Rebecca Cuthbert's Blog, page 3

“Wanted”

Published in PSYTHUR by Raven’s Quoth Press

From the publisher: “PSYTHUR is a collection of works selected by the editors throughout the year. Poems that were misfits for our other collections, but nonetheless stirred our mind, heart, or soul.”

***

The young starlet was

flattered when they

wanted her likeness in the

seaside wax museum.

In a chilly studio

she stood for hours,

perfectly still

while the artist used a hair                 

dryer to soften the mass

of yielding paraffin.

…

To keep reading, pick up your copy of PSYTHUR here!

Dark Poetry: What it is, what it can be

With thoughts from Jessica McHugh, Holly Lyn Walrath, Donny Winter, Marisca Pichette, and JG Faherty

Definitions

The term “dark poetry” is vague and amorphous—try to pin it down, and it will slip away. Some people may find that frustrating, but writers (like me, like those who shared their thoughts with me), love the freedom of the term. While details of our individual definitions may differ, we agree on the overall concept: dark poetry is, well, dark.

Jessica McHugh, a 2x Bram Stoker Award-nominated poet (The Quiet Ways I Destroy You), says that dark poetry falls into a few categories:

“The explicitly dark, which borders and blends with horror poetry, maintaining a scary or unsettling vibe throughout. The surprisingly dark, which lulls the reader into a false sense of security before pulling out the rug. The emotionally dark, which tackles rough but relatable topics like death, isolation, mental illness, etc. through chilling metaphors and imagery.”

“But,” she says, “they also intersect and borrow conventions from each other. I’ve found gothic poetry can often embody many of these themes and techniques in one piece.”

Holly Lyn Walrath, author of Numinous Stones and publisher at Interstellar Flight Press, breaks her definition into two categories:

“One is horror focused and draws on the tropes of horror, with a goal of creating fear/ick in the reader. The other draws on dark themes, like death, depression/anxiety, trauma, violence, etc.”

Like McHugh, though, she says “Betwixt the two is a lot of overlap.”

Donny Winter (Feats of Alchemy) defines it more as one large subgenre with a lot of sub-subgenres:

“I’ve always defined dark poetry as an over-arching genre possessing messages, themes, and imagery related to what many may consider the darker side of human experience. Some sub-genres may include dystopian, cyberpunk, sci-fi, horror, gothic, nature, and many others.”

Author of Songs in the Key of Death JG Faherty explains that for him, dark poetry “[…] focuses on creating an unsettling mood. The associated emotions might be unease, concern, depression, anxiety, and yes, even fear. Dark poetry can make you think (a science fiction poem about the dangers of AI) or make you weep (a gothic romance poem about someone losing their lover to a tragedy. Or being haunted by their ghost!). Some of my poems in my collection Songs in the Key of Death deal with evil dentists, brain parasites, suicidal thoughts, alien invasions, serial killers, body dysmorphia, and the end of the world. It is the subject matter that is dark in dark poetry, but there doesn’t need to be anything horrific or supernatural about it.”

Conventions

As for qualifications, poet Marisca Pichette (Rivers In Your Skin, Sirens In Your Hair) says they’re pretty simple: “I think the qualifications for dark poetry are very basic: make the reader uncomfortable, lead them into shadow, and craft an image that disturbs in some way. There are the obvious themes of death, trauma, grief, and anger—but dark poetry can really take any form. It can be an empty room, whispering of something that was. It can be a throat raw from shouting, eyes red from crying. It can be a question posed without answer. That’s what I love about dark poetry.”

As for myself (Rebecca Cuthbert, In Memory of Exoskeletons), I think the vastness of the subgenre of dark poetry makes it difficult to call out necessary, or even likely conventions. Some of my poems in my first collection are about the topics mentioned: grief, depression, body image issues, trauma. Other topics are the pain that comes with hope, the disappointment a former self may find in a current self, and the unfairness of “No Dog Walking” signs in cemeteries.

Inspiration

As for why I write it, my thoughts align closely with McHugh’s. She says dark poetry is “[…] simply what tumbles out when I’m trying to articulate a certain subject or feeling. That said, I do find the vocabulary of the dark and terrifying provides colors I enjoy painting with most. Evocative, visceral verses. Poetry you can hear and smell, even when you don’t want to. Scenes with teeth that scrape and gnaw the brain long after you’re done reading. It sounds demented, but that’s what sparks artistic joy in me.”

Pichette suffers from the same wonderful condition.

“I can’t seem to write about something without showing the darker nature lurking under the surface,” she says. “Whether real or imagined, you can find horror in just about anything. As for reading dark poetry, I gravitate to it for much the same reasons. Poetry is often confrontational, and I love when a piece sends a shiver through me, or creates that tingling realization that more is being said than I originally thought. Layers are so important in poetry, and darkness is one of the best to explore.”

Winter writes dark poetry because he’s able to share his story, the good parts and difficult parts. “Additionally,” he says, “I think dark poetry is a more powerful vehicle for creating social commentaries about societal atrocities, considering it roots itself in that vulnerability.” And from the other side, “[R]eading dark poetry [is great] because experiencing the vulnerability can be incredibly cathartic, especially if you’ve experienced similar trauma. Other peoples’ healing experiences, including the darker aspects, can act as roadmaps for our own healing.”

Misconceptions

“I think people imagine all dark poetry as Edgar Allan Poe-esque descents into madness and self-loathing, which is obviously not true,” says Pichette. “The best dark poetry grapples with something very real, and doesn’t settle for shock value. In all writing, we’re striving to go deeper, view problems from new angles and imagine other solutions. Rather than simply offering a known horror, the best work spurs some kind of epiphany. What if Poe’s Raven wasn’t a bird, but a manipulative partner, orchestrating the narrator’s downfall? Such a revision can shed light on modern issues and give the reader a different thrill as the truth is revealed.”

Me again (Cuthbert). I’m going to say something here others may very well disagree with: I think dark poetry can be kinda happy, and not just for those aspects like catharsis and connection. Some dark poems are farewell letters, and there’s joy in saying goodbye. Others are funny—in my next hybrid collection (Self-Made Monsters, 2024), I have a feminist horror poem called “Mistress Meg O’Malley,” about a vampire sex worker who definitely eats people, that sort of cracks me up. But, I guess one person’s emotional disturbance is another person’s sick joke.

You don’t have to take our word(s) for any of this, though. If you’re interested in dark poetry, read a bunch of it. If you like it, emulate what you see, then revise it to be something entirely yours.

A few recommendations…

“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

“Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti

“Rainy Night” by Dorothy Parker

“Voices of the Dusk” by Fenton Johnson

“The End of Little Dreams” by Julia August

“History of Orconectes” by Dyani Sabin

“Crow Daughter” by Gabriela Avelino

“The Cliffs at Battery Pointe” (AUDIO)

A cryptid tale read on CREEPY Podcast

***

Now what happened happened a long time ago and I’m only telling you now because your mom told me she knows you played near the cliffs last weekend. I told her to keep you away. I said it’s because the terrain isn’t stable, that the plant life there has shallow roots and you’re liable to tumble right off with nothing to grip onto if you slip near the edge.

The same things I told her when she was a girl, when I wouldn’t let her play near them. I said I’d tan her hide if I found out she was playing there and good thing she believed me because I’da had the switch ready.

And you better not think I wouldn’t raise a hand to you because you’re my only grandson. I’d do it because you’re my only grandson.

And all that stuff about the shifting ground and shallow-root plants is true but it’s not the only reason you’ve got to keep away from there.

Are you listening to me? Put that damn phone down.

I didn’t tell your mom this part. Keep it a secret. She already wants to put me in a home—never mind that I still do just fine, even with your grandpa gone. But she wants to and if she heard this story she’d have me packed up and sent off before the weekend.

So I didn’t tell her because she was a good girl who listened but I’m telling you because you’re a brash, stupid boy.

…

For the rest of the tale, go to CREEPY Podcast; it’s the bonus story alongside “Downpour,” released June 11, 2023.

Submission Etiquette for Writers & Editors

Most writers and editors have received more than their fair share of less-than-polite treatment: from getting ghosted to being cursed in social media posts to finding angry email replies in their inboxes. Recently, I have been stunned by a mean rejection email and disappointed by the sound of crickets in the wake of follow-up queries. I thought it would be helpful to ask seasoned writers and editors for their thoughts, in hopes that this little blog post can help us all be kinder to one another. (Also, reading this is better than learning through trial and error, as I have!)

Manners for Writers:

–Follow submissions guidelines. Yes, we all make mistakes, myself included–overlooking a detail or not double-checking the news from one of those submissions round-ups–but do make an effort to read the rules and follow them.

From Leon Perniciaro, Editor of Haven Spec Magazine and reader for Uncanny Magazine: “[M]ake sure you follow our guidelines, whether for Uncanny or Haven Spec, and make sure that the cover letter is addressed to the right person and that you get people’s names and pronouns right.”

–Do not respond to rejections, unless it’s a “Revise & Resubmit” situation. Take the R and move on.

From Alexis DuBon, co-editor of No Trouble at All by Cursed Morsels Press: “Please don’t respond to rejections. Don’t ask why. Don’t ask for feedback that wasn’t offered. Once a story is rejected, the interaction is over and your story is free to send back out. If you’re curious how it could be improved, seek out beta readers who will give you honest and helpful suggestions. This is not the job of an editor who has rejected hundreds of other stories that they also haven’t given feedback on. It’s only fair.”

From Evelyn Freeling, editor of Les Petites Morts by Ghost Orchid Press: “[Responding to rejections with] demands about why your story was rejected, why it took so long to get a response, etc.–isn’t okay. At the end of the day, most editors also have day jobs so be respectful of their time and energy.”

–And if you do get an R&R, appreciate it for the opportunity that it is.

Perniciaro: “If you get a rewrite request, work through the story in good faith (editors can always tell half-assed edits!) and don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions.”

-Do not tweet (X?) or post about a specific editor who rejects your story. I admit it was super hard not to publicly post the name of the press who told me writers like me are a dime a dozen. (I absolutely told my friends in a closed thread!) By the next day I didn’t feel so bad about it, and I would have regretted a public tantrum.

DuBon: “Authors, please don’t tag publishers when tweeting about story rejections. It’s super awkward.”

–Be patient. If the press or publication states that the wait time might be eight months, give them eight months. Give them nine. Then send a polite query if you still haven’t heard back–and to make it easy on them to answer you, include the title of your submission, its genre, and the date on which you sent it.

From Julie Stevens, editor of Deathcap & Hemlock: “I suppose just being a bit patient with us is my favorite thing. I have batches of acceptances to publish and so sometimes people scheduled later on don’t hear from me for a bit.”

–Include reader advisories if and where the editors ask for them. Lots of folks call these “content warnings,” though at work (I teach college creative writing classes) I learned that the word “warning” is problematic, as it implies readers may not be in control of their own feelings and reactions. The word “advisory” is neutral and acknowledges the reader’s power of self.

–Send only edited, proofread work. Mistakes and typos distract editors and slow down reading. Swap drafts with writer friends so they can catch what you didn’t.

–Ask before announcing. This is another thing I had to learn along the way. Sometimes editors want to make their own big TOC announcements, or perhaps they haven’t made it through all the subs yet, so putting the news out there yourself can step on their toes.

Perniciaro: “[I]f you get a story accepted, shout it from the rooftops as soon as the editor gives you the go-ahead! They are just as excited to see your story out in the world as you are.”

Manners for Editors:

–Communicate with authors. Fortunately, many editors are already great at this. Those who aren’t might find good advice here.

Jonathan Gensler, author (stories in Cosmic Horror Monthly, Soul Scream Antholozine 2, etc.): “I appreciate it when they notify you that your submission has been received (not all do that, even in this digital age); I appreciate knowing if/when a first reader has passed a story along for a second round of consideration; and if a story doesn’t quite make it to publication, but was close, I appreciate any notes about what might have made the story a better contender.”

Freeling: “Because I’m a writer, I did try to provide generalized feedback [for rejected Les Petites Morts submissions] on why the piece was being rejected–typically it was pacing, atmosphere, or not meeting the call somehow–not erotic enough, not directly or obviously inspired by a fairy tale/myth/folklore. I also tried to name something I did enjoy about the piece in every rejection because again, I’m a writer and I know rejections sting.

Perniciaro: “For Uncanny, we try to respond to every submission within 30 days, either with a hold notice or a pass. For Haven Spec, we try to reply within 10 weeks, and at this point, we manage that for about 95% of submissions. Some months are tougher than others, though.”

Stevens: “My very first submission as a writer a few years ago was one where I got no response, and only found out when I saw the TOC on Twitter. I can’t do much about the sting of rejection but I absolutely would never want to put someone in that position–it did not feel like my work had been valued. I read every word, I’m thankful I’ve been sent what I’ve been sent.”

Christopher Ryan, editor of Soul Scream Antholozine: “I explained all of my intentions [to Soul Scream contributors], and then I repeated them in our contract that expressly says I am buying one time rights to publish, and they own the copyright and everything else. I’ve researched several different contracts to make sure I had fair and very clear contract language that would protect the writers and, of course, protect my company and myself.”

–And provide updates when possible. Writers know time is limited, but even a quick mass email of “We haven’t forgotten about you; we’re still reading!” is great. And if it’s a contest, let readers know where they can find results as soon as they are posted.

Perniciaro: “For Uncanny and Haven Spec, everyone who submits gets a receipt acknowledgement, with Uncanny having a system for letting people know where they are in the queue (and if their piece is under review, if rewrites have been requested, if it’s been rejected, etc.).”

Stevens: “One thing I think that has helped communication is that I now send a note after the contract is signed to let authors know what to expect next. I’m sure some more seasoned writers get that email and wonder why I am over-explaining but I think it helps newer writers not feel like they’re missing something!”

Ryan: “[W]hen adjustments were made [in the Soul Scream publication timeline], I sent out emails so that people could stay current with what the situation was.”

–Avoid publicizing impossible timelines.

DuBon: “[D]on’t advertise timelines you can’t adhere to. Don’t set dates that you might not meet. Only announce when people should expect something to happen once you are certain. […] I say that because it creates unnecessary stress on both sides.”

Ryan: “I was very careful not to give a specific timeline, because I know that it is easy for small independent companies to run into difficulty with, for example, Amazon or other platforms. I needed to have that flexibility.”

–Please accept simultaneous submissions. Unless you are promising to have responses out within a week of submission (see above), it’s crummy to tie up people’s work and hold them back from other opportunities. Responses take a long time and rejection is the most likely result: Allow writers to cast a wide net.

DuBon: No simultaneous submission is archaic and unreasonable and unless you’re The Dark, no one is taking it seriously.

–If you can, pay authors, and be upfront about that information.

Gensler: “[T]he biggest thing I appreciate is when a publisher values your work enough to pay, even a token rate. Publication for free copies, or perhaps even for mere ‘visibility,’ seems to devalue the whole writing process, and helps contribute to the situation we are in, where even the most financially successful creative outlets in the world feel empowered to devalue the creations of writers. Even a token payment [goes] a long way to establishing the inherent value in our work as writers.”

–Don’t send mean rejections. I won’t explain more; adults should know better.

WE’RE HERE: THE BEST QUEER SPECULATIVE FICTION 2022 Ft. “Falling to Pieces”

Published by Neon Hemlock Press

***

It was a tiny tear at first—barely noticeable.

Just her left ring finger detaching a bit. No big deal. Leah added a strip of silver duct tape and hid that with a flesh-colored bandage, then she got back to work, answering the phone and greeting customers and hustling hustling hustling at Giovanni’s Ristorante in the city’s second-trendiest neighborhood.

By the next weekend the finger had come clean off, and the other four fingers on that hand were separating too, but Leah fixed it with more duct tape and fancy, elbow-length gloves that she sort of liked. They made her feel elegant, even though she was just handing out menus and wine lists and rolls of polished silverware.

Plus, with her hands covered and especially her left one, random dudes sitting at the bar stopped making bad jokes about how she wasn’t wearing a ring—a precursor, Leah knew, to hitting on her which would never go their way, because all she wanted was for Christine, the bartender with the cropped red hair and capable hands, to notice her.

She willed Christine to look at her in quiet moments, thinking hard at her, feeling harder. But Christine didn’t, or at least not when Leah was looking at her, and the fall months passed and Leah taped her fingers on and brushed lint from her black gloves after rolling silverware, and she looked and she sighed but Christine, whose hands moved like a street magician’s trick in the bar’s recessed lighting, didn’t look back.

#

In January things got worse.

…

To read more, pick up your copy of WE’RE HERE by clicking on this link.

“We Need To Discuss Agenda Item 6b”

Published in The Crow’s Quill, by Quill & Crow Publishing House, “Tragicomedies” issue

***

Recorded and transcribed by Pam Sanchez, English dept. secretary, August 23, 2023, English Department Faculty Lounge and Meeting Room

Faculty Members Present:

Dr. Wilson (dept. chair, Brit Lit, Shakespearean Lit)

Dr. Lipinski (Arthurian Lit, Chaucer)

Professor Morgan (union rep, American Lit)

Dr. Ahmad (World Lit, Contemporary Drama, Screenwriting)

Professor Romero (Film & Lit, capt. of faculty ultimate frisbee team)

Professor Greene (English Ed, Adolescent Lit)

Professor Kirst (Genre Lit, Digital Writing)

Dr. Steiner (Victorian Lit, Major Authors)

Dr. Saunders (Writing for the Professions, African American Lit)

Four new faculty members (names unknown)

10:02: Meeting opens

Dr. Wilson: Alright, everyone! I hope your summers were enjoyable and you’re revved up for another great semester here at Hepwell! I know we’re all excited about the months of scholarship to come, but let’s settle in so we can get through the agenda before our noon break, when FSA will be providing us with a cheese and fruit platter. Yum! Now, does everyone have a copy? Item one—

Dr. Lipinski: Dr. Wilson, are we really not going to address the folks groaning in the back of the room first? I mean, come on, no one here has failed to—

Dr. Wilson: Of course we will! See line 6b. Let’s go in order though, hmm? Now then, item one please. Old business.

Professor Morgan: I agree with Lipinski; I really think we need—

Dr. Wilson: As I said, in time. Item one. The summer phone-a-thon brought in twelve new English majors and two English Ed majors, so brava, volunteers! You did a wonderful job talking up our programs here at Hepwell! I overheard several of you mentioning our new vending machines, as well as our—

Professor Morgan: Look, Dr. Wilson, I respect procedure, but I think we need to discuss agenda item 6b now.

Dr. Ahmad: Yes! And can we address the smell? At least open a window!

Dr. Wilson: No need to be rude to our newest team members, Dr. Ahmad! Also please remember this room is temperature controlled and we do not have access to the thermostat nor do we have administrative permission to open windows. If necessary, we can discuss asking for those stipulations to change at our next department meeting. For now, breathe shallowly.

[Individuals in back of room groan]

…

To continue reading, open this link and go to page 26!

How the word “NO” made me a writer

Advisory 1: These thoughts are based on my own experiences; I am not a mental health professional. But if any of this sounds familiar, I encourage you to get professional help.

Advisory 2: This is a long story.

I’m a recovering people pleaser.

For those who don’t speak therapy, that means that I put others’ needs before my own, had a hard time saying no, and felt guilty when I did. I was overcommitted, but not to things I actually wanted to do.

I was miserable. And I came to resent the people around me.

Still, it took therapy to help me see this, and then, to make changes.

#

People pleasers are the way we are because long ago, often as children, we learned that our value (to others) came from being “good,” from not making trouble, and from helping whenever possible. It got us attention and recognition and love. Our self-worth came to depend on others being happy with us, and the way to make others happy with us was to smile, say yes, and never complain.

But what happens after decades of living this way, every day?

Negative returns.

I felt like a doormat. I WAS a doormat. I had trained people—friends, coworkers—how to treat me. Of course everyone asked me to do favors for them—I always said yes! And it’s important to note here, because friends might be reading this: they didn’t mean me harm. What’s a favor request here and there? To them, no big deal. But when ten of your friends are asking, it becomes a really big deal. It ruins your fucking life.

I’m not being dramatic.

I was ruining.

My own.

Life.

#

I don’t have my doctor’s permission to mention her name, so I’m going to call her Dr. Smith.

Dr. Smith asked me how saying yes to every request made me feel.

My answer? Used.

I resented my friends and coworkers. I resented the constant asks, even the invitations. I had very little time to myself, or to do the things I really wanted to do—hang out with my husband. Garden. Write.

“So why do you keep saying yes?” Dr. Smith asked.

“Because I feel bad saying no. Because I don’t really have anything else I have to do. Because he/she/they need me. Because he/she/they have no one else to ask. Because it’s only an hour/two hours/a day/the weekend…”

“But is there something you’d rather be doing?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Then say no.”

Easier said than done. But I worked at it. We role played. At first, I said no with excuses or hedged my responses. Dr. Smith said no excuses—I needed to learn to say “No” or “No thanks” without feeling like I had to justify my response.

She taught me to give myself permission to have my own priorities. That not just my needs, but my wants, were more important than doing whatever other people were trying to get me to do. That the life choices they wanted my help with were not my life choices.

I worried people would like me less if I said no. I worried they would be mad.

“So?” Dr. Smith said.

Because, she explained, if they liked me less for having my own life, they weren’t my real friends to begin with. Also, if they were disappointed when I said no to favors and invitations, that was—and this blew my mind—okay.

I’ll say that again, for you and for me: It’s okay if people are disappointed.

And what she said next changed my life. It was like a thousand pounds fell off my shoulders:

“Your friends are allowed to have their own feelings,” Dr. Smith said. “But it’s not your job to manage those feelings for them.”

I cried then, mostly with relief, and with a little bit of sorrow for myself, too: at all the years I spent carrying what I didn’t have to.

#

Now, a little warning: If you have never had boundaries, and you start establishing them, there will be pushback. Some folks will be not just disappointed, but mad. Why are you saying no to everything all the sudden? Why don’t you want to do this or that favor, or go on this or that social outing? Why are you “ditching” them to just stay home? Ugh.

But, keep to your course. Do not give in to this pressure. Doing so will put you right back where you started.

(Oh! Know what I found out? Yes, I’m an introvert—which means while I like people, and can have fun out and about with others, it exhausts me—but I’m not antisocial. I socialize plenty. But these days, a lot of that socialization is online, through chatting with my writer friends in message threads or on group pages, or attending virtual workshops and classes with other writers, or exchanging feedback. These interactions give me energy rather than taking it away.)  

#

Saying no became easier and easier, and my life got better and better.

With encouragement from my husband (“Why not? Do it. Go.”) I applied for membership into the HWA in March of 2022 and got in, then went to my first StokerCon two months later, where I met a ton of fabulous people (who accepted me wholesale) and found so much inspiration.

So. Much. Inspiration.

So much that, on the plane ride home, at about midnight, realization hit me like a blessed punch to the face: If I was going to be a writer, I needed to prioritize that; to prioritize writing, I needed to quit my (stressful) part-time editing job.

This was a little scary, but I knew it was the right decision. I’d worked two or more consecutive jobs since I was a young adult, and money would now be tighter. (I grew up in a household that struggled with financial security, but that, and “class jumping,” is another topic.) It took me a few months to extract myself for a number of reasons, but in August of 2022, I was free.

And I threw myself into my craft. I took online classes, independent studies, and virtual workshops. I wrote and wrote and wrote (and revised and revised and revised).

It’s now July of 2023, and here’s what I have to show for it (since March ’22):

-Eighteen stories accepted and published/to be published in magazines, journals, anthologies, and read on podcasts

-Four Poems published in magazines, journals, and anthologies

-Two nonfiction pieces accepted; one published on a website and one read on a podcast

-A poem nominated for a Pushcart Prize (“Still Love,” by Nocturne Magazine)

-A win for Story of the Week (“Emissaries,” 50-Word Stories)

-A story chosen for a “Best of” anthology (“Falling to Pieces,” Defunkt Magazine; We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Lit 2022, Neon Hemlock Press)

-A collection of poetry (In Memory of Exoskeletons) accepted and published by Alien Buddha Press (My first book!)

-A second hybrid collection (Self-Made Monsters, fiction and poetry) accepted for publication by ABP in fall of 2024

-Plans for a co-edited anthology in the early stages (more news on this when I have it!)

-A novel more than halfway written (the first of a planned trilogy)

-A genre-blending, trope-celebrating novella manuscript written that’s now out on submission (Forgive Us Our Trespasses)

-Another novella halfway written (I’ll get back to it after I sell my other one)

-Two writers’ trips taken

-Two StokerCons attended

-Tickets bought for VoidCon and AuthorCon

-& more in the works!

#

None of these things would have happened if I hadn’t (with Dr. Smith’s help) taken a hard look at my life, realized what I was doing to actively harm myself (and what I was doing to allow others to harm me), taken responsibility, and decided to make changes—even when that was hard.

The best part of my recovery is that my self-esteem is now high and real. It doesn’t depend on anyone else’s valuation of me. I’m actually proud of myself for my own accomplishments (and my failures, too). I’m more resilient, I catastrophize less, and when bad stuff does happen, I can put it in perspective.

So much power in such a little word.

SOUL SCREAM Antholozine Ft. “The Quilting Circle of Bygone Gardens”

Published in SOUL SCREAM Antholozine by Seamus & Nunzio Productions

***

Marge scowled across the dining room at her nemesis, Stella Bianchi. Stella sat with four other residents at the corner table, telling some stupid story or other about her dough-faced grandchildren, waving her fat hands to show off the rings her dead husband bought her that probably weren’t real anyway.

Stella made Marge want to puke, strutting around like a has-been prom queen and making eyes at the male nurses. Like they’d ever be interested in hanky-panky with a carcass. No—the next time Stella got nailed, it would be into her coffin.

To keep reading, get a copy of SOUL SCREAM Antholozine!

“Lake Erie Omen”

Published in Siren’s Call Ezine

***

You call me an omen, good or ill,

but I have a name and it’s not Bessie—

that tourist’s barb, that cheap

shot glass logo.

But how could you

land-locked brutes

understand?

You with your broken scavengers’

tongue; mine deep-

toned chantings from

nightmares long since

dreamt.

To keep reading, visit Siren’s Call here.

Shakespeare Unleashed Ft. “No Rest Nor Relief For You With Me Dead”

Published by Monstrous Books and Crystal Lake Publishing

***

No rest nor relief for you with me dead,

than I shall thrice ring the gravedigger’s bell—

give fair warning to you, my dear, who shed

my blood without tears, laughed long as it fell.

To read more, get a copy of Shakespeare Unleashed!