Slaughter House Rules and Timeless Poetry!

Before returning to poetry, I ask that you check out my interview at the Slaughter House with International Novelist, Richard Godwin. It was a fun interview.

http://www.richardgodwin.net/author-interviews-extensive/chin-wag-at-the-slaughterhouse-interview-with-denise-baer

I need to fill three poetry days, so I’m borrowing from a few classical greats. The poems I picked are from poets I wasn't too familiar with until now.

Charles Bukowski was born Heinrich Karl Bukowski in Andernach, Germany; his mother, a German native and his father, an American serviceman. After financial issues in Germany, the family moved to America, first making a home in Baltimore, Maryland and then settling in South Central Los Angeles. Time Magazine called him a "laureate of American lowlife.”

 

German by Charles Bukowski 

being the German kid in the 20's in Los Angeles
was difficult.
there was much anti-German feeling then,
a carry-over from World War 1.
gangs of kids chased me through the neighborhood
yelling, 'Hieneie! Hieneie! Hienie!'
they never caught me.
I was like a cat.
I knew all the paths through brush and alleys.
I scaled 6-foot back fences in a flash and was off through
backyards and around blocks
and onto garage roofs and other hiding places.
then too, they didn't really want to catch me.
they were afraid I might bayonet them
or gouge out their eyes.

this went on for about 18 months
then all of a sudden it seemed to stop.
I was more or less accepted(but never really)
which was all right with me.
those sons-of-bitches were Americans,
they and their parents had been born here.
they had names like Jones and Sullivan and
Baker.
they were pale and often fat with runny
noses and big belt buckles.
I decided never to become an American.
my hero was Baron Manfred von Richthofen
the German air ace;
he'd shot down 80 of their best
and there was nothing they could do about
that now.
their parents didn't like my parents
(I didn't either) and
I decided when I got big I'd go live in some place
like Iceland,
never open my door to anybody and live on my
luck, live with a beautiful wife and a bunch of wild
animals:
which is, more or less, what
happened

Khalil Gibran, born Gubran Khalil Gubran, was born to a Maronite Catholic family in Bsharri in northern Lebanon. They struggled with poverty, so he didn’t receive formal schooling in his younger years. After his father's imprisonment for embezzlement, they moved to the United States, settling in Boston. A school mistake changed his name to Kahlil Gibran. He is the third best-selling poet, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu.

The Wise Dog by Khalil Gibran 

One day there passed by a company of cats a wise dog.

And as he came near and saw that they were very intent and heeded
him not, he stopped.

Then there arose in the midst of the company a large, grave cat and
looked upon them and said, 'Brethren, pray ye; and when ye have
prayed again and yet again, nothing doubting, verily then it shall
rain mice.'

And when the dog heard this he laughed in his heart and turned from
them saying, 'O blind and foolish cats, has it not been written and
have I not known and my fathers before me, that that which raineth
for prayer and faith and supplication is not mice but bones.'

Dylan Marlais Thomas was born in Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales. His father was an English Master who taught English Literature and his mother a seamstress. Too sickly to fight in World War II, he wrote scripts for the government. In 1941, the Germans bombed Swansea and left a shell of a town. He came to New York to participate in a performance of Under Milk Wood, and died soon after from a combination of bronchitis and alcohol. In America, his resonant voice with Welsh accent made him famous along with his works.

 

Interview and Poetry,

Bea

Guest Appearance!

Hello my fellow bloggers, readers, writers and all you fabulous followers. I did a guest appearance on Jeri Walker-Bickett’s blog, JeriWB: What do I know? Come on over and check it out!

Interviews and Freebies,

Bea

Stay Out of the Locker Room!

I’m a huge football fan; unfortunately it’s difficult to admit that after the emBEARassing way the Chicago Bears played yesterday. The touchdown belonged to the Detroit Lions whether the referees interpreted the rule correctly or not, common sense should come into play. Sports rules are to provide order throughout the organization and keep things fair. It’s at the discretion of the referee as to whether a player is penalized by a rule written to help in rulings. Johnson had a completed catch, and therefore, Detroit Lions in truth won the game. Winning on a poor judgment call doesn’t sit well with me. I feel dirty. The Chicago Bears played horribly, defense and offense, and the calls made on the sidelines a disgrace. After this season, the Bears organization better not renew Lovie Smith’s contract. We need a coach who knows what he’s doing, instead of being fed information and one who has emotion. Lovie’s bland coaching style is how the team plays--bland. Chicago is of substance, so show it!

Now that I’ve given my personal journalistic view on yesterday’s game, I come to another issue regarding women sport’s journalists. This comes from the story regarding the Mexican TV network reporter who felt uncomfortable in the Jets locker room. Let me tell you something ladies, you can be journalists but you have NO BUSINESS IN THE MEN’S LOCKER ROOM! As Ines Sainz tweeted, “"I feel very uncomfortable! I'm at the lockers of the Jets waiting for Mark Sanchez while trying not to look anywhere!!" If you have to avoid looking in certain directions, then that’s a sign you shouldn’t be there.

There is NO WAY a male journalist would be allowed in a woman’s locker room, so why is it all right for a woman journalist to be in a men’s locker room? Why create a situation that can leave the woman, or the men opened to controversy? There are situations where men do harass women, but sadly nowadays some women falsely accuse men. Being a woman, I wouldn’t want to be in a vulnerable environment. Women need to stop pushing the threshold and use common sense. I’m not condoning men’s harassing actions, but why be there in the first place. If you want to be a sports journalist, then wait until they come out of the locker rooms to have an interview.

What’s your opinion about the game, locker room, or both?

Jakie's Interview!

For anonymity sake, I’ve decided not to ask some questions and allow Jakie to choose to answer those he felt comfortable answering.

We took a stroll down this bridge while I interviewed him. Just kidding. It was a virtual stroll, but a girl can dream. Before starting the interview I just want to welcome Jakie and thank him for participating in the interview.

Bea: Hello, Jakie. Welcome to my blog. Could you tell us how you heard about my blog?

Jakie: Hello, Bea. Thank you for giving me the pleasure of this interview. I was told about your blog by a young, aspiring writer from Chicago. She told me it was new and quite interesting, so I checked and got hooked.

Bea: Well thank that young, aspiring writer from Chicago for me. I appreciate her sending a reader my way.

Bea: Do you have a favorite genre?
Jakie: *blushes* um.... that's SciFi to be totally honest. But NOT the crappy stuff, I swear! When I read I very often do it because I want to be entertained, and SciFi takes me to distant worlds and times with problems that are so distant that they don't really concern me ;)
Bea: Some of my writer friends write SciFi, so I'll refer some books to you. :D
Jakie: That would be nice, Bea. I'd really appreciate that.

Bea: Is there a particular poem I've posted on my blog that you really liked?
Jakie: The poem we wrote together: 'Distant Exploration'
Bea: That was fun to write and it was my first collaboration poem.
Jakie: It was first my poem ever. And when I said I was faced with a challenge each time your sent me your new additions I really meant it.

Bea: What is your favorite color?
Jakie: Blue
Bea: I think that's the favored color amongst most men.
Jakie: I kind of had that impression too, now that you mention it ;)

Bea: You're one of my shy blog readers in the sense that you don't post much. Are you shy in real life?
Jakie: Yes, kind of. I don't post many comments on your blog because I very often think too long about what to post, and by the time I've made up my mind you've already made another entry....
Bea: LOL! I know how that is but I love hearing from my blog readers whether it's on a recent post or an older one. To me, all my posts are important just like my blog readers. ;)
Jakie: um... I was afraid you might say that, Bea. And really, there is no excuse. I promise I'll do better, especially now after winning your quiz. *blushes*
Bea: Aw, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just wanted you to know that old or new, I'd love to hear from all my blog readers if you have the time.
Jakie: I know that, and that is why I do feel guilty. You write so much for us, spend so much time on what you post, and I do enjoy dropping by to read what you have to say. Your poetry always produces a smile on my face or makes me think. In that sense you do deserve appreciation and a simple way to show it and to thank you is by commenting on it.

Bea: You're very kind. Thank you.
Jakie: You're very welcome.

Bea: Is there a movie you’d watch over and over again?
Jakie: No, not really, but I do love to watch old movies with James Stewart no matter how often I’ve already seen them.
Bea: One of my favorite movies is "It's a Wonderful Life," so I can understand you liking Jimmy Stewart.

Bea: What's the first thing you notice in a person of the opposite sex?
Jakie: The eyes! They tell so much about a person's character, and I'd like to make sure I don't get hit before I approach her ;)
Bea: I do too! They are the portals to the soul.

Bea: Describe your perfect date?
Jakie: *eyes get dreamy* The perfect date starts with a long and memorable dinner in the late afternoon of a warm summer's day, followed by a short walk through the park, then some cuddling on a blanket under the trees. To round it up, some fireworks would be nice after dark.
Bea: I have to admit that sounds like a nice romantic date.
Jakie: And it's not really exhausting, so you should still have some energy left when you get home ;)

Bea: You’ve been one of my long time blog readers. Could you explain or describe what you like about my blog that keeps you coming back?
Jakie: That’s simple. I like the quality, the variety and the honesty of your posts.
Bea: *smiles* I knew I liked you. I'm going to have to celebrate with that response.
Jakie: Hey! Please don't stop blogging now only because you've achieved what you wanted to!

Bea: What did you want to be when you grew up?
Jakie: I wanted to be a photographer. I went everywhere with my camera, driving everybody nuts. I even had a dark room in the basement of my parent’s house where I developed the films and pictures myself.
Bea: WOW! You are talented. I wouldn't know where to begin to develop my own film.
Jakie: LOL! Especially in the dark that can be kind of tricky.

Bea: What is your favorite word?
Jakie: hmmm….I could declare one now and pretend I have one, or just admit that I don’t have any quality relationship with any word.
Bea: Sometimes the love of many things makes picking one difficult.
Jakie: Yeah, like ice cream flavors....

Bea: What is your zodiac sign?
Jakie: I’m a Libra

Bea: Do you look younger or older than your age?
Jakie: Some people say I do look younger, but none of them have seen me early in the morning.
Bea: Yes the joys of looking like a 'cereal breath.' I mean, I'm talking about me, not you. :)

Bea: Are you a morning or night person?
Jakie: I am an involuntary early morning riser, but I am definitely a night person.

Bea: What is the best compliment you’ve received?
Jakie: hmm…that somebody has taken me on as a role model and is trying to be more like me. Although….I find that idea kind of frightening ;)
Bea: That is a great compliment! I don't think anyone has ever wanted to be more like me. Then again, this world doesn't need two of me.
Jakie: That's exactly what I thought...not about you though ;)

Bea: Tell us about your ideal vacation.
Jakie: my ideal vacation would never end ….
Bea: Oh yes, that's why I play the Mega Millions weekly.
Jakie: You do

Bea: Could you please explain an important life lesson you learned?
Jakie: Don’t spoil the joy you can have today by moaning about things you do not have. I learned that when someone, who is very dear to me, fought for her life over weeks in intensive care.
Bea: I'm sorry to hear that and hope she won the battle.
Jakie: It was a close call, but she was very strong and brave and she made it.

Bea: What couldn’t you live without and why?
Jakie: I couldn’t live without reading. I love reading and on days I can’t find the time to do so I miss it.
Bea: I'm with you about reading, but there are some extended periods where I have a hard time getting into the reading mode.
Jakie: Usually I read every day, at least for half an hour. Of course there are exceptions, which sometimes have a tendency to become the rule. But I usually have no problem getting back into the habit when I find the time.

Bea: If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Jakie:I guess it would have to be James Stewart, to chat with him about some of his movies.

Bea: Is there anything you regret in your life and if so, why?

Jakie: Over the course of the years I accumulated a lot of things that I regret. I will publish the list separately…..hmmm seriously, yes, of course there are, but even the things I regret shaped me to be the person I am now, and I’m not really discontent with who I am, so it’s probably no good to think about those too much. I just try to make sure I don’t repeat doing things I already regretted once.
Bea: Sound advice.

Bea: If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be and why?
Jakie: Same answer as above, for the same reason ;)

Bea: Who is your favorite writer?
Jakie: Bea Sempere of course, but as long as she’s not published I also love books by Peter F. Hamilton.
Bea: *blushes* I'm under pressure now. My next novel better be SciFi.
Jakie: LOL! Naw, write what you feel comfortable with, like you always do. That's when you are at your peak!

Again, I want to thank Jakie for his time and participation. Hope you all enjoyed the interview. Have a great weekend!