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In 1983, when I moved home to care for my parents, I started making home-made birthday and greeting cards. I even dared to write my own personalized verses in the cards. I enjoyed it but felt I was playing at writing poetry. Not doing the real thing.
Then, when my dear friend Kathy mentioned on the phone early in January of 1996, that she wished she could discipline herself to write more poetry, I came up with an idea to help both of us. I suggested that we pledge to each write at least one poem a month, and whenever we were talking together, we could feel free to ask the other, "So, have you written your poem yet for this month?"
I told Kathy that if I knew someone was going to be asking about it, I'd manage to get a poem written every month. She thought she would too.
Our plan worked wonderfully. I began to enjoy it more than ever! Once I got started it wasn't so hard after all. Sometimes I wrote two or three in a month.
Later in the year I had another idea. I would create these thin chapbooks of poetry that I'd read about. Chapbooks are no more than 48 pages, and a great way to show off our poetry with just one poem to a page. In fact, I'd make a batch for each of us to give as Christmas gifts. I even made fabric slipcovers for them.
Naturally, I gave mine all away that Christmas, except for my first original. It was a numbered, limited edition. (I even included a cassette tape of me reading the poems and telling the stories of what inspired them).
It seemed that when I'd be talking with people about poetry, I'd tell them this story, and they would want to see my poetry too. So I have from time to time, printed and bound single copies from my computer/printer, and sold them one at a time.
That is tedious work. Believe me, I haven't bragged on it too much, as I have other things I think are of greater importance.
But then I learned about creating e-books. Ah-ha! It might work as an e-Chapbook!
Well, it has been on my to-do list for quite a while; finally, I have it done. I think it looks
better than the first edition.
There are twenty-two original poems all written in 1996. (They tell you where my mind was at that year, the year before Mom died). This book has one original sketch for the first poem, which I had decorated with glitter paints in the first gift edition, and a number of others have graphics to illustrate them.
Generally, my poetry is of a devotional nature. That is, they easily turn into prayers or conversations with God. Some are to honour and praise certain friends - because to be honest, sometimes I write poems as gifts. (I KNOW they aren't going to get a duplicate from anyone else!) Sometimes they just describe some profound spiritual truth that at that time was very new and real in my mind.
Here's the table of contents. Further down I'll give you some small sample bites.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Saskatchewan Winter Dust
Creative Softies
Show Me a Crocus, Please!
The Dialogue
A Circle of Love
Personal Letters; A Dying Art
Fine Lines
God's Armour; My Daily Prayer
My Designer's Signature Ensemble
Thanks a Million!
Your Assignment from Jesus
Obedience Interprets Love
A Wonderful Friend
The Glory of Some
JALISE IS SIXTEEN!
Hug
Sometimes My Mind is...
Reconciliation
Timidity and Humility
Ha, They Think I'm Poor!
The Serendipity of Christmas Card Senders
I Owe You Gratitude.
Would you like to see some first verses to get a flavour of my poetry style?
I think I would if I were in your shoes. Poetry comes in about as many vareties as there are people writing them, and not all would appeal to me.
Saskatchewan Winter Dust
Winter Saskatchewan is a wide wite, crystaline horizon,
all in hues of holy white, cool blue and reverent grey.
As the eastern sky turns mauve, then more of pink and blue,
the lacy bushes and trees prove coated with sparkling sugar
and diamond dust.
Show Me a Crocus, Please!
Lord, do show me a crocus, please,
We desperately need a sign of spring.
Five months the snow's been to our knees;
The land is rested, now let it sing.
My Designer's Signature Ensemble
The best, the greatest,
the most fabulous Creator,
who designed only one me -
with tender forethought,
much wisdom,
and tremendous detail, -
He has chosen to adopt me
into His Great Big Wonderful Family!
A Wonderful Friend
Each friend is unique and special to me
But some are jewels with more lovely facets,
Or roses with more petals of delicate hue;
A brilliant treasure, a rare beauty are you!
Timdity and Humility
Timidity is a fox
dressed as humility.
It sneaks around in a mask
that appears solmen and reserved.
Timidity wants to be mistaken
for true humility -
and often gets away with it.
Okay. Those excerpts gives you some idea of what to expect from the 22 poems in this chapbook.
As you may have found out by now, if you've tried to sell poetry, you have to have a big name first, before folks are willing to pay much for your verses. However, I have come to appreciate that these poems are my own original intellectual property, and I should not be ashamed to ask for some payment and that my copyright be respected.
So rather than see them scattered all over the internet as "FORWARDS" (which I happen to dislike! They trample on an author's right to benefit from their wisdom and skills)... I have decided to offer these at a very reasonable rate of $5.00 for the e-Chapbook. Since it is in the .pdf format, you can easily print them out and assemble the pages yourself, if you prefer the paper or hard-copy to read from and look at.
If you simply don't have a printer, nor a friend who might do it for you, then for $5 extra I'll make a printed copy, bind it with a cerlox comb, and mail it to you. (The extra 5.00 would cover my paper, ink and mailing costs).
Ruth Marlene Friesen
The Responsible One
Privacy Promises ~~
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Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada