I’m thrilled to have my poem “Sepia” published on Marsha Ingrao’s site, Always Write, for her Story Chat Digest! Marsha is so generous to publish the work of fellow authors for the readers to analyze, both poetry and stories. Her blog is informational and entertaining. By the way, submissions can not be published anywhere in the past. So my poem is brand new. I’m also honored to celebrate beside my dear friend, Maggie Watson, and Doug Jacquier, who I’m happy to meet through Marsha – another benefit, meeting like-minded bloggers. Thanks so much, Marsha! ❤️
Sepia
by Lauren Scott
I walk around the neighborhood at a good clip. Blood flows in every vein like a river to an ocean. Familiarity around each corner feels like a needed hug. My legs love the stretch of the stride. Pausing for a moment, I close my eyes, breathing in fragrances… tall pines, jasmine, and how lucky to have the sun's company. Its warmth is welcomed. When his presence is gentle, it’s a summer I remember.
A canine friend trots beside me, but only in my mind’s album since time has faded like a few friendships. The more calendar pages I flip, full of ink and pencil, the more memories turn into sepia...
Comments are turned off, so please visit Marsha's beautiful site to read the rest of my poem, and Maggie and Doug's, and share your thoughts! And while you're there, I hope you take some time to peruse around. 💖
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. 🤎🧡
I’m excited to share that my poem “The Middle” is live today on Gobblers by Masticadores! To give you a little back story, when I wrote this poem, life had changed tragically for a family member. Since then, there have been many improvements which I believe are miracles. But life still isn’t the same and a daunting question mark hangs in the future. Our family continues with positive thoughts and prayers. And I want to offer a huge thank you, as always, to Editor, Manuela Timofte, for featuring my writing.
The Middle
It doesn’t matter if we’re celebrating the best thing that ever happened, or staring at our heart lying on the floor in millions of tiny pieces. Time moves ahead (seemingly) as if we pushed the fast forward button. Those hands on the analog clock have a mind of their own, turning and turning, making our heads spin, wondering where the hours have gone. Where have the hours gone? How does a decade ago feel like yesterday? Why does my mind tell me I’m forty when my driver’s license tells me I’m wrong? Just yesterday, my daughter and son played with Lego and Barbies. Today they’re adulting, living with bills that show up in the mailbox on a monthly basis. Always prompt. Just yesterday, I took my last photo of our senior pup, not knowing it would be the last photo I would take of him...
To read the full poem, please visit Gobblers by clicking on the link below. Thank you so much, and I wish you a wonderful week in this new month of June. ❤️
Available on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, but click on the image to purchase your copy through Amazon.And a friendly nudge to share a review online if you loved Cora’s Quest. Thanks so much! 💜
Thank you to Manuela Timofte for publishing this post about rainbows and miracles. Some of you may remember it from a few weeks ago. This week I’m praying for a miracle, so I’m grateful for the perfect timing! I’m closing comments because I invite you to visit Gobblers to offer Manuela support at her wonderful literary site. And after viewing the photos and reading my poem, “Darker than the Deepest Sea” I hope you’ll be inclined to leave a ‘like’ and maybe even a comment…🤗🌈
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!🙏❤️
I am thrilled to share that my light-hearted, fun poem for Halloween “Treats only, Please!” has been nominated for Publication of the Month by Spillwords Press! This recognition means the world to me, and it is an honor to be in the company of so many talented writers (including a few great blogging buddies). Thank you to Dagmara, her team at Spillwords, and to the readers who offer the most wonderful support of my writing. The email that landed in my inbox today is..
Dear writers,
We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to every one of you! Your exceptional pieces have been nominated due to popular demand for October’s Publication of The Month.
We encourage you to share this link with your family, friends, and supporters, as their votes can make all the difference. Please note that voting will conclude on 10/30; soon after, we will reveal the well-deserved recipient of this prestigious title.
To vote, kindly register and/or log in to ensure your voice is heard.
The winning publication will be prominently featured on the Spillwords.com sidebar throughout the entire month of November, gaining well-deserved recognition from our global audience.
HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:
Good luck to all the nominees! Your contributions have enriched our platform, and we deeply appreciate your excellent collaboration and participation.
Creepy cackles from tall, looming trees startle their jumpy heartbeats as they walk. Shadows discreetly follow the echoes while they timidly proceed down the block.
Young voices repeat with conviction, “It’s just a night for entertainment.” There’s no need for goosebumps and fear as their eyes focus on the cracked pavement.
Undeniably sensing they’re not alone, many follow in their hesitant footsteps, eager to reach doors and push doorbells but afraid of frightening special effects.
Broomstick witches in purple velvet capes, eerie fog rolling in with white-gown ghosts, superheroes from blockbuster movies, owls hooting from high in their posts.
Some faces look like long lost relatives, wrinkly and aged like dear old granny. Ignoring the screeches, they focus only on filling pillowcases with loads of candy!
I am thrilled that this fun take on Halloween received 142 ❤️s and 17 comments (including my replies)! To those who flew over to Spillwords and hearted and/or commented on my poem, I offer my grandest Thank you!!!! ❤️🙏❤️
So, I ask you to vote! Log in or create an account (I know, another account, another password, all I can do is ask). 😃
You can offer your wonderful support by casting your vote here, and again, voting will conclude on Wednesday, October 30th.
I don’t like scary movies! As a teenager, I saw my fill, and the movie that did me in was The Amityville Horror! I was housesitting with my best friend, Melissa, and why we thought going to see this movie was a good idea, I’ll never know. But into the night, every strange sound in the house just about ejected us from our beds! The toilet gurgling, the wind outside, the creaking of the house, the refrigerator whine, our imaginations! Now, as an adult, the news of world events and events in my own country are frightening enough!Who needs Jason, Michael, Chucky, or Freddie?!!! 👻
So, when I read about Spillwords asking for Halloween submissions, I thought, hmmm, scary isn’t my genre. Then I reminisced to the Halloween nights when our children went trick-or-treating in their cute costumes, and behold, a fun, light poem was born. 😁🎃 I’m thrilled that Spillwords liked it enough to publish it in their Halloween collection. My heart is filled with gratitude to Dagmara K. and her team for sharing my writing again within such a talented community. And now for a snippet…
Treats only, Please
Creepy cackles from tall, looming trees startle their jumpy heartbeats as they walk. Shadows discreetly follow the echoes as they timidly proceed down the block.
Young voices repeat with conviction, “It’s just a night for entertainment” There’s no need for…
To read the full poem, fly on over to Spillwords by clicking here, and I hope you’ll give it a 🧡 while you’re there! If you have any thoughts, don’t be shy, leave a comment! Does my backstory and poem resonate with you? Thanks SO much for your support! 👻🎃
I appreciate your visit, and wish you a wonderful weekend ahead! Stay well, happy, and safe! ❤️🍁
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! ____________________________________________________________________________
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author & Poet 