One

Your voice rang like golden chimes
when you sang your love to a
throng of strangers.  But
they didn't see how your heart
split and ripped inside your chest.
They mistook your tears for
sweat, your misery for art.

From the shadows of the wing,
I watched you die in minute
ways.  Behind your mask of fame,
I saw your grimace and the
ashen hue of your face.  Beneath
the shield of well-toned muscle,
I saw the blackened heart.

As you wept for her, I grieved
my own loss, knowing that she
was the one, and I am merely
one.  I left before you ended
the song, hating my one-ness,
while loving my one.

Chasing Fireflies

By the light of the moon
and the chime of the stars,
the cricket calls out to
you in my absence.
I left my voice in the
sunlight, like a child
abandons a plaything
in favor of chasing
fireflies.

With the patience of time,
I dance in the comfort
of darkness to the
cicadas' song while I
wait for you to join me.
The anticipation tastes
like honeysuckle syrup
and brings a smile to
my eyes.

When you arrive and we
dance together, our
eyes will tell the stories
our voices once knew.
And our hearts will
take flight as we leave
past worry in favor
of chasing fireflies.

One Way

There is only
One way to win
A stubborn heart
Like mine, a
Wilderness untamed.
There are no paths
Or smooth paved
Roads. Just the
Tangled brush
And uneven ground.
Surrounding the
Prize is a thicket
Of thorns. No
Machete can
Clear it; no fire
Will destroy it.
There is only
One way to win
A stubborn heart
Like mine.
Humility, confidence
And grace.

The Reason I Share...

One of the best things I've heard in a long time was the sound of a friend's joy over the phone tonight.  I merely sent him a link to a website I thought he might be interested in, and he was able to turn that into a job! He is an incredibly talented musician and an amazing person with the most beautiful spirit I've encountered in a very long time.  He applied to claim a spot among the performers at a local arts festival, and was selected.

The joy in his voice when he called to thank me for sending him was contagious! He thanked me over and over again for helping him, but I still don't feel like I did much. Having been on the receiving end of those small but kind acts in the past, however, I know exactly how much it means to him. And that's why I did it.

That's why I continue to share any possible opportunity I spot with my talented friends and colleagues...for the joy. Not my joy, but theirs. It always comes back around to bring me joy, too. Especially when they allow me to share in theirs.  Generosity is a beautiful thing. I encourage everyone to give it a try.

Sharing the Spotlight...Publishing Family

http://chakletcoffeebooks.com/index.html

Please take a moment (or more) to visit the homepage of Chaklet Coffee Books. Browse the bookstore for a variety of unique and interesting novels, multiple author anthologies, and poetry collections with dramatic adult content.

Reciprocity

Defined as follows: the quality or state of being reciprocal : mutual dependence, action, or influence.

With that in mind, I must say that it saddens me to witness the lack of reciprocity among artists. Authors, in particular.

I spend a great deal of time sharing, promoting, buying, reading and even editing the work of other authors.  While I do my absolute best to retain the Golden Rule as the governing force in my daily actions and attitudes, it is often frustrating to find that rarely do the authors whose work I promote in turn promote or even mention my own.

It's difficult to make a name for yourself...I get it. Of course I do, because I'm trying to do the same thing.  But I firmly believe that there is enough notoriety and success for each of us to have an appropriate portion. I don't view my fellow authors and poets as my competition. They are my inspiration and my family.

So, dear writers, I'm sending out my plea to you all. Do what you can to help one another, and reap the rewards of the goodness you sow in due time.

Sharing the Spotlight...Art

Please take a few minutes to visit a wonderful blog, by an amazing artist!
http://traceyhnatartwork.blogspot.com/

Notes on Rain

A flock of birds -

rising, rising -

like raindrops

being called back

to the clouds

as souls going

home - finally

complete, finally

whole.

Their beaks pierce

the full canvas of

cloud, and the

rain serenade begins.

My lullaby, droplets

of heaven tapping leaves

in peaceful percussion.

Elevator

I tell myself I will be happy,
that I will smile at the strangers
in the elevator.

But they don't look receptive,
so I look at my shoes
and try to recall the words
to the tune that seeps in.

 
 
 
Copyright 2011, Susan E. Henry

Share the Spotlight

I love to share with my friends new artists that I find interesting and talented.
This week, I'm shining the light on an author who shines so brightly in his own right, he doesn't need the additional lighting!

Meet Keith Kareem Williams. Read some of his blog posts and get familiar with him. You will be seeing and hearing a lot of buzz about him in the very near future. Talent like his cannot be kept quiet.
http://www.thegullygodchronicles.blogspot.com/

An Evening with the Authors of Short Shorts

This Saturday (9/10), at 9 pm (EST), authors Miriam L. Jacobs and Susan E. Henry will be discussing their newly released collection of short stories. Please tune in! It promises to be a fun show.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chaklet-coffee-books/2011/09/11/a-night-with-the-authors-of-short-shorts

A New Day

It's been a while since I posted last, so I thought I would take a moment to give a few updates.






I have so many new projects in the works, and they are all very exciting! As you probably know already, Short Shorts has been released and is now on sale! I was so honored to be invited into this project, and I'm thoroughly pleased with the result! Miriam L. Jacobs is a wonderful author, and it was such an incredible joy to be able to collaborate with her to produce a beautiful and entertaining collection of short stories. Each story was written in a different genre: six by Miriam, and six by me. As an added bonus, there is a poem at the end of each story. As a super bonus, Miriam's granddaughters, Candace and Alyse, also contributed stories to the collection. So in reality, when you purchase Short Shorts, you are actually getting 15 short stories and 12 poems! What a bargain!!





In addition to my recent foray into short stories, I have been working on my next poetry collection, My Perplexing Complexities. I'm very excited about this book, which is targeted for release later this year. The work is nearing completion now, and I think lovers of poetry will truly enjoy this collection. As with A Song for Me, the poems span a wide range of subjects and genres, and give the reader a glimpse into my heart and soul. Watch for the release date of My Perplexing Complexities here, and on Facebook.





I am also beginning work on more short stories, a novel that I am co-authoring with none other than the fabulous Miriam L. Jacobs, and I have several other projects waiting in the wings. I'm looking forward to raising the curtain and letting them all have their moment in the spotlight. I sincerely hope that you will all stay with me on my journey. Those of you who know me personally know how much this means to me. Without your love and support, I simply wouldn't be able to continue. Thank you.

Short Shorts Promotional Trailer

Updates

Short Shorts, by Miriam L. Jacobs and Susan E. Henry is now available for Kindle and Kindle app! Find it at amazon.com (Helpful Hint: search for "short shorts susan e henry")
The book is a collection of 12 short stories, geared toward young adults, but suitable for most anyone!

I have been busy lately with writing and editing, and haven't had much time to keep up with blogging. *sigh*

Editing is tough work. It's very frustrating.  So many people have wonderful stories to tell, but they lack the talent for telling them, especially in writing. What to do? Maybe I should teach workshops, instead of editing.

A Little More Shameless Self-Promotion.

I can't help it. I'm very excited about this project.

An excerpt from Short Shorts.





A Walk in the Park


Susan E. Henry

It was so cold that night. Below freezing. But the man who was, and still is, the most alluring man I’ve ever seen seemed completely impermeable to it. I remember being puzzled by him as I watched him saunter along the pathway through the park. I had never witnessed such nonchalance in another person. He was completely unafraid and uninterested in his surroundings. That’s what I thought, anyway. He truly was unafraid, but uninterested? Well, get comfortable, and I’ll tell you about it.

You see, the park was my home then. It’s a long story – how I became homeless. But that’s not what you’re interested in, and it’s not what I want to tell you. I had a small make-shift tent between two large evergreen shrubs. That was my shelter and my bed. Just a couple of ratty old blankets on the ground and a plastic tarp secured to the shrubs with clothespins. I guess I had been living there for about a month when I saw him for the first time.

I couldn’t stop staring – he was so…magnetic. That’s the only way I can describe it. He was of average height and weight, and his features were masculine, regular and proportionate. There really wasn’t anything tremendously remarkable about his features by themselves. But they seemed to be arranged so perfectly, in such total harmony, that he was undeniably and irresistibly beautiful. The sight of him excited me…physically excited me. It was more than that, though. I could feel him – his…his presence, his being, his very soul, drawing me to him. It wasn’t a request; it was a command. My body was being commanded to approach his. It was the strangest sensation, especially since we didn’t even make eye contact. I stared as he strolled through the park, and he never looked my way. I resisted the overwhelming urge to move toward him; I remained there in my little tent. Once he was out of sight, that strange calling to me also passed, which was a great relief.

A Little Shameless Self-Promotion :o)

I'm very excited about this project, and hope that others will be, too.

Coming this Summer: Short Shorts

Two talented authors.
Twelve short stories.
One amazing collection.

Authors Miriam L. Jacobs and Susan E. Henry have joined forces to create Short Shorts, a collection of short stories with something for everyone. The collection takes the reader for a ride through suspense (“Tangled Net”), coming of age ("Surrender"), romantic fantasy (“A Walk in the Park”), and a timeless love story (“Pure Love”). Jacobs and Henry have woven tales that depict vivid snapshots of family life, friendships, and the stuff of pure imagination, featuring unforgettable characters and commonplace scenes viewed from the authors’ uncommon perspectives. Each author lends her own voice to the collection, but the stories blend easily to create a lovely mural of life.

Patience

I have almost none, in most situations. There, I've said it.  This is one of my many, many flaws, and probably one of the top five.  So, what do I do when I want results immediately and I don't get them? Usually, I fret and worry and complain.  But lately, I've tried to remember that my plans aren't necessarily the best plans for me. Just because I want something, that doesn't mean that I really need it, or that I'm ready to handle what comes along with it...at least not with the required grace and dignity.

I'm working on it.  I am fond of saying that I am a work in progress. We all are, really.  As long as I have goals and dreams, I will never stop growing and changing. I will keep becoming a better version of me.  Personal evolution. That's important to me.  I have a few goals in mind right now, and I'm doing what I can to work toward achieving them. The wait for results is agonizing and frustrating, but I know the rewards will be worth the wait. So I try my best to be patient and let things happen the way they are supposed to. And I try not to complain.  I try to be encouraging to others.

Are you patient? If not, how do you handle the wait?

The Upside of Struggle

A struggle can take so many forms in life. It can be a physical trauma or challenge, an ethical dilemma, or an emotional upset.  No matter the form it takes, there is always a lesson to learn from it...you just have to be willing to accept it. And you have to take the time to quiet your mind long enough to see it.

I took a vacation day yesterday, with plans to work on my writing and editing. I was really looking forward to the extra day away from the office to invest more time in my passion.  I woke up with a horrible sinus headache, which soon spawned a migraine, which in turn spawned a tension headache. Three headaches at once! Even on my best and most determined days, I can't work through that kind of pain. So I resigned myself to the fact that I had to treat the physical pain first.  I spent almost all day in bed...in pain.

Although I was upset that I didn't get any writing or editing done, the down time gave me an opportunity to reflect on the path my life has taken, and where I want it to go. Looking back now, that was what I really needed.  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the act of getting things done and moving forward that I forget to stop and look around.

This is my advice: try to remember that it really is important to slow down, even stop, every now and then to make sure you're still on your intended path. If you find that you've taken a detour, figure out where and why, then set a new goal.  Don't wait for an illness to force you to slow down. But if it does, take the time to heal and grow the way you're supposed to.

Gratitude

I often reflect on the people and things for which I am grateful. Sadly, I don't express my gratitude often enough. This is one attempt to right that egregious wrong.

There have been so many people who have inspired and encouraged me along my journey to achieving my dream of being a published poet and author. I have to start with my mom. It would have been so easy for her to sweep my dreams under the rug and focus on herself, but she never did. And I know now that she never will. Through all the toughest, darkest times in my life, she was there, bringing extra sunshine into my world.

The same holds true for my friends. Although some were only in my life for a short season, they have always introduced me to new experiences and viewpoints along the way. EVERYTHING that happens in life is an opportunity to learn, and everyone brings a distinct lesson.  It took me a long time to realize that, but knowing it now is incredibly liberating. 

My family: we don't get to choose our familial set, but I believe that they are very wisely chosen for us.  Just like everyone else, they all bring their lessons.  Some are there to teach us by example, some are simply there to love.  My family, like most, is a cast of characters rich in experiences and opinions.  I love the colors they add to my mural, and the notes they add to the soundtrack of my life.

Gratitude is a wonderful thing. If you truly take the time to stop and literally count your blessings, I defy you not to smile. I usually smile through tears, so strong is my gratitude.

To everyone in my life - past, present and future - thank you for what you have given to me.

Empowerment

I just read an interesting blog about empowerment, and I would like to know what others think about the meaning of empowerment. What does it mean to you? What makes you feel empowered? What does it mean to empower someone else?

I feel more empowered now than I ever have. Ever.  That tremendous feeling is due, in large part, to my wonderful friend and publisher, Miriam L. Jacobs. She urged me to start writing again after many years of leaving my gift inactive. The simple act of stringing words together in a way that was meaningful to me was completely empowering to me. It gave my life a purpose that had been lacking for far too long. I was born to be a writer. I ignored that fact for a long time, but the need to write never really went away. It got buried and shuffled and pushed aside, but it was still there.

Now, as a result of her friendship and encouragement, I am a published poet. I dreamed of that accomplishment when I was younger. I couldn't imagine anything better than having my own poetry collection published. At the end of last year, I had the honor of placing my book - MY book - on the shelf with the books of all the authors I have enjoyed reading over the years.  That was a truly monumental experience for me.

I'm dreaming new dreams now! I hope you are accomplishing yours and dreaming up others, too!