Treasuring Poetry – Meet poets, bloggers, and writers, Emily Gmitter and Zoe the Fabulous Feline, and a review #TreasuringPoetry #Poetrycommunity #review

Today, I am delighted to welcome Emily Gmitter and her amazing writing cat, Zoe, to Treasuring Poetry. This is the first time I’ve interviewed such an interesting duo for this series and it has been a fabulous experience.

Welcome Emily and Zoe

I’d like to thank Robbie for inviting me and my co-author, Zoe the Fabulous Feline, to be guests on her lovely Treasuring Poetry blog. We’re happy to be here with her and all of you wonderful poets! Zoe says “hello” too—she’s waving her paw at the screen.

Is writing poetry easier for you compared to prose or do you do a lot of editing and revision of your poems?

While my initial writing efforts focused on poetry, and specifically, syllabic poetry, now I more often write short stories. However, poems or snippets of rhyme frequently find their way into my stories. My brain seems wired for rhyme, so if something comes to me, I don’t ignore it. But, to give you the short and direct answer to your question: I edit my prose far more than I do my poetry.

If I may elaborate, there is a distinct difference between the poet I thought I was back in the day, and the writer I hope I am today. Writing prose came much later in my life—that is, if you don’t count my very first short story, written in fourth grade, about a letter that was afraid of the dark. The story starts with a mom asking her daughter to take a letter to the mailbox. Just as the child is pulling the handle of the mailbox down and bringing the letter up to the opening, the letter starts to squirm and squeal in fear. It begs the child to not do it: “Please don’t drop me into the dark!” The child is startled, of course, but before she can say or do anything, the letter grows arms and legs and runs away. And that’s all I remember about that!

Getting back to your question … I’d add that, while I do edit my poetry, it seems most of my poems haven’t required heavy revision. I might tweak a word or two to keep the meter consistent or create an inner rhyme. Sometimes I’ve made an edit to deliberately include an alliterative phrase. But that’s about it. So I think syllabic poetry—unlike free verse—has always come easily to me. And it’s gotten easier as I’ve gotten older, or perhaps my personal bar has gotten lower. With my prose, though, it’s a far different story. The editing seems never-ending, but of course, at some point, you have to call it done.

I alluded to free verse; writing poetry in that style is not my forte, and has never been. Every once in a blue moon, something comes to me in that form, and usually it’s very short. (There is one example of that in my book, called “Soul Buddies.”) Free verse is much harder for me to write. I enjoy it, and I envy those who can create it, but it’s never come naturally to me. When I try to write it, it feels contrived. In one sense of the word, contrived is a positive thing; it’s what all writers do, right? We deliberately create a written piece; we calculate where to place an adjective, we assess whether a near-rhyme works well or at all. And on and on. So, contrived is not a dirty word. But it does have a negative sense, as well. When I find myself digging too deeply for words to convey what I wish to, the result sometimes feels forced and phony. I usually end up balling up the paper and aiming for the wastepaper basket. And that’s happened more times than I care to remember. I’ll leave free verse to those who can actually create it and spend my time enjoying the beauty of their creations.

Today I find that a poem is either there or it’s not. I most enjoy creating poetry when the words flow naturally. That feels like a gift. I write it down, and I leave it alone.

What mode (blog, books, YouTube, podcasts) do you find the most effective for sharing your poems with poetry lovers and readers?

I incorporated my poems into my newly released book and, while I’m not sure of its effectiveness over alternative modes, I really enjoyed using my poetry to mix up the flavor of the book. I also share my poetry (as well as my short stories and artwork) on social media.

Now, Zoe is more clever than I, or perhaps I should say, she’s a bit less technically challenged than I. She’s on Facebook, too, but she also posts on her The Life & Times of Zoe the Fabulous Feline blog. (A bit contrived if you ask me. To which Zoe just said, “Who’s asking you?”) Speaking of the little imp, she would like to say something. And I think I should be afraid.

Hi, Robbie, it’s me, Zoe the Fabulous Feline! I just wanted to point out something Emily neglected to tell you, which is that my poems are also in our book. Sheesh! Well, at least she gave me credit for my blog. My short stories sometimes include poetry, and I share my short stories on my social media pages. I did write one story completely in syllabic rhyme, which is in our book; it’s called “Zoe and Friends’ Strange Adventure.” It’s too long to include here,, so I’ll just summarize it for you:

A magic hat flies me and a couple of friends on a journey to different lands, one ruled by an evil dictator, and another led by a kind and compassionate old soul—the latter a land where a White Mist relays to us a message of hope and love. We return home with a new perspective.

I’m quite proud of that story-poem. (Story-poem might not be the right, or even a valid, term, but Emily would not let me say “epic poem”; she said I would sound terribly “arrogant.” I’m not even sure what that means, but it does not sound good.) About other modes for our writings: I’ve considered a podcast, but when I’d previously tried to teach Emily how to set up her own blog, that did not go well. Still, I took a chance and mentioned to her that I’d like her assistance with doing a “PodCAT” (a podcast for cats only). Well, I had to practically pick her up off the floor. So I took pity on her and did not push the idea. Anyway, I’m busy enough already. I’ll hand the baton back to Emily at this time and will be back if any other question catches my attention. Ciao for now!

Do you think poetry is still a relevant form of expressing ideas in our modern world? If yes, why?

Yes, I do, because poetry is a window into our souls. Poets write from the heart, and because people are multi-faceted creatures, and because there is so much going on around us all the time, there is no end to the food that will feed a poet’s imagination. Relevance abounds!

And then we have that other class of poets who are relevant in our modern world—the songwriter. Songwriters write lyrics that tell their own stories but also often speak to all our lives. Some artists may stick with the typical love song and/or love-gone-wrong song, and others may risk commercial success for at least occasionally penning songs that speak truth to power. In the latter category, the words of Kris Kristofferson come to mind. His diverse catalog includes every kind of song imaginable, from love songs to humor to satire, from the bittersweet of love and loss to the blessings bestowed on us by a higher power. He also writes biting, politically charged, contemporary songs; just one example of Kristofferson’s many topical tunes is an older one, called “In the News.” (A word of caution: Based on real life events, these lyrics are not easy to read.)

In the News

Read about the sorry way he done somebody’s daughter
Chained her to a heavy thing and threw her in the water
And she sank into the darkness with their baby son inside her
A little piece of truth and beauty died

Burning up the atmosphere and cutting down the trees
The billion dollar bombing of a nation on its knees
Anyone not marching to their tune they call it treason
Everyone says God is on his side

See the lightning, hear the cries
Of the wounded in a world in Holy war
Mortal thunder from the skies
Killing everything they say they’re fighting for

Broken babies, broken homes
Broken-hearted people dying everyday
How’d this happen, what went wrong
Don’t blame God, I swear to God I heard him say

Not in my name, not on my ground
I want nothing but the ending of the war
No more killing, or it’s over
And the mystery won’t matter anymore

Broken dreamers, broken rules
Broken-hearted people just like me and you
We are children of the stars
Don’t blame God, I swear to God he’s crying too

Not in my name, not on my ground
I want nothing but the ending of the war
No more killing, or it’s over
And the mystery won’t matter anymore

Read about the sorry way he done somebody’s daughter
Chained her to a heavy thing and threw her in the water
And she sank into the darkness with their baby son inside her
A little piece of truth and beauty died

~ Kris Kristofferson ~ (In the News – YouTube)

It would be hard to be any more relevant in our modern world than that.

Which of your own poems is your favorite and why?

Oh, this is a tough one! I have favorites in different categories. If we’re talking humorous, “The Spider” is my favorite. I understand some will not find the killing of insects to be a humorous topic, but I have a serious bug phobia, so perhaps I will be forgiven.

The Spider

There you were on my wall the other day,

It wasn’t easy for me, but I let you go on your way.

Soon you were out of sight, but not out of mind,

For I need to know where you are at all times.

I needn’t have worried,

Soon enough you were back.

And busily building a translucent track.

Can’t spare you again, you should’ve stayed gone.

But no, you had to come back and build a new home.

And now, Lord have mercy, I feel bad, it’s a sin,

But when it comes down to your home or mine—mine wins.

My favorite poem of poignancy is “Unjust Desserts.” And for a fun read, I would choose “Nashville-Rainbow Style,” because it tells the story of a most memorable vacation with a bunch of my musician friends. And finally I—

Helloooo, this is Zoe again. I mean, I love Emily, but she sure can go on and on sometimes. Here is a little ditty I wrote as the ending to my short story entitled “Zoe the Poet.” The publisher liked it so much, he insisted on including it in our book, and that’s why it’s my favorite.

Zoe the feline just checking in

To bring you a laugh, a tear, or a grin.

The stories I give you, they come from within,

Except when they come from without.

Please note: With that poem, I answered the question of poetry relevance, too … saying in four lines what Emily said in four paragraphs.

Why do you write poetry?

It’s a good question. You could just as well ask why do I write prose? Both art forms paint images with words, and I equate words with power. Power to evoke emotions both positive and negative, power to entertain. And that’s what poetry is all about.

I love words! And I love to have fun with them. So my love of the English language is why I write anything at all. It’s also a way to communicate with others, a way of expressing myself without censoring myself, which I tend to do in oral communications. That’s the short and sweet answer to this question. As Zoe so kindly pointed out, I can go on and on, so if this satisfies, that’s cool. But I will say a few things more for those who like to read on and on.

As previously mentioned, my first writings of so many moons ago consisted entirely of poetry. But the truth is, these days I don’t set out to write poetry. These days, my creative endeavors have centered on prose and painting instead. However, I do still dip my toes in the pools of poetry every so often. Because of my love for language, I make a concerted effort to take advantage of the various forms of writing tools, such as alliteration, which adds interest to a piece, especially when it’s subtle—when it slips easily into the ear the way an old, well-worn glove slides over one’s hand.

Some short stories and all songs are poetry. In the short story category, flash fiction comes to mind, and especially those restricted-word-count story challenges; those can be poetry of the highest order. In word-challenge stories, one must use language in a very efficient yet meaningful way. When every word has to count, the result is often a rhythmic cadence that shouts “I am poetry!” I wrote the following in response to a 79-word challenge story. I may be biased but, to my mind, it is nothing if not poetic.

Letting Go

No shame in letting go. The freedom of the fall was stronger than her sister’s hand. They were having a passionate discussion. A decade separated the sisters. Their differences, strengthened over every day of each of those years, became more apparent as the discussion threatened to explode. The younger sister stood firm against the fire of her older sister’s fears. She knew it came from love, as surely as she knew she would survive the freedom of letting go.

My early poems came from a place of typical teen-age angst, most often fairly short expressions of whatever was on my mind at the time. Looking back at some of those now… well, I won’t say I’m embarrassed, exactly; I never planned for anyone to read them. But I am, at the least, amused at having taken myself so seriously back then. This might be the first poem I ever wrote. Needless to say, Growing Old did not make it into my book!

Growing Old

My brain is numb,

My heart is cold.

I must be dead,

Or am I old?

Was I describing my youthful thoughts on senility, dementia, growing old in general? Most likely the latter—the concept of aging in general—but the former shows that I had no real sense or kind thoughts about what it meant to be old. Clearly, I was not going to age gracefully!

Many of us younger folks had some angst about our elders—you know, those folks over thirty years of age and considered part of the establishment. Everybody expressed it in their own way. One of my earlier poems relays how I envisioned our world if nuclear powers were to lose their senses. It’s too long to include in this interview (it’s in my book), but here’s a stanza that shows the basic theme of the poem:

The Future of the Child

“What shall I be, Dad, when I grow up?”

Looking toward the future, an eager young pup.

“Anything you want, Son,” you say with a smile.

And secretly pray for the future of the child.

So, that was then, when I set out to write poetry. And this is now when I don’t. “Soul Buddies” is one of those short, free-verse poems that gave birth to itself without any help from me.

Soul Buddies

I found you so easily, where I found you,

not because you are predictable,

but because you go where I go.

You are where I am.

Worlds apart in time, bound by soul.

And that is my long answer to your question, Robbie. And to anyone who has read this far, thank you!

Which poem by any other poet that you’ve read, do you relate to the most [please provide the poem or a link to the poem] and why?

So many speak to me that it’s hard to choose the one that speaks the loudest. The volume also seems to change depending on my mood at any given time. But, at the top of my list of poets are Kris Kristofferson and Gibran Khalil Gibran. You might think Kris and Khalil is a strange pairing, but when you read the lyrics written by Kris and the poems written by Khalil, you see that both write poetry that hits you in your heart. Poetry that makes you wonder how they knew your innermost feelings.

Shel Silverstein is another genius I admire. His body of work is relatable, his sense of humor is bound to give the reader a new perspective on this crazy little thing called life. A well-known author of children’s books and poetry collections, his poems appear funny and light-hearted, and they are. But most contain considerable substance, as well. I really love “Put Something In” simply because it’s a great message, and not just for children.

I relate to this one a lot, at least partly because it speaks to the artist I fancy is in there somewhere, and the child I pray is still in there somewhere.

Put Something In

Draw a crazy picture,
Write a nutty poem,
Sing a mumble-grumble song,
Whistle through your comb.
Do a loony-goony dance
‘Cross the kitchen floor,
Put something silly in the world
That ain’t been there before.

~ Shel Silverstein ~

But you asked which one poem I relate to the most. I would choose this one by Gibran Khalil Gibran, called “Do Not Love Half Lovers.” In this poem, Khalil takes two simple idioms we’ve probably all heard all our lives (Live life to the fullest and Do it well or not at all) and presents them in a poetic fashion that is brilliant. This piece is accessible and contains valuable advice, yet is so mundane that it cannot help but be universal. I feel as though he was in my head when he wrote it. Who hasn’t, at one time or another, found themselves exhibiting such negative or self-damaging behaviors? Who hasn’t, at one time or another, felt only half alive?

One might say this poem reminds them that life is too short to live it only halfway. Others might say life is too long.

Do Not Love Half Lovers

Do not love half lovers
Do not entertain half friends
Do not indulge in works of the half talented
Do not live half a life
and do not die a half death
If you choose silence, then be silent
When you speak, do so until you are finished
Do not silence yourself to say something
And do not speak to be silent
If you accept, then express it bluntly
Do not mask it
If you refuse then be clear about it
for an ambiguous refusal is but a weak acceptance
Do not accept half a solution
Do not believe half truths
Do not dream half a dream
Do not fantasize about half hopes
Half a drink will not quench your thirst
Half a meal will not satiate your hunger
Half the way will get you no where
Half an idea will bear you no results
Your other half is not the one you love
It is you in another time yet in the same space
It is you when you are not
Half a life is a life you didn’t live,
A word you have not said
A smile you postponed
A love you have not had
A friendship you did not know
To reach and not arrive
Work and not work
Attend only to be absent
What makes you a stranger to them closest to you
and they strangers to you
The half is a mere moment of inability
but you are able for you are not half a being
You are a whole that exists to live a life
not half a life

~ Gibran Khalil Gibran ~

********

Well, I think I better stop here, Robbie. Zoe and I thank you again for this opportunity to take part in such a fun feature!

Thank you, Emily and Zoe, for being such entertaining guests.

Happiness is a Warm Cat by Emily Gmitter and Zoe the Fabulous Feline

Blurb

In Happiness is a Warm Cat, author Emily Gmitter and her feline friend, Zoe, serve up a mixed genre of short stories and poems brimming with passion, love, and humor. The majority of the stories are told from the perspective of her cat, Zoe—a cool cat of perspicacity if ever there was one. Zoe’s stories will make you laugh, cry, and occasionally scratch your head in wonder, while Emily’s stories of fiction and nonfiction mingle humor with a sharp poignancy that you’ll find both heartwarming and entertaining.

My review

Happiness is a Warm Cat is a wonderfully unique book filled with experiences and adventures told through the eyes of Emily Gmitter’s fabulous cat, Zoe, as well as some beautifully written romantic and other fictional pieces and biographical stories about aspects of Emily’s life. There are also some lovely poems and several pictures of Emily’s artwork. All of the creations in this book are filled with vibrancy, colour, and passion.

The stories about Zoe and her adventures are fun filled and interesting. Zoe is typical of a cat and is filled with self importance and quite sure about her status as ‘top dog’. She does all manner of naughty things to ensure that Emily remembers her place in the family structure. Zoe is also big hearted and curious (aren’t all cats?) and likes to meet other animals, including Bella the dog and Burt the writing cat, Bella and Barre the Siamese twins, as well as spending time with her sister, Jaz. Zoe also gets to experience some pain and loss.

As a reader, I thought that experiencing daily life through the eyes of Zoe, was a wonderful way to make sense of everyday trials and tribulations and find the happiness in small things and moments.

A wonderful book for readers who appreciate experiencing the ordinary contentedness of life from a different perspective.

Purchase Happiness is a Warm Cat by Emily Gmitter and Zoe the Fabulous Feline

Amazon US

About Emily Gmitter

Emily lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. She loves to spend alone-time at the beach, fun-time singing at local karaoke clubs, and the rest of her time engaged in activities with family and friends … when she’s not reading, writing, or painting.