Season 6 Episode 8: Lauren Scott on A Poet’s Voice with Rebecca Budd on Tea, Toast, & Trivia!

Dear Family and Friends,

I invite you to visit Rebecca’s blog to listen to our conversation on poetry. You can also find our podcast on Spotify, Facebook, SoundCloud, Instagram, and Mastodon.

Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy the podcast!

And another Huge Thank you to Rebecca and Don! ❤️

~ Lauren ❤️

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

April showers arrive in March!

We’ve had a lot of rain this winter, but then it felt like spring had arrived last week with several sunny and warmer days. It was wonderful! But now showers are due to return this afternoon through tomorrow, and then again, later next week. Well, it does no good to argue with Mother Nature, so we’ll roll with the rain!
But I was in the mood for spring, so I’m bringing it on!

One of my poems from my book, Ever So Gently, makes me wish we were back at the lake (hence, my blog header), keeping company with nature and enjoying those magnificent sunrises and sunsets…

The Sun Knows

Evening advances.
The shore wears nothing
but a few rocks
scattered on its sand.
In their quiet space,
a father and son hold fishing lines
hoping their luck will lift.
A lone sailboat glides by
pausing for the unfolding.
With hair the color of an egret,
an older man leans against a stump.

Clouds understand why we wait.
A fine yellow highlighter
has delicately outlined
their smooth edges.
Occasionally, trout jump
out of the still water,
only a few ripples
show their excitement.

Then suddenly the sky explodes
in tangerines, salmons, canary yellows –
brighter with every second.
It’s as though a painter swished
her brush back and forth
on the immense backdrop,
to the left, to the right,
repeating with the grace
of an orchestra leader.
Can the sun slipping behind
downy clouds
be more spectacular?

Happy Friday! Happy Spring! And if rain is heading your way,
revel in its melody and do some dancing!
❤️ 🎶

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

A collection of poems that speaks of nature’s healing touch,
how love shapes our lives, and the mysteries of life.
Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! 💚

We Are Poetry by Kym Gordon Moore

Today, I am excited to tell you about We Are Poetry written by my dear friend, Kym Gordon Moore. Whenever I visit Kym’s blog, From behind the Pen, I’m either informed or inspired. I always leave with an important topic to ponder or a reminder to simply feel grateful. Her book is more than a collection of poems, which of course, would be a gift in its own right. As the title indicates, Kym’s book is filled with layers of insight about this genre as though it exists like you and me. Any school would benefit from including We Are Poetry in its curriculum. In fact, if I had pursued my youthful dream of becoming a teacher ‘when I grew up,’ her beautiful and insightful book would have been a useful tool in my classroom. Through Kym’s observations, she offers a glimpse into the beauty, benefits, and diversity of verse, fluidly dividing the book into her lessons.

In the beginning, I was captivated by her responses to how others feel that poetry is disenchanting and boring. If you share the same opinion, after turning the last page, I would be surprised to learn that you did not change your way of thinking. I felt empowered at the end of each chapter, and definitely after absorbing her powerful poem, “I Am.”
Below are the first few lines that will surely entice you:

They say I am nothing
in my someone-ness
traverse into a flow
of the seen but not heard
nonexistent, divisible where liberty is not just
not considered worthy to speak
or to be respected
just an invisible occupation of space
you think that of me
yet my existence is more
than the archives of silence
I am.

The desire to spread a soft blanket “Under the Poet Tree” swept over me:

Where leaves rustle at the sound of verses and stanzas
wind blowing through branches of poetic expressions
growing from a trunk that holds a history of adventure
a journey rooted deep in the soil of passion and purpose

artistic thoughts born from the birth canal of the poet
whether touched or sniffed, tasted or heard
the sight of what thine eyes can envision
a uniqueness speaking from blood running through the heart

should the soul wander in the essence of written words
as the fruit of poetry replants the seeds that grow
flourishing into an orchard of endless poet trees
hunger satisfied from the picnic basket of a bard

inspiration blossoms like new spring buds
creativity unfurling through the pores of my mind
life takes on new meaning of literary excellence
under the poet tree shrouded by a poet’s design

Kym speaks about the architecture of poetry, its healing voice, how it fights against illiteracy. She invites you into her memories of the simple times where you’ll find yourself tucked into your cozy car, munching on popcorn, enjoying a great film. She pulls you into the delight of paper kites and county fair fun. She has you weeping alongside Mother Earth, and when life doesn’t go as you plan, she implores you to not cry over spilled milk; instead, pour another glass!
There is an emotion for everyone in this lovely book waiting to be drawn out.
Highly recommended for all readers!

I hope you’ll leave my site today with a copy of Kym’s book on order. You will be glad that you did!
Thanks so much for stopping by! ❤️

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

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

A collection of poems that speaks of nature’s healing touch,
how love shapes our lives, and the mysteries of life.
Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! 💚

A Sneak Peek!

Over the past year, I have been collaborating with a very talented artist who happens to be my wonderful nephew. I presented the opportunity to Chris to illustrate my 1st children’s book and he was absolutely thrilled. The title is Cora’s Quest. Some of you may remember when I shared the story a while ago. Anyway, working with Chris has been delightful and amazing! The hardest part for both of us has been not sharing his progress on social media, and he just completed the final illustration page!!! He will be working on the cover and back cover next, and then the formatting begins for me! The release date is TBD, but I’m aiming for sometime in the spring. Cora has already come alive through Chris’ illustrations, and it is pure magic! 💖
Stay tuned for more information on Cora’s Quest, and I am excited to embark on this new adventure!
____________________________________________________________________________

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

A collection of poems about nature, love, and the mysteries of life.
Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! 💚

Thank you for dropping in and I wish you a lovely and peaceful weekend!
Lauren ❤️



Counting the days!

Time is flying, minutes are passing by at lightning speed, the days are staying lighter a little longer, and tomorrow, Wednesday, January 31st, is the last day to vote! Again, thank you to Dagmara and her team for publishing my work. I’m honored to be nominated for this award, and to be among wonderful friends who are amazing writers! As far as I’m concerned, we’re all winners! 🎉🎉

To vote, you’ll need to log in, and I know this can be challenging. But I do appreciate your time, effort, and support! I really do! 🙏

I’ll leave you with a poem from my book (the poem from which my book found its title) to guide you through today and days to come. I’ve shared it before, so enjoy for another reading!

Ever So Gently

Sometimes we get lost
in our thoughts…
losing focus of the stars
lighting up the night sky.
We tumble too deeply
into the frontal lobe,
allowing negative thoughts
to awaken, to throw a tantrum.

Remember, the breeze carries
burdens down rivers
and across oceans,
majestic trees sway with joy,
sheltering from shadows,
and the light shines even if only
a slight glimmer slips through.

Its glow will grow ever so gently
into a bright beacon of hope
rising with the golden sun
bringing clarity to our vision.

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

A collection of poems about nature,
love, and the mysteries of life.

Click on the image to purchase your copy.
Thank you! 💚

Giving Thanks, Jingle Bells, & Lots of Nostalgia

With the holidays upon us, my memory can’t help but reel back a few decades. Our parents were still alive, all of their grandkids were young, and those big, noisy family gatherings for Thanksgiving and Christmas were anticipated with excitement. Sure, giving and receiving gifts at Christmas time is rewarding and fun (in that order), but what I truly miss is ‘the noise, the laughter, the chaos, the loved ones’ (section 2 of my book). And I remember when our daughter and son were precious little bundles of joy. The elation my husband and I felt when our family became 3 then 4, and then complete. Don’t misunderstand though – returning to the past isn’t my wish, I’m simply reminiscing. So, I’ve shared this poem before that you’ll find in the same section of my book. But because these images have come to life once again, I’d like to share it one more time. I hope you don’t mind, and perhaps, you’ll relate to my nostalgic frame of mind…

First Breath

With every new miracle of life
answers aren’t scripted in the stars,
but I knew since your very first breath
my life would become yours.

Through innocent eyes and curious touch
each new discovery you shared,
your smile grew bigger than the sun,
your heart’s elation declared.

You stowed dreams in the clouds,
imaginings rose higher than the heavens.
Cuddling you in that first euphoric light
made me fall in love with you in seconds.

Life has blossomed into delight and wonder
in every part of its glowing greatness,
and with each ounce of my being,
my enduring love for you is ageless.

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
The first 3 photos of our daughter, Stephanie, and the last 3 of our son, Michael.

Click on the image to purchase your copy. 💚

Our babies are now 32 & 28, so they’re not babies anymore,
but I suppose they will always be our babies no matter their age.
❤️

I appreciate your visit today and wish you a wonderful week!
~ Lauren 🩷🙏

Dog Love Abounds!

Resa at Graffiti Lux Art & More recently featured my 13-year-old chocolate lab mix, Copper, so I’m reblogging because if you’re a dog lover, you won’t want to miss her post! But not only is Copper Boy featured, so are John’s adorable Twiggy and Marina’s beautiful Hera!
But first, below is a little bit about Resa if you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her:

I am thrilled that Resa loved my poem “Copper Boy” enough to include it. So, here’s what she has to say about Copper in which she gently inserts a plug for Ever So Gently:

And now to see those gorgeous dogs at Resa’s, click on the link below ⬇️.

Thanks again, Resa, for including Copper! He sends you lots of slobbery kisses! Good thing you keep those sponges handy ‘cuz he loves to give kisses, but in his senior years, he’s also a bit drooly! 😂🐶

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Featured photo of Copper is 6 years old, but it’s one of my faves. 🧡

Click on the image to
purchase your copy.
 💚

I am touched by those who enjoyed my book
and who have written beautiful reviews. 🩵
And a friendly nudge… if you enjoyed my book,
please consider sharing a review on Amazon

and Goodreads. The best gift for authors! 🙏🏻

Thanks to you beautiful friends for visiting today,
and I wish you a fabulous weekend!
~Lauren
 ❤️❤️

He’d say, “Live your life!”

I’ve written and shared several poems during my father-in-law’s decline on hospice, and then for his passing on Halloween. My last post was a tribute to all our parents who are now together for their eternal adventure. But Wil would say, “It’s time to move on and life your life!” Actually, my parents and my mother-in-law would say the same thing with gusto! So, while we’re in the midst of grieving, taking care of business, and planning Wil’s Celebration of Life, I’m moving forward regarding blog posts, but I truly appreciate all of the kind words and condolences my family has received. 🙏🏻❤️

And now I’ve fallen behind on some reblogs, the first from Barbara at Book Club Mom when she featured my latest book, Ever So Gently. She is a wonderful support to Indie Authors with her Author Update posts. So, thanks again, Barbara! To read the entire post and learn more about my book, click on the link below that will take you to Barbara’s site. Please take time to peruse her blog where she shares the books she reads along with her wonderful reviews. And yes, I’ll most likely share more about Ever So Gently, but that’s life for a self-published author. It’s not easy to promote one’s work, but it has to be done. So, I hope you all understand. 💚

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Photo taken by my son, Michael, at Arches National Park in Utah.

Click on the image to
purchase your copy.
 💚

I am touched by those who enjoyed my book
and who have written beautiful reviews. 🩵
And a friendly nudge… if you enjoyed my book,
please consider sharing a review on Amazon

and Goodreads. The best gift for authors! 🙏🏻

Thanks so much for visiting today, and I wish you
a gentle start to your week.

~ Lauren ❤️