Poetry Archives - Page 4 of 9 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Argentina Students Gift Me with an Original Poem

Periodically I have talked about my friends in Argentina. In 2009 I traveled there and was hosted by the most beautiful people whom I’d only met via email. So warm and generous with their time and attention. Highlights were: getting stuck (for a short time) in a nation-wide airline strike and being on the only plane to leave Bueno Aries for Villa Maria. A sister of one of my hosts, who had never met me in her life, vacating her apartment and handing it over to me for my stay. A beautiful university campus where I was honored to be a guest speaker for 10 days. A music department whose ‘final’ exam was to compose and perform their own music. (Amazing!) A high school putting on a play which I was able to attend and teach an impromptu, master-class in acting. And visiting a dairy farm where ‘frozen’ sperm was the subject of the day (lol) and how it was purchased, stored and implemented.

Since that time I have been in close contact with one of the professors, Mariana Falco, and I consider her the dearest of friends.

Mariana in center. Fulbrigh teaching assistant at St. Mary´s College

She also teaches English as a second language to adult students. She is a lovely, giving person and a wonderful teacher.

Mariana and her class Skype with me and we have a hilarious time! There is no language barrier when there is love!

So, yesterday, the class surprised me by sending me a poem that they had written….(I blush)…about me!

TRISHA SUGAREK (by O.Lopez and Classmates)

Cierro mis ojos, en letargo Close my eyes, lethargy overtakes me

Creo ver en mi sueño I think I see in my dream

Su diminuta pero firme mano her tiny, but, firm hand

Un mágico movimiento a magical movement

Esta se deslizaba sobre el papel this slides on the paper

Sosteniendo el lápiz entre sus dedos holding the pencil between her fingers

Las palabras que habitan en su mente the words that inhabit in her mind,

Sabias ellas……….van cayendo wise them, begin to drop

Toda la sabiduría en la hoja all the wisdom on the paper

Testigo fiel de lo que ella quiere decir the faithful witness of what she wants

to say

_____________ __________________

De repente se detiene Suddenly, she stops

Lee atentamente …… y vueve a leer reads attentively and reads again

Entrecierra sus ojos squints her eyes

Y una bonachona sonrisa and a good-nature smile

Ilumina su rostro lights up her face

Sus pupilas se agrandan e iluminan her pupils get enlarged and illuminate

Detrás de los lentes se ilumina y…piensa Behind her glasses, she lights up and

Thinks,

Y se dice a si misma and she says to herself

Si es un buen trabajo,sencillo y correcto it is a good work, simple, and precise

Su nombre es Trisha, una gran escritora her name is Trisha, a great writer

Y es…………¡nuestra amiga!! And she’s ………our friend!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? In August we say ‘hello’ to Cheryl Hollon. September: Dylan Callens and October’s author is Donna Kauffman.

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

New Poetry…Let’s Go Out West

The Long Trail © by Trisha Sugarek

The Circle Heart brand on the wet rump
rippled as the horse shivered with exhaustion
the sun lost its battle with night and
dropped behind the far peak

Chaparejos, worn thin and soft fit his legs
like they had grown there

dusty spurs jangled as he trotted into the sleepy town
a saddle that had seen a thousand miles
creaked and complained as he stepped down
the crown of his hat stained with sweat
from the hard ride

Reins dangled in the dirt
the horse hung his head, relieved
to not be moving

A drink or two to wash the Santa Fe Trail dust
from the cowboy’s throat
he stepped up onto the boardwalk,
turned and gazed at the town
the mountains beyond the color of old blood
as the sun lost its glory

He pulled a cigarillo out, with one smooth
movement wiped a match on his pants,
the tiny flame ignited
he puffed and blew smoke into the evening air
watched the town close up for the night
Across the street a cur scurried around a corner
a merchant keyed his shop closed and
lit the gas lantern beside his door

The work had been good at the Circle Heart ranch,
the grub even better
But the trail was his siren, always calling him,
luring him over the next hill,
down the next wash,
up the next canyon

sleeping next to a small camp fire,
staring at a billion stars
wondering if someone, something out there
was staring back

He wanted to settle but he hadn’t found
the right place
the right woman
the right time

Flicking the smoke into the street, he turned
and sauntered into the saloon,
honky-tonk piano played
the doors behind him whispered back and forth

The patrons saw another dusty, tired cowpoke,
looking for a few hours of pleasure
some music, some whiskey, and if he could afford it
the soft body of a woman

The cowboy saw weak town folk,
forever saddled to their days
the bit in their mouths dictating their lives
wary of any stranger, their gaze shied away

Set ‘em up and keep ‘em comin’, the cowboy barked
Show me your coin, the barkeep growled

His days were numbered,
the boys from the Circle Heart ranch
would find him and the horse
They would take their horse and probably string
him up to the nearest tree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Review: “Stark reality saturates your little bit of ink.” from a fellow poet

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? February’s author was Sheryl Steines.
Johan Thompson (South African author) will join us in April. May’s author will be Cheryl Hollon and in June: Mehreen Ahmed
Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

New Book of Poetry Available Now!

AVAILABLE NOW! Moths and Machetes

Moths and Machetes begins where Butterflies and Bullets left off. A collection of free verse poetry, Haiku and musings about life, loss, love, and grief. Some fall on the ears like the touch of moth fluttering against the light. Others slice into you like a knife. The poet’s inspiration was taken from life’s experiences.

Sample:

Ruin (Renku)

The barn, sad and old
forgotten still standing strong
cob webs in sun beams

recycled boards raped
floor torn away, back bone gone
dust haze dance in light

the barn sad, noble
survives the last season proud
the roof falls, barn death

‘A fascinating mélange of sensual experiences. Your poem reads like a mosaic — never tiring us by lingering too long on a particular stimulation. Every line is fresh and invigorating.’ ~ Review: Fragrance of Life

‘Superbly crafted word images — descriptive, picturesque and imaginative. Superbly crafted word images — descriptive, picturesque and imaginative.‘ James Toil

Rain on the Face of Africa ©

The great Serengeti‟s broad
face lies in the African sun,
dry, weathered, cracked,
thirsty for the season‟s tears.
Storm clouds gather on her
brow like an old lady‟s curls.
Promises, promising.
An empty promise.

The rains are too late…..

All books, plays and poetry available at www.amazon.com

Book Cover Art by David White
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? December: Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series. January was Dinah Jefferies and February’s author is Sheryl Steines. Johan Thompson (South African author) will join us in March.
Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

A Little Poetry from Our Pets

Cat Love © (by Trisha Sugarek)

Don’t ruffle my fur that direction! I’ve got it looking just the way I want it to.

I love you but I’m very busy today.

Don’t move, this is my lap time and I’m very comfy.

Scratch right there, no a little more to the left, a little higher, to the right.

Look what I’ve brought you–isn’t it beautiful? I killed it in the garden.

That’s what we’re having for dinner?

You need to work on how you pick your friends. I don’t like that one and besides he had the nerve to sit in my chair!

I could find a better human, you know, if I put in some effort….

But I guess you’ll do…for now.

Dog Love

Pet me, pet me, pet me! Oh boy! A butt rub!

I love you to the ends of the earth and beyond!

I’ll just lay here quietly, I won’t bother you, as long as I can touch you.

Throw the ball! Throw the ball! Again! Again!

I love my dinner, you’re such a good mommy!

‘Walkie’, ‘go outside’, ‘go for a walk’, ‘let’s go pee-pee’. Yippee! Where’s my leash?

I love your friends. That one scratched my ears and told me I was a good dog.

You’re home! You’re home! Why were you gone so long….it doesn’t matter now…You’re home!

You’re the best human ever….I love you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! October Author, Lisa Jackson. November will be best selling author, Grace Burrowes and in December, Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series

Check out Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Butterflies and Bullets, Poetry and other Musings {2nd Edition}

Released and on Sale Now! www.amazon.com

Butterflies and Bullets is a collection of free verse poetry and musings about life, loss, love, and overcoming grief. Some fall on the ears like the touch of a butterfly. Others slam into your brain like a bullet. The poet’s inspiration was taken from life’s experiences.

‘Joy and anguish, pleasure and pain … concurrent tides of diverse expressions run through these pieces to profile the intricacies and nuances of life. When paired with evocative illustrations, it’s a dance of life that flies and falls through experience with a poet and observer’s astute, deft touch.

Poetry fans will find these works accessible; and though they may seem deceptively simple at first, their lasting impact lies in their thought-provoking, descriptive moments.’ ~~ D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review

“Some fly joyously in the sun, alighting briefly, warming the heart – and then there`s the killing bullet, taking a straight path to the heart, bent on destruction. Trish`s poems are like that. She had me hooked from the very first with Joy Filled Canine. Dog-lovers will recognize the essence of dog (not the smell) at once. There`s the joy, living for the day. `brandy eyes alight` – that`s it, in three words. And Mandolin Man, so touching in its simplicity (and dogs again). Then The Song of Agony – the bullet straight to the heart. A short tale of desperation, and again, pared down to a distillation of pain. There`s where Trish Sugarek`s considerable talent lies. Buy it, folks!” Anne Purser, author

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! September’s author: Joseph Drumheller and October Author, Lisa Jackson. November’s author will be best selling author, Grace Burrowes
Check out Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

A Chip Off the Old Bukowski Block

My efforts have lain elsewhere of late…re-energized with my most ambitious novel, Song of the Yukon and maintaining a blog that is a never ending job.

But this poetry came to me, as it often does, with no apparent rhyme or reason. I had just been reading some Bukowski and he always inspires
me. I don’t suggest that I am even on the same planet as Hank, with regard to poetry, but I do admire his harsh, poetry reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Chip Off the Old Bukowski Block © by Trisha Sugarek

i sit here on the toilet
looking at the cane by my side
when did this happen?

its pronged feet could, at any moment,
scamper into a tidal pool, so much does it
remind me of a robotic crab

my mornings now consist of pills,
shuffling to the next room,
with the aid of my robotic crab
to pour cereal
then work up a shit before I can
leave the house
When did this happen?

bodily functions take priority as
I can no longer trust this body not
to embarrass me in public
when did this happen?

my knees are shot to hell
my bowels rumble and twist
my arthritis tears at me with sharp little teeth
my vision is perfect, cataracts
blasted away by another robot
when did this happen?

the other day my mind went on a holiday
leaving me behind, confused and blank,
frightened
is this a harbinger of what’s to come
when did this happen?

Have you discovered my regular postings: Motivational Moments…for Writers?

“An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.” Charles Bukowski

My INTERVIEW with Bukowski
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! In April, a long awaited interview with Kathleen Grissom (The Kitchen House) Michael Saad, Canadian author, was June’s author. Robyn Carr is July’s author. Check out Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Time For More Famous Quotes

It’s been quite some time since I gave my readers some of my favorite quotes from famous writers…those people that inspire me to be a better one. Maybe this weekend, after reading these, YOU will write something new or go back and rewrite something old or write a piece of poetry that you were afraid to lay down on paper.

Or maybe these quotes will just make you smile…

‘I keep six honest serving men. (They taught me all I know); Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who.- Rudyard Kipling (I can’t let this go by without commenting on Kipling’s colloquial term of ‘honest serving men’. He spent decades in India.)

‘I have this feeling of wending my way or plundering through a mysterious jungle of possibilities when I am writing. This jungle has not been explored by previous writers. It never will be explored. It’s endlessly varying as we progress through the experience of time. These words that occur to me come out of my relation to the language which is developing even as I am using it.’- William Stafford (I am particularly fond of this quote.)

‘In Ireland, a writer is looked upon as a failed conversationalist.’- Anonymous

‘Make ’em laugh; make ’em cry; make ’em wait.’- Charles Reade

‘No tears and the writer, no tears and the reader.’– Robert Frost

take a writer away from his typewriter
and all you have left
is
the sickness
which started him
typing
in the beginning. ~Charles Bukowski

13100851_981224385260025_1889747640246000883_n

‘Many a fervid man writes books as cold and flat as graveyard stones.’- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘This morning I took out a comma and this afternoon I put it back again.’- Oscar Wilde

‘Thought flies and words go on foot.’- Julien Green (this is why I type 80 words a minute)

‘What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers.’- Logan Pearsall Smith

‘Writers aren’t exactly people, they’re a whole lot of people trying to be one person.’

– F. Scott Fitzgerald

‘The truth is, we’ve not really developed a fiction that can accommodate the full tumult, the zaniness and crazed quality of modern experience.’- Saul Bellow

‘Writing is one of the easiest things: erasing is one of the hardest.’- Rabbi Israel Salanter

‘The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it – basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them.’ – Charles Bukowski

1.Creative.Write.BookCoverImage — Journal/Handbook by Trisha Sugarek

and I’ll finish with a not-so-famous quote:
‘As a writer, I marinate, speculate and hibernate.’   Trisha Sugarek
……that is, when I’m not beating up the writer in me with a large stick in the shape of a pencil.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DON’T MISS BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS!   In April, a long awaited interview with Kathleen Grissom (The Kitchen House) May’s author is Jordan Rosenfeld. Michael Saad, Canadian author, will be June’s author.

To receive my   sign up on the home page and enter your email address. I love comments! Take the time to write one at the bottom of the post.

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer

image of 10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer Poster Compliments of Brian Clark, CEO of Copyblogger

This is so true! I bang out stuff that never sees the light of day. I vent on a new post that I never publish. I keep post-it note pads everywhere in the house so that if I get an idea (some good, some not so much) I can jot it down. My most valuable post-it note pad is by my bedside because frequently I write in my head in a dream-like state and too lazy to turn on the light, grab paper and pen, I say to myself, ‘oh, I’ll remember this when I wake up’ I never do and IT IS GONE FOREVER!

In the middle of the night I ‘dreamed’ a single line for a poem I was working on…..“an overachiever dips into the nectar….” and yes, I turned on the light and wrote it down. When I awoke in the morning the only thing I remembered was that I had a terrific line for my poetry but had no idea what it was. Fortunately there it was by my bedside.

“Write When You Don’t”….I tend to marinate. Continue reading “10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer”

New Poetry

This wrote itself. Sometimes that happens, poets say.

heart ©

the heart
pumping, nourishing the body’s life
feeding life’s blood, glistening, pumping
pumping,

the heart
the largest vessel in the universe
it holds as much love and grief
as its host fills it with
its capacity never replete,

the heart
still there is room for more
joy, pain, love, grief, ache
bleeding out with sorrow
surfeit with joyous wonder

and still there is room for
more
and more
and more

Let me come with you
waking each morning forget
between sleep and wake

if I reach for you
across the lonely bed you
will be there warm with sleep

I hear your voice, feel
your foot fall, your presence there
I speak loud to you

Curse you for leaving
pleading with you to return,
begging fate turn back the clock

beseech events not
different, so at the last
moment, I save you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Julia London, Matt Jorgenson, MJ Moores, , and actor/narrator Tavia Gilbert.

To receive my sign up on the home page and enter your email address. I love comments! Take the time to write one at the bottom of the post.

Time For More Bukowski

No matter how outrageous his life or his writings, I always feel better after I’ve read a few pages of this genius’ poetry. I came across a couple today that really spoke to me…when does he ever not speak to me?

being drunk at the typer beats being with any woman I’ve ever seen or known or heard about
like
Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Garbo, Harlow M.M. or any
of the thousands that come and go on that celluloid screen
or the temporary girls I’ve seen so lovely
on park benches, on buses, at dances and parties, at
beauty contests, cafes, circuses, parades, department
stores, skeet shoots, balloon flys, author races, rodeos,
bull fights, mus wrestling, roller derbies, pie bakes,
churches, volleyball games, boat races, country fairs,
rock concerts, jails, laundromats or wherever

being drunk at this typer beats being with any woman
I’ve ever seen or
known.

being sober at the keyboard beats being with any man
I’ve ever seen or known or heard about
like
Prince Charles, Donald Trump, Alan Rickman, Liam Neisen, Edward Norton,
Anthony Hopkins, and yes, Hank Bukowski or
any temporary men like the sailor who drugged me with a sensual
world with no rules, the marine who I spent half my life with, the construction
man on the streets of NYC whose eyes
had a minute affaire with mine,
gone in an instant with much regret on
both our parts Continue reading “Time For More Bukowski”

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: