“Bloodbath” Accepted at t’ART (UK) Blog

CW: Animal abuse.

Sometime back, stories about Putin bathing in deer blood were making the rounds. Then Russia committed heinous war crimes in Bucha (among other places in Ukraine). Two abusive ways of trying to feel strong but actually revealing weakness, even desperation. After watching the above video, or one very like it, I put them together, along with a few other details I found interesting, in “Bloodbath,” a story about an anonymous leader.

I sent it out to a few places, but I got involved in my poetry collection and did not really start pushing for the story’s publication until recently. I was very happy today to find, buried in my endless email queue, a communication from t’ART (UK). As with my poem, “Reflection,” they did not find room in their print magazine for the piece but offered to put it up on their website. I’ll take it! I have read the story at a few writerly gatherings, and people seemed to like it, so I’m glad it will be out to a wider public soon.

t’ART Online is a funky venue full of rich creativity, with never a dull moment. I look forward to seeing the company “Bloodbath” will be keeping in the new t’ART blog (for articles and fiction) . Many thanks to the t’ART team, and happy Halloween to all who celebrate.

Haiku Accepted, and Odds & Ends

Ch’ng Kiah Kiean, Crinum Lilies. June 6, 2023. Artist’s Facebook page.

First, the acceptance. My cousin, the watercolorist (not Ch’ng Kiah Kiean), posted the above work on Facebook, and I was inspired to write another ekphrastic haiku–this one full length. I like the way the gray wash shadows have gotten out of control in this. It seems to be saying something about death overwhelming life.

Anyway, I was wondering where to place this, given that haiku magazines usually want several at a time, and I only had one, with no firm intention of writing more. Just then, I received a second solicitation from Litterateur RW editor, K M Anthru, reminding me I was invited to contribute to an anthology they are putting together. Placement done and dusted! I sent off the poem and quickly heard it had been accepted. I’m grateful to Editor Anthru and, as always, look forward to seeing what my co-contributors have come up with.

In other news, I read for the first time at our local Third Thursday Poetry Series. I had never read there before because I didn’t know they had an introductory open mic at many of their gatherings. I read “Kayaking at Lady Bird Lake,” and it went over well. When I have time, I will make sure my husband can manage to take a video next time I read, so I’ll have something more to put up on YouTube.

And I would be remiss if I forgot to mention one more thing about my birthday open mic experience, which was that Harmony, the entrepreneurial daughter of featured artist, Strong Humble Friend, sold cakes in a jar and cookies in the back of the room. I had never had cake in a jar before. Harmony’s, at least, was delicious, as were her cookies.

That’s all for now. Cheers.