Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Finishing off 2014 in Style … with Poetry


Here it is, 11:38pm on December 31, 2014, and I just sent off my final poetry submission for the year. I actually sent off four submissions today, bringing my grand total for the year to 377 submissions sent since January 1, 2014. That total includes everything: poetry, flash fiction, short stories, standard submissions, contests, chapbook submissions, etc. I’m pretty happy with that number. I’ve worked hard.
The final four submissions I sent today were to: The Mind[less] Muse, The Great American Literary Magazine, MAYDAY Magazine, and Floyd County Moonshine. So here’s to hoping that these final four do well.

2014 has been a wonderful year with more than 110 pieces of poetry and fiction accepted for publication by more than 70 different magazines. No complaints in my neck of the woods. I’m very, very happy with those totals. And now it’s time to plan for 2015. Onward and upward; there are no limits. Time to set some goals for the New Year. Bring it on, 2015. I’m ready.  J
 
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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Acceptance Letter from Miller's Pond Poetry Magazine


I received an Acceptance Letter Email today from Julie Damerell, editor of Miller’s Pond Poetry Magazine. Two of my poems, “Rise” and “Moment” are scheduled to be published in the upcoming Winter 2015 Issue.

I couldn’t be more pleased with this final acceptance for 2014. It rounds out my year quite nicely. Bookends, so to speak.

Miller’s Pond Winter 2014 started off my year back on January 4, 2014 with my poem, “Fragility,” and now I’m finishing the year with another acceptance with Miller’s Pond. I love the balance and symmetry in that.

In respect to online journals, this acceptance letter brings my grand total to 37 online publications in the past year. I have to say, I am really, really happy with that number.   J


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Monday, December 29, 2014

"Night Sky"



Night Sky 

 
Canvas.
Starlit painting
reflecting an array
of splintered promises; grand scheme.
Opus.
 
 
 
 
                    ~~~
 
 
 
 
First published online in First Literary Review-East / September 18, 2014

Sunday, December 28, 2014

"Choice"


Choice

 
Irresolution is fatal...
Nothing can rob life
and drain the soul
faster than indecision...
to vacillate, to waver,
to remain stuck without growth.

For once the heart
becomes used to expansion,
to retreat causes convulsion,
starting at the core,
shuddering throughout,
producing doubt and uncertainty
where life had begun to grow.

Resolution is life-giving...
To understand and accept
is to move forward through the pain,
holding to the good
while letting go of the ache,
acknowledging the past
without losing the present.
Resolve creates purpose,
pumping life through the veins. 

The hardest choice some people must face is to live.
 
 
 
 
                        ~~~
 
 
 
 
 
First published in Pancakes in Heaven

(Written September 18, 2010)

Saturday, December 27, 2014

"The Cartographer's Ink" by Okla Elliott








~~~~~
 
 
 
 
Look what arrived in the mail today! The Cartographer's Ink by Okla Elliott. And yes, folks, it's signed. The wonderful gentleman even spelled my name right. I so love it when folks spell my name correctly.   :)
 
I know what I'll be reading tomorrow. So excited to dig into this wonderful book that is being hailed "...a groundswell of 'strange danger' where 'the wet bloom of meat and bone' converge with Tesla, Newton, and Kierkegaard..." 
 
How could anyone possibly turn away from a recommendation like that? My Sunday is booked.  :)  
 
 
 
~~~~~

 
 

Friday, December 26, 2014

"Clock"


Clock 



The clock in the kitchen
was always five minutes fast,
an imagined buffer to fool us into
believing we were ahead of schedule.

But we weren’t ahead, not really,
for the moment we looked up
and said those inevitable words,
“we have five more minutes,”
we invariably set ourselves up
to be late for whatever event
lurked just around the corner.

I thought it was normal to live this way,
until I spent the weekend at a friend’s home,
and the family was preparing to watch
their favorite evening program.

I instinctively looked up
at the kitchen clock ticking away
like a ceramic time bomb,
and reflexively said, “five more minutes.” 

My friend just stared, and continued
to wonder why I was always late.




                      ~~~




First published in Shadow Poetry / February 2008
Shadows Ink Poetry Contest Fall 2007 / 13th Place

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas, everyone! :)


Live, Love, Hope, Praise and Worship

             “Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
     Philippians 2:2 (NIV) 

 
Live as one who knows the truth
to all of life’s concerns.
Live as one who cares for all
and gives at every turn.

Love with every ounce of strength
and never dwell on grief.
Love each day as though your last
because our lives are brief.

Hope for all the good you can
from those who are inclined.
Hope for those in need of help
to live of common mind.

Praise your life for all you have
and all you get to be.
Praise this world you get to love
for truth has been decreed. 

Worship He who made it plain
how much He loves His own.
And worship He who gave His all
that we might all go home.




                   ~~~




First published in The Poet's Pen / December 2005

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

"Seasons"


Seasons

 
Bless the spring that comes each year,
same time to greet our hearts.
Find delight in growth and sun
and seeing fresh new starts. 

But pause in autumn to say goodbye
to those who leave this place.
Cherish fondly those you loved,
with all your soul, embrace.

And break for winter when it comes,
once time to face the cold.
Though often chilled and difficult,
such wonders to behold.

Know that spring will come again
to warm and touch and grow.
Through the seasons of our lives,
all these blessings flow.




                 ~~~




Published in The Shepherd / August 2014
Winner of the K-Blaze Memorial Contest

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

"Echo"


Echo   


 

That fourteen-year-old came to me again,
surprising me in the middle of endless tedium.
A familiar face. A well-known countenance.
She said little, as is her way,
walking with me throughout the day,
reminding me of all things known.

So little changes between fourteen and forty-one.
More similar than not, her steps matched my own,
parallel, corresponding, preparing,
but never quite intersecting.  

Designed to walk alongside,
a traveling mirror,
so all that is necessary is one quick glance,
to perceive the reverberation, to hear the echo.  

Destined to repeat,
each step becoming a mere recurrence,
a reappearance of the one who was,
ingrained and embedded,
on the parallel path,
the initial journey that never quite concludes.




                           ~~~




First published in Poem Magazine / May 2006

Monday, December 22, 2014

Day One


Day One / Literary Magazine by Amazon for Kindle
 
 
I received a rejection letter today from Day One, the literary magazine produced by Amazon for Kindle. The wait for a response was reasonable, about two months. And the letter was personal with first names used.
 
I'll definitely try again. It would be thrilling to be published here, knowing that the published work would be available on countless Kindles. Plus, they pay really well compared to most poetry markets. Definitely worth another try. 
 
 
 
 
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Sunday, December 21, 2014

"Bemused"


Bemused
 
 
 
A few moments ago, as the winter wind
whistled past the window,
 
I had the sensation an instant
became trapped in the glass.
 
A moment in time, stuck in the pane,
never to age, never to move forward,
 
and never to retreat to a quieter, simpler breeze.
Stuck forever, in the blissful melancholy
 
of a library window of an aspiring poet,
bemused for something to say. 
 
 
 
 
~~~~~
 
 
 
 
 
An earlier version of this poem was first published in Writers' Journal / August 2006
This version published in Shadow Poetry / October 2006
Also published in The Funny Paper / November 2006
A modified version published in Northern Stars Magazine / April 2014

Saturday, December 20, 2014

"Unity"


Unity
 
 
Darkness is fleeting
and fear slips away.
In stillness comes the dawning
of yet another day,
 
to breathe in the peacefulness
of yet another look,
at nature’s way of saying
she hasn’t closed the book,
 
on all the wonders facing us
to sense within our soul;
walk through the panes of blissfulness,
and view the world as whole. 
 
 
 
 
~~~~~
 



 
Published in The Poet's Art / May 2014

Friday, December 19, 2014

3 Poems Published Today in "Dead Snakes"


Three more poems went live today on Dead Snakes. That brings my total to eight poems for the year published with this online journal.  

"Imminent," "Trigger," and "Drown" can be read here: 

http://deadsnakes.blogspot.com/2014/12/cristine-gruber-three-poems.html


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Thursday, December 18, 2014

"Capture" listed in the #1 Spot in "Leaves of Ink"


While perusing my favorite online journals this evening, I happened to notice that my poem, "Capture," is listed in the #1 Spot under 'Popular Leaves' in Leaves of Ink.

http://www.leaves-of-ink.com/2014/11/capture.html

That just brought a big smile to my face.   :)

I'm not sure what that translates to in respect to internet traffic. I have no idea how many people have actually read the poem. But for it to be listed that way, I have to assume that at least a few folks have clicked on the link. I'm pretty happy about that.   :)

                                                               
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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

"Memorable"


Memorable 

 
Moments move along so quickly,
though there are sixty of them
in a minute, and 3,600 in an hour.
So often it seems we blink
and life jumps ahead,
whether we’re ready or not,
dragging us along for the ride,
sometimes catching glimpses
of the scenery as we pass,
sometimes missing it entirely.

Some moments stand out in time,
marked by monumental circumstances,
while others slip by with barely
a notice. And still others manage
to sneak up and surprise us,
staying for a spell, living
in the heart and mind forever,
replaying over and over,
as often as needed.
 
 
 
 
           ~~~
 
 
 
 
 
First published in Smile Magazine / April 2014
20th Anniversary Issue / Final Issue of Magazine

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

"Demise" included in "The Crooked Ledge of Another Day; An Anthology of the Bizarre," published by Ascent Aspirations Publishing


My poem, “Demise,” has been included in The Crooked Ledge of Another Day; An Anthology of the Bizarre, published by Ascent Aspirations Publishing. This particular acceptance was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure if my work would qualify as ‘bizarre’ enough. But I took a chance anyway. And now this is the third anthology to include some of my work this year. It’s a wonderful, diverse collection of forty-five poems and twenty-two pieces of flash fiction.

Paul Beckman, Philip Gordon, Ann Howells, George Kusyj, Lynn Tait, and Meg Tuite also have work included in this collection. Quite an affecting gathering of poets and writers. The Anthology is available for order here:

http://www.ascentaspirations.ca/ascentsummer2014.htm

And I also want to mention the cover of this book. I absolutely love the cover art on this anthology. The artist is Patricia Carroll: http://www.patriciacarroll.ca/ Check out the rest of her work when you have a moment. It’s beautiful. Support your local artists whenever you can, my friends, as well as all the small presses out there publishing all our labors of love.
 
 
 
 
~~~~~
 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 
~~~~~
 
 
 
 
Demise
 
 
He died on a Tuesday...
dizzy all day,
short of breath,
pain in his chest.
 
Staggering and coughing,
he left the door ajar
as he stumbled across
the barren threshold,
 
collapsing on the floor
just inside the entry. 
It was a full week
before anyone found him,
 
a neighbor driving by
seeing the open door.
He didn’t get out of his truck,
the stench stopping him cold.
 
Decomposition and prowling
predators left nothing more
than bones to cremate.
His side of the plot
 
grew thorny with weeds,
while the other side remained
perpetually clear … eternally
separated from wife and son.
 
 
 
 
              ~~~~~
 
 

Monday, December 15, 2014

Ellipsis Magazine


And yet another Rejection Letter this month, this one from Ellipsis Magazine. It has been a busy month for rejections. Good thing I enjoy them so much.   ;)

Ellipsis is a literature and art journal published each April by the students of Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. The magazine has been in production since 1965.

Check out the journal guidelines here: 

http://www.westminstercollege.edu/ellipsis/


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Sunday, December 14, 2014

The 2River View


I received a Rejection Letter today from The 2River View, another online journal that I've been enjoying for years. It's been in continuous publication since 1996. Edited by Richard Long, the work published in this journal is consistently enlightening and stellar.
 
The email I received today brings my total to four rejection letters from Mr. Long this past year. But I remain the eternal optimist. I'm sure I will probably try again.   ;) 
 
In the meantime, check out current issues, submission guidelines, and available chapbooks here:
 
http://www.2river.org/


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Saturday, December 13, 2014

Bear Creek Haiku & The Mind[less] Muse


Today was a fun day. I always enjoy receiving both Acceptance Letters and Rejection Letters on the same day. It appeals to my sense of balance in the world.  :)

I'd sent a submission of several Cinquain to Bear Creek Haiku back in October. It was my first attempt to be published with this adorable little mini-mag of short poems edited by Ayaz Daryl Nielsen. I received the December Issue today and two of my Cinquain, "Reconciliation," and "Scented Memory," are included. 

I'm so pleased. Sometimes it can be tough finding homes for the little poems. Currently, there seem to be only a handful of literary magazines out there that focus on publishing the shorter forms of poetry. I'm very pleased that these two little poems now have a home.   :)

Bear Creek Haiku updates can be followed here:

http://bearcreekhaiku.blogspot.com/


~~~
 
 
And in the interest of fairness and full disclosure, I'm also mentioning my Rejection Letter for the Day. I received another Rejection today from The Mind[less] Muse. I love this online journal. It's amazing, as are all the journals produced by Kind of a Hurricane Press.
 
Recent works published on this site include poems by Ag Synclair, Darren C. Demaree, and Michael Lee Johnson, all poets whom I enjoy and admire. But what I realize as I compare my rejected work to that which is getting published on this site, is that my poetry is probably just not a very good fit for this particular journal, despite how much I enjoy reading it.
 
Sometimes styles simply don't match up. I think my work, overall, is much too structured and perhaps too 'careful' for this more experimental type of poetry journal. Perhaps this is why I never take rejection letters personally. Sometimes the work simply isn't a good fit. Doesn't mean it isn't good work.
 
The Senior Editor of Kind of a Hurricane Press, A. J. Huffman, has actually published quite a few of my pieces, both poetry and flash fiction, in her other various journals and anthologies, both online and in print. The Mind[less] Muse is the one holdout for me. It's the only journal I've submitted to with this particular Press that I haven't been able to break into.
 
I suppose that makes it a bit of a challenge now, doesn't it?  (Yes, I'm chuckling) Well, whether or not I'm successful in the future, for now, this journal makes for fantastic reading for any and all who are interested. Check it out today! 
 
http://themindlessmuse.blogspot.com/


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Friday, December 12, 2014

WOW! Women on Writing & Writers Weekly - Quarterly Flash Fiction Contests


A plug today for two fantastic journals and their quarterly contests.

WOW! Women on Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest. Info for the upcoming Winter 2015 Contest here:

http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php

I love writing flash fiction, so I try to hit up this contest at least a few times a year. I've yet to win, but I remain hopeful. I believe my writing skills in this particular genre are improving all the time.

I faired a bit better with the Writers Weekly 24-Hour Quarterly Competitions this year. Two of my stories, "Imprisoned," and "Stash," both received Honorable Mentions in 2014.  

http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.php

These contests fill up fast. If you love writing flash fiction, give it a go!  :)


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Thursday, December 11, 2014

A Public Space


I received another Rejection Letter from A Public Space today. That makes three for this past year. I remain undaunted. I enjoyed their Summer 2014 Issue so much, I still may try again.

http://apublicspace.org/ 

Sometimes, the third time just isn't the charm. Sometimes, it's the fourth attempt that clinches it, as was the case for me with getting a piece accepted by Lummox Journal a few years back. A certain amount of persistence can go a very long way.  

So December has been a fairly busy month for Rejection Letters. No doubt. But I can't complain. I've certainly received my fair share of Acceptance Letters as well this past year. It's been my busiest and most successful year thus far.

And in truth, I rather enjoy a certain number of Rejection Letters. It's a constant reminder for me that I do have a great deal of work out there in the pipeline, circulating, being considered. And that's a wonderful feeling.

On more than one occasion, I've received as many as four rejections in one day. Now that's a lot. But every time it's happened, I've immediately turned around and sent out just as many new submissions on the same day. Just my way of maintaining poetic balance in my limitless world of words.  :)


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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Southern Humanities Review


I received a rejection letter today from Southern Humanities Review. This was my first attempt with this long-standing quarterly journal. They've been in production since 1967. I really love their work, particularly that of the current poetry editor, Keetje Kuipers.

The wait for the rejection was significant, nearly four months. But unfortunately, that's a fairly common wait-time for the well-established, competitive journals.

I'll probably try again in the new year. When I admire work this much, I can't help but want to be a part of it. 

http://www.southernhumanitiesreview.com/


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Tuesday, December 9, 2014

"Hope"


Hope


 
Dire days do not destroy,
for one is so much stronger
than initially presumed.

Pain is overcome, again and again,
as one rises above present conflict
to focus on future recompense. 

Calamity and crisis do not stop the heart,
for the spirit can endure all,
but for the lack of hope…

For it’s the lack of hope
that eventually creeps through the pain,
causing the ache to grow numb,

leaving an oppressive black residue in its place,
a constant reminder of what is missing:
expectation, optimism, anticipation, belief…

Lack of hope annihilates, skulking through
open-ended nerves and prowling throughout
the shredded remains of what was once the core.

For without hope, there can be no heart.
Without heart, there can be no future,
and without a future, there can only be

the bleakness that follows a three-day storm,
complete with thunder, lightning, and the
full desolation of bitter, bone-chilling rain.




                            ~~~




 
An earlier version of this poem was first published in 3 Cup Morning-Canada / January 2007
A modified version was published in print in The Penwood Review / Spring 2007
First published online in Eskimo Pie Magazine / December 2014

Monday, December 8, 2014

"Amity"


Amity

 
He awoke suffused with pleasure,
pillow wet, as were the sheets, 
with joy so great as to make him forget
not only the day but also the year,
as he rolled to his back, gazing upward,
clarity returning slowly
as he realized the view above him
was not from his dream. 

But peace remained throughout the morning
as he rose and went about his day,
not forcing the feeling,
but allowing it to slide forward
of its own accord,
bestowing a warmth
and a comfort
not of this world, 
but rather of the indelible memory
of one so deeply missed.




               ~~~




First published in Poem Magazine / May 2014
Subsequently published in Blue Moon Poetry / November 2014

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Oblong Magazine


I received a rejection letter today from Oblong Magazine. I sent them three short fiction pieces. I've written quite a few pieces of flash fiction in recent months. One piece was just accepted last week by The Homestead Review. I'm hoping for a few more acceptances before the end of the year.
 
This submission was my first attempt with Oblong. I like what I've read of their online journal, so I'll probably try again in January. 
 
 
 
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Saturday, December 6, 2014

"Change"


Change

 
For some, change is as natural as breathing,
necessary, required, essential.
To live without it would be to die on the vine,
neglected, unsatisfied, empty.

For others, change is near-impossible to fathom,
as frightening as a world without structure,
as terrifying as death itself,
inconceivable, as what lies beyond. 

But every once in a while,
when the universe sighs
and realities fold,
change becomes possible
for the most resolute of souls.

Subtle signs of life appear, 
seen by few, understood by fewer, 
but present in the world, nonetheless. 
No longer just in the world,
but finally, a part of it.




               ~~~




    
First published in India-USA Magazine / February 2014
Subsequently published in Ceremony: A Journal of Poetry and Other Arts / Spring 2014

Friday, December 5, 2014

"Fandom" published in The Iconoclast







~~~~~
 
 
 
 
I received my Contributor's Copy of Issue #111 of The Iconoclast a few days ago. I'm so tickled by the check I received for this poem that I decided to post a copy of it here. Believe it or not, this isn't the smallest check I've ever received for my work. It's actually only the second smallest check I've ever received for a published poem. The smallest one was for $2.00 back in June. I make copies of all of them for posterity. Every single one, no matter the size, makes me smile.    :)
 
I love this little oddball poem of mine. There's a story behind it, of course, but it remains a secret. No one knows the truth behind this poem. I honestly didn't expect it to get published, given its unusal nature. But once again, I was pleasantly surprised.
 
I suppose it just goes to show that there's probably a home out there for every poem ever written; it's just a simple matter of persistence in finding the right editor and the right magazine.
 
This is the second time I've had work published with The Iconoclast. The first time was back in 2007, Issue #95. That poem was another interesting one, "Alone."
 
Now unfortunately, this is yet another publication that has misspelled my name. I really wish there was a way to get through to folks, once and for all, that I do not have an 'h' in my name. It's 'Cristine.' No 'h'.   ~sigh~  
 
I believe this makes the 8th magazine this year that has spelled my name incorrectly. It's disappointing, to say the least, particularly after waiting for months to receive my copy. I suppose I just need to become a little more adamant with pointing out the spelling of my name as soon as a piece is accepted ... and then maybe following up with a reminder email before the piece goes to print. Worth a try, anyway. I really would like to see my name spelled correctly in all future publications. 
 
And now, here's a better look at my poem:
 
 
 

Fandom
 
 
He lost seven years of his life
to a hobby, an obsession,
always telling himself
he had it under control,
never letting anyone know
what he did when alone,
most of his time spent
in solitude anyway.
 
Then one day
he kicked his addiction,
ready to rejoin
the land of the living,
only to find
it was much too late.
Health and home destroyed,
there was nothing left
with which to rejoin.
 
Found on a Thursday,
the bugs and critters
gnawing on his body
hadn’t yet started
on his face. His
mother was pleased
they could have
an open casket.
 
 
 
 
~~~
 
 
 
 
First published in The Iconoclast / December 2014