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CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
Wed Dec 21, 2011, 02:31 PM Dec 2011

Celebrate with me!

A very recent poem is going to be published in the periodical Decanto, from England!

I just got the email today! It's so validating to have someone who doesn't know me want to publish my work.

Midnight Balloons

purple shadows
damp
and
cold

in the dark
on the sidewalk

black sky no moon

lights off
no hustle
for this
locked building

balloons tethered
limp from days
aloft
sagging strings

not even trying
to
float

away



74 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Celebrate with me! (Original Post) CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 OP
Congrats Peggy! geardaddy Dec 2011 #1
Thank you so much, my dear geardaddy! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #2
My dear CaliforniaPeggy! nolabear Dec 2011 #3
My dear nolabear! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #4
Congratulations. It is a beautiful poem, Mira Dec 2011 #5
Thank you, my dear Mira! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #6
That's impressive! A hearty congratulations, CalPeggy! pacalo Dec 2011 #7
Thank you, my dear pacalo! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #9
I've been a CaliforniaPeggy fan since my first day on DU OriginalGeek Dec 2011 #8
Thank you so much, my dear OriginalGeek! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #10
Congrats, Peggy Love! MrScorpio Dec 2011 #11
Thank you, my dear MrScorpio! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #12
Good Job Peg.... WCGreen Dec 2011 #13
Thanks, Chris! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #14
Awesome Peggy!!! backtoblue Dec 2011 #15
Thank you, my dear backtoblue! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #19
Cheers CP! ohiosmith Dec 2011 #16
Thank you so much, my dear ohiosmith! n/t CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #20
Hooray! Phentex Dec 2011 #17
Thank you so much, my dear Phentex! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #21
Peggy, that is a beautiful, wonderful poem. Congrats! Raven Dec 2011 #18
Thank you so much, my dear Raven... CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #22
Wonderful poem. Congrats, Peggy. n/t RebelOne Dec 2011 #23
Thank you so much, my dear RebelOne...It means a lot! n/t CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #25
congrats! Kali Dec 2011 #24
Thanks, Kali! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #26
Congratulations, my dear California Peggy!! hifiguy Dec 2011 #27
Thank you, my dear hifiguy! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #28
Huge congratulations! emilyg Dec 2011 #29
Thank you, my dear emilyg! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #36
Excellent poem, CalPeg! Aristus Dec 2011 #30
Thank you so much, my dear Aristus! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #37
Great news Peggy. applegrove Dec 2011 #31
I thank you, my dear applegrove! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #38
Excellent!!! MiddleFingerMom Dec 2011 #32
My dear MiddleFingerMom! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #39
Congrats! av8rdave Dec 2011 #33
My dear av8rdave: Thanks, sweetie! n/t CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #40
Sweet, congrats Peg! Ohio Joe Dec 2011 #34
Thank you so much, my dear Ohio Joe! n/t CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #41
Most excellent Peggy! AllenVanAllen Dec 2011 #35
My dear AllenVanAllen! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #42
You've gone international!! denbot Dec 2011 #43
My dear denbot! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #45
You're describing a car dealership or a Verizon store. ellisonz Dec 2011 #44
You're close! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #46
Congrats! mentalsolstice Dec 2011 #47
Thank you! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #48
congrats - what a nice Christmas present IcyPeas Dec 2011 #49
Thank you! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #50
Wonderful! bluesbassman Dec 2011 #51
I thank you, my dear bluesbassman! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #52
Congrats Peggy! Luciferous Dec 2011 #53
Thank you, my dear Luciferous! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #54
congrats! MrsBrady Dec 2011 #55
I thank you, my dear MrsBrady! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #56
That is wonderful news! DFW Dec 2011 #57
Thank you so much, my dear DFW! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #59
Congratulations, Peggy! 6000eliot Dec 2011 #58
My dear 6000eliot... CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #60
Congratulations ! That is wonderful news. abq e streeter Dec 2011 #61
Thank you so much, my dear abq e streeter! I appreciate your comments so much... CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #64
Excellent! Tobin S. Dec 2011 #62
Thank you, my dear Tobin! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #65
Congratulations! sibelian Dec 2011 #63
Thank you, my dear sibelian! :) CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #66
Congratulations. Stuart G Dec 2011 #67
Thank you so much, my dear Stuart G! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #70
As a fellow bard.. HipChick Dec 2011 #68
Thank you so much, my dear HipChick! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #71
Congratulations, Peggy! femmocrat Dec 2011 #69
Thank you so much, my dear femmocrat! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #72
Awesome.... Dystopian Dec 2011 #73
Thank you, my dear Dystopian! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #74

nolabear

(41,926 posts)
3. My dear CaliforniaPeggy!
Wed Dec 21, 2011, 02:34 PM
Dec 2011

Congratulations. What a great affirmation of your talent and dedication. Kee 'em coming!

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
4. My dear nolabear!
Wed Dec 21, 2011, 02:36 PM
Dec 2011

It really is. This one is the result of my recent workshop...

You can bet I'll keep 'em coming!

If I don't let the words out, they make me crazy!

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
6. Thank you, my dear Mira!
Wed Dec 21, 2011, 02:54 PM
Dec 2011

This is what I was trying to do...

It was a Jiffy Lube, of all places, and I saw it on the way home from my workshop. The way it looked just struck me and this poem was the result.



OriginalGeek

(12,132 posts)
8. I've been a CaliforniaPeggy fan since my first day on DU
Wed Dec 21, 2011, 03:03 PM
Dec 2011

And this awesome poem and wonderful news only reinforces that feeling.

Congratulations!

Kali

(55,000 posts)
24. congrats!
Wed Dec 21, 2011, 05:28 PM
Dec 2011

you should submit your xmas card photo to a few contests or somehting. really! (not that I know anything more about photography than poetry, but I like dem pichers better'n werds hee hee)

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
26. Thanks, Kali!
Wed Dec 21, 2011, 05:34 PM
Dec 2011

Aw, shucks, girl!

I gotta tell you, the professional photographers are head and shoulders above me in quality! I get a good shot now and then.

Glad you liked the poem...even if you do like pictures better than words, lol!

MiddleFingerMom

(25,163 posts)
32. Excellent!!!
Thu Dec 22, 2011, 01:20 AM
Dec 2011

.
.
.
Flowing language (except for the effective and not-at-all jarring
double-dead-end streets of Lines 3 & 4 -- intriguing).
.
The epitome of distillation... I don't see a wasted word in it.
.
It seems to hint you were in a dark or low or negative mood at its
conception -- I certainly hope you're feeling better!!!
.
.
.
Funny, I've been noticing and thinking about balloons myself recently --
starting with about a week ago when I was walking on a sidewalk and
facing oncoming traffic. At a fair distance in front of me and rising
fairly quickly was a double-line of big orange balloons in an inverted
U-shape (like you might walk through or under at a party or ceremony).
SOMEHOW, they were maintaining their U-shape. I stared mesmerized
for minutes until they disappeared.
.
They were behind and above the oncoming drivers -- and when I was
aware of my immediate surroundings again, I laughed to think what
THEY were thinking of the slack-jawed man standing on the eside of
the road staring up and into space.
.

.
.
I'm certainly happy you've started submitting your work again -- it's
extremely gratifying to get positive feedback from the professionals of
one's art/craft.
.
You know, if only Kali wrote poetry of your caliber (snicker), she would
be the Poet Lariat of Arizona.
.
.
.

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
39. My dear MiddleFingerMom!
Thu Dec 22, 2011, 04:28 AM
Dec 2011

Not sure I follow what you're saying about lines 3 and 4...

I do make every effort to have every word speak clearly. I want my poetry to be distilled down to the minimum, while maximizing the impact.

I love your balloon story! That must have been quite a sight. Your description makes me see them...

Poet Lariat?

Oh, and I meant to mention that I was not in a down mood at all, when I saw the sight I wrote about. I was on my way home from the workshop when I saw this, and I was feeling quite happy with how things were going. And I'm still happy!

Thank you for your critique! I really appreciate it.

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
42. My dear AllenVanAllen!
Thu Dec 22, 2011, 04:32 AM
Dec 2011

I want to say how much your critique means to me...

As an artist in your own right...

Those last lines just showed up in my head, as though there were some sort of poetic synthesis going on...

I appreciate your kind words so very much...

mentalsolstice

(4,459 posts)
47. Congrats!
Fri Dec 23, 2011, 09:34 PM
Dec 2011

Decanto appears to be a very "competitive" venue. Bless your heart for all your efforts, and it paid off.

DFW

(54,256 posts)
57. That is wonderful news!
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 04:00 AM
Dec 2011

And a great boost to the old ego--just in time for the holidays.

Ro-BAIR, Anne, Zorro and Juanita Chang are hoping to join you soon!!

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
59. Thank you so much, my dear DFW!
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 04:20 AM
Dec 2011

It is a grand boost to my ego, and to my sense of worth as a poet too!

I'm hoping so much to see my old friends too!

Keep me informed, OK?

Did you get the card? I don't know if you've been home to Germany yet...that's where it went.

Merry Christmas!

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
60. My dear 6000eliot...
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 04:22 AM
Dec 2011

Please don't be envious, sweetie...

It takes work, and I still have much to learn.

I let the world around me, and my own emotions and thoughts inspire me...

You can do it too...

And thank you for your very kind words!

Tobin S.

(10,418 posts)
62. Excellent!
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 07:43 AM
Dec 2011

It paints a picture in my mind and evokes emotion.

I'm not much of a poet or a very good interpreter of it. Was this an exercise in imagery for you or is there a metaphor there?

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
65. Thank you, my dear Tobin!
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 01:06 PM
Dec 2011

It was just my interpretation of what I saw...a Jiffy Lube building, late at night, when I was on my way home from my recent workshop. The poem describes how I felt on seeing this building, standing there in the dark. And the balloons were really sagging! So, no, not much metaphor going on here...

And so, yes, more an exercise in imagery...

I'm glad you enjoyed it!



CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
70. Thank you so much, my dear Stuart G!
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 10:21 PM
Dec 2011

I hope so...

I need to get off my tush and start submitting more...

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
71. Thank you so much, my dear HipChick!
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 10:23 PM
Dec 2011

Oh, I didn't know you write too!

Sometime, you should share with us...

I'm glad you like my little work.

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
72. Thank you so much, my dear femmocrat!
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 10:24 PM
Dec 2011

I guess you all are.....This post went up on Wednesday.....and you're still responding!

I appreciate your very kind words so much, sweetie...

Dystopian

(6,421 posts)
73. Awesome....
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 10:43 PM
Dec 2011

Peggy

Congratulations!
I love the poem...
Feelings and visual ....

I'm celebrating with you...



peace~

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,499 posts)
74. Thank you, my dear Dystopian!
Sat Dec 24, 2011, 11:54 PM
Dec 2011

I'm so glad you like my poem!

Thanks for celebrating with me, sweetie...

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