Book Announcements, poetry, Poets & Events

Poet Talk with Timo Schmitz + a Celebration!

WOOHOO!!!

Writer Talk with Darls Centola as she talks about her debut memoir "Finding Truth with Michael" Prolific Pulse Press Podcast

Trauma therapist Darls Centola has written a unique, never-before-told story of young Michael Jackson and the relationship that changed both their lives, in FINDING TRUTH WITH MICHAEL: A Memoir of Friendship, Faith, and First Love, coming out on April 7th. Darls recounts her and Michael’s close, tender friendship forged during their time spent in a small, private high school in Los Angeles, where they held private Bible study sessions as teenage Jehovah’s Witnesses. Part memoir chronicling Darls’ and Michael’s secret friendship and spiritual bond as they both struggled under the weight of high-control religion, and part cultural lens, this book traces Centola’s path into—and eventually out of—an environment of high-control faith and spiritual abuse that shaped their lives. The memoir arrives amid a cultural shift toward understanding spiritual abuse, purity culture, and religious deconstruction. As a therapist, Centola has spent decades working with the complex impacts of adverse religious experiences and the restoration of personal sovereignty from authoritarian belief systems. As an author, she offers clarity, compassion, and an insider’s perspective on a rarely explored chapter in pop history. Centola would also love to discuss the intersection of celebrity, religious drama, and the clinical path to reclaiming one’s voice. About the author:Darls Centola is a licensed clinical social worker, educator, and EMDR consultant whose professional path has been shaped by the lived experiences explored in this memoir. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Hawaii and is based in Los Angeles, where she works as a trauma-informed therapist. Much of her work explores the impact of high-control belief systems and the process of reconnecting with self and self-trust.Learn more at http://www.findingtruthwithmichael.com
  1. Writer Talk with Darls Centola as she talks about her debut memoir "Finding Truth with Michael"
  2. In Conversation with Mimi Nichter | The Memoir Hostage
  3. Chyrel J Jackson Recites "Americana Was My Grandmother's Glory" included in "Unsung Canaan Ballads"
  4. Rebecca Herz Book Launch for Locus of Control
  5. Poet Talk with Michael Poage
poetry

Points of View

childhood colorful coloured colourful
Photo by Anthony on Pexels.com

can only shadows
speak to the darkness or can
they address the light
on the edges of shadows
are the silver-toned grayness

slivers of light tones
slivers of dark tones in sync
as shades come forth
perspective gives new meaning
perhaps a new twisted thought

possibilities
open up new ideas
giving all of us a way
to newly seek more answers
paradoxical or not

given these posings
would it be more meaningful
to study viewpoints
with a more opened up mind
giving chance to the unheard

focus is required
to examine all the facts
as it stands for now
perfectly spinning a top
requires energy less friction

poetry

For Wednesday

clear glass bowl beside yellow flower
Photo by Mareefe on Pexels.com

For Wednesday

senryu train

they call this hump day

getting over the hurdle

on way to Friday

do we want to push

moving speedily to what

take the time to stop

take a breath today

enjoy that last sip of tea

cherish just today

…..

Today, I decided to use the Wednesday Poetry Prompt provided by Robert Lee Brewer’s Poetic Asides blog.

 

Uncategorized

The Golden Mean – I think I got an A

man standing on rock during sunset
Photo by Mathew Thomas on Pexels.com

Taking notes in his class
was much like drawing pictures
diagramming the thoughts Father Figge expressed
was the best way of understanding
in my opinion
or so I think it was
Why do they give tests in philosophy?
Think about it
if you dare
Somehow
I managed to explain the Golden Mean
and passed his class
but
I heard that the best learning
was in the after class gatherings
at the local pub
Not one to imbibe and shy of wheels
sadly
I had to learn another way
to make the Golden Mean
uh
mean something

…..

This weeks prompt was to write a philosophical poem. Here’s the Monday Poetry Prompt

Of course, I had to look up what exactly was meant so I looked up what a philosophical poem is. Here is what I found: What is a philosophical poem?