My verse is...

...a child’s first step

And it is a walk on the moon

My verse is a bitter-sweet remedy

That springs from a troubled heart

My verse is a pilgrim in a strange land

And it is an open door

My verse is all that I have done

And all I have failed to do

My verse is a silver birch

And it is a red bud tree

That changes from tender purple

To deep and fulfilling scarlet

My verse is a sleepless night

A train whistle calling me back

My verse is a rising sail

Awaiting the breath of dawn

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur

Prompted by Wordgathering

I plead

do not

leave yet

take my soul

read me like a map

unravel me like a reel  

let us step into our love

same love

like into a river

one more time

let us bend

all rules

it is

vast

our love

it runs like years

never ever turns old

let our love take us in

do not dread to die
it is kind

let us be one

till it is time

to part

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur


Written for Poetic Bloomings 

Name (poem)

Written for Poetic Bloomings (What’s in a name? Prompt #107.)  We were asked to compose a poem using only words and/or phrases found in the letters of our names.

Alexandra Palmer

PLEAD:

READ

ME –

A PALM.

RED LAND,

ALL 

END –

AMEN.

Live for the love of it,

The Happy Amateur

Redbud Tree (an attempt at a sijo poem)

REDBUD TREE

The tender purple buds unfold, becoming leaves of rich scarlet.

My life unfolds before my eyes, the fleeting youth has vanished.

The Sun and truth can burn, I take comfort in the shade of years.

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur

written for dVerse

image credit:

http://lawnpatiobarn.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/eastern-redbud-cercis-canadensis/

Publication! Публикация!

Хочу поделиться приятной новостью: литературный журнал "Слово/Word" (номер 77) напечатал некоторые из моих недавних стихов и переводов (ссылка на страницу в Интернете приведена чуть ниже).  Журнал издаётся более 20-ти лет, начинался под эгидой Сергея Довлатова при поддержке Иосифа Бродского.  Публикация в "Слове" - большая честь для меня.  Спасибо.

(Один досадный момент: в моей фамилии была допущена ошибка.  Правильное написание "Палмер", без мягкого знака.)

 http://magazines.russ.ru/slovo/2013/77/

I want to share an exciting piece of news: a literary magazine “Слово/Word” has published some of my recent poems and translations.

(There has been an unfortunate misprint in my last name: it should read «Палмер», I hope it will be corrected soon.)

I am very happy and proud to be part of “Слово/Word” – a magazine that was founded more than twenty years ago under the auspices of Sergei Dovlatov with friendly support from Joseph Brodsky.  

Thank you.

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur

Protect your wordpress blog!

Hi,

once again I encourage wordpress users to take steps to protect their blogs from hackers.  You might be unwillingly sending out spam or offensive material without even knowing it.  The person on whose wordpress blog a youtube video was posted did not know anything about the video, did not know the video was there.  Apparently, it was not visible to the owner of the blog, but it was to the blog visitors.  The video, as I only now realize, was not just stupid.  It was an offensive, I believe, anti-American message.  I feel that it celebrated the bombings in Boston.

Change your password.  Make it strong.  Do not use "admin" as your username.

Here's more info:

http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2013/04/are-you-aware-of-the-ongoing-wordpress-global-attack/

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur

Wordpress Global Attack!

Hi!

Apparently wordpress blogs are under a massive attack.  Might be a good idea to change your password and make it as strong as possible. Do not use "admin" as your username!

I was perplexed by a stupid youtube video I bumped into on the highly respected literary blogs, and this morning I read about the attack, and now it all makes sense.  Here's the article:

http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2013/04/are-you-aware-of-the-ongoing-wordpress-global-attack/


Stay alert!


Live for the Love of it,
The Happy Amateur