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 Dec 2023
Jellyfish
Untitled
The weekend is only two days away,
Throughout the week my heart aches.
I'm sick of society, expectations and pressure
All I want to do is to leave for an adventure.

Where would I go? If the opportunity arose,
I think I'd go everywhere, searching for home.
No where has ever felt like one for me,
I've always had issues with how I'm perceived.

I have moments where I wonder who will leave,
and who will stay after seeing my true face.
Some people have become sick of my ways
And left before seeing that we aren't the same.

It surprised me and I felt betrayed,
The pain that comes along with goodbye
Is almost as bad as the silence that subsides
after rain has fallen all night.
I never know what to name my poems anymore
#betrayl #perceive #perception #autism #home #adventure
Continue reading...
 Dec 2023
Jellyfish
Stardust Odyssey
It's so hard to let it go
What can I say
I'm on my own...
With only my shadow
To follow me, out the door

They always want more
Every time we talk
It's a chore
For me to have to walk
The length they want
It's like they don't know
Just how far
I have to go to meet them
Because all they ever do
Is tip toe a few steps
To try and meet their quest
But for me I have to
Run
To keep up
With who they think
I've become
When the truth
Is in my heart
I've always been
A lone star
Wandering
Everywhere
Trying to find
The answers to fit in
To this sky
Where my family flies
But I float
On my own
Wishing on
The streaks
Of all the shooting stars
Above us
They found their purpose
While I'm left to wonder
Where is mine?
When will I glide
So easily
Through the cosmos
Like my peers
All around me
Soaring so high

I feel like a miniscule dusting
Compared to all these stars
Who are shooting
who believe they're choosing
Their path
But if such a path could be picked
Believe me, I'd have done it
Continue reading...
 Nov 2023
Carlo C Gomez
A Grisaille Wedding
~
Lift the veil from a grayscale morning. Vividly imagistic. An odalisque no more.

Her shape beneath the gown is a foreign land, a series of quiet revelations. Its pattern manifests as pinpricks of light perforating the shirred fabric of his heart.

The preponderance of dream in her eyes becomes a call and response evoking purely imaginary spaces. The contained chemistry is beautifully insular, monochromatic.

And there her lips. Into claustrophobic kiss. This lower register of love comes in unadorned, subtle colorings like the darkest part of night.

One thousand shades of gray.
One single light of white.
And everything merges in the night.
~
#wedding #gray #color #love #romance #dream #art #night
Continue reading...
 Nov 2023
The Sick Red Carnation
" π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ 𝐡𝑖𝑔 π‘Šπ‘œπ‘œπ‘‘π‘¦ π‘ƒπ‘™π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ "
𝐼 π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘ π‘’
𝐼𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘šπ‘’π‘™π‘™ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘”
𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘ ,
πΆπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘π‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘šπ‘œπ‘œπ‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘ ;
πΉπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘šπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ'𝑠 π‘“π‘™π‘œπ‘€π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘¦ 𝑣𝑒𝑖𝑙,
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘šπ‘Ž π‘œπ‘“ π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘’ π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘ π‘œπ‘š 𝑖𝑠 π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘šπ‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘...
𝑂𝑓 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘™π‘’π‘ β„Ž π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘’π‘ ,
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘šπ‘Ž π‘œπ‘“ π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘’ π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘ π‘œπ‘š 𝑖𝑠 π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘šπ‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘...
𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’
π‘Šβ„Žπ‘–π‘‘π‘’ π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘’ π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘ 
𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘‘π‘€π‘œ π‘€β„Žπ‘–π‘‘π‘’ π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘’ π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘ 
π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘šπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑖𝑠 π‘Ž
π½π‘Žπ‘ π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘’ π‘ β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Ž π‘™π‘’π‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’
𝐼𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘šπ‘–π‘‘π‘‘π‘™π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘€β„Žπ‘–π‘‘π‘’ π‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘Ÿπ‘‘
π΄π‘šπ‘œπ‘›π‘” π‘šπ‘¦ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘¦π‘‘π‘Žπ‘–π‘™ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘–π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘
πΊπ‘œπ‘™π‘‘π‘’π‘› π‘’π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘”π‘ ...
πΉπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’ π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’π‘ ;
π‘π‘œπ‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘”π‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’
π΅π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘‘β„Ž π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘–π‘“π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’;
𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘Žπ‘π‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘šπ‘’π‘Žπ‘›π‘  π‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘›πŸŽˆ
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘π‘¦ 𝐿𝑖𝑙𝑦 π‘“π‘™π‘œπ‘€π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ ...
𝑀𝑦 π‘œπ‘£π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘ 
π‘†π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘€π‘  π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘› π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘π‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘–π‘Ž
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ 𝑓𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑠 π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑖𝑠 π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘›
πΉπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘šπ‘¦ π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’π‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘¦π‘’π‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€ π‘€π‘œπ‘šπ‘
𝑀𝑦 π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘ π‘‘π‘  π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘’π‘‘ π‘šπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘™π‘¦
𝐼𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œπ‘’π‘β„Ž π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘€π‘ ...
π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑑 π‘“π‘™π‘’π‘‘π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘”
π‘€π‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘šπ‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘–π‘› π‘œπ‘“
π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘ 
π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘  π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘£π‘’
π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘™π‘’π‘Žπ‘“
π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘šπ‘’...
𝐼𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘ π‘’,
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑠 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’π‘› π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘π‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑠 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘¦π‘’π‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€ π‘ π‘’π‘›π‘™π‘–π‘”β„Žπ‘‘
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑠 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ
𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠 π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘¦π‘–π‘›π‘”...
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’π‘› π‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘šπ‘šπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑠𝑒𝑛,
π‘†β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘œπ‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘’
π‘¦π‘’π‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€ 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’...
𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 π‘π‘œπ‘™π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘“π‘’π‘™ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘¦π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘‘π‘œ
π‘Šπ‘’π‘’π‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘€π‘–π‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’
π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’'𝑣𝑒 π‘‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘€π‘› π‘Ž 𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒 π‘œπ‘“ 𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑒 π‘ π‘˜π‘¦
π΅π‘’β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’π‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘¦π‘’π‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€ π‘™π‘’π‘Žπ‘£π‘’π‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’...
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘™π‘’π‘ β„Ž,
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘ 
π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘™π‘’π‘ β„Ž,
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘ 
π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ π‘™π‘Žπ‘’π‘”β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘”
𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’ 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠...
𝐼 π‘˜π‘–π‘ π‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’π‘› π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘‘ π‘“π‘–π‘ β„Ž
π‘œπ‘› π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑠...
𝑀𝑦 π‘ π‘œπ‘›...!
𝑀𝑦 π‘šπ‘œπ‘œπ‘›...!
π‘‚β„Ž, π‘šπ‘¦ π‘ π‘œπ‘› π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘šπ‘œπ‘œπ‘›!
𝐼 π‘‘π‘œ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘π‘’π‘™π‘œπ‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘œπ‘π‘–π‘’π‘‘π‘¦...
𝐼 π‘π‘’π‘™π‘œπ‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘œπ‘›π‘™π‘¦....
حَیؒة🌱
Continue reading...
 Nov 2023
KNOWER
Gemini
as you keep reaching for the stars,
always remember that you too are a star

and speaking of stars...

being a Gemini,
always be mindful of:

your hots and colds,
your highs and lows,
your lines and folds,
your dulls and glows

your starts and ends,
your whites and hues,
your straights and bends,
your credits and dues

your triumphs and woes,
your lies and truths,
your yeses and noes,
your reds and blues...

in all this tho' I pray of you
just never lose sight of
the "Gem In You"
... a freestyle poem presented to my Gemini of a sister at her graduation celebration party...
#astrology #gem #gemini #horoscope #ode #star #stars
Continue reading...
 Nov 2023
You've Been Timetabled
HP Writers Spotlight: Lori Jones McCaffery
~
November 2023
HP Poet: Lori Jones McCaffery
Age: 84
Country: USA


Question 1: We welcome you to the HP Spotlight, Lori. Please tell us about your background?

Lori: "I was born Loretta Yvonne Spring in a tarpaper shack on Lone Oak Road, Longview Washington, on New Years Day in 1939. That means I’ll soon turn 85. In high School a boyfriend changed my first name to Lori and I kept it. At 29 I married and became Lori Spring Jones. (I signed poems β€œlsj”) I had one child, a daughter, and when 20 years later I divorced, I kept the Jones name. I married again, in 1988 and became Lori Jones McCaffery, sometimes with a hyphen, sometimes not. I’m still married to that Brit named Colin and I speak β€œBrit” fluently. I sign everything I write β€œljm” (lower case). I didn’t know about handles when I joined HP, so I just used my whole name and then felt I may have seemed uppity for using all of it. If I had a handle, it would likely be POGO. Short for Pogo stick. Long Story. I have an older sister and a younger brother. Both hate my poetry. My parents divorced when I was 12. My mother’s family was originally from No. Carolina. I’m proud of my Hillbilly blood. I went to college on a scholarship. Worked at various jobs since I was in high school. Moved to Los Angeles in 1960 just in time to join the Hippy/summer-of-love/sunset-strip-scene, which I was heavy into until I married. I read my stuff at the now legendary Venice West and Gas House in Venice Beach during that period. I’ve been an Ins. Claims examiner, executive secretary, Spec typist, Detective’s Girl Friday, Bikini Barmaid, Gameshow Contestant Co-ordinator, Folk Club manager, organizational chef, and long time Wedding Director. (I’ve sent 3,300 Brides down the aisle) "


Question 2: How long have you been writing poetry, and for how long have you been a member of Hello Poetry?

Lori: "I wrote my first poem in the 5th grade and never stopped. I had an awakening in 1957 when I worked at a resort during school break and met another poet, who unleashed a need to write that I’ve never been able to quell. I joined Hello Poetry in 2015, I think. Seems like I’ve always been here. I tend to comment on everything I read here. I’ve received no encouragement from my family so I feel compelled to encourage my β€œfamily” here. I do consider a large number of fellow writers friends, and value the brief exchanges we have. I don’t know if Eliot intended HP to be a social club but among us regulars, it kind of has been, and I love that."


Question 3: What inspires you? (In other words, how does poetry happen for you).

Lori: "Living inspires me. The intricacies of relationships, and the unpredictability of navigating society. A news story often does it. A song may stir words. Other poetry often sets me off on a quest of my own. I write very well to deadlines and prompts. I adore BLT’s word game and played it a lot in the beginning. Seeing the wonderful job Anais Vionet does with them shamed me away. I have hundreds of yellow lined pages with a few lines of the β€˜world’s greatest poem’ on each, all left unfinished because I’m great at starts and not so great on endings. Some day, I tell myself….some day."


Question 4: What does poetry mean to you?

Lori: "Poetry has been a large part of my life as long as I can remember. I would feel amputated without it. I recited the entire β€œRaven” from memory in Jr. High School. I still remember most of it. More recently I memorized β€œThe Cremation of Sam McGee” Poetry is my refuge - with words I can bandage my hurts, comfort my pain and loss, share my opinions and assure myself that I have value. It is where I laugh and also wail. I would like to think it builds bridges."


Question 5: Who are your favorite poets?

Lori: "My favorite poets include Edgar Allen Poe, Robert W Service, Amy Lowell (I read β€˜Patterns’ in a speech contest once), Robert Frost, Shel Silverstein, and Lewis Carroll."


Question 6: What other interests do you have?

Lori: "I’m a collector. Whippet items, vintage everything, I read voraciously: 15 magazine subs, speculative fiction (SF) and anything else with words written on it. I try to read everything every day on HP. I watch Survivor religiously and keep scorecards. Ditto for Dancing with the Stars. I’m a practicing Christian with a devilish side and involved heavily in Methodist church work, which includes cooking for crowds and planning events."


Carlo C. Gomez: β€œThank you so much for giving us an opportunity to get to know you, dear Lori! It is an honor to include you in this series!”

Lori: "Thank you so much for this very undeserved honor. This is a wonderful thing you are doing. I know I write with a different voice than many, and it is empowering to be accepted for this recognition. I apologize for being so verbose in answering your questions. When you get to my age you just have so many stories to tell."



Thank you everyone here at HP for taking the time to read this. We hope you enjoyed getting to know Lori better. I learned so much. It is our wish that these spotlights are helping everyone to further discover and appreciate their fellow poets. – Carlo C. Gomez & Mrs. Timetable

We will post Spotlight #10 in December!

~
Below are some of Lori's favorite poems and links to each one:

Epilogue:
https://hellopoetry.com/poem/1849073/epilogue/

My Goals:
https://hellopoetry.com/poem/4763562/my-goals/

I:
https://hellopoetry.com/poem/1848424/i/

The End Begins:
https://hellopoetry.com/poem/4543520/the-end-begins/

Search and Rescue:
https://hellopoetry.com/poem/3248618/search-rescue/

Patterns:
https://hellopoetry.com/poem/2388081/patterns/

Limerick for Hawsie:
https://hellopoetry.com/poem/2871299/limerick-for-hawsie/
#hellopoetry #spotlight #interview #series #poet #timetabled #lori #mccaffery #2023
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