Brevity is not only the soul of wit, but the lifeblood of today. Now— the immediate, matters in a world where nothing is constant.
Attention span flits in the blink of a second.
Words matter, live and linger…
The upswing in the unquenchable thirst for poetry is a gratifying return to the appreciation of the poetic word and form. Poetry propels one on a light year’s journey into measureless realms. It delights and moves the human spirit with the evocative and provocative choice of words, themes, shape and style.
Haiku is short, so brief that every word tells a story to leave its inscription on memory.
For the writer, (for me) haiku is inspiration, a deep but quick inhale and a rapid expulsion of observations and emotions. The effect is cathartic but unforgettable.
The on-tap, sharp and visual that bombard our senses every day, growing an ever-increasing need for quick satisfaction—that adrenalin rush akin to a gym workout.
The economy of life’s necessities gives haiku breath in a world juggling too many balls, where survival is a luxury.
Haiku, originally a seventeen syllable (5-7-5) three-line structure poem was predominately about nature—weather, animals, plants, and changing seasons. Traditionally the Japanese form was the opening of a longer poem, serving as a haiku introduction to the composition.
Variations to the original 5-7-5 syllables are widely used by poets in the modern world to capture values, love, life’s challenges, and varying themes beyond the natural world.
Life is topsy-turvy. The news makes us morose. But creativity must go on.
So how do we keep the momentum going when all else has fallen apart?
This time shall pass
To avoid dwelling on the negative statistics of the world’s mortality rate, look for reading matter that will stimulate your soul to breathe as the mind’s eye turns inward. This will generate refreshing conversations. Too much has been coming at us in recent weeks, but we have the imaginative capacity to redirect this towards positivity.
Movies will come and go, but a novel or poem lingers. Change your routine. Begin your day doing some inspirational reading. Download free eBooks. Load your Kindles, iBooks, Kobo readers with words that enhance creative thinking.
Roll up the newspaper, shut off the television
We need to be informed — limit this to once a day because overkill might devour your muse. Turn to poetry, short stories, novels and inspirational music. Teach the creative muse to move beyond the immediate.
Limit the online interactions.
Lend a helping hand to a fellow creative. Encourage the reading and writing of new content — unrelated to the current context. Bring the wonder of nature back into our lives, even if it’s from an armchair perspective — watch a documentary — mentally travel to another realm
Free yourself from fear
Here are some hand-picked inspirational suggestions to awaken and maintain a healthy muse. This is a brief list to get the creative juices flowing, to inject an abundant dose of ideas, if you are feeling the slump with each passing day. There are many more you might have already read and perhaps a re-read is another way to lift the lid to ignite the imagination.
Poetry:
The Daffodils – William Wordsworth First Hush – Orna Ross Frost at Midnight – Samuel Taylor Coleridge Still I Rise – Maya Angelou A Spark of Hope Vol 1 &11 – Brenda Mohammed and HTWFS
Fiction and Non-Fiction:
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho The Catcher in the Rye– J.D. Salinger Beloved – Toni Morrison A Thousand Splendid Suns– Khalid Hosseini Swami and Friends– R.K. Narayan Half of a Yellow Sun– Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
We are not alone, reach out, touch a life or mind and enjoy the benefit of the enhanced energy this brings.
Stay safe and well.
Read or write something today.
How do you keep your creative juices flowing when things fall apart?
Every corner of the world has been hit by Covid19 — life for millions has come to a grinding halt. Businesses have shut down left, right and centre. Bookstores have closed their doors. Libraries are no longer a sanctuary as silent voices are in lockdown.
The question tossed around is: do we go ahead with the launch of a new book?
My heart says yes but my mind says, should I? Then a voice whispers an answer: yes, launch it online, reach people who need to move out of the mental space of the current crisis we all face. We need the sanctity of books. Bookshops continue to take orders online if a digital book is not a preference.
In the face of a global crisis, publishing is vital now more than ever before — it says we are here, later it will speak confirming that we were here, and this is what we did. It is akin to writing historical fiction. The Great Books of the world brought us knowledge of people, cultures, events, aspirations, challenges and celebrations from eras long before our current existence. Without those scribes, the artists of the past, we would be as ignorant of the world as the occupants in Plato’s cave.
Literature is the light into now, the glow of the past and spotlight into our dreams of the future.
Books imprint memory
Writers have the acute ability to sense mood and observe human behaviour down to minuscule details. So, why wait? It is time to pick up the pen of prose or poetry. Each will speak of this time and of our dreams and visions. Leave the messages that say we are indeed one.
In our angst and joy, we are ONE under the sky of humanity
Forthcoming Title This April
To ignite compassion, we must walk in the shoes of angst, or suffering, to extend love and care to others because we know it—we feel it. Stories elicit compassion and bring meaning more particularly as we sit in self-isolation to protect our loved ones and communities.
Writing and publishing must go on, as must, soft digital launches of news titles and relaunching of backlists. Lower prices, offer free titles, reach the masses by bringing meaning to the lives of those living in fear of what the next news bulletin or press conference will announce. Our uncertainty unites us in our desire for a renewed tomorrow. We inhabit the same house under a global sky.
Now we speak with the same human voice in our sans streets, sans parks, sans beaches… but we should never be reduced to fearing each other.
Keep literature flowing for generations to come—it is within our control, thanks to the digital platforms that serve us.
Keep Writing, Keep Reading.
Stay Safe.
This time will pass. Keeping hope alive through poetry and stories.
As a thriller fiction writer, poetry has been a significant aspect of my recreational reading and inspiration for my writing. Poets of the Romantic era notably Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge are among my selection of favourites as has been Yeats, Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson. African poets Mongane Wally Serote and Chinua Achebe, to name a few. All held my attention both as a student and educator. More recently, I turn to the inspiration of Orna Ross, an Irish poet and author. I relish reading poems from a global range of acclaimed published and aspiring poets in the rapidly growing group, How to Write for Success. This attests to the thirst for new voices to be heard and fundamentally the need for poetry in an era of uncertainty where we need to be reminded of beauty and wonder.
In a post titled Poetry Educates Prose I highlighted the benefits of poetry reading and writing to enhance style and succinct writing in prose.
After writing poetry for an audience of one and gradually venturing out to my better half and immediate family circle and a few trusted friends, I took the plunge to put together a collection of my light and shade poems. It has taken a year to sift through, rewrite and refresh and refresh once again, and no doubt that process will continue as skills develop along the way. A collection titled Random Heart Poetry: Light and Shade is the window to my soul
The moon has a significant impact on creativity, and culturally the celebration of auspicious events are determined by the aspect of the moon as per the lunar calendar. Some of my Instagram posts will reveal my fascination with the moon whenever she is in my realm. The cover of Random Heart Poetry captures the essence of Light and Shade through the full moon, representative of the light we seek. The poetry collection reflects upon culture, identity, gender, race, migration, relationships and the wonder of nature.
Random Heart Poetry: Light and Shade is available at Amazon and instore at a few select retailers.
More on why poetry matters:
Poetry is the unadorned human face reverberating with timeless truths ~Mala Naidoo
When power corrupts, poetry cleanses ~ John F Kennedy
Happy Writing, Happy Reading!
Share your love of poetry in the message box below.
Today we travel across the Indian Ocean to meet Magie Faure-Vidot. Magie is a French-language poet from beautiful Seychelles. She has published work in English and Seychelles Creole. She is the Chief Editor/Director of the Publication SIPAY and is an inspirational supporter of rising poets and writers. She is tireless in her dedication to upholding international close connections between writers of all genres and forms.
Recently she has travelled to India for the World Thinkers’ and Writer’s Peace Meet attending two international events in December 2019 in Vijayawada and Kolkata.
Meet the Poet
Magie Faure-Vidot
The Peacock Opinion Award
Magie Faure-Vidot was born in Victoria. She is a member of the Institut Académique de Paris and the Académie Internationale de Lutèce. She has won numerous prizes over the course of her career, including the Coupe de la Ville de Paris, a Lyre d’honneur, and six silver and numerous bronze medals in various international literary competitions, and she has represented her home country at many international poetry festivals and other initiatives. Her work has been discussed in critical studies of Seychellois literature. She has also achieved some fame as an oral performer.
After living for some time in Lebanon, England, Italy, and France, Faure-Vidot returned to Seychelles. There she co-founded and continues to codirect, both the online literary review Vents Alizés and the online publishing house Edisyon Losean Endyen, both of which she runs in conjunction with Hungarian poet Károly Sándor Pallai. Her work is regularly published in Seychelles Nation and The People, and she is the Chief Editor/Director of SIPAY, the only Seychellois international literary magazine. Her poems were published in the international poetry anthology Amaravati Poetic Prism in India. In 2017, she received the prestigious Seychelles Arts Award in literature for her outstanding literary work and achievements. She writes for Spirit of Nature where she features amongst the 60 poets published in 2019.Opa Anthology of Poetry.
She is a member of the World Nations Writers Union Kazakhstan. She is the Regional Director – East Africa and Central Asia and on the Administration Council of MS.
Additional information on Magie Faure-Vidot is available on Wikipedia.
Getting to know Magie
When did your love for poetry begin?
The love for literature began when I was a kid. My parents worked on a vast agricultural property and had many animals. I loved them so much that I used to tell them small stories. We lived close to the beach and I had my private beach where I used to enjoy the sea, the birds, coconut trees, swimming with small fish, and playing with crabs. Being a loner, I had to keep myself busy. The sea carried me to faraway imaginary places. And I would always be asking my parents to buy me pencils and exercise-books.
What do you enjoy the most about living in Seychelles?
The island life, friendliness of the inhabitants, no snow but the sand.
The View From Magie Faure-Vidot’s Home in the Beautiful Island of Seychelles ~ A Creative Haven
Tell us about the International Literary Journal, SIPAY. When did it begin? What is itsaim?
SIPAY saw birth in 2008 but registered in June 2009. At first, the aim was to promote the French language at 60% and 40% shared between our two other national languages, English and Creole. But now it has taken another turn. It is affiliated to Motivational Strips, and Spanish has been added to the three languages. SIPAY is now an International Literary Magazine and opportunities are given to various writers all over the globe. SIPAY is a non-political, non-religious magazine. SIPAY is distributed to the Ministry of Education for all the schools, Ministry of Culture, Creole Institute, the National Library, the National Journal (NISA), and some private individuals. One copy is posted to all contributors at no charge. SIPAY is a non-profit making publication. Money generated from the sale is reinvested in the next edition.
Describe your typical writing day.
I write when the urge tickles me. First, however, I take care of my home, family and animals – three dogs, and I feed some fifty birds every day. I then take to writing, attending to posts in MS, Lasosyasyon Lar san Frontyer, Congo Ecrit etc.
What are your future goals for literature both within Seychelles and internationally?
I’m planning my 7th book, assisting the Lasosyasyon Lar San Frontyer as a Chief Consultant and Congo Ecrit. I attended two international events in December 2019 in Vijayawada and Kolkata.
***
I extend my gratitude to Magie Faure-Vidot for sharing her illustrious writing journey. You can connect with Magie Faure-Vidot for more information on her recent literary travels and works:
As the year draws to a close in the blink of the year bowing out, it is a time to reflect on where we are, where we’ve come from and of course where we’re heading to.
Gratitude
My gratitude for a writing life is the blessing of the creative gift to tell the stories of forgotten or unheard voices and the passion to sustain this. I am indebted to the people I’ve met along the way who support my creativity by reading my books and inspiring and supporting my desire to write more.
ALLi guides my ethical author status by providing up-to-the-minute publishing and marketing advice through podcasts, publications, members’ forums and Orna Ross’ weekly, Maker, Manager, and Marketer accountability for creatives.
The vibrant How to Write for Success FB group supports seasoned and novice writers in a nurturing, inspirational forum and is a space to create and showcase some of my pieces while supporting writers on their creations in a constructive, non-judgmental forum.
Joanna Francis Penn’s Travel and Books Podcast and Mark Dawson’s SPS Podcasts are informative, entertaining and inspirational.
Writers no longer work in isolation. Seclusion is necessary for the creative process and networking creates visibility
Publishing
The third novel in theSouls Of Her Daughters Collection was completed, titled What Change May Come and a collection of short stories, Life’s Seasonswas published this year. It has been a year of many things on all of life’s fronts with life experience extending understanding and the capacity to live my passion.
Souls Collection (Trilogy)
2020 – Onwards and Upwards
Currently, a new novel series/trilogy is in the making with the first draft complete and chilling for a month before several rounds of editing and reworking to be born into the world in the first quarter of next year.
Poetry is a calling that intensifies as evident in the post, Poetry Educates Prose. It was a joy to have my poem, ‘Listen,’ published in the December edition of the literary journal SIPAY. Coleridge, Wordsworth, Byron, Keats, Yeats and Orna Ross are poets I enjoy reading.
Additionally, supporting rising poets brings joy to my creative space.
What more…
Lots more writing and possibly looking at non-fiction and poetry publications while teaching, learning and growing.
A writing life, like reading, is the breath and pulse of life.
Have you signed up for my monthly or bi-monthly newsletters for special offers/ free books/stories and updates on new publications? Click here to enter and receive two free short stories.
As the year closes this chapter, I look forward with a glad and grateful heart.
Happy Reading, Happy Writing and Publishing this holiday season.
Season’s Greetings, may 2020 bring you the very best in peace, joy, good health, enhanced creative productivity, and abundant success in all your endeavours.
What are you grateful for as 2019 draws to a close?
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Its loveliness increases; it will never
pass into nothingness … ~John Keats
Poet or novelist, one, the other or both — one grows into the other almost instinctively to develop the ideal creative state.
Writing improves with consistency and ongoing learning of the essentials of the craft. The art of writing expands the imagination and bulks the creative muscle by triggering the desire to know more, to research, to read, to push boundaries, and feel joy — a perpetual quest of the writer.
Voracious reading of all forms and more particularly poetry, the fine art of saying much with an economy of words, is a skill worth learning to enhance prose writing skills. Poetry as a literary form is laden with layered sensory imagery, conveying pain and joy, the state of the human condition and a celebration of nature which when emulated in prose fiction, is the lyricism in narration or the cadence ofpoetic storytelling.
Souls Collection (Trilogy)
‘And above all, poetry is compacted metaphor or simile’ ~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
The habit of reading poetry grows the writer’s ability to choose appropriate/effective language or specific words that says it all with brevity. We live in an era where attention span is brief, access is quick, and impatience governs desires.
Saying it all in four lines:
Hear it, See it, Feel it, Believe it…
Spring Song
Hark, I hear a robin calling!
List, the wind is from the south!
And the orchard-bloom is falling
Sweet as kisses on the mouth
~Lucy Maud Montgomery
Little bursts remain to sustain…
Invictus
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul
~ William Ernest Henley
There is an intensely intimate, mindful experience apparent in poetry, a purity that makes it more personal where prose is more social, and when married with a sensitivity to both forms, the reader benefits from the writer’s authenticity.
As a teacher, evidence points to incremental learning leading to lifelong knowledge. Piecemeal understanding is committed to memory in meaningful short bursts of information whereas lengthy mindless memorisation disappears after the moment of recall.
Poetry speaks in the rhythm and profundity of its brief lines, a boon in holding the attention of the reader.
Poetry read before sitting down to write prose or read as the last activity before sleep, sharpens the ability to borrow from the poetic form and style for precise, well-formed ideas that touch with the depth and clarity that poetry engenders.
If writing in a particular genre or establishing an emotion in a prose scene, turn to poetry that’s appropriate in that instant and feel the passion and power of the words and those left unsaid, then a deepening of thought processes emerge to heighten the imagination. Reading poetry written in any period has the inspirational ability to enhance overall writing.
Crafting poems for creative leisure or publication is beneficial as self-directed editing of what works and what requires reworking. Poetry cannot hide intention and purpose, it’s stark, it’s true, a visual and emotive painting through words. This skill shapes brilliance in prose writing.
Poetry and prose are close cousins of the writing family. Read as many novels as you would poems, or more to capture that sweet spot of simple, short, stunning sentences, one after the other, until a story is born.
How many poetry books are there on your bookshelf? The internet is a valuable source, but there’s much to be said on having a book in your hand as you read, delight in, make note of, absorb and contemplate.
For aspiring writers: Write a poem today on any topic, let it tumble freely onto the page, then try your hand at prose. Watch the magic unfold. An open mind is necessary to attain this joy, and brilliance in prose writing.
Happy Reading. Happy Writing.
Share your thoughts on the benefit of poetry in prose writing.
Writing has been well documented as having therapeutic value. Do you keep a personal diary, or a journal to record moments that are significant to you? Would you write a memoir or autobiography? Have you tried poetry writing?
Fiction is an avenue that has therapeutic benefit when writing about angst through fiction or poetry. This has value in reaching readers who might face a similar situation. Receiving a reader’s comment on connecting with a character or situation makes writing move from the realm of fictional entertainment to enhancing life, creating a sense of belonging through the power of story/words that whisper, ‘there are people who go through this, you are not alone, it’s not you…’
Human difficulties like our joys are universal and part of our shared humanity regardless of demography or any divisive label. We learn from each other, we share with each other — altruism is part of our human ‘feel good’ makeup. We feel good or secure in knowing that challenges are not unique. This is where fiction like a memoir/autobiography/biography and poetry has the ability to say, ‘I see you, I hear you, I feel your situation.’
‘In our angst and joy we are one under the sky of humanity’
Oftentimes something heard, something seen, or read triggers the imagination to create a story/poem — these seeds have their origin in human experience. Everything in life has imaginative storytelling potential. Historical fiction is a genre whereby much from history or literature is reimagined to suit a particular context adding timelessness to a story.
Poems and stories, when turned inward, create… growth… healing… self-awareness
Shakespeare’s The Tempest reimagined by Margaret Atwood in her novel, Hag-Seed is an example. Prospero becomes Felix a theatre director in a present-day context — he is grieving the deaths of his wife and daughter and has been backstabbed by an aspirational colleague. His vulnerability is an evocative point of connection with the reader. Professional or workplace strife present timeless human dilemmas, but when tastefully explored as a novel’s premise or ideas, it has the potential to speak to many isolated, lonely individuals — there is no shame in being vulnerable. Shame sits on the shoulders of those who abuse vulnerability. The most endearing people, in reality, are those who have experienced hardship, financially, in grief or loss, abuse or ill-health — having walked in the shoes of many with struggles, wires empathy — as human experience should be if we hope to coexist in peace and harmony.
Fiction can remind us why it is essential to be true to who we are in our expressions of self and in our interactions with each other.
In Souls of Her Daughters, Dr Grace Sharvin who heads a busy medical ER has unimaginable frailties but her strength is in her capacity to reach out to others while fighting her own demons.
Life’s lessons come from the adversarial people met, and they become the basis upon which writers craft their villains. A little bit of this and a little bit of that blended in a cauldron and hey presto! The (im)perfect villain is born! The good people we meet shape perspectives on why adversarial individuals have no place in a shared world.
Timeless heart-warming and gut-wrenching stories on life’s challenges and celebrations.
Literature is a luxury, Fiction is a necessity — GK Chesterton
and
Albert Camus said, Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.
Who can argue with such pearls of truth now?
Life, literature, news of the day, and history portray human experiences that provide inroads to new fictional stories and evocative poetry that connect rather than divide by exposing, celebrating, loving, grieving and understanding what it really means to be human. We all, whether real or fictional are indeed not alone in adversity.
Which novels and poems would you recommend to readers on overcoming adversity? Have you read A Spark of Hope?
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