Driving on I-99 in the Rain

Enshrouded in a fog wrapper
alongside the Alleghenies
I-99 is smooth and pothole free
refinished again in the last week.
November’s scant umbrage
of sepia and scarlet sassafras
on both sides of the interstate
wither in the falling melted
snow, an animal graveyard
lays to the right of the crisp
yellow line.

I follow rainy tire tracks
over Skytop and try
to remember what this mountain
looked like before 99
before all of us.

Sweet Dreamland Wheels by JM Scott Free in Kindle Through March 21, 2019

Hey all, Sweet Dreamland Wheels, a short book of experimental and found poems, is FREE in all Kindle markets through March 21, 2019.

Can you believe this book is four years old?  I can't either. Four years ago, I participated in a poetry challenge in April. The focus of the challenge was experimental and found poetry. So once it was completed, I decided to collect all the poems since they have a similar style. 

I enjoyed working on this book and often I still use many of the techniques I learned to make a new poem. I love playing with language and sometimes you can create something profound and/or unique.

Enjoy this free sample from the book which was created using words and phrases I collected on public transportation in Washington, DC.

Sylvia Marcon, Only Survivor

Image by Moritz Bechert from Pixabay 

He walked into the Dairy Queen on July 28. Sweaty people stood in line with bratty kids. He sat at a small table. With a wave of his hand, he produced a six pack of PBR. Opened a can and guzzled. He waved toward a group of people waiting for their ice cream.  They collapsed, breathless and dead.

Panicked people rushed the
locked door. Another can, another group dead. They pounded at the glass, screaming.

Another can, another group dead.

He finished his last can, blew the blonde chick a kiss, walked over the bodies and vanished into the sunshine.

A Spring Epiphany

I forgot yesterday was Monday. If you noticed or maybe not, I have been posting on Mondays and Wednesdays and have been rather successful with that schedule. It was the first Monday after daylight savings time, and I have no idea what day I thought it was. The weather was distracting. It really felt like March in the Appalachians. It reached 50, the sky was blue almost blinding, the sun was full throttle, wind gusts would race in from the west, and the entire front yard was nothing but a mud pit, where everywhere I stepped cold, wet mud oozed into the mesh of my sneakers. When I got home last night, I took off my shoes and socks and the bottom of my socks were mud-stained. Finally spring. I have this urge to take my shoes and socks off and step in the mud. But today is a little chiller and the mud would be too cold. I'm not as young as I used to be and the cold on my feet is like needles.

When I was younger, I used to swim in the Kangamangus River in New Hampshire and that bitch is cold. But eventually, the cold makes you numb then there is a feeling of peace. I also used to swim in the Atlantic both at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire and Ogunquit, Maine. Sure my legs were bluish-red but that didn't stop me. Now, the cold water is rather bothersome.

I went to the store this morning, and I had an epiphany. I've been having those a lot lately. Now, that school is done, my job is to write. I am a writer. I am also a jewelry maker. Both of which I have not been dedicated to like I should. So while I am looking for employment, I have to show up to work on my writing and my jewelry. I have to fire up Word Perfect (the best word processing program. I've been using it since the beginning when you had to use a floppy- a 5.25 mind you, to start it. MS Word can suck it. I digress though...) and write. One of the things I have learned over the years is that revision is great. I look forward to it. But you can't revise if the first draft is written. Revision is work, a lot of work, and I show up for that and put in the time. The first draft is daunting; I never want to work on it. But those are just excuses, lame ones at that. Revision is where the magic happens.


I'm not in school anymore, and I think it's time to stop with the excuses and be the writer I was meant to be. Showing up, doing the work.

Here's to a new adventure...

A Wednesday in March

I'm feeling kind of detached today. I think it's the dream I had; it was weird and I was still dreaming when the alarm went off this morning. That does it all the time. I feel detached but at the same time, this day went by too quick in my opinion. Granted, I disappeared into the internet black hole for a while. Come to think of it, I have no idea what I was looking up.

Anyway, I finished school on Sunday. Now I am just waiting for the degree. I'm actively seeking employment as an online writing professor. Just so you know, just in case you know of job openings. From my preliminary research, the hiring season for the college level is coming up. So I better be ready to hit the cyber sidewalk. I am thinking about applying to People's University, but I need to do more research on them. I've already applied to my Alma Mater last week.

I am also looking for freelance writing work. Again spread the word if so you choose.

It's March and it is 16 degrees outside. I wish it were 40 maybe even 50. Our winter seemed not as snowy as other winters but I just get sick of the cold and the grey and the snow that was white that turns into gray ice chunks.

Besides looking for jobs, I am going to split my time between writing and revising and home repair. I was going to start on a project today but that didn't happen (see first paragraph). I was working on writing earlier but then I got distracted. Sometimes, I amaze myself when I do accomplish something. I am even more amazed when other people tell they are in awe of what I accomplish. I often think it is never enough.

So that's it for today...

Until next time...