Wolves with Furniture

Is the true nature of the human creature more akin to that of wolves or closer to bees or ants? What parts of the human soul are sacrificed by choosing a modern life in a crowded city-hive, an existence severed from the balance of Nature? Do wild wolves have a better sense of humanity than humans themselves?

These are only a few of the questions pondered in L.M. Reid’s poetry collection Wolves With Furniture, in which every intense poem is woven into the stories of Lupa the Wolf Queen and a vibrant girl born unlucky, who grows into a woman carrying within her the towering fury of a flame-haired Lilith.

Will she shatter herself against her own bitter rage, or choose to live a harmonious life guided by the just laws of the wolf? By turns poignant, thought-provoking and redemptive, Wolves With Furniture explores new depths of what it means to be human.

Winter Afternoon and Other Poems

The TV shows images of heads without bodies and babies wandering the streets all night... Just before sunrise, his blind eyes shine brighter than the sky, illuminated only by memory... The sudden, enveloping embrace of darkness is creamy in its softness, making you marvel at the world's perfection... Daring children to be young, sharing lunch with someone I once loved... Trust betrayed, messages relayed, bets hedged... Gracie lost herself again; her daughter found her in the basement with the photos... A bird twitters away the summers in a movie's belfry... Shriveled worse than a museum fetus drowning in formaldehyde... Pray the boy will learn to read before he learns to kill... The pizza guy slips a homeless man a few quarters... Moonlight bike rides along the river, conversations with the cat... If I touch the sky, how will I know... A glimpse of heaven through the kitchen window... Because no one can speak the sacred word, and no one knows more than they should...

What the "#x@+" is he 'saying'? ... Read on!

Window to Freedom

Yaroo’s poems are eclectic and are close to our lives, how the events in our personal lives and in our world touch us and bring emotional and spiritual changes. These poems make us see life’s events not just as they pass us but makes us feel and express how we live and endure its various phases and challenges.

These poems are about hope, love, contentment, friendship, peace, tranquility, freedom, and soul.

These poems show that faith, hope, and contentment essentially make us live a balanced life in good times and through the tough times not only in our lives but in others as well. These poems show how faith, hope, and contentment have to be nurtured and developed and are not gifts one is born with. They are difficult to have unless we are disciplined in keeping them in the forefront in how to live our daily lives.

Why

Have you ever wondered why?

It is my pleasure to share this debut collection of poetry. Words are escapes. Each poem is powerful. Brave. My own creation. A work of delight. Rich. Playful. Sometimes fragile. Erotic love alive to the world. Dizzying. Tangled. Some written as a young girl. Some homeless. Some in love. Institutionalized. I write you with the love of life. With confidence. The sparkle and glitter of poetry. A rare wine. A fortune. An expose of lifeblood. And a passionate love affair.

I leave these poems in your hands. Here is my poetry in motion. This is why.

What Do You Think?

As a physician I frequently have to search for a diagnosis which will account for most, or hopefully all, of a patient’s problems. So when I consider a question related to politics, religion or philosophy, I look for an answer that will help us to understand the known facts.

When you read these poems, I don’t expect that you will necessarily agree with the conclusions but hope that you will be stimulated to ask, ‘What do I think?’ and, maybe of more importance, ‘Why do I think so?’

The interpretations will be a product of age, gender, culture, race, nationality, politics, education and religious beliefs or lack of them. It is hardly surprising that our responses may differ. I frequently apply the following quotation from Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), the Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, to my own thoughts:

“I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.”
– Letter to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (8/3/1650).

We The People

Joanne S. Duffin’s poetry is a captivating fusion of the personal and the universal, delving into the depths of the human experience. Her verses touch upon matters of the heart, offer insightful observations of the world, and fearlessly tackle the pressing issues of our time, both within the United States of America and on a global scale.

As you turn the pages, you’ll find yourself immersed in the wonders and interpretations of the natural world, the joys of family, the treasure of discovered love, the journey of self-discovery, philosophical musings, political commentary, patriotic reflections, and the pursuit of justice. Duffin’s poetry also explores the complexities of friendship, the pain of loss, and the inevitability of death.

This groundbreaking work of fiction will captivate your mind as you traverse space and time alongside the author, who fearlessly delves into the very essence of self-expression. Throughout her poetry, Duffin never loses sight of the profound impact and influence of the past, acknowledging the experiences that have shaped her as both a writer and a human being.

Embark on this transformative literary journey with Joanne S. Duffin, and allow her unique voice to guide you through a landscape of beauty, understanding, and introspection, as her thoughts and words weave a tapestry of the human condition.

We Are All Equal in Ink

The day after his retirement, Chris suffered a haemorrhagic stroke that paralyzed the right side of his body. The language area of his brain was the most affected, depriving him of speech. To regain his most valued skill – to express himself with the written and spoken word – he had to begin again, re-learning words and their meanings, and to write using his left hand. His urge to use language as before was so strong that he was able to recover little by little what the stroke had cruelly taken away. It took two years until his abilities improved enough to be seated in his wheelchair to read and write. He never felt impeded by his disability. With a tape recorder, a notebook, and a typewriter, Chris picked up where he had left off – his inspiration awakened anew.

Walls

I had no idea what to do with myself when I lost my best friend. I started thinking about what could have been, and that led to me discovering my love for poetry. I was finally able to get it all out in a creative and organized manner. I soon discovered that poetry made me feel better about whatever my writing was referencing, so I used it as a method of healing until I eventually created enough art to make a full collection. However, I refused to stop there. I wanted her story and mine to be shared with the world, and now, my dreams have come to fruition. This collection took me three months to write, and I am so grateful for those three months of nonstop creativity. This collection highlights my life during those three months and a little bit of my life before my world came crashing down.

Waifs and Strays

These are short stories presented in poetic form. The cadence of poetry lends air and space to a story and heightens anticipation. There is war, loss, love and redemption in this work.

Accompanying these poems are some gritty short stories with twists as unexpected as a Twilight Zone episode. They are at times stark and unforgiving.

Vulnerable

Take a moment to reflect on relationships past and present and what they may have taught you. What you thought you wanted and wished for, to the moment when you realized you should have been more specific in your requests. This is a journey of reflection, release, and re-directing focus, from what is wanted to what is needed. That need and want from not only someone else but also yourself. Follow the story of five relationships – The Good, The Bad, and The Fling. Told through short stories and poems, these stories and poems, will not only help you discover some things about yourself but also help you discover what you may have lost searching for your comfort in someone else. Sometimes what you really need has been there all along, just waiting on you to be ready, waiting on you to finally release that baggage of your past and deal with some things you were scared to look at within yourself.

Victims and Perpetrators

Dive into the mischievous world of Victims and Perpetrators: Light Verse Judgement on the Criminally Inclined, where the lines between lawbreakers and law enforcers blur in the most whimsical ways. Through the masterful pen of John Gentry, a humorist poet with a penchant for the peculiar, this collection of poems invites readers on a rollicking journey through the underbelly of society, all from the safety of their armchairs.

From the tale of Felony Fred, whose criminal escapades are as endearing as they are egregious, to the saga of a hapless diner in Hard Rock, Idaho, Gentry crafts a universe where crime does indeed pay – in laughter and wit. Each poem is a vignette, a snapshot of life on the other side of the law, told with a twinkle in the eye and a tip of the hat to the absurd.

So, whether you’re a seasoned criminal mastermind looking to take a break from your nefarious activities, or a law-abiding citizen with a love for the lyrical, Victims and Perpetrators offers something for everyone. It’s a reminder that, in the end, we’re all just characters in the grand, ridiculous story of life – some of us just have better alibis than others.

Verses

Nothing in nature compares to the beauty of rainbows.

When they appear most feel, ‘Oh!’

They are signs that the rain has stopped.

Now people feel freer to go out to shops,

The flooded streets become more tame,

Children can go out to play games.

Most are once again bright eyed,

And see birds soaring throughout the skies.

And just maybe there are two beings,

At each end of the rainbow, connecting.