What I’m really loving about this blog tour is the personal touch that my friends are softly including into their posts. I love reading how my book connects to them. My heart is full! A Huge thanks to Jacqui for helping me spread the word about this special poetry collection that pays tribute to a very special family member, our beloved chocolate lab mix, Copper, who received his angel wings on March 3rd.
Comments are turned off, so please visit Jacqui to learn more about my book. And if you’ve missed prior posts, you can check out my sidebar to catch up. 🤗 Also, if you haven’t met Jacqui, take some time to peruse around her blogging world. She is a fantastic writer of non-fiction, fiction, action, and prehistoric fiction. Simply click on the link below that will gently carry you over to her site.
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.
I’m thrilled to announce that my poem “Baseballs” is published today on Gobblers by Masticadores. A huge thank you to Editor, Manuela Timofte, for sharing my work on her highly regarded literary site.
Baseballs
One day the sun guides you with its glorious rays, the world spins in its usual manner, then out of thin air, in the blink of an eye, the cliché is yours, under a sullen sky, plans become fractured. Life is altered in a skipped heartbeat that was slow to join the rhythm of the others. My emotions feel awkward. They seem wilder, body feels heavy as though pewter crowds my veins…
To read the full poem, please visit Gobblers by clicking on the link below, and if you’re not already subscribed, please follow Manuela’s wonderful site for a rich poetry experience.
Thanks so much for visiting, and have a wonderful week ahead! ❤️
One day the sun guides you with its glorious rays, the world spins in its usual manner, then out of thin air, in the blink of an eye, the cliché is yours, under a sullen sky, plans become fractured. Life is altered in a skipped heartbeat that was slow to join the rhythm of the others. My emotions feel awkward. They seem wilder, body feels heavy as though pewter crowds my veins, but I don’t walk in their shoes. Meeting challenges head-on distracts heart and mind, but in the hush of turmoil, I imagine their emotions will morph into wild too. Until then, questions soar like baseballs out of a batting machine. Some answers remain elusive. Others may be clear as morning dew but tricky to swallow – digesting turns into a test of the human spirit. What comes next? Only uncertainty is for certain.
Last Sunday we took Copper, our 14 1/2 year old puppy, to our favorite state park. The weather was cool but not freezing, just perfect for a walk among the redwoods. Copper loved walking around, taking in the new sights and smells. He can’t hear anymore, so we use hand signals to communicate with him, and we give him lots of hugs and kisses. I took some pics and sent them to our daughter and son who live in TN. and CO. Then I saw an IG post from my daughter that went straight to my heart. She wrote about living far away from ‘her dog’ and missing him so much. I’m going to share it, then I’m going to add a poem written from Copper’s POV. So, this post is a combination of tears and smiles. I hope you enjoy, and maybe you’ll relate too.
From my daughter:
“It’s weird having a dog or any pet be part of your life for a good amount of time but then you move away. Across the country. And rarely see them anymore. And when you do visit once or twice a year, you’re so excited to see them because you know them, but you wonder if they remember or recognize you. And they look older because you’re older. When we first adopted Copper, I was with him for 6 years and was hesitant on adopting another dog after Lucky Girl passed. And now, I’ve been away from him for that same amount of time that I was with him & it’s sad, bittersweet. He’s still got those same amber eyes you get lost in, but he’s a little grayer than he was the previous year. And you just know the inevitable. It’s weird being so far away & not “growing up” with him into adulthood. But when someone asks if I have a dog, I say yes even though it’s only through pictures my mom sends me. I love this boy so much.” ❤️ (This brought us to tears. We miss her enough, and then to read her feelings about living far from Copper just about did us in! Does this scenario sound familiar?)
And now, let’s wipe away those tears and find a smile:
What a Fun Day! (from Copper’s POV)
Thanks, Mom and Dad, for taking me to the park! I took in all the beauty without one single bark!
Oh, the smells were awesome, and the redwoods so tall! I’m pretty tall myself but I felt very small!
Lifting my leg was fun around new territory, I even inspired Mom to tell my canine story!
We walked by the creek hearing water flowing. You said it was peaceful without any wind blowing.
Then we found a table where you ate your lunch and I gulped down my food with a crunch and a munch!
Naptime followed soon when I plopped down on my bed, with every muscle relaxed I laid down my big head.
I know I’m older now; I don’t move very fast, but I’m glad we came here because I really had a blast!
A note from Copper: I hope you liked this post that my mom and I put together! Can you relate? Do you have a dog or cat that melts your heart and whose eyes see right into your soul like mine do? If you do, let my mom know in the comments. And thanks for coming by today! I hope you don’t mind a slobbery kiss from me! ❤️🐶🐾
The vast space of emptiness will never feel right Communication sustains but the heart feels short-lived relief no room for logic the heart carries a stubborn streak
Moments missed Hours missed Days missed fleeting of time The miles from here to there, like a ball of yarn unraveling over hills, through valleys getting snagged on jagged edges along the way
In a daze, I’m slowly slipping down a rabbit hole about to surrender the very best of my soul where darkness cloaks itself around me Air, no longer reality
Sadness befalls the world outside as sky-falling tears slam the earth I’m tumbling with them in a frenzy The first teardrop rolls down my face leaving a chill in its wake before disappearing beneath my jaw My back slides down the wall I’m drenched in sobs
Then reason meets my reflection I challenge my emotions because pain trails closely behind – I’m inviting stress, and I can’t handle one more ache Does this make me selfish?
Humans are complicated Emotions are complicated
Some days, the golden sphere dazzles me into dancing Some days, the shadowy sky lures me into that daze I can feel my heart breaking I can feel each piece tear away I won’t have strength to sweep up the mess…
but this love is stronger than I ever thought I could feel a love in my heart that will need to be the glue… it is what it is ‘till it isn’t anymore maybe someday… until then, the vast space and I will need to reach a truce.
Photo: credit to Literary Revelations Publishing House
Dear Family and Friends!
I have more exciting news to share! I am grateful to Gabriela Marie Milton for the opportunity of being featured on her literary journal today – Literary Revelations! She has published two of my poems: “I Know This” and “Wild Emotions.” I am always in awe of her beautiful, evocative poetry and of the poetry she features of other talented writers. So, thank you, once again, Gabriela! I am on Cloud 9!! ❤️
Literary Revelations has published a myriad of beautiful books. The most recent are Full Moon Confessions by Tracey Anne and Petals of Haiku: An Anthology, in which the art on the cover is by award-winning painter Hikari. I am honored to be a part of this amazing anthology with over 160 poets.
For some reason, WordPress won’t allow me to add book images in the body of the post, so please visit Gabriela’s site here to peruse her wonderful books.
And now I offer you snippets of my poems:
I Know This
We do not live forever, I know this, just as sunlight and moonbeams cannot shine simultaneously. But sometimes I feel he and I will transcend the inevitable. Imagining the opposite is unimaginable…
Wild Emotions
No one listens, no one understands the version of me… My spirit sinks to the bottom of the ocean floor. My sky holds gray clouds with no sign of cerulean. My body suffers heaviness as the hand of death. My mind resides in a muddle of negativity Like a dirge repeating loop after loop… A shadowy corner in my room invites me for an extended stay. Sun rays no longer peek through my curtains Because even my sunken spirit has the sun feeling uncertain…
I hope you’ll visit Gabriela’s post to read the poems in their entirety. My heart would be full of gratitude! You can also click on the link below.
Thank you SO much for stopping by and for your continued support. Words can’t express how thankful I am for you! And I wish you a fabulous day, and a fun Halloween!🙏❤️
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author 