As I was listening today on the radio, about Internationals Women’s Day, and hearing all the activities and discussions about whats good and what is not, it came to me to do this blog. I thought to myself, why not do a blog to honor all the female guest poets on my site for this day? Sort of my poetic contribution to women’s day.
 
So this blog is dedicated to all the female Poets and Artists featured here on this site thus far. And…. Yes I have a small gift for you! At first I was going to write a poem, then I thought, who is one of the most romantic poets on PoetrySoup? It is most certainly not me!
 
So here below is a poem written by none other than Tim Smith. Thanks Tim, and its always fun to work on projects and ideas together!

She Always a Woman
(by Tim Smith)
 
Woman, you take my breath away
Not in what radiates off your precious skin
But what lies deep inside of you
 
Head held high
Not letting one moment
Of life slip on by
 
Strength more than a conviction
Capturing every ounce
Of my begging heart
 
Mother to many, daughter to all
Let me be your comfort
The harbor in your shore
 
Lead me
Feed me
Be the answer to my prayers
 
Guide me
Walk beside me
In the waning of our years

Of course, I have been blessed to know so many more lovely poets on PoetrySoup from all over the world, however as my heart and soul often travels there, this is my way to give praise and thanks. I hope one day to visit Malta and also one day to return to Lebanon.

The link above is my 2016 Christmas page, so I shall say again Merry Christmas to everyone the world over and god bless. Oh and Cheers!

Cheryl Anna Dunn as a favorite on Poetry Soup. She will be missed by all, and we all offer condolences  to her family.

The following poem is dedicated to Cheryl.

Our Lost Angel of Devotion

Cherls Poems on Poetry Soup

Cherls Bio

Lets see fellow Souprs, I guess in this Bio, I’m suppose to  talk about myself,
To allow you to get to know me better as a writer and a person. So lets see
I grew up next to the Lake Erie basin, near large farms, and wild wooded area’s.
My mother could barely read or write, but my father was well educated. My father
Always said I had a hunger to learn, and it was never satisfied. I agree with him
I started to read at an early age, started to write poetry in forth grade it’s always
Been my passion.  As a child I’d either be exploring nature, or swimming, pretty
Much a tomboy, but when I was home I’d be curled up with a book or two. My 
Grandmother was a painter, and artist, my father before he got frost bite was
A consort pianist, so I give these two credit for where I get any talent from.
I love history, and love to learn about everything and anything! I have five 
Children two girls and three boys. Also by the way I have eight grandchildren.
I started raising children when I was 11 years old, my brother's son Billy, who
Is handycable. I am really proud of him also, I adopted one child named Jaried
Who is quite a writer in his own write, my street poet. Patrick my youngest
Whom just turned 18, is a butting artist. My daughters Ashley and Amanda,
Who keep me young and active. I love to be by the water, but have never
Seen the ocean, this is on my bucket list. But even though I have been published.
In small forums, my goal for this year is to get my first real book published.
Edger Allen Poe, Frost and Browning , are some of my favorite writers. I’ve been
Married for 25 years, and am a still on my honeymoon. I work in the human relations
Field, and security.
Well I think that does it I hope you find this interesting, I'm not for writing about myself. But I'm glad that I joined the soup, and enjoy meeting people whom share
My interest in poetry.Take care and enjoy every moment in life to it's fullest.

I would like to congratulate one of our guest poets here, Jan Allison for having one her poems picked up by the Cambridge University Press.
 
The poem will be published in Dubai 2017 and is being used as part of a course for children learning English language in the UAE.
 
I know that all the guest poets here and myself are proud of you and wish you continued success in the future.

Read her wonderful poem below!!!

OWL SEE YOU
 
 
Please don’t ruffle my feathers
It is very rude when you stare
I have the most sensitive hearing
And I know you are lurking there
 
I mainly venture out at night
For I really am quite shy
Many people don’t even see me
For I don’t make a noise when I fly
 
My head can turn 270 degrees
So my eyesight is extremely good
Under cover of dark I lurk in the shadows
So you may not see me in the wood

Now who doesn't love the Muppet's, cuteness and humor, so I thought now is the time to bring people some poetic Muppet smiles!!! Simon sure fell in love!!!!

This is a video from Britain's Got Talent, very entertaining!
If I made you smile, please comment!

It’s a pleasure to announce that a guest poet here has released not one but two small poetry e-books, available on Amazon!

I have already purchased both books, and they are a delight to read, especially if you are already familiar with her writings. Having helped each other on some poems, I am very happy to see fellow poets grow and am proud of her accomplishments!
 
Many may not know, but Casarah is also an accomplished Photographer, and if you look on my home page, the cover photo was taken by her!

Links!!!!

Social Bites!

Social Issues!

Home page


Let me introduce Ron Wilson, a poet and writer, I have asked him to be a guest contributor because this story, was both entertaining, but also resonated with me, having studied the history of the middle east. Its refreshing to hear accounts of every day life, rather than from someones political point of view. I wish to thank Vee wholeheartedly for contributing here!

Sputnik - The Joke
This will be, when finished, a blog about the very first satellite in history, Sputnik. This being an event that happened well over 50 years ago, I think, cruising southward through the Suez Canal on board a US Navy Destroyer, I may have a few if the details a little wrong and in conflict with one of me sources, to aid in my memory gathering, being Wikipedia. Some times we must have to trust our memories.

It was HOT, and of this I am very certain, Wikipedia does not even mention that. We had just seen the wreckage of many ships, some of them their masts sticking out of the water at Poet Said. Or was it Port Suez, of that I am really uncertain right now, but it was the one at the North end of the Suez Canal. I saw my first camel that morning, with a rider on board, it was then that I wished I had a camera, a feeling I did not correct until a few weeks later in Genoa Italy.

About noon, the Captain came on the ship's intercom, announcing, of course, that "This is the Captain speaking..." But of course, what else could the Captain say, being that he never, ever had come on the ship's speaker system before about anything, and so we all knew that this just had to be some big news. To be sure, it was so rare that many of us wondered if we even had a Captain.

His announcement, to wit being, "I want announce that the Soviet Union has just launched the first satellite in history, the Sputnik Satellite. Carry on."

"Soviet Union? " we asked ourselves, "Isn't that in Russia or someplace?"

The rest of the afternoon was spent making up stream of Sputnik jokes that seemed to have no end. Even when, 2 days later, playing softball in Eritrea, which was known to be the hottest place on the planet. We even called our softballs "Sputnik," to the joy and excitement of hundreds of Africans who had obviously never seen softball before.

When our batters got a hit, we shouted, "There goes Sputnik..." and the excited native Africans, many of them scantily dressed, caught on and began shouting, "Sputnik! Sputnik!" when the balls were hit.

But it all ended a few days later, when President Dwight Eisenhower decided to give military support to Lebanon, during its most recent crisis. So, our Persian Gulf tour, to everyone's sincere and great disappointment, was abruptly ended.

And so, our course was reversed and we sailed back through the Suez Canal, (Or is that the Said Canal?) back past the same wreckages of ships that Israel had just sunk the year before, and when we got off the coast of Lebanon, we put the first of a stream of US Marines ashore in full battle dress and gear.

The Marines were great, and there were dozens of beautiful, bikini clad Lebanese girls watching them and cheering them on. This in itself made the whole tour of duty with the 6th Fleet worthwhile and it was probably the strangest invasion in history.

But it did not stop the Sputnik jokes. 

This is story is also an intro, into the next "GOOD READS" blog!!!!!

As many know, I try to invite one guest poet a week, and this week, it is Eileen Manassian, She is quite frankly an amazing poet residing in Lebanon, born in Iran, of Armenian decent. It is indeed a pleasure to have her here. She has inspired me, and I encourage you not only to read her here, but to read even more of her poems! For all the poets featured here, just type their names in Google and voila, there they will be!
 
Eileen inspired me to write a poem called the “Twelve Angels of Beirut” She did this by making me think, and ponder recent events, but most of all, she simply was not afraid to show the human side of needing to be thought of, this my friends is not a weakness, is a great strength, she in fact is her own Knight in Shining Armor! However, I will continue to call her an Angel! God bless!

The new featured poet of the Week is Lucilla Carrillo born March 18, 1943 Passed Away September 27, 2014. I met her on PoetrySoup and was blessed to have had many chats with her, to know both her and her poetry.
 
I have to say this was most difficult in selecting poems, as reading brought back memories of our last discussions. Not all poets on PoetrySoup know this but Eve Roper is her sister, another very kind hearted woman, and blossoming poet in her own right.
 
A few weeks before her passing Lucilla asked me to look out for Eve on the site, and to help and encourage her. I was so touched that this close to the end of her life, she was still looking out for others. Bare this in mind, for this also has something to do with a very special poem featured here
 
I took her last poem, and after discussing with Eve, I have done collaboration with Lucilla, that we both are sure she will be very pleased with. The idea for this actually came from when Natalie Cole did the duet song with her passed away father.
 
I have selected two more poems of hers to feature, FIRE and Ode to a Veteran, and these poems sum up for me what she was all about. Also her Veteran poem has been re-posted on many sites on the web!

Her book can be found on many book selling sites!

Sparkling Thoughts by Starlet
ISBN-13: 978-1424134427

Often,we close our eyes to the lowest of the low of society. Its sad and I myself am just as guilty of it. Although Poetry can be beautiful and lovely to read, well sometimes its not. If this poem, makes even one human being do an act of kindness to those less fortunate then, this poem is a winner in more ways the one.

You can view Jan's poem here        Lowest of the Low

I would therefore like to show that yes, its possible, if a Twelve year old can open her heart, maybe we all can a little? This therefore is a lovely story.

Newsfeed U.S.12-Year-Old Arizona Girl Collects 1,000 Coats for the Homeless
copied from Time Magazine web site.

• Daniel White @danielatlarge     Jan. 1, 2016
  

"I just want people to know someone cares about them"A 12-year-old Arizona girl spent her holiday season collecting coats for those in need.
Makenna Breading-Goodrich dropped off about 1,000 items at Phoenix Rescue Mission Shelter on Dec. 12, after going door-to-door collecting coats, jackets and hoodies for the homeless. The seventh-grader told People that she wants to help those in need keep warm for the winter.
“It gets really cold around here at night, like 30 degrees, and I want to make sure homeless people aren’t walking around without jackets or blankets at night!” Makenna said. “I just want people to know someone cares about them.”
She has been taking donations for four years through an organization she started, called Makenna’s Coats for a Cause. Each November, she begins traveling her neighborhood in Surprise, Ariz., collecting jackets on her red wagon.
“Something small can make a big difference,” she told People. “I want this to spread. A little kindness can inspire others!”