Day 6 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons” Book Blog Tour – Nolcha Fox, Melissa Lemay, and Robbie Cheadle
Posted: April 25, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Review, Giveaways, Poetry, Review, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Reviews, Book trailer, Giveaway, Melissa Lemay, Nolcha Fox, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 42 Comments
Welcome to Day 6 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons Book Blog Tour, where we’re sending off the sixth volume of the Poetry Treasures anthology series, Seasons. Each volume of this poetry anthology series features the work of the talented poets, spotlighted as guests on Robbie Cheadle’s blog series, “Treasuring Poetry”, from the previous year. Seasons’ poets were guests in 2025.
For this tour, you’ll meet two poets at each stop, with fun facts about them and reviews of their work. Some of the contributors also share guest posts or poetry readings. Today, we’re introducing Nolcha Fox and Robbie Cheadle. And we’re giving away three digital copies of the anthology in our Giveaway. Each comment earns a chance to win, so be sure to give a shout out and let us know you were there.
Giveaway
We’re giving away three digital copies of
Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons.
Follow the tour through the links in the schedule
and leave a comment at each stop for additional entries.
Winners will be chosen in a random drawing following the tour.
Tour Schedule
Mon. – Cindy Georgakas (Reading) & Kevin Morris – Poetry by Mich, Hotel by Masticadores, Masticadores Phillipines
Tues. – Jean-Jacques Fournier (Reading) & Colleen Chesebro (Reading) – Dragons Rule
Wed. – Freya Pickard & V.M. Sang (Reading) – JoyNealKidney.com
Thurs. – Joy Neal Kidney & Yvette Prior – Roberta Writes
Fri. – Michelle Ayon Navajas (Guest Post & Reading) & Marsha Ingrao (Guest Post & Reading) – Prior House
Sat. – Nolcha Fox, Melissa Lemay & Robbie Cheadle – Writing to be Read
Introducing Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons
Picture caption: Cover of Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons
Blurb
Open the cover
and you will discover
Poetry Treasures
from the guests on
Robbie Cheadle’s 2025
“Treasuring Poetry”
blog series
on Writing to be Read.
Join poets Robbie Cheadle, Cindy Georgakas, Freya Pickard, V.M. Sang, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Marsha Ingrao, Nolcha Fox, Joy Neal Kidney, Kevin Morris, Jean-Jacques Fournier, Melissa Lemay, Yvette Prior, and special guest, Colleen Chesbro share their personal seasons of poetry.
Purchase link
https://books2read.com/PT6Seasons
Short Trailer for Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons
Rave Reviews for Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons
Dawn Pisturino offers up our first review, posted on her blog site:
Next we have one from Marjorie Mallon on Kyrosmagica:
This one comes from Abbie Johnson Taylor on Abbie’s Corner:
/
Meet Nolcha Fox
Nolcha Fox’s poems have been curated in print and online journals. A best-selling author, her poetry books are available on Amazon and Dancing Girl Press. Nominated for Best Of The Net and Pushcart Prize multiple times. Editor of Chewers by Masticadores and LatinosUSA.
Website: https://writingaddiction2.wordpress.com/ and https://nolchafox2.wixsite.com/nolcha-s-written-wor/blog
Picture caption: Author photograph of Nolcha Fox
Fun Facts about Nolcha Fox
When I was a baby, my parents were so anxious to get out of North Carolina that they drove in front of a hurricane to get to Ohio.
My nickname as a toddler was Chatterbox.
I never learned how to sleep.
A review of Finger Painting with Words by Nolcha Fox (Robbie Cheadle – Treasuring Poetry)
Picture caption: Cover of Finger Paining with Words by Nolcha Fox
This is a relatively short collection of fascinating and different poems and the first collection I’ve read by this poet. I have read a lot of classic books and poems written by British authors and poets and have only recently started exploring American writers and poets. The difference in style and content is intriguing to me and I have developed a real appreciation for the boundaryless thought processes and unstructured writing styles of American writers.
For me as a reader, Nolcha Fox’s poetry is a wonderful example of thinking and writing outside the ‘box’ and I enjoyed each poem in this collection a great deal.
An example of this freedom in writing is her poem, Catch Them, as follows:
“In morning dark, the stars are blinding white,
rampaging fireflies on steroids.
Hollyhocks defy gravity and aphids
to kiss the sky before the weight of
summer
tilts them to kiss the ground.
Heat bakes the sidewalk
into squares of peanut butter fudge,
sweet sludge from oven top.
Each second a butterfly
I scoop with net of tangled words
before it flies pastward to cocoon.”
This is an interesting and thought provoking short collection of poems designed to make you think. I must also mention the lovely cover which I found very attractive.
Purchase Finger Painting with Words by Nolcha Fox from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Finger-Painting-Words-Nolcha-Fox-ebook/dp/B0DBNZ7WR9
Meet Melissa Lemay
Melissa Lemay lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with her children and cats, and her snake, Charlotte. She writes about God, addiction, trauma, healing, motherhood, and many other things. She enjoys spending time with family, drinking good coffee, and being outdoors. She loves animals. Her poem, “Ephemeral,” was chosen as Poetic Publication of the Year for 2023 at Spillwords Press; she was Author of the Month for July 2024 and Author of the Year for 2024. She co-authored a poetry collection, Bro ken Rengay (Prolific Pulse Press, 2025) with Nolcha Fox and Barbara Leonhard. Find her at melissalemay.wordpress, collaborature.blogspot, and at dVerse Poets Pub.
Fun Facts About Melissa Lemay
I cannot blow a bubble with bubble gum.
I wrote my first short story (60 pages) in the sixth grade.
As an adult, I have carpal tunnel in my wrists and this makes it difficult for me to write with a pen and paper for very long.
A review of Bro Ken Rengay: Unruly Poetry, by Melissa Lemay, Nolcha Fox, and Barbara Leonhard (Review by Dawn Pasturino)
I’m new to the rengay form of Japanese poetry, but I’ve admired the poetic works of Fox, Lemay, and Leonhard for several years. Their collaboration on a collection of three-person rengay was bound to be a success.
The poets interlock like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to form poems that are witty, clever, and stunningly beautiful. Some of my favorites are “Off the Rails,” “Glitter Lips,” “Make Up Your Mind, Already,” and “Pain Will Do That.” The cover art by Lesley Scoble enhances the charm of this delightful little book. I give it five gold stars.
You can purchase Bro ken Rengay: Unruly Poetry, by Nolcha Fox, Melissa Lemay, and Barbara Leonhard from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Bro-ken-Rengay-Unruly-Poetry-ebook/dp/B0FQ4C9L9V
Meet Robbie Cheadle
South African author, photographer, and artist, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated seventeen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, written and illustrated four poetry books and written and illustrated one celebration of cake and fondant art book with recipes. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/.
Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author photograph
Fun Facts about Robbie Cheadle
Robbie’s full name is Roberta, but she has never been called that. Her aunt called her Robbie as a baby and the name stuck. People are always surprised to discover Robbie is female.
Robbie is a qualified Chartered Accountant (South Africa) and has worked in corporate finance for nearly 30 years. Her area of expertise is documentation relating to various stock exchanges around the world.
Robbie was a gym instructor before she started her family. She taught 10 spinning classes a week at the local gym and entered several cycling challenges a year.
A review of Behind Closed Doors by Robbie Cheadle (Cindy Georgakas – “Celebrating Poetry”)
(https://lifesfinewhine.ca/2024/11/26/celebrating-poetry-by-cindy-georgakas-review/)
Picture caption: Cover of Behind Closed Doors by Robbie Cheadle
“Behind Closed Doors” is an elegant and engaging collection of poems written in various styles, either free or short form, poetry that is deeply relatable, drawing the reader’s attention to a variety of life’s aspects while conjuring up a swarm of emotions. In all its 6 parts, In the Boardroom, After death, In my mind, In the home, During lockdown and In nature, reading the poems feels both like a keen introduction to and a freely flowing zigzag through life’s moments… be them pleasant and enjoyable or much less so. And be them all closed, the “doors” – so convincingly part of the lovely title, still, the verses in the collection do ultimately slam them all open, airing out the “stuffy rooms” or letting the beauty in the “bright rooms” shine through refreshingly.
I was especially impressed by the grim details that could be read between the lines in the poems inspired by the corporate world (Achieving Tranquility, Do you want it enough?, The corporate hunt, Making A Splash). Nevertheless the verses inspired from the lockdown days also left a strong impression on me (No contact, Other Worldly, Lockdown days, I saw a fish a-swimming) with their harsh reminders of a sad reality in the whole world that the pandemic years also suddenly seemed to emphasize so acutely for us all, hopefully helping us to become more aware.
In the midst of the collection, two poems seemed to stand out to me, “A fabricated world” and “Stars in her eyes”. The latter feels like being in the eye of a storm, a calm and clear center, throbbing with all the beautifully bare truth and dreamy escape that the author’s heart can contain and express.
Equally impressive were all the poems that the author delightfully dedicates to the beloved members of her family, as was the last but one poem in the collection, “The best gift of all”, making the readers empathize with South African people on a blissfully rainy Christmas morning.
I gladly recommend “Behind Closed Doors” to everyone, as there is a little for everybody to delight in and learn about in Robbie’s wonderful collection.
Purchase Behind Closed Doors by Robbie Cheadle from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Closed-Doors-Robbie-Cheadle-ebook/dp/B09BBR94NC
Wrap-Up
That wraps up Day 6 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons as we finish up the tour, as well. Get your comments in for the giveaway entries. You can visit any stops that you missed through the links in the Tour Schedule at the top of this post. Winners will be selected in a random drawing and announced in Monday’s “WordCrafter News”, here on Writing to be Read.
_________________________________
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Day 5 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 24, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Giveaways, Guest Post, Poetry, Poetry Readings, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Giveaway, Marsha Ingrao, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Readings, Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 1 CommentIt’s Day 5 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons Book Blog Tour, and we’re over at the Prior House Blog, Yvette Prior is hosting, with readings from contributors Michelle Ayon Navajas and Marsha Ingrao. Join us in sending off this fabulous poetry anthology and enter to win a free digital copy.
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Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 23, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Giveaways, Poetry, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | Tags: Joy Neal Kidney, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press, Yvette Prior 3 CommentsWe’re over at Robbie’s Inspiration for Day 4 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons Book Blog Tour with contributor guests Joy Neal Kidney and Yvette Prior. Join us in celebrating the release of this wonderful poetry anthology and enter the giveaway for a chance for a free digital copy.
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Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 22, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Giveaways, Poetry, Poetry Readings, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | Tags: Freya Pickard, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons, V.M. Sang, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 1 CommentDay 3 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons” Book Blog Tour finds us over at Joy Neal Kidney’s blog site with fun facts and a poetry reading by V.M. Sang, and an introduction to Freya Pickard. Join us in celebrating the release of this amazing poetry anthology and enter the giveaway for a chance at a free digital copy of the book.
Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons” Book Blog Tour – Joy Neal Kidney
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Treasuring Poetry – Sunflower Tanka Dreams anthology compiled by Robbie Cheadle and Colleen M. Chesebro
Posted: December 17, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Poetry, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: #Poetryanthology, #Poetrycommunity, #RobbieCheadle, #TreasuringPoetry, Colleen M. Chesebro, Dreams, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Robbie Cheadle, Sunflower Tanka, Treasuring Poetry, Writing to be Read 67 CommentsHi everyone, this is my last Treasuring Poetry post 0f 2025 and I’m thrilled to be ending with a post about the second anthology in the Sunflower Tanka anthology series with the theme of dreams.
This wonderful anthology has 54 contributors and the variety of fascinating takes on the theme of dreams is fascinating. Colleen M. Chesebro and I are contributing editors of this collection and Colleen created an amazing cover using one of my watercolour paintings. The green-haired flower maiden is based on Meadow, a character from one of Teagan Riordain Geneviene’s imaginative stories, Atonement in Bloom. You can learn more about this book here: https://teagansbooks.com/2025/12/08/a-bloomin-snippet-for-cffc/
Blurb
Sunflower Tanka, edited by Robbie Cheadle and Colleen M. Chesebro, is an annual anthology showcasing contemporary tanka, tanka prose, and experimental tanka. Each volume brings together a vibrant tapestry of voices—both emerging and established—from across the globe.
For 2025, our theme “Dreams” invites poets to explore the symbolic language of dreaming, where metaphors blur the line between reality and imagination. Dreams often serve as gateways to layered meaning, offering fertile ground for syllabic poetry.
This year’s contributors journeyed deep into their dreamscapes, opening portals to boundless creativity. Through the timeless form of syllabic verse, they captured visions that transcend waking life, weaving poetry that resonates with mystery, wonder, and the infinite possibilities of the human imagination.
This is the promo video on YouTube:
I am going to take this opportunity to share one of Colleen’s poems and one of my collaborative poem’s with my son, Michael, from this collection.
Writing Through Dreams (tanka Puente) by Colleen M. Chesebro
in the fog of lies
honesty outlines a path
beyond my worst fears
my dreams, a shining lighthouse
nudge out my darkest secrets
– Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. – Thomas Jefferson, former U.S. president
dreams empower me
to use my curative skills
a fresh cup of tea
affords me the wisdom to
write syllabic poetry
The End In Sight (Tanka Puente Collaboration) by Robbie and Michael Cheadle
on the brink of change
bright eyes viewing the future
my son and his friends
graduation imminent
transition to adulthood
– If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right – Henry Ford
anxiety creeps
deep despair spreads like fire
spars fear of failure
disappointing those you love
mother’s nagging tongue lashes
My review
This is a collection of beautiful syllabic poems contributed by 54 poets from around the world. All the poems centre around the theme of dreams and the range of interpretations is fascinating.
The poems in the collection comprise of tanka, tanka prose, garland tanka, tanka Puente, bussokuseki, rensaku and taiga which includes a black and white image and they collectively form a delightful poetry adventure.
The collection is introduced with an interesting overview about the inspiration for the theme and the various meanings of the word dreams. This section closes with a delightful tanka by partnering editor, Colleen Chesebro, as follows:
rain cools with sky-mist
sweet drops spark my appetite
whispering prayers
moonlight breaks through the darkness
a feverish dream of you
The collection concludes with a selection of each of the partnering editors favourite poems and the reasons why those specific poems resonated with each of them.
One of my favourite poems is by Yvette M. Calleiro:
miracle baby
you came to me in a dream
blessing from above
missing puzzle piece in life
my greatest accomplishment
I feel this way about my own two sons and so this poem has stayed in my heart.
A delightful collection of poetry that will make a lovely gift to others or to yourself.
Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Sunflower-Tanka-Anthology-Prose-Experimental/dp/B0G51RKG61
Tanka Tuesday
You can join in weekly syllabic poetry challenges on Tanka Tuesday here: https://tankatuesday.com/2025/12/09/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-42-gift-gifting-12-09-25/
About Colleen M. Chesebro
Colleen M. Chesebro grew up in a large city in the Midwest. Keen on making her own way in the world, she joined the United States Air Force after graduation to tour the world and find herself. To this day, that search continues.
An avid reader, Colleen M. Chesebro rekindled her love of writing poetry after years spent working in the accounting industry. These days, she loves crafting syllabic poetry, flash fiction, and creative fiction and nonfiction.
In addition to poetry books, Chesebro’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of her writing community on her blog on by organizing and sponsoring a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called #TankaTuesday, where participants experiment with traditional and current forms of Japanese and American syllabic poetry.
Chesebro lives in the house of her dreams in mid-Michigan, surrounded by the Great Lakes with her husband and two (unicorn) cats, Chloe & Sophie.
You can find Colleen M. Chesebro on her personal blog here: https://colleenchesebro.org/
About Robbie Cheadle
South African author and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated sixteen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, and written and illustrated three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This segment of “Treasuring Poetry” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and the Poetry Treasures series.
Get Your Copy Today!
Poetry Treasures: https://books2read.com/PoetryTreasures
Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships: https://books2read.com/PT2-Relationships
Poetry Treasures 3: Passions: https://books2read.com/u/b5qnBR
Poetry Treasures 4:In Touch With Nature: https://books2read.com/PT4-Nature
Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures: https://books2read.com/PT5-SmallPleasures
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Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 13, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Book Release, Book Review, Books, Giveaways, Poetry, Poetry Readings, Review, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Review, Giveaway, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Reading, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Leave a comment
It’s the last stop on the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 4 Book Blog Tour, and we’re over at Carla Loves to Read with Carla’s review and a lovely reading by Robbie Cheadle of her poem, “Long Day (In the Bush)”. The perfect way to wrap up this wonderful tour and send off for this delightful anthology, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature. Won’t you join us?
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Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 10, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Author Interview, Book Release, Books, Poetry, Poetry Readings, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Author Interview, Emily Gmitter, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Reading, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature, Selma Martin, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 6 CommentsDay 3 of the Wordcrafter Poetry Treasures 4 Book Blog Tour finds us over at Book Places where Kay Castenada interviews contributing poet, Emily Gmitter, and Selma Martin shares a beautiful reading of her poem “The Bridge Home”. Please join us in sending of this very special poetry anthology, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature. Be sure to leave a comment to enter the giveaway, too.
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Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 9, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Giveaways, Poetry, Poetry Readings, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Andrew McDowell, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Readings, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Leave a commentToday were over at Merril’s Historical Musings for Day 2 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 4 Book Blog Tour with a lovely reading from contributing poet, Andrew McDowell. Join us in launching this delightful poetry collection and support the contributing poets. And don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance at a free digital copy in the #giveaway!
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Welcome to the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 3: Passions” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 17, 2023 Filed under: Anthology, Book Release, Books, Poetry, Poetry Readings, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Kaye Lynne Booth, Passions, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Treasures 3: Passions, Robbie Cheadle, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Smitha Vishwaneth, WordCrafter Press 90 Comments
Welcome to the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 3: Passions Book Blog Tour! This is a very special tour, because at each stop, you will meet not one, but two of the contributing poets of the anthology. We’ve got a great tour planned with readings and inspiration posts from the authors, and book reviews. (Scroll down for the tour schedule with links, but be aware that the links won’t function until each post goes live.)Plus we have a great giveaway, so follow the tour to meet the contributing authors and additional chances to win a digital copy of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions!
Giveaway
Comment and let us know you were there, and get a chance to win a copy of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions in the digital format of your choice.Follow the tour and leave your comments along the way. One entry per stop.
About Poetry Treasures 3: Passions
Passions treasures within.
Open the cover
and you will discover
the Poetry Treasures
of guests on
Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s
2022 “Treasuring Poetry” blog series
on Writing to be Read.
Included are treasures from:
Patty Fletcher, D. Wallace Peach, Yvette Prior,
Penny Wilson, Colleen M. Chesebro, Abbie Taylor,
Yvette Calliero, Smitha Vishwaneth,
Chris Hall, Willow Willers, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer,
and Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Purchase Poetry Treasures 3: Passions from your favorite distributor through Books2Read
Today’s Stop
On today’s stop, we have video readings from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer and Smitha Vishwanath. Rosemerry is sharing a reading of her poem, “Twenty Years Ago, Ten Years Ago, Last Week”, and Smitha is sharing a reading of her poem, ” “. Both of these lovely poems are featured in Poetry Treasures 3: Passions.
Meet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Today’s stop features a peotry reading by contributing Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, which is a real treat. Rosemerry is a performance poet, and I was privileged to attend one of her live performances back in 2010. She was spectacular. The way she draws you into the poem and makes you feel her words is amazing. Rosemerry is a wonderful, vibrant lady, who embraces the written word as if it were a lover, caressing and shaping it into what she needs it to be. I had the pleasure of featuring an interview with her, right here on Writing to be Read. That’s why I asked Robbie to invite her to be a guest on “Treasuring Poetry”, and why I am so pleased to have her work featured in this WordCrafter anthology. It is a privilege and an honor to work with her. I hope you will enjoy this reading as much as I have.
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer co-hosts Emerging Form (a podcast on creative process), Secret Agents of Change (a surreptitious kindness cabal) and Soul Writer’s Circle. Her poetry has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, PBS News Hour, O Magazine, American Life in Poetry, onCarnegie Hall stage, and on river rocks she leaves around town. Her collection Hush won the Halcyon Prize. Naked for Tea was a finalist for the Able Muse Book Award. Her most recent collection is All the Honey. Her daily audio series, The Poetic Path, can be found on the Ritual app, her daily poetry practice can be read on her blog, A Hundred Falling Veils, and her book of mindfulness poetry prompts is Exploring Poetry of Presence II. One-word mantra: Adjust.
Twenty Years Ago, Ten Years Ago, Last Week
If I could go back in time
and offer advice to my younger self,
I wouldn’t.
I would let her fail all over again.
I’d let her falter. I’d let her lose.
I’d let her stumble
and struggle and bomb.
But I would lean in close
and let her know
I am deeply in love with her.
It’s so easy now to give her this,
this self-compassion in full bloom,
this thing she believed
was impossible.
Reading of “Twenty Years Ago, Ten Years Ago, Last Week”
Meet Smitha Vishwanath
I first met Smitha Viswaneth through her interview with Robbie Cheadle on the “Treasuring Poetry” blog series, right here, on Writing to be Read, so I can’t say that I know her well, but I’ve been learning a lot about her. Smitha is an award winning poet of a National Poetry Month Challenge two years in a row, and she’s been nominated poet of the month several times on Spillword. She has poetry published in several online publications, and her debut novel, Coming Home, just came out last month.
Smitha Vishwanath is your quintessential ‘bored banker’ turned writer. After a rewarding career in Banking in the Middle East where she worked for leading banks in senior positions, she quit and moved to India in July 2018 with her husband who had been transferred to the country on an international assignment. Thereon she began her writing journey.
‘Roads’ is the first book she has co-authored. Having lived and studied in different countries and different states within India and worked with different cultures, Smitha understands that ‘change’ and ‘ups and downs’ are very much a part of life. It is this experience that reflects in her poems and her writing which are filled with positivity, acceptance and willingness to change for the better.
She also writes regularly through her blog: https://lifeateacher.wordpress.com
A child called, ‘Passion’
A child called, Passion,
I met him on my walk, one day
and asked him to come home.
He replied, ‘On one condition-
only if you give me your undivided attention.’
‘How difficult could that be? aloud, I wondered,
I raised a family with children- two!’
Smiling impishly, he said ‘Not much, if you surrendered.”
I laughed at his presumptuousness
Little knowing how true to his words he’d be.
The moment, Passion, walked in through my door
He obscured the rest of the world from sight
and kept me waking into the night
He pranced around all day-tireless, and unbound.
It made me loathe the day, him, I found.
Passion was a stubborn child
demanding complete allegiance.
His appetite was unappeased,
his thirst unquenched;
he made no allowance!
A ruthless master, a sorcerer
He turned me into a willing slave.
I fulfilled his every bidding;
the years went by, I couldn’t tell
and the children flew before I knew.
But, Passion, he stayed behind.
I grew old, and he grew kind.
Passion, that stubborn child
remained wilful until the end
and refused to leave,
even though my body was hard to mend.
He nourished my body and fed my soul
And made me feel as good as whole.
Passion, that stubborn child, simply would not let go;
no doctor could understand that child’s miraculous cure.
So, if you ever cross paths with a child called, ‘Passion.’
Hold onto him with a firm hand
Even if you must endure.
Lug around for a while if you must-
but don’t ever let go.
For when all the others leave-
He will be standing by your side
For, Passion, is a stubborn child
and loyal as can be
Let nobody tell you otherwise.
Reading of “A Child Called ‘Passion'”
Wrap Up
That’s it for the first stop on the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 3: Passions Book Blog Tour. I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting Rosemerry and Smitha and the samples of their works. As an extra added treat, you can catch an interview with Robbie Cheadle and I on the Word Craft Poetry site with Colleen Chesebro, which happens to coincide with our opening day. So, after you’ve met our two poets, Rosemerry and Smitha, you might click on the link above to pop in and check that interview about the anthology, too.
A raving five-star review of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions on Goodreads.
Raving Revue
“…It’s an eclectic collection and a fabulous way to discover new poets to read. Expect varying interpretations of poetic passions. Not all are amorous! Some are thoughtful, personal to the author, (the author’s interests, experiences and loves,) and many have deep insight into human trials and tribulations…”
M.J. Mallon
You can find the full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128125978-poetry-treasures-3#CommunityReviews
Follow the tour to meet other contributing authors and for more chances to enter the giveaway. The links in the schedule below won’t work until each post goes live. Tomorrow we will be over at Patty’s World with Patty Fletcher with a guest post from Contributing author, Colleen Chesebro and a reading by Robbie Cheadle of contributing author, Chris Hall’s poem, ” What Will Become of Us?”, so don’t miss it. I hope to see you there.
Tour schedule 4/17 – 4/21
Monday – Opening Day – Readings by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer & Smitha Vishwanath – Writing to be Read
Tuesday – Guest Post from Colleen Chesebro & Reading by Robbie Cheadle of poem by Chris Hall – Patty’s Worlds
Wednesday – Readings by D. Wallace Peach & Abbie Taylor – The Many Showers of Blessing
Thursday –Reading by Willow Willers & a Guest Post by Patty Fletcher/Review – Carla Loves to Read
Friday – Readings by Penny Wilson & Yvette Calliero – Robbie’s Inspiration
Saturday – Closing Post – Reading by Yvette Prior & Guest Post by Judy Mastrangelo – Writing to be Read
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WordCrafter Press Celebrates National Poetry Month
Posted: April 1, 2023 Filed under: Anthology, Book Promotion, Books, Collection, Poetry, Promotion, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Arthur Rosch, Behind Closed Doors, Feral Tenderness, National Poetry Month, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Collection, Poetry Treasures, Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Press 3 Comments
Celebrating National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month here in the U.S. and WordCrafter Press is celebrating the joy of the written word by putting four WordCrafter Press poetry books on sale for the whole month! You can get your copy of your favorite from your favorite book distributor.
Behind Closed Doors, by Robbie Cheadle
Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships anthology
