Crowdfunding Creative Jam

The crowdfunding Creative Jam is now live with a theme of "twists."  Come give us prompts, or claim some for your own inspiration.


What I Have Written

"Twisted Wind" is today's freebie.


Inspired by My Prompts

alexseanchai has posted "The Spiral of Life" about small acts of kindness.

Also from alexseanchai 
Your poem inspired "Beacon", a sequel poem of sorts, about picking up after the tornado: 25 lines. Sponsor it for public view for $20, or become a patron of my Patreon and view it there (it is not yet posted) for as little as $1 per poem.

thesilentpoet has created this:
Belated inspiration!

Your image prompt of 'Twisted Tree' inspired a brief character sketch, set in the Urban Fantasy novel featured on my Patreon. For those, who may have followed me before my disappearance, some characters and setting may be recognized.

Character Sketch.

Teaser line: "Beside her sits her phone, her purse, her shoes... It is out of character."

Poem: "Twisted Wind"

This is the freebie for the April 2017 crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by a prompt from alexseanchai. It also fills the "lightning" square in my 4-1-17 card for the Month of Rainbows Bingo fest.


"Twisted Wind"


A storm rolls in,
dark clouds heavy
with water and ice
and electricity.

Rain buckets down,
hail hammers the ground,
and lightning flashes.

The sky turns on itself,
and the twisted wind
reaches downward.

A tornado dances
across the hapless land,
picking up a skirt of dust
as it twirls around,

a tall spiral fountain of doom.

* * *

Notes:

A tornado is a violent weather phenomenon caused by rotating air.  Learn about tornado safety.

Poem: "The Quick Brown Fox"

This is the linkback perk poem for the April 4, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl.  It was originally hosted by Dialecticdreamer.  It came out of the March 3, 2017 Poetry fishbowl, inspired by a prompt from my_partner_doug.  This poem fills the "intentional neighboring" square of my 3-1-17 card in the Disability Bingo fest.  It belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics.

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Saturday Yardening

Today I started by spreading two hoppers of grass seed in the forest yard.  Challenges:
* Spreading grass seed in high wind rarely works well.
* Shoving a cheap grass spreader over very rough ground also doesn't work well.
* Also the idiot who assembled this thing put the handle on upside-down, which I did not notice, because the model I examined closely was assembled correctly.  So the control is on the left side (not too bad, as I am ambidextrous) and the rate dial points at the ground (a real nuisance).  At some point we'll need to take that off and reposition it, but I don't have the spoons today.
However, there is now a lot of grass seed and white clover seed across the forest yard, which is an improvement over none.

Second round, I spread another hopper of grass/clover seed.  That's roughly 3/4 of a 50 pound bag.

Third round, I took pictures.

EDIT 4/15/17: Fourth round, I spread the final hopper of grass/clover seed.  This finishes off that 50 pound bag.  It covered the tilled areas in most of the front yard on both sides of the sidewalk, not counting the street side of the fencerow or the bit by the house that wraps around the side.  We still need to cover the area around the old raspberry patch too.  So that's another 50 pound bag to buy later.

EDIT 4/15/17: Fifth round, I watered plants around the septic cap and tried a little raking of the dirt hills.  I am not much use at the latter.

( Walk with me ... )

Unsold Poems from the April 4, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl

The following poems from the April 4, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl are currently available. Poems may be sponsored via PayPal -- there's a permanent donation button on my LiveJournal profile page -- or you can write to me and discuss other methods.

There are still verses left in the linkback poems "Testing the Metal," "Dangerous Refuges," "The Marble and the Sculptor," "Picking Up the Litter," "The Golden Peaches of Peace," "Leaves Upon the Water," and "The Quick Brown Fox." Linking to this page will reveal new verses in whichever poem you request.


"Climbing Through the Cracks"
A DW prompt inspired the free-verse poem "Climbing Through the Cracks." An abused teen seeks refuge in an unlikely place.
375 lines, Buy It Now = $188

Jobina Benton knew
how to live in the cracks.

She searched for clothes
in thrift stores and giveboxes,
went dumpster-diving for
anything still usable.


"Profusion"
Several prompts contributed to the free-verse poem "Profusion." People travel through a crack in the Tef, first in spirit, then in body.
113 lines, Buy It Now = $57

The crack was small,
at first, barely big enough
to pick up radio signals
or whisper through.

Alex and Ash examined it
with their sensors. Bailey
and Chris built tiny probes
to squeeze through it.


"The Tragedy of the People"
Some DW prompts inspired the free-verse poem "The Tragedy of the People." Salim escapes from Palestine into surprising new opportunities.
156 lines, Buy It Now = $78

Salim Tamimi is too young to remember
a free Palestine, but he's heard stories of it
from before the endless decades of war.

It would be nice, he thinks, to live somewhere
free of bombs and raids and encroachment.


There are three new poems about Stylet, to be released in sequence:

"The New Beginnings of Soft Greens"
A DW prompt inspired the free-verse poem "The New Beginnings of Soft Greens." Stylet reacts badly to receiving Ashley's message, and Carissa puts him back together again.
182 lines, Buy It Now = $91
Available for posting after "The Whip of His Own Remorse," "The Inner Transition," "The Willingness to Surrender Ideas," "Until It Hears Something Better," and "A Little from the Heart" have been sponsored and published.

Stylet had three long, horrible days
to think about the consequences
that his actions had brought him.

Three days of feeling guilty
about the berettafly mess and
ashamed of ruining Ashley's life
and hurt that she found the sliver of 
their genetic juncture so offensive.


"This Is How I Should Be"
Continuing the tale of Ashley and Stylet, "This Is How I Should Be" features them discussing future plans -- this time, via video call and with emotional spotters, so nobody gets hurt. The poem is written in free verse.
307 lines, Buy It Now = $154
Available for posting after "The Whip of His Own Remorse," "The Inner Transition," "The Willingness to Surrender Ideas," "Until It Hears Something Better," "A Little from the Heart," and "The New Beginnings of Soft Greens" have been sponsored and published.

The routing information on
Ashley's message indicated
that she was still in the hospital,
so that's where Stylet tried first.

He had Carissa with him as
an emotional spotter, so they used 
the viewscreen for the video call.


"The Key to Everything"
A DW prompt about Stylet inspired the free-verse poem "The Key to Everything." Stylet talks about one of his prior creations, but there's more going on than he realizes.
144 lines, Buy It Now = $72
Available for posting after "The Whip of His Own Remorse," "The Inner Transition," "The Willingness to Surrender Ideas," "Until It Hears Something Better," "A Little from the Heart," "The New Beginnings of Soft Greens," and "This Is How I Should Be" have been sponsored and published.

It took time for the authorities
to go through all of the information
that Stylet had ceded to them.

Periodically Valor's Widow or Carissa
would take Stylet to the police station or 
SPOON or SPAZMAT to talk about
the repercussions of the content.


There are three exit day poems about Shiv, all free verse:

"Blue Jeans and Jazz"
"Blue Jeans and Jazz" actually happens the day before Shiv leaves prison. Mr. Vanburen helps Shiv choose some street clothes, because Shiv is too overwhelmed to do it all by himself.
536 lines, Buy It Now = $268

Shiv lay in his bunk and tried
not to think about how today was
his second-to-last day in prison.

He wanted early release,
sure, he was grateful for it,
but now that it was almost here,
he was also terrified of it.


"The Key to Your New Home"
"The Key to Your New Home" follows Shiv as he explores his apartment in Public Housing.
201 lines, Buy It Now = $101

It was a good thing
that Boss White came
to pick him up from the bus,
because Shiv could hardly
string two thoughts together.

What the fuck do I do now?
Shiv wondered, nibbling his lip.


"To Know After Absence"
"To Know After Absence" is about Shiv moving into an apartment above Blues Moon and choosing some furniture from the gang's storage building.
372 lines, Buy It Now = $186
Available for posting after "The Key to Your New Home" has been sponsored and published.

On the way to Blues Moon,
Shiv fretted over all the new stuff
that he was supposed to remember --
his apartment keys, the new address,
the hours for the amenities -- and it had
him gnawing his thumbnail from nerves.

Boss White listened to him muttering
the information so he wouldn't forget it,
then said, "Write it down, Shiv. I didn't
give you that daybook for a doorstop."

Poetry Fishbowl Report for April 4, 2017

The April theme was "living in the cracks." I worked from 12:30 PM to 5:15 AM, so about 14 hours 45 minutes, allowing for lunch and supper breaks. I wrote 7 poems on Tuesday and another 14 later in the week.

Participation was excellent, with 23 comments on LiveJournal and another 65 on Dreamwidth. Please welcome new prompters we_are_spc and k_a_webb.


Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the April 4, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"Cracks and Shadows"
"A Curious Transfusion of Courage"
"Discovering the Rose Garden"
"In the Cracks of Climate Change"
"kintsugi"
"A Level of Protection"
"Saying No to Powerlessness"
"The Silent Devoted Companionship"
"Sunshine in the Sidewalks"
"This Has Always Been Me"
"Until You Saw into My Cracks"
"What Lives in the Cracks"

"The Quick Brown Fox" (Polychrome Heroics, March 7, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl)
"How to Get It Out" (Polychrome Heroics: Shiv, January 3, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl)



Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list for April 4, 2017. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available.

Currently sponsored poems have all been posted. Donors this time include: goldbach5, redsixwing, daisiesrockalot, ng_moonmoth, Anthony & Shirley Barrette.

The Poetry Fishbowl made its $200 goal, so "How to Get It Out" was the free epic.  We also made the $250 goal, so that's a third tally toward a bonus session, slated for Tuesday, April 18 featuring Clay of Life.


The Poetry Fishbowl project also has a permanent landing page.

Story: "Coming in from the Cold: Wednesday: Coping Techniques" Part 7

This story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Hairpins," "Blended," "Am I Not," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys,""Saudades," "Querencia," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," "Hide and Seek," "Kernel Error," "Happy Hour," "Green Eggs and Hulk,""kintsukuroi," "Little and Broken, but Still Good," "Byzantine Perplexities," "Up the Water Spout," "The Life of the Dead," "If They Could Just Stay Little," "Anahata," "When the Wheels Come Off," "Against His Own Shield," "Coming in from the Cold: Saturday: Building Towers," "Coming in from the Cold: Sunday: Shaking Foundations," "Coming in from the Cold: Monday: Memorial Day," "Coming in from the Cold: Tuesday: Facing Fears," "What Little Boys Are Made Of," "Rotten Fruit," "Keep the Homefires Burning," and "Their Old Familiar Carols Play."

Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, JARVIS, Agent Sitwell, assorted new SHIELD recruits, Sean O'Toole, Pepper Potts, Dr. Samson
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Indecision, PTSD, nightmares, food issues, boundary issues, teamwork, SHIELD, rude humor, mental health care, facing the past, interpersonal dynamics, intrapersonal dynamics, emotional challenges, memory issues, frustration, and other angst.
Summary: The Avengers help each other cope with challenges, including Steve's nightmares, Tony's new sleep dynamics, and Bruce-and-Hulk attempting to get along.
Notes: Team as family. Competence. Friendship. Comfort food. Emotional first aid. Nostalgia. New hobbies. Hurt/comfort. Science. Music. #coulsonlives.

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

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