March 22, 2023 by D. Wallace Peach

Impressions of Spring #tankatuesday

Le Jardin de l’artiste à Giverny by Claude Monet
English: *The Artist’s Garden at Giverny*,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Artist%27s_Garden_at_Giverny

Impressions of Spring

beyond March’s window
limbs bare weathered bones
hoary fingers splayed in grim supplication
for an hour’s sun-shower
where only moss grows

last year’s papery stalks
lie swathed in brown leaves
the soggy gray detritus of irises
where rain drums a heartbeat
on dull amber grass

yet hidden in the loam
the earth awakens
pledging iris leaves and buds on cherry trees
an impression of spring
dappled with violet

Monet’s garden is not how my landscape looks at all. Here on the mountain, spring daffodils are weeks away. But there are hints of green, a new shoot here and there, leaving the impression that spring is on its way.

Ekphrastic poetry is written in response to a piece of art. Colleen Chesebro chose this prompt after seeing it on Rebecca Budd’s blog: Chasing Art.

I wrote a Double Ennead, a syllabic form created by Colleen. Each of the three stanzas has five lines with a syllable count of 6/5/11/6/5, (33 syllables, giving the entire poem a total of 99).

To read more responses to the challenge, learn about syllabic poetry, or submit your own poem, stop by Colleen’s blog: Wordcraft Poetry .

March 18, 2023 by D. Wallace Peach

At the Mirror Blog Share: Sighs of Solitude

Today I’m sharing a post from Jude Itakali. Jude writes fabulous poetry: freeform, syllabic form, and frequently a combination of the two blended with poetic prose. His posts are often like journeys, leading his readers along a path through his thoughts and feelings. Sighs of Solitude is a piece of Tanka Prose, a syllabic form in response to Colleen’s Wordcraft Tanka Tuesday challenge. It’s beautiful.

Jude was also incredibly kind to give a shout-out for The Necromancer’s Daughter. I was delighted and honored by the gesture. I hope you enjoy Jude’s mesmerizing talent.

Sighs of Solitude

by Jude Itakali

sighs of solitude
listen to conflict’s whispers
reconciling depths
some woes come from good intent
rebirths that will never die

In the deep stillness, I ponder scars long etched in my blemishfree beginnings, healed yet forever barren. I ignore the itch of scabs…

(continue reading Sighs of Solitude)

February 24, 2023 by D. Wallace Peach

Never Prim #tankatuesday

Portrait of Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1865-1932) by John Singer Sargent, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Never Prim

Prim

Not she

Reposed so

Raising eyebrows

She flouts decorum

A curve of thigh exposed

Draped like silk upon her chair

She dares me to risk her boldness

My paintbrush craves her devil may care

Spellbound, I tarry, swayed by temptation

The authenticity of her essence

Her rebuff of feminine bindings

My colors bow to her allure

A force to be reckoned with

She teases with her smile

My intrepid muse

Her brazen gaze

Scandalous

Never

Prim

Isn’t this an amazing piece of art? To me, Lady Agnew’s posture and expression convey a dauntless challenge to acknowledge her power, her being. I wondered what the artist thought. Did he expect a woman properly dignified, stiff, and prim? Did he love her dare as much as she?

I love these Ekphrastic challenges. Ekphrastic poetry is written in response to a piece of art. Colleen chose this prompt after seeing it on Rebecca Budd’s blog: Chasing Art.

I wrote a stacked/double etheree, which is comprised of twenty lines with a syllable count per line of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10, 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. This poem looks like a diamond.

To read more responses to the challenge, learn about syllabic poetry, or submit your own poem, stop by Colleen’s blog: Wordcraft Poetry .

February 4, 2023 by D. Wallace Peach

Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology

Within a day of publication, Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology shot up to Amazon’s #1 spot in Poetry Anthologies and remained there for five days.

The anthology was a massive undertaking by Gabriela Marie Milton of Literary Revelations. It includes the work of over 150 poets from around the world, a compilation of more than 280 poems. Within its pages, I see many names I recognize: Basilike Pappa, Jeff Flesch, Alethea Kehas, Cindy Georgakas, Eric Daniel Clarke, Jaya Avendel, and Jude Itakali, to name a few.

I’m honored to have two poems included in this collection: Upon the Death of my Mother, and Stratton Pond.

Gabriela, a poet of immense talent, included one poem of her own in the anthology that I’d like to share here:

Blurb: Hidden in Childhood

From authors featured on NPR, BBC, and the New York Times, and from emerging poets, comes a monumental anthology in which every poem sends shivers down your spine. Childhood’s joy and trauma expressed – with stunning talent and sincerity – by over 150 poets in more than 280 poems. Childhood spaces magnified by the human memory, populated by good and bad, by trips to hell and heaven, in an almost Hieronymus Bosch type of atmosphere. Over 150 voices call you to read this book. Read it. You will learn that childhood never goes away. You will be reminded of the beauty of the seraphim and the need to protect children from any form of abuse. 150 voices knock on your door. Open the door. A chorus of childhoods will tell you that our children need love.

Literary Revelations is proud to bring you this anthology and deeply grateful to all contributors for pouring out their hearts into the pages of this book.

***

I’m delighted to help spread the word. Thanks for stopping by!

January 26, 2023 by D. Wallace Peach

Colors Unfettered #tankatuesday

*Boughton, George Henry; The Lady of the Snows; Walker Art Gallery;* http://www.artuk.org/artworks/the-lady-of-the-snows-97671

Colors Unfettered

demur flowers bloom

a tapestry stitched with spring

colors unfettered

on her chilly weather walks

old man winter cedes the day

It felt marvelous to write poetry once again for Colleen’s #TankaTuesday after months of absence. I love these Ekphrastic challenges. Ekphrastic poetry is written in response to a piece of art. Colleen chose this prompt after seeing it on Rebecca Budd’s blog: Chasing Art.

I wrote a tanka with syllable count 5/7/5/7/7. Here in Oregon, spring may be shy, but she’s on her way, and there’s no stopping her.

To read more responses to the challenge, learn about syllabic poetry, or submit your own poem, stop by Colleen’s blog: Wordcraft Poetry.

December 15, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

2nd Annual Cookie Exchange and Happy Holidays

Christmas at the Peach cabin.

This is my first year participating in Staci Troilo’s cookie exchange. Last year, it looked like fun, and despite being a disaster in the kitchen, I’m joining in. It’s all about the laughter, right?

I used to make elaborate, colorful, and mostly-edible Christmas cookies. That was back in the day when I used wheat and sugar in my recipes. There’s nothing like crafting cookies with wheat – it’s like working with modeling clay.

But those years are long gone. Here’s my recipe for Christmas cookies that won’t send your blood sugar levels through the roof. We did end up eating them all!

Keto Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

3-1/2 cups super fine almond flour (used the blanched flour which is lighter in color)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (this is a natural binder)

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces cream cheese (softened)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)

3/4 cup powdered erythritol sweetener (I use Swerve)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

A variety of food coloring

Instructions

Line cookie sheets with baking paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter until combined. Beat in the sweetener and vanilla. Then beat in the flour mixture until the dough comes together.

Shape the dough into six or more lumps of varying sizes (each lump will become a different color). Add a bit of food coloring to each lump and knead it in until the color is even. Tip: don’t overdo the food coloring as light colors look better when baked and they make a good background to decorate.

One at a time, roll out each color on a piece of baking paper to about 1/4″ thick. Cut with your Christmas cookie cutters, and carefully move them to your cookie sheets. (Unlike wheat flour, almond flour is soft and tears easily. Just patch them back together.)

Then hand decorate them with all the colors! This takes forever. But kids can help.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake for 12-15 minutes until barely browned around the edges. Too long in the oven will ruin your colors.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the cookie sheet so they harden up and don’t fall apart. It’s a good idea to have two sheets so you can rotate.

These are a million times easier to make with a wheat flour sugar cookie recipe, and you can get very elaborate with the decorations. But these are festive, and they’re splendid dipped in coffee or tea.

Don’t forget to stop by Staci Troilo’s blog for links to all the cookie bakers’ recipe posts. There are some wonderfully delicious-looking cookies.

This is my last post of the year. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season full of love and gratitude, good food and laughter. See you in the new year! Hugs. ❤

November 13, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

Go Gently into that Good Night

If you’ve noticed my absence for the past few days, it’s because my dear sweet mother transitioned from this life into the vast and unknowable realm of the spirit. I’ve been her caregiver for the last five years, and it was with loving care that I stroked her face, whispered in her ear, and saw on her way.

Anne Peach 1934-2022

This beautiful poem by Sue Vincent and her accompanying photos speak eloquently of the arc of life as expressed through flowers. She wrote it a couple of years before she too passed with grace from this world. I’d like to share it with you now.