Announcements, art, call for submissions, Personal Essay, poetry, writing

Dear Heart – Call for Submissions

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Years ago, before computers, we wrote letters. My mother’s letters were like little novellas. They sometimes were several pages long. She wrote her family members and friends and they loved to get her “books.” How I wish I had saved my letters from mom. As a witness to her letter writing, I would watch as her pen moved passionately across the pages, sometimes witnessing her eyes well up. Letters were her release. They were her way of expressing herself in ways she could not voice. Sometimes she would write letters to people out of anger and then tear them up. To my knowledge, she never sent one of those angry letters. It could have been politicians, relatives, and those are the ones I knew about. She would express her heart’s desire, open up her soul, and pour out her thoughts.

As a letter writer, I did not have the beautiful penmanship of my mother, but I learned that the pen was my power. I also wrote letters and tore them up. I even wrote one about the need for a doctor in our little town and it was published in the newspaper. I wrote letters to family, friends, old friends found from a long time lost, family who I wanted to see but knew my letters would reach them long before I ever would.

Now, I am a writer and a poet. I write as if my words are letters to the world, at times. Other times, I write to express my desires of the heart. And other times I write to write.

I firmly believe that when we do express our desires within our heart that this has a way of stirring up thoughts and even action plans to make things happen. Sometimes those things that happen are acceptances of things that can’t be changed, but sometimes they are steps to taking up the courage to make something happen in our lives.

What is the desire in your heart? This is my challenge to you. I would like to read about the desires in your heart in the “Dear Heart” anthology of letters, poetry, art, photography, and whatever ways helps you express your passion.

There’s a caveat to this. These are all to be sent to me via good old fashioned snail mail. I will sort through these and select which submissions to publish.

Please drop me an email to prolificpulse@gmail.com for the specific call for submissions.

Photo by Olya Kobruseva on Pexels.com
Announcements, poetry, Poets & Events, writing

Heart Beats is Published!

We are thrilled to announce that Heart Beats: Anthology of Poetry has been published. Such a wonderful selection of poetry is now available for poetry lovers!

What is Heart Beats?

Heart Beats is an anthology of poetry about the various aspects of what makes us tick or makes a heart-beat. This is about love, life, happiness, anything that makes life more joyful or tolerable. Let’s face it. These are tough times and there have been many events in 2020 which have many of us shaking our heads. People who were once friends have gone their separate ways. Some are soul searching, examining life more closely as time has leant more for this. Heart Beats is about working through and maybe even overcoming these challenges. It is about what brings smiles to our faces or, at least, in our hearts. Heart Beats is about life’s ups and downs and in-between, and how different points of view merge into one beautiful collection of poetic works. Inviting poets from the world to take part made this project even more meaningful. We are a world of people, and the poetry community has become more culturally diverse. This is largely because of the pandemic, as people are interacting virtually more than before. All this said, Heart Beats has beautiful works of art, some of which may bring tears of sadness and of joy. Perhaps as you read, you will find that one thing that makes your heart beat.

US Purchase Link

UK Purchase Link

DE Purchase Link

FR Purchase Link

ES Purchase Link

IT Purchase Link

JP Purchase Link

CA Purchase Link

Thank you!

Short Fiction

Home is Where the Heart is Planted

close up of tea light candle against black background
Photo by George Becker on Pexels.com

Planting a kiss on her moistly, beaded forehead, he sleepily, quietly stole to the door, ever so careful not to wake his bride.

Love has no words for the feelings for his wife and her feelings for him, as expressive as the day is long without the need to speak as much as show.
As she stirred in the morning light, she realized she had fallen so deeply and he had already gone to his early shift, always thinking of her and her need for rest.

Nestling back in the bed and reaching for his pillow, she breathed in his aroma of the sweet lavender she always put in his bath. Reaching for her swollen belly, she held her hand over her navel and whispered, “Sweet baby, soon you will know this man, the one who took root in my soul, the one who you will call daddy, for your love will be that strong, I just know as I feel it growing each day when you hear his voice.”

Taking her soft robe and wrapping the ties, she takes to the cold floor, welcome to her warmth, and does the thing she does each day, focusing on taking care of her home for the three souls who take up residence, well four, really because of Clement the hound, they are all planted, invested in the home’s hearth.

…..

There you have it! This is my (sorry I’m late) 6 Sentence Story for the week.

I did an acrostic this time using the word “Plant” from the prompt.

If you would like to participate as well as read other’s contributions, just go to the

Six Sentence Story Link

poetry

For the Bahamas – A Tanka

photo of woman walking on seashore
Photo by Roberto Nickson on Pexels.com

For the Bahamas

for the Bahamas

tides have come and gone and yet

so much to be done

placing feet in their wet shoes

spirits trudge forward in hope

keeping it mindful

taking stock of what’s to do

bringing up courage

there’s really no other way

but to fight for making home

starting all over

is hard enough to battle

keep in mind the loss

hold their spirits in the heart

what can old souls do in life

but be a part of all

taking account of life’s toll

one moment to next

one small step to create change

keeping the faith going strong