An Unknown Novelist

 So, it's been a very long time, but I am getting ready to

 be opinionated again. First opinion: I hate the heck out of 

your new format, Google! Why is this automatically double-

spaced?  I would like to continue with my old format, but 

because Computer Engineer Dick thinks he knows best, 

you confine me to your perameters. Feel creative, constrict-

ing others, do you, Dick? Good for you! Not impressed. 

I am going to give this a few hours before I post anything

more. Perhaps by then, you will grow some manners in 

addition to that big brain. 

Over and out....for now,

Raintreepoet😒

The Daily Dozen Rules To Live By according to Robert Lewis Stevenson of the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Fame!

1.       Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to

find pleasure in simple things.

2.       Make the best of your circumstances. No one

Has everything, and everyone has something

Of sorrow intermingled with the gladness of life.

The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the tears.

3.       Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t think that

somehow you should be protected from misfortunes

that befall others.

4.       You can’t please everybody. Don’t let criticism

 worry you.

5.       Don’t let your neighbor set your standards.

Be yourself.

6.       Do the things you enjoy doing, but stay out of

debt.

7.       Don’t borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder

to bear than actual ones.

8.       Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish enmities,

 grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.

9.       Have many interests. If you can’t travel, read about

new places.

10.   Don’t hold postmortems. Don’t spend your life brooding

over sorrows and mistakes. Don’t be one who never gets

over things.

11.   Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.

12.   Keep busy at something. A very busy person never has

time to be unhappy.

 

 Found this while I was packing to move. So many papers

to sort. These words of wisdom worth sharing, I thought.

Raintreepoet, reporting. 

MORE DEADLY THAN WAR Book Review

MORE DEADLY THAN WAR (The Hidden History'
of the Spanish Flu and the First World War) by
Kenneth C. Davis, published in 2018, is, quite frankly,
prescient. It recounts the last world pandemic preceding
this current  world pandemic by roughly a century.
What did humanity learn in the meantime? Are we handling
it any better?
This book is riveting and a quick read, mainly because of
curiosity about the current pandemic. What have we learned
from it that could help us now?
Containment is essential. Doing everything humanly possible
to stop the social intercourse that spreads disease.
Are we so irrepressible that we cannot beat this minute
enemy? One would think that with the advantage of the
Internet, we would do so much better than our predecessors.
After all, we can almost instantly communicate and track the
virus's movement worldwide. One would think...but, can we
halt human behaviors that border on death wishes? Public
gatherings of hundreds of people not keeping the recommended
six feet of social distancing? Or refusing to wear masks when
in close proximity to others? That, my fellow human beings,
remains to be seen...
What you can do, in the meantime, is read MORE DEADLY
THAN WAR and gain more insight and information about
how to survive our current Covid-19 pandemic. It's a great
read. Pass it along. Well worth $19.99.
Kenneth C. Davis is one of  my favorite historical reporters.
Glad to turn you on to him. You may be familiar with his
"Don't Know..." series. I suggest you start with Don't Know 
Much About History. I believe that you will be easily hooked.
Always informative, insightful and abundantly readable. You
can thank me later.

Raintreepoet, reporting.

Writer interviewing Writer

Which came first? the journalist queried, The novels or the poetry?

Well, the poetry, of course, then the songs, but actually now I remember.
It was a short story, first.
 Let's see:
 short story,
 poetry,
 songs,
 novels...
Yeah. It's about words, syntax, breathing, image, scene, story-all functionally the same. Just different vehicles.

Yes, the poem is a bit like a VW Beetle or a Harley
the song, a 911 Porsche
the short story, a four door sedan
and the novel, definitely a limousine:
now that could be a
Lincoln Town Car or
a Rolls Royce,
depending on the quality

Short stories same thing, there are:
Hondas,
Beemers,
Mercedes
and of course
Fords, Chevys are sometimes okay, too
as in "Drove my Chevy to the levee and the levee was dry"

Is the poetry harder to write than the novel? the journalist asked.

The Harley is harder to learn to ride, than driving a Rolls,
but once you get it, it's easier- Does that answer your question?

Quite more than adequately.
 You poets certainly have a way with words.

The poet smiled, So do you journalists, poets just add
more curliques...

Thank you for Sending Me yet Another Rejection…

Go figure!

I see that your four winners

All have MFAs

I do not

I am an old dude who

Has written poetry 60+ years

I have walked the walk

Read the reams of poetry

My work is fresh, original

And inspired

I had no audience except

A multitude of poetry readings and

A gazillion workshops, not to mention

My poetry blog…

But, hell, what do I know?

Do I need to stop entering contests

Such as this and accept that

I do not have the proper credentials?

It would be kind of you, if you would

Post on your website: Non-MFAers need

Not apply.

Lovely not to take money out of the

Pockets of poets who have

No hope of ever winning because,

According to you

We are not qualified.

Lesson learned.

Cordially,

a disgruntled poet

The Map of My Heart

The map of my heart has long, 

slow kisses at its center

where my journey began

The first was on my forehead

by my father

When I was a wee one

The last, I cannot remember when

I am not sad-I carry vivid memories

Of some-special-body, always

The map of my heart has soft hands

With velvet fingertips traveling

Slowly all over my body

with shivers of passion expecting

the pressure to increase in increments

And it does as the kisses plunge

deeper into my soul

Though I am no longer dewy

I am not yet through with mapping

My heart with memories of

passion and tenderness 

I no longer look for

an outside mapmaker

I am my own passion and tenderness

I map my own heart-I choose…

raintreepoet, dreaming.