Tabitha

(Based on Acts 9:36-42)

While others haggled over meat and fish
I caressed bolts of nubby linen
examined weave of wool
marveled at the rich lightness of silk.

When I became disciple
love of finery and fabric
was all I had to give
the Risen Wearer of the unseamed cloak.
Then I forsook my search
for that embroidered purple robe
which would proclaim “Gazelle.”
Instead stitched love for Him
into the tunics of orphaned lambs,
pieced sad raw sackcloth mantles
for widowed wives,
decorated girdles to flatteringly fit
more hopeful garments.

This day I find myself
(my needle stilled –
I couldn’t move it steady for the chills)
floating above them all
(strange how the drape of fabric
changes with perspective).

What is this place I enter
all so white (the fuller here
must be exceptional)?
Beings of dazzle walk me arm-in-arm
to where He stands
and then I see what He is holding
in His hands
garment so gleaming white
I cannot look to tell
if it is silk, linen or purest wool.
“Gazelle!” He cries,
and I am held
by warm and welcoming eyes...

"Peter raises Dorcas from Death"
by Eustache Le Sueur

“Tabitha! Arise!”

I stare surprised
into amazed and tear-smudged faces
feel the sturdy weight of covers
hear the squeals of children
remember–it seems years ago–the tunic
I put down yesterday,
and know that I again
take up the shuttle
to weave the warp and woof of life
as ever–but not
for I have seen my robe
and looked into His eyes.

© 2007 by Violet Nesdoly

New reviews up

In the last couple of weeks I've posted three new reviews at Blogcritics. Note that two of the three are by Canadian authors!

• West Nile Diary: One Couple's Triumph Over a Deadly Disease by Kathleen Gibson - a memoir

• Exposure by Brandilyn Collins - Christian fiction / Suspense

• Talking to the Dead by Bonnie Grove - Contemporary fiction / Women

Nature's largesse

All kinds of nature poetry serendipities are begging for a blog post.

On July 1st my latest Poet's Classroom article came online: "Nature Poetry." In it I mentioned Mary Oliver as an example of a nature poet. Check it out.

Then on Monday, I came across this wonderful piece about Mary Oliver's hometown, Provincetown: "The Land and Words of Mary Oliver, the Bard of Provincetown."

Also on Monday, a wonderful kidlit blogger and poet (Miss Rumphius) posted a Monday Poetry Stretch, where she challenged readers to write nature poems - as recipes no less!

Today, a poem mentioned in the Mary Oliver article is featured on Writer's Almanac:

The Place I Want To Get Back To

is where
in the pinewoods
in the moments between
  the darkness

and first light
two deer
 came walking down the hill
   and when they saw me

...read the rest here

Now, take yourself outside and sample some of nature's largesse to you!

What I've been enjoying: this bunny (or one of his look-alike siblings) has crossed our walking path every morning for three days running. Of course the minute after I took this photo Tuesday a.m., he disappeared.

Time of life most myself...

U-DAYS

It no longer matters that I'm not good at basketball.
Who cares that I'm the oldest of nine.
Don't follow my example now!
University is the place to discover myself.

Who cares that I'm the oldest of nine?
My high school dates were awkward and pimply.
University is the place to discover myself
and ace Philosophy.

My high school dates were awkward and pimply --
now every man is mine for the dreaming.
Who knew that I would ace Philosophy
and move from the prairies to the sea?

Now every career is mine for the dreaming
though inbred practicality never forsakes
even when I move from the prairies to the sea
settle in as a teacher.

Inbred practicality never forsakes.
Don't follow my example now
settle in as a teacher
where it matters again that I'm not good at basketball.

© 2009 - Violet Nesdoly

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One of my favorite sites for poetry prompts is Poets Online. Several weeks ago I took up the challenge to write the above as a response to the Pantoum prompt (--> Archive --> pantoum).

What would you choose as the time of your life you felt most yourself? Do you think a pantoum would be a good way of expressing your thoughts?

Find the right poetry contest for you

If poetry contests are a blur to you, the latest article in Poet's Classroom should help.

Read "How to Find the Poetry Contest that is Best for You" by the editor of Winning Writers Jendi Reiter.

new kidlit blog

I've gone and done something I never thought I'd do - started yet another blog! Am I crazy or what?! It's all Twitter's fault. Here's how it came about:

1. As I said, I joined Twitter a few weeks ago.

2. In my search to find kindred spirits to follow, last Friday I discovered a slew of people who write for children on one of those twitter directories.

3. I signed up to follow @susanwrites.

4. One of her first tweets was the children’s writers’ Poetry Friday roundup here.

5. This brought me face to face with the KidLitosphere – kids’ writers and book lovers galore, bound together by the love of children’s literature. One of the main things they do is review children’s books.

6. Besides Poetry Friday, they also have a weekly blog roundup called Nonfiction Monday.

7. My first thought: I want to play too!

And so I began my Book Brew blog, because in order to participate, you have to have a blog that’s devoted to books for young adults and children. And I’m so fine with that


Now I’ll have a place to post only about children’s writing! Whoo hoo!!

Book Review: Your Best You: Discovering and Developing the Strengths God Gave You by Bonnie Grove

Title: Your Best You: Discovering and Developing the Strengths God Gave You
Author: Bonnie Grove
Publisher: Beacon Hill Press, February 2009, Paperback, 192 pages
ISBN-10: 0834124394
ISBN-13: 978-0834124394

If you're one of those people who have looked at your life and thought, I need to make some changes, Your Best You is the book for you. Not to worry if there is a secret addiction, a hurtful past or even a history of failed attempts at change. Author Bonnie Grove, a program developer and trainer, covers all those angles in this compact but complete self-help manual

Grove starts out by explaining her strength-based approach and how it differs from the commonly used method of effecting personal change by working on one's areas of weakness. Using questionnaires, quizzes, self-tests, personal inventories, and journals she guides the reader in discovering personal strengths and then shows how to exploit them to make the desired changes.

In fifteen chapters Grove moves the reader step by step from identifying personal strengths and determining what really matters to him or her, through making the actual changes, to establishing long-term goals. All along the way she stresses the importance of being patient with oneself and acknowledging the progress already made.

Though her method is complex, Grove's instructions are always clear. She uses word pictures to clarify her ideas, e.g. she compares trying out new behaviors to trying on clothes in a store - a visualization which takes some of the heavy seriousness out of what can be a stressful process. She precedes each assignment with a detailed example of the kinds of answers the reader might give when dealing with a variety of issues (e.g. lose weight, stop smoking, deal with a difficult relative). She also states how much time each assignment should take and if it should be done in one sitting or spread over several sessions.

The multi-week program described in Your Best You is built on a solid biblical foundation. Grove explains how acknowledging and using one's strengths is a form of worship. She demonstrates the place of prayer and encourages the reader to be aware of God's presence in every aspect of the change process. Her own transparency in describing her relationship with God serves as an inspiring and encouraging model.

My one small quibble is with the physical design of the book. Though I didn't do the assignments, the book, with its lines, charts and tables to fill out, is meant to be written in. However, the tight paperback binding make that awkward and the small boxes in the tables and charts are too tiny to hold all that's required. A workbook-sized coil-bound book would have been more practical for such a hands-on program. Of course there's nothing stopping the reader from using a separate notebook instead of the paperback textbook to do all that writing. And that would preserve the book for more readers too - always a good thing.

Though I only read through the book and didn’t actually do the program, I wouldn't hesitate to try it in the future or recommend it to others. It is designed primarily for individual use but I'm thinking it might also work well with groups. Each person could work on their own issues with the group members to fall back on for encouragement, feedback and accountability.

From the already successful person who wants to maximize their potential to the one who desires to change destructive lifestyle patterns, Your Best You is a detailed and versatile roadmap to a fulfilling tomorrow.

Read a sample of the book here. Check out the Your Best You blog for news and promotions.

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• Would you like to WIN an author-signed copy of Your Best You?

• To enter just leave a comment (including your name) in the comments section of this post.

• Contest ends May 31st. I'll announce a winner here on JUNE 1st. (Sorry, Canada and U.S. residents only)

A priceless gift for Mom

Do you have your Mother's Day gift all wrapped and ready to deliver? Or maybe you're still in the planning stages? Here's an idea...

"This year you could celebrate Mother's Day with more than a card, bouquet of flowers or restaurant dinner. You could write a poem to or about your mother—or memorialize motherhood by expressing how it feels to be a mother.

Below are four kinds of poetry that lend themselves to poems for or about mothers. I have suggested prompts or strategies to help you write them. Hopefully you'll come away with a Mother's Day poem (or poems) that is both universal—because everyone has some experience with mothers—and unique—because the relationship with this special person is a bond like no other..."

Read all of "Poems for Mom"

Book Review: Face of Betrayal - A Triple Threat Novel by Lis Wiehl with April Henry

Title: Face of Betrayal
Author: Lis Wiehl with April Henry
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers-Fiction (April 7 2009), Hardcover, 320 p.
ISBN-10: 1595547053
ISBN-13: 978-1595547057

When Katie Converse, a 17-year-old Washington page home for a Portland Christmas, goes out on December 13th to walk the dog and never returns, the three members of the Triple Threat Club are naturals to get involved. Allison Pierce, a federal prosecutor earns her bread and butter prosecuting family law cases. Nicole (Nic) Hedges’ FBI experience investigating cyber crime against kids gets her posted to the Converse house to work with the distraught parents. Cassidy Shaw, Channel Four journalist, quickly discovers that the position next to her two sleuthing buddies is perfect for breaking new Converse case details nightly.

Katie’s MySpace blog, the philandering ways of her sponsor, Senator Fairview, anonymous threats from a sexual stalker, and a severed hand make for lots of intrigue, tension and red herrings in Face of Betrayal, a detective mystery by Lis Wiehl and April Henry.

Wiehl and Henry’s easy-to-read writing style is perfect for this fast-paced and intricate tale. The chapters, each of which is written from the point of view of one of the Triple Threat club members, are short with many a cliffhanger ending to keep the reader turning pages. Katie’s blog, a voice from where – maybe the grave? – gives the book a touch of modern realism and provides the reader with one more set of clues with which to try to solve the crime on his/her own. Of course the misty cold setting of Portland in the winter doesn’t hurt the story’s ambiance either.

The three strong women who reconnect at their 10-year high school reunion find they have a common interest in crime. Now they meet frequently for coffee or eats and we get to know them on many levels as they discuss life, love, faith and, of course the Converse case. Of the three, the authors give us the closest view of Allison, whose Christian worldview comes across clearly, although Nic and Cassidy are also satisfyingly complex and portrayed sympathetically. In this department, the characterization feels realistic when Nic doesn’t veer from her agnostic belief system, nor does Cassidy stray from her flavor-of-the-month spirituality.

On top of spinning a captivating story, peopled by interesting characters, Wiehl and Henry have managed to weave a variety of themes into their whodunit. Within the story we experience the lives of women making their way in male-dominated careers. Allison is concerned about coming across as seasoned and knowledgeable. Nic has to prove herself doubly – as a female and black FBI agent – while juggling her professional responsibilities with mothering Makayla. Cassidy’s concerns are more with how the HD cameras will accentuate her laugh lines and being big-footed out of the Converse story by superior Madeline McCormick should her sources dry up. Allison’s involvement with a safe house brings up the subject of abuse, especially as it occurs within families. Friendship is also a main theme as the three women are there for each other despite differences of personality and belief.

When asked why she turned to fiction writing after successfully authoring non-fiction, Wiehl said, “… I had an increasingly hard time finding stories I could relate to. And I wanted to read about strong women solving crimes. So, I thought, why not create my own mysteries… fiction stories with a slice of reality about how law and journalism really work.” Wiehl is knowledgeable on both counts, judging from her experience as a trial lawyer and legal analyst and reporter on the Fox News Channel. She has graduated from both the Harvard Law school and University of Queensland. Learn more about her and her books at Lis Wiehl.

April Henry has published seven young-adult mysteries. She blogs at So many books, so little time , and has her own MySpace blog as well.

Bill O’Reilly of Fox News blurbs Face of Betrayal “A blast to read.” I agree – and so do many others. The book sits at #34 on the New York Times bestseller list for May 10th. The hardback edition concludes with a short Reading Group Guide, the transcript of Wiehl’s interview with Bill O’Reilly, and (oh yummy!) the first two chapters of The Hand of Fate, the next Triple Threat novel, available April 2010.

PAD - April 30 - farewell

Prompt:
For today's prompt, I want you to write a farewell poem. After all, we are saying farewell to another wonderful National Poetry Month. Say farewell to this month; say farewell to a vacation spot; say farewell to a bad relationship; say farewell to work; say farewell to school; say farewell to saying farewell even. Hopefully, I won't be saying farewell to you; please stay in touch and let me know of your successes as we keep poeming toward the horizon.


Changing of the Wardrobe

Goodbye my sturdy jeans
with hint of stretch, you cling
like sweat in summer heat.
Auf Wiedersehen my turtlenecks
snow drifts of fuzzy sweaters
So long my winding scarves
my uniform of leather gloves
and fleece-lined walking boots
Farewell my pantyhose
I’m leaving for a tan
Au revoir you lush buffet
of purple velour and red boucle
black velvet and wine corduroy

Time to wear salads
of lettuce green and berry pink
crinkle cloth and gauzy linen
swaying and swooshing silky skirts
break out the halters and bikinis
bring on those cutoffs and capris
backless sandals and flirty tees!

© 2009 by Violet Nesdoly

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And with that poem I've done it - written 30 poems in 30 days!! (Some of these are pretty bad - I know but a poem's got to start somewhere...) Yaaay me!!!

PAD - April 29 - never...

Prompt:
For today's prompt, I want you to title your poems "Never (blank)" with you filling in the blank with a word or phrase. Then, write a poem based off your title, which could be "Never look both ways when crossing the street" or "Never blush in public" or "Never ever" or "Never write a poem with the word never in the title." You get the idea, right?


Here's my 'never...' poem:

Never answer ‘Yes’

The phone it rang one Monday
“I’m from Widgets ABC
Need to ask you a few questions.
Will you answer them for me?

“Tell me please, what is your age group.
Name the city where you live.
What is your family’s income?
Do you charitably give?

“Are you healthy, sick or middling?
Were you raised in town or farm?
Vote Conservative or Liberal?
Does your house have an alarm?”

His questions made me jumpy
I began to fabricate
but the interview went on and on
“Must go or I’ll be late!”

That night I checked the phone book
for Widgets ABC
I couldn’t find them anywhere
he’d tricked me plain to see.

I was freaked that there was someone
knew about my daddy’s farm
that we went to church on Sunday
and our house had no alarm!

“Time it is to have a conference,”
said my hubby, who’s no fool.
“From now on we nix all surveys
It will be our family rule!”

© 2009 by Violet Nesdoly