Palm Beach Poetry Festival Acceptance

I am thrilled and honored to be accepted to attend the 14th Annual Palm Beach Poetry Festival in Delray Beach as a workshop participant January 15-20. I will be in Sound, Syntax, Stanza, Magic, Nuts and Bolts for six days led by Beth Ann Fennelly, Poet Laureate of Mississippi and poetry professor at the University of Mississippi.

This intensive, interactive workshop will combine craft classes with generative prompts, in-class writing, and workshopping. Our goal will be to leave our time together with four new drafts, one of which will be workshopped, and four poems written prior to the festival being brought to the table. When not in class, there will be opportunities to attend a variety of events including poetry readings that are open to the public.

This week I am preparing for the workshop by selecting four poems that I have written and making copies for class participants. Although not required, I have read several books by Beth Ann Fennelly. I am looking forward to meeting our leader and the twelve workshop participants as well as enjoying a mini vacation in historic downtown Delray Beach!

Blessings!

 

Cat Haiku

Rose in Camouflage

Fall foliage ablaze
Calico cat camouflage
Oak leaf feather bed

 

 

Photo and Poem by Linda A. Mohr
Originally Published in Fall laJoie 2016

Blessings!
Linda

Adopt Black Cats Poem

Those Luminous Eyes

 

Adopt Black Cats
By Linda A. Mohr

All black cats deserve
Endless favorable guardians

Hated, idolized, jinxed, killed
Loving, mysterious

Now overlooked pets
Query rescue shelters today

Unlucky
Vocalize worthiness

XOXO
Yearlong zeal

 

Family Portrait

 

All images © Bernadette E. Kazmarski on The Creative Cat

To view more black cats or see the multiple takes of Family Portrait to get this “all eyes on camera” shot,  visit this link

Bernadette has been a professional commercial artist and graphic designer for 35 years. She has rescued and fostered cats for three decades. Her muses (as pictured above) are an incredible family of five black cats she rescued from a neglectful neighbor. Meet Mewesette, Mr. Sunshine, Giuseppe, Jelly Bean and Mimi.

From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, The Creative Cat offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats. From catchy and creative headlines to factual articles and fictional stories, The Creative Cat provides constant entertainment and important information to people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

Please take a few moments to visit Bernadette’s site. I promise you will be in awe with her beautiful work.

Blessings!
Linda

 

Cat Haiku

On one of my farm vacations, I watched Boots explore a hay field during mid morning. He was hunting for field mice, playing with the other kitties and poking around at the bottom of a hay bale. All of a sudden he leaped on top of it. I was fortunate to snap this action shot. I never knew what captured his attention. Later I created a haiku and discovered the joy of a photograph prompt.

Hang on Boots

Morning mission hunt

Prowling cat in alfalfa—

Hay bale distraction

Photograph and poem originally published in “Summer laJoie 2016”

Blessings!

National Poetry Month

In celebration of National Poetry Month, today’s feature “Morning Visitor” is a cat poem I wrote after my beloved Lexie Lee’s passing in 2014. She was a feral who found her way to my home in 2004. She bravely survived hurricanes and fought lymphoma.

Morning Visitor

Unexplained lightness on bed
One week after your passing
Spot where you use to snuggle.

Did you return to your beloved home?
Is this the sign I asked you to send?
A sign that you are safe.

My life is so different without you
My life is so rich because of you
Ten years my fur baby, my muse.

Unexplained lightness on bed again
Ten days after your passing
I whisper Lexie Lee.

I turn over to look at you
Lightness is gone in an instant
But you are forever safe in my heart.

My welcome home greeter
My napping buddy and lap kitty
My kindred spirit.

“Morning Visitor” ©2014 Linda A. Mohr

This poem won Cat Writers’ Association Muse Medallion in Poetry category in 2016.

Lexie Lee

Blessings!