Poems for last week and this week and a peek at radio show guests

Vivian Zabel - publisher

4RV Publishing. My guests on

Red River Writers Live Tales from

the Pages on Thursday, June 24th.
Janie Franz - author of The Bowdancer series
Hear her on Red River Writers Live Tales from

the Pages on Thursday, June 24th.

This has been a very busy month for me. My husband's condition has pretty much occupied most days. He is a little better and more focused, but still he requires a great deal of attention. This month has been taken up by doctor's visits for him. He is set to go up to Boston in July to see not the top specialist but his second. The head of my husband's medical group is talking to the head of Massachusetts General to see if they can move it forward a little bit.

I can't believe that summer is coming next week! I am not ready for it at all, but I am going to try to get out to the pool. It sits there outside my window taunting me with happy people relaxing and enjoying themselves and making fun noises. But that will require buying a bathing suit, which is probably an entire blog post in itself.:)

I'm not here to write much, but I did want to post my poems from last Wednesday and my poem for this Wednesday's prompt. I have also been busy thinking about subbing my YA novel and I think that is going to happen this week! Yes, I am finally going to send it out and keeping my fingers crossed that this time it will be accepted. My luck has to change soon!!!

Meanwhile, here are the poems:

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Prompt from Poetic Asides website was choose 3 things you can see from your computer or laptop and write a poem about them:

new table, Betty Boop nurse doll, Balzac statue

In the course of events
a new table doesn’t compare to
winning the lottery or the joy of your
child’s first step

But for us the event, uncelebrated
as it was, brought a quiet happiness
replacing the trepidation we all felt
at mealtimes balancing paper plates
on knees while the Balzac statue
looked on safe on its temporary kitchen bar home

And the Betty Boop nurse doll, who had
survived inside the hermetic glass seal
of the antique china cabinet while smoke
invaded the place we used to call home,
must watch as a man twists in the vice
of his own body’s war upon him.

copyright 2010 by Barbara Ehrentreu

More from my laptop

They traveled long distances
from their original home where
their angelic faces were painted
with delicate strokes – in perpetuity
dangling on the stone wall with goats
at their feet, maybe siblings or perhaps
close childhood friends. Such innocents
whisked from the chaos soon to come
in their homeland and carried across the
ocean to rest for years secure in a Queens
apartment. Bundled in cotton batting or
within old discarded pantyhose they journeyed
across the country, from Cortland to West Covina
Vestal to Buffalo resting at last in Queens again
chipped,diminished by the jostling of unconcerned
movers Long Island to Westchester plunked into
moving boxes until the last move when my numb
fingers wrapped them once more while I with breath
held prayed all would survive.

Steadfast they stand a shelf above a transparent preditor,
one who should be roaming verdant wilderness takes center
position on the first shelf its jaws closed
My birth stars dictate the symbol; form the core of my being.

Next to it viewed in profile its massive distinctive head
modeled from sand, painted black it had aged with white
spots ruining the smooth black fantasy. It’s haunches flat on the
shelf – perpetually guarding us all proud as the living model

These artifacts retain the loving
touches from gentle fingers
absorbing a family’s life.

(Hummel figure, glass lion, Newfoundland statue)

copyright 2010 by Barbara Ehrentreu

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Prompt: Write a poem about being stuck.

Blocked Words

The words sit like polite guests
waiting for the moment to spring from my fingers
But that doesn’t come and instead they remain
in my brain unable to move until the right
order brings them forth

Meanwhile hands sit on the keyboard
while patient words bide their time
becoming unsettled and floating
Awaiting the moment when the right
sentence arranges itself

The first sentence, remains stuck
glued in the recesses of my cerebrum
Over run by Bthe clog of thoughts
surrounding it like the hair that
Keeps the water from draining

Recriminations, guilt, remorse
refuse to allow that fledgling sentence
to form – bullies disrupting the calm
Pain, distress and aggravation loose
themselves on the helpless words

that courageously form a line and storm
past the word bullies as the first sentence
appears and fingers bring it to life.
copyright 2010 by Barbara Ehrentreu

Before I end this I wanted everyone to know about my June show for Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages. I am going to have as my guests Janie Franz, who has visited here before as a guest author and finally Vivian Zabel publisher of 4RV Publishing. I always love having a guest that I have interviewed beforehand like last month with Eric Luper. Next Thursday's show should be great, because Janie's new work in the Bowdancer series is being published. Vivian will be talking about whether she is open to submissions and sharing a little bit of her list with us. 4RV Publishing publishes almost all kinds of genres. If you are interested in learning more about Vivian and 4RV this is a don't miss show. Vivian has a few books she has written that I'm sure we will be talking about on the show.

Until the next time thank you to any new readers. I'm so glad you decided to visit here. Also thank you to the readers who continue to come here to read my meanderings. Another giant hug to all the wonderful people who have sent me their thoughts and prayers and hugs. You are all the best and your support helps me so much!!!