A Message from Bill

It is as though we have awaken from a dream and began living a nightmare.

As many of us try to come to grips with the pandemic that is circling the world, I am sure that many of us are looking at a future that is uncertain. While this virus continues to push its way into our lives, in ways that many of us never expected possible, we have to hold true to what is important to us.

And the top of that list is family.

I know, for my own priority, my family comes first. Their health and their well being is the most important thing in my life right now and my full attention and concentration is diverted to them. As I watch the world around me change, I realize that it is up to me to keep their world as familiar as possible.

I know many of you out there are feeling the same way.

It is probably the biggest challenge that the world has face in many years and it is made even more dire, as it is an uncertain and incurable enemy. An enemy that knows no boarders, no color, no nationality, no gender, no religion.

It is a true world wide enemy.

But it, like so many enemies in the past, will fall by the wayside and in the end, we, as a human race will survive and hopefully come out much stronger. It is what we are and what we will be.

We, here at the Poets Pub are also family. And while we all face this enemy with the help of our families, we must not forget that we have built a much larger and diverse family here at the Pub. A family that spans the entire globe and knows no gender, no color, no nationality, no boarders and no religion.

We are a true world wide family.

In this time of uncertainty and insecurities, I think that it is important that we remember our Pubber family and perhaps find a moment to say a prayer for the 6000+ people that make up this family. Just a few moments to remember that no matter what ...

we are not alone.

I have always felt a closeness to all those here at the Pub and at this moment in history I want to remind each and every one of you that no matter what, you still hold a place in my mind and my heart and my thoughts and best wishes are for you and your immediate families.

It is truly a time for the world to come together.

Let's do our part and show what it means to be a Pubber and a member of the Poets Pub family.

Founder's Challenge ... Define 'Beauty'

First I want to thank all of those who entered this first ever Founder's Challenge. To put it simply, the poems were absolutely beautiful.

I read all the entries 3 times over a period of a week or so, just to get a different perspective based on the way I felt. It was a massive challenge to choose a single poem or a single winner, as all the poems had their own merit and presented the definition of beauty in many unique ways.

But there can only be one winner and for those who know me, you surely know that I myself often take an unique and some may say offbeat direction when I write my own poetry and with this in mind, I was hoping that the magnificent poets of the Poets Pub would accept that challenge and step outside the box in creating their own definition of Beauty.

I was not disappointed. Though many of the poems attacked the question in simpler form, they did so with personal perspectives and inventive structuring. Poems like 'The Heart's Desire' offered a beautifully written narrative while the poems of Gadralneure, as always, offered a wonderful collection of metaphors and , as always, left the reader with a new perspective on the poem's subject.

All the poems brought a smile to my face, but only one truly affected me in several ways. It too, brought a smile, but at the same time brought a tear to my eye. This poem was short, simple and lasting. It showed that even in the face of tragedy, beauty still survives.

Her Mother's Eyes

streaks of rain runnel the windows
the limousine dark and soundless
brought casket and mourners

heads bowed
bodies bent against the weather
the congregation
stayed but briefly

only we now at the graveside
I within my daughter's arms
gaze upon her face
her mother's eyes looking back

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Congratulations to one of our long standing Pubbers.

@orkneyman

winner of the first ever Founder's Challenge

Fog
By Carl Sandburg

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

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Random Poetry Prompt – Write a free verse poem the moon.

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MARCH CONTEST –

The second prompt for our March 2020 contest is open for submissions!!  If you are new to the Pub and missed the first prompt, no worries, just jump right in.  You can find all the details in our contest book!! We have had AMAZING submissions so far!! I highly encourage you to go check them out, if you haven't yet!

POEM-A-WEEK –

To participate challenge, all you need to do is create a book on your own profile or use one of your existing books, then let us know what book it is and start writing.  You can also send in your poems to include in our collection here.  Please PM us if you take on the challenge so we can add your name to the participants list and send you a link for the participant sticker.

2020 Poem-a-Week Participants

Poems & Writings inspired by Webster's Dictionary by aMusedAndPoetic

Sillage by -Nynaeve

Weekly Whimsy by Anneshiningstar

Poem A Week - 2020 by most_bay

Concours by Schwethz

The Quantum Journal by MichaelTyger

Poetry Beans by undoubtedlymine

Pieces of Me by ShaunAllan

Pastel Paean by ImperfectPsychotic04

Nature Poems by Lexigreats

Narrow Feelings by SoulFarAway

Beautifully Mysterious by MysteriousDyrad

Genteel Reveries of an Outrié Poetess by MystresMyna

Rhyming Feelings by EmLover123

Please stop by and check out their books, show them some Poets Pub love!

IF I MISSED ANYONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST!

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Poem-a-Week Prompt

Week Eleven Prompt – Write a free verse poem with the beginning line of,

"The music of my soul..." 

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SOCIAL MEDIA –

POETS PUB -

We encourage everyone to like/follow us, it will help you to stay in the loop.

Poets Pub Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poets_pub/

Poets Pub Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Poets-Pub

Poets Pub Twitter: https://twitter.com/pub_poets

STORYTELLERS-SALOON –

Storytellers-saloon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Storytellers-Saloon-1106601872685988/

Storytellers-saloon Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/storytellerssaloon/

Storytellers-saloon

MARCH CHALLENGE –

The March content is still in full swing and eagerly awaiting your submissions. This month's prompt is, "A Fortune Cookie Comes True". You would have to head over to the contest book to get the full details of this month's challenge.

Our first entry is by @lyttlejoe with "A Fortune Cookie Comes True"

If you haven't read any of the Write the Story submissions, I highly recommend you take a moment to check them out! Maybe even join in as well. If you know anyone who would be interested in this challenge, then send them on over to the Saloon.

Every month there will be a new contest posted along with a couple words to use in your story. The stories will completely vary in genres. Check out the contest book for more details!

Come on by and support your fellow Pubbers by reading, voting, and commenting, and then consider joining in as well!!

Lyttlejoe's Busted Gulch Volume 13:

CG was trying to hide from the sheriff but got stuck in a bushel. Raven seems to have a high bounty on his head and even stole one sheep. Most of the Denver gang, including Denver, Missy and Bart, chased after Brett who was heading to Tent City, all to catch up with Brandy's and Buck's captors. Alexander has left town and Bella took the time to break into his room, searching for answers. Buck's captors realized that they captured the wrong twin. Ricky Rat told the Sheriff some news about Ewell, saying forcing people to sell their properties to him in Tent City. Both the Sheriff and Billy went to handle it, killing Ewell's men and bringing him back to BG. Alexander and Alex both tried to kidnap Bella's horses, but her and Brody were able to get them back, one being six feet under.

If you want to find out what happens next, head over to the Saloon and check it out for yourself! New chapters are posted daily, so don't forget to add it to your reading list!

Storytellers Saloon Update brought to you by @MysteriousDryad

Flash Fiction Forum

Hello Everyone!

First, we would like to thank everyone who participated on our February Challenge!! We truly appreciate each and every one of you!  We also want to send out a huge thank you to everyone that stopped by to read, vote and comment on our entries!! With that being said please help us Congratulate our February Challenge Winner!

The Winner

of our

"Love is in the Air" - February 202 Challenge

Ruechari for the entry "Made To Last"

CONGRATULATIONS RUECHARI

Be sure to check back with us often, we will have a new challenge for you soon!

Thanks,
-DAlan

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Random Poetry Prompt – Write a poem inspired by an advertisement jingle.

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As free verse continued to grow in popularity, more and more poets found themselves experimenting with it and exploring its freedoms.  Traditional rhyme schemes and meter were replaced with alliterations and, on or off beat musical chiming. 

Emily Dickinson, considered to be the "mother" of American free verse poetry, used free verse to create a great volume of poetry with a musical bent.  Dickinson's meticulous use of syllable count and inventive word usage produced free style poems that mimicked natural, free flowing speech patterns and showcased the artistry of the free style form.

However, others chose to use free verse to create jarring, off beat poems with the use of anaphoric phrases, whimsical uses of punctuation.  Ezra Pound's use of anaphoric phrases and words produce poetry with a particularly musical feel and sound.

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Double Mega Poetry Challenge – In the comments below tell us what your favorite musical lyrics are.  Let us know what song and what specific lyric you like best from the song.

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Here are the resulting collaborative poems from our Double Mega Poetry Challenge from last week!  *Note the lines for these two poems are just as they were posted in the comments from last week, however I did edit them for line breaks and punctuation.

Coffee, Cookies and Cake...by Daybreak
By Contributors – most_bay, undoubtedlymine, Schwethz, crazyp01

Eyes blink in the dead of night,
Watching for the dawn to break.
Somebody bring me coffee please!
With chips and cookies and cake.

That's not free verse. It's just free food!
You're spoiling a beautiful poem!

The new chatter up for the read,
Grabbing my pen, I started my writing spree...

For heaven's sake! Not breakfast of cake!
The coffee will do as I run to work.
Taking the aroma of fresh coffee,
Makes me feel giddy as if I am high!

Oh, sweet cake! please don't be upset,
You're made for me, yeah that's fate.
The fate of the cake is delayed,
But what of my day?
Your day is gonna up lit...
fresh-baked cookies on your way!
Baked cookies? any time...
No wonder it's a beautiful day!

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Traveling Eternal

By Contributors - Schwethz, MysteriousDryad, undoubtedlymine, MystresMyna

Striding away I have come very far
Into the world of no differences...
Traveling far and wide,
Nothing has changed.
Trying to find a trick to cross
the destiny's fences...
Finding only...bits and pieces of solace,
In the eternal journey of life.

Well my dear friends this brings us to the end of another Chatter. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!! Remember to keep those pens and keyboards flying! Stay safe!

Cheers from your Mystres of Chatter
MystresMyna