I am thrilled to be featured on Spillwords Press as part of their ‘Spotlight on Writers’ Series and my interview is live right now! Thanks so much to Dagmara and her team for offering this amazing opportunity. It’s a wonderful feeling to be recognized and to have a platform such as Spillwords to showcase my poetry. I am truly honored and grateful! And now for a peek at the interview beginning with Question #1:
Where do you hail from?
I was born in Palo Alto located in Northern California. But since my parents shared an excitement for moving, when I was two years old, we relocated to Cypress in the southern part of the state. The neighborhood where I began kindergarten evokes memories of playing with tadpoles and a frog the size of a football that I named Sam. When I was eight years old, we moved to Anaheim with Disneyland in our backyard. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and the rest of his cohorts became friends. I met a girl who lived around the block, and our friendship remains to this day. She and I spent most of our time in the magic kingdom when ticket books existed, and e-ticket rides were the best! Three years later, my parents packed up the house again, but this time, traveled across state lines to New Mexico. We lived in a beautiful brick house where wintertime brought snow for our brown and white springer spaniel to romp around in. But after four years, back to Southern California we headed. Moving frequently in my childhood was difficult – changing schools, leaving old friends, and making new friends. But my parents had their reasons, so I didn’t harbor any resentment toward them. Fullerton became my high school home, and the last one before I moved out on my own. Who knew that in the future, I’d find my way back to the northern part of the state with my husband and children.
If your interest is piqued and you’d like to read the full interview, click here and you will gently be carried over to Spillwords. Or you can simply click on the Spillwords image below. And if you would be so kind to give me a friendly ❤️ while you’re over there, you won’t need an account. But if you’d like to leave a comment, you will need to log in, and of course, I’d love to read your thoughts! Either way, if you cheer me on, I’ll greatly appreciate it! 🙏
Voted Author of the Month for May 2023
Thank you so much for stopping by, and please know that I appreciate you! 🙏🩷
A collection of poems that speaks of nature’s healing touch, howlove shapes our lives, and the mysteries of life. Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! 💚
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!❤️ 🎶
A collection of poems that speaks of nature’s healing touch, howlove shapes our lives, and the mysteries of life. Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! 💚
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! ❤️
A collection of poems that speaks of nature’s healing touch, howlove shapes our lives, and the mysteries of life. Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! 💚
For those of you who have asked, I’m feeling better since that post a couple of weeks ago. But I’m still working through two health conditions that began last year – a double whammy. Changes are constant, but when those changes are permanent and challenging, it takes time to figure out how to live them. As with anything, time will tell and help me decide what do to next. But I’m thankful to feel a little better with no brain fog. Anyway, enough of that, and now on with my exciting news!
I was surprised to find this beautiful review of my book from Michelle Ayon Navajas on this Monday morning. And I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my week. Her wonderful words truly touched me, so, I had to share her full review:
“The sky is the limit” they say, but I think not even the sky has the power to limit the endless possibilities of how our minds work.
I was struggling with Reena’s prompt this week. Not for anything else but simply because I wanted it to be a motivational piece, and maybe I suck at writing motivational pieces so I had to put this prompt aside and went to write my long overdue review of Lauren Scott’s book “Ever So Gently”.
I was down with the last pages of the book, when an epiphany happened. This book is about the quote prompt of Reena; “I think if you are curious, you create opportunities, and then if you open the doors, you create possibilities.” – Mario Testino
“Ever So Gently” is a collection of soul-soothing journey pieces of poetry packed up with calming scenes of early morning communion with nature. It is with our interaction with nature that we discover the endless possibilities about life and living it to the fullest. “The sky is the limit” they say, but I think even the sky would be jealous at how beautiful Lauren wrote her collection.
‘In Good Company’ begins: “We stroll among redwood trees, our steps slow down, we are in good company.”
I could almost feel the magical power in my hands through Lauren’s lyrical prose, and we know that when one believes in magic (magic happens).
“Clouds understand why we wait.” This is one of my adored lines from the book. Clouds may have a “not so good reputation” for bringing in heavy rains or for signaling the coming of a storm (could be both literal and metaphorical), but in her book, Lauren had me stopped and pondered. Clouds, after all aren’t that bad. It can be a sign of something good or better. It can be a friend who gives us a signal or warning that a rain is coming, we must be ready. So, clouds do give us the chance to prepare and be ready for the challenges we may encounter as the rain pours.
‘First Breath’, is my favorite. It is about a mother’s love, the reason being my favorite is obvious. I am mother and anything that speaks highly of a mother’s love is grately admired by me.
“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.”
Every child is a blessing and Lauren said it so beautifully in this poem. It also brought me to tears and reminded me of my own journey as a mother to four beautiful daughters.
Lauren’s book is not only about creating and opening doors of possibilities but also of celebrating wonderful memories.
Her communion with nature brings forth wisdom of mother earth that unfolds through her stunning imagery like: “hear the rustle of a skittering squirrel,” “petals of velvet invite raindrops to bask in their peach enchantment,” and “breeze carries burdens down rivers.”
This book will surely uplift your spirit, and make you fall in love with love, create more memories with your loved ones, and appreciate nature even more. If you are not the type who loves to taka quiet walk in the morning or early in the evening, this book will make you wanna grab your walking or running and go for a short easy- breezy walk. As for me who used to run in around my neighborhood, it made me miss those moments. I said “used to” because I no longer do it as often as I do it before pandemic.
Here are some of Lauren’s memorable imagery:
“The sky explodes in tangerines, salmons, canary yellows – brighter with every second. It’s as though a painter swished her brush back and forth…”
“And water hasnt caressed the hills The earth, parched like Chile’s Atacama.”
“Silk-thread drizzles dusted rooftops and parched hills.”
Lauren wrote in various poetic styles and forms from free versse to syllabic poetry like haiku, tanka, etheree, shadorma – this collection will not bore you. She made these forms looked so easy to write.
Lauren emphasizes how mysterious life is. She also made me ponder deeper into the essence of my own existence while reflecting upon my journey in life, and that at the end of it all no matter how difficult life is, we must not forget to love and live life ever so gently.
This book is best read with a hot chocolate or a coffee as you curl up and savor each poem.
Visit Lauren’s blog to read more of her brilliant poetry:
A collection of poems that speaks of nature’s healing touch, howlove shapes our lives, and the mysteries of life. Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! 💚
I realized this moment would come I knew the time would arrive, those hands on the clock they’re always on the move – when I had dreamed of so much more for this special minute, I have no poem…
even as I reflect while observing the hanging petunia, appealing in purple, swinging gently in the breeze or as I listen to my lab snoring softly, lying inches away, no poem has settled beside me…
even as I watch the geranium reach in its rich wine-red wardrobe for the infinite wild blue and the lemon-yellow daffodil looking dapper in its shamrock finery, no poem has greeted me with a tender embrace.
I fear that as this moment journeys into the next, and the sun bids farewell, allowing the moon to play her part, and those dedicated hands continue to circle and mystify, my pen will lie dry as a desert riverbed, my paper bare as a wall without photos.
Still, I will remain empty handed without poetry to enrich my soul, but tomorrow when the sun ascends and the sky unfolds to new possibilities, it will be then when I shall try again.
A collection of poems that speaks of nature’s healing touch, howlove shapes our lives, and the mysteries of life. Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! 💚
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 Terrific Tuesday! Lauren ❤️ Photo by samer daboul on Pexels.com My camera never does justice for moon shots, so I chose to enjoy the moment.
Stones of burdens can seem like pebbles barely tripping us up in our routines, but sometimes, they’re boulder massive, sliding us deeply into our heads when the need to escape from our own selves becomes vital for our sanity
we pause in our footsteps, holding our breath, fighting tears pushing as fiercely as a category five
but then our eyes look out the window following sunlight, focusing on the frost hanging on tips of tree branches as though adorned by sparkling jewels
they wink at us and those boulders shrink to pebbles with the sweetness of air, we inhale new life burdens we exhale, so we can breathe in miracles surrounding us – in those who hold our hearts, in every sight, every bloom, every sound…
I walk through the front door, and with each step, a memory embraces me like a warm hug of sweet nostalgia, chatter and laughter echo in my mind leading me to the framed photos on the ivory walls that come to life – savory and sweet aromas whirled from kitchen to living room enticing palates, the television stayed on for background noise (when back then, streaming brought only thoughts of calm, flowing water) the vision of mom’s lovely smile, the music of dad’s chuckle, what I would give for another moment to be with them – the enchantment of seven grandchildren running around wearing huge smiles, their giggles following their footsteps – before the lawn was laid and array of blooms were planted and the concrete basketball court was poured, nothing but earth in the backyard – she’d relax on the chaise beside the new pool a million laps later, the turquoise still glimmers – fond memories of those chapters stay cozy in the walls in the cracks and crevices over the passing of time among the fleeting minutes… I step through the door, and it feels like home.
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author & Poet 