. My personal noise became protective gear, shielding me from unwanted hubbub in the world, carrying a more soothing cause than threatening.
We deal with the hands we’re dealt, but some take more grit than others to navigate. This should be acknowledged, so navigation time is subject to personal situations. Yet, in doing so, we create our own rules, bringing a whisper of warmth settling over us like being wrapped in the comfort of a cashmere blanket.
try inviting in a positive perspective to alleviate
it could be a lunch at our favorite café it could be a chat, laughter, and stroll through the mall it could be sharing a morning coffee with a stunning sunrise it could be gossip on the patio it could be a Sunday dinner it could be a weekend away for mom and daughter…
but it can’t for now as long as geography gets in our way as long as circumstances dictate so I’ll continue missing her, comforting my hurting heart until the next trip in the air.
i thought i’d get used to it i thought time would heal well, time has done diddly-squat so, if i allow the distance to take up residence in my thoughts, i’ll just add one more ache to my medical records.
The world is beautiful, proof dances all around… leaves fluttering in a breeze, butterflies floating by with grace, but the world is more beautiful with him. Even if the sky unfolds, and a storm rages, his presence adds a glow to fade the shadows and quiet the fear. If the universe has stolen my spirit and descent is imminent, his arms catch me before the landing. He comprises the tones in my tapestry, rebirth in my rain, fire in my winter. He is everything around in between within the world I reside.
My goal to publish this special book last month obviously didn’t happen. Sometimes, I wonder if the editing will ever end. I’m working on Ingramspark, and this week I will progress to the next step for them to review. Then I’ll have to see what comes next. I toyed around with various title ideas, but then ‘King Copper”‘popped into my mind and it lingered like a warm hug. He was the king in our house, and you can tell in the cover photo below that he wore the crown well and looked so handsome. What a gentle 80-lb giant he was. Sigh.
Anyway, now I’m hoping to publish King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry this month. But we’ll have to see if any glitches jump in the way. I believe the editing is finally done. With this being said, unless we make last-minute changes, this is the final cover. The dark chocolate color scheme ties into Copper’s mixed chocolate lab breed. Other shades of brown just didn’t work. I also like the idea of dark chocolate, a rich beginning into this poetic journey of Copper’s wonderful life. I hope you like the cover too.
More updates will follow regarding the publishing date, and life sure is interesting, isn’t it? You know this book wasn’t planned. But I had already written joyful poems about Copper when he was with us, so when he passed in March, I began writing poetry for therapeutic reasons. He was my 3rd child, and even though he was elderly, his passing was “still too soon.” Reading this collection of poetry will take you on an emotional roller coaster from joy to grief to acceptance. And sharing our life about our beloved senior pup will hopefully provide comfort to everyone who is also grieving the loss of their pet, or has done so in the past.
A poem from the book…
Will you?
Will you remember us when you cross the rainbow bridge where grass stays emerald green high upon the tallest ridge?
Will you wait for us when our time for crossing arrives to be a family once again filling the hole in our lives?
But before we reunite be your happy, playful self run and sniff, no pain, be free your joy and freedom is our wealth. ❤️
Sending love, and if you have a furry family member, give them a hug for us. ❤️
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author & Poet 