SOMETIMES...

..."sometimes the greatest secrets lie in the middle of things you can't quite explain..."   

Steven Spielberg, film director

SEEKING SOLACE....

SEEKING SOLACE

Oh, soft cradled bosom
Nature's secret womb
So fresh and cool
Among the golden maze
Beneath blue velvet eyes
And misty dew, she lies
Quenching her thirst
From morning rays
Escaping beyond
Harsh worlds of gray
Exploring the web
Of tangled dreams
Caressing the flute
Of sparrow's song
Shaping some hope
Within the seams
Peering through
Tender, naked toes
Seeking to soothe
What wrings her soul.


(c) 2011  Lora Mitchell

THE SINGER ~

THE SINGER - 

No matter -
Far beyond
Her prime
Overweight
Shaky, off-key
Open, vulnerable
Brave, proud
Standing on stage
Singing her song
Sweet and loud
What nerve
What ego
What guts
Yet here I sit
Fifth row center
Still in my prime
Comfortable, fit
Aching to do the same
But playing it safe.

(c) 2011  Lora Mitchell

I AM A WRITER ~

I am a writer
Who fills many pages with
Ink prints of my thoughts
Hoping that someday
You will read them
And recognize yourself.

(c) 2011  Lora Mitchell

ON FIFTH AVENUE...

ON FIFTH AVENUE

On Fifth Avenue today
I saw your face
Well, not really
There was a trace
The nose, the chin
The forehead curl
The unusual whiteness
To the skin
My gaze strong enough
To burn the day
But he saw me
And forced my look away
For a split second
I thought I had found
The missing piece
Torn away so long ago.
On Fifth Avenue today
I stroll the street alone
Melancholy and blue
Wonder what you would say
If you knew - like a fool
I still search for you.

(c) 2011  Lora Mitchell

WARM MEMORIES~

"Winter must be cold without warm memories."

From the film: An Affair to Remember

WRITING A MEMOIR ~

"An intractable phenomenon of writing a memoir is that you begin to miss some of the people you are writing about." 

John Irving

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

MERRY 2011 CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !!!

BEAR ANY GRIEF...

"WE CAN BEAR ANY GRIEF IF WE PUT IT IN A STORY."

Izak Dinesen

"PLEASURE WITHOUT  JOY  IS LIKE PASSION WITHOUT TENDERNESS."

Alan J. Lerner

MOTHER TERESA

"I am a little pencil in the hand of GOD who is sending a love letter to the world." 

 Mother Teresa

A SHORT NOTE......

Hello Everybody -  A short note:

  Today was supposed to be the "End of the World" but I'm still here. How about you?  Glad it didn't happen because I wanted to watch the Yankee vs Mets game and the Preakness.

Happy to report that I finally finished and submitted the (4) short stories which I wrote about in my last post. I will take a break from writing for a bit. When I resume, my next writing project will be a biggie and time-consuming.  In the meantime, this late-bloomer will continue practicing the piano/keyboard. I love the songs I've already learned and will keep building my repertoire. Also, lyrics are swirling around in my head, so eventually I would like to take a stab at setting something to music. 

Take care everybody.  :)

EDNA FERBER..

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"You can't rub up against the sharp edges of this world and expect to come out without a scratch or so."

                                               Edna Ferber

ALMOST SPRING

Hello everyone. Can't believe my last post was in January. That must mean I've been busy...right?  Right.  I finally completed my 3 short stories for the book titled: Treasured Memories (A collection of short stories). Due date hopefully by the end of 2011.  The titles are: The Shack on Chestnut Hill, Cartwheels and Peter Pan, Flyboys and Cupid. Now I begin working on a short story for a book titled: Cinderella's of 53rd Street. The deadline is in June so I have a few months to let it swirl around in my brain.

As mentioned in my January post, this "late bloomer" started teaching herself the piano based on Scott Houston's book "Play Piano in a Flash" (Play Your Favorite Songs Like a Pro-Whether You've Had Lessons or Not) and guess what? It works!! Scott's Fake Books are full of my favorite ballads and standards. Here's a sample of the ballads I've learned so far: Unchained Melody, Tears in Heaven, Amazing Grace, Love Me Tender, Sentimental Journey, It's a Wonderful World, Can't Help Falling in Love, Try to Remember, Love is Blue, Lennon's Imagine and Sting's Field of Gold. Now working on: First Time Ever I saw Your Face, Blue Moon, MoonRiver and The Way We Were. Come Sept., I'll start learning some Christmas tunes. Am I enjoying this new venture ... you bet! In fact, it's in my brain to write a song or two. I'm already working on an interesting lyric for a ballad.

Still reading of course. Just finished Bonhoeffer and in the middle of "Mao's Last Dancer."

I also have an unexpected roommate named Bambi. She's fuzzy, solid black with huge green eyes. My friend Jerry has been in the hospital and in rehab since last Sept., so I took her in and it looks like she's going to be permanent. So I have Jerry's piano and his cat. Lucky for me she likes my piano playing.

That's about it for now.  Hope you enjoyed this post. Will visit again when I have more news.

6-WORD MEMOIRS

I have two pieces in the book:

"6-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak" by SmithMag. 
Available on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.

Happy New Year !!!

Hello all:  I apologize for not posting sooner.  2010 was another wonderful year, however I did suffer a sudden kidney stone attack and had to walk around with a very uncomfortable stent for several weeks, until I found a fabulous "female" doctor. She went in and blasted the bugger. I don't wish the kidney stone pain on anyone...not even my worst enemies. Well....on second thought...  I've been reading of course and very busy writing. I will have 3 short stories in a book titled: Treasured Memories (a collection of short stories) .. due mid-summer, 2011. The 3 stories are titled: The Shack, Cartwheels and Peter Pan, Flyboys and Cupid.  Also, I will be teaching myself the piano. A dear friend gave me his beautiful stand up piano (free) because he no longer plays and another mutual friend is lending me his digital keyboard (with all the bells and whistles)...with headphones so I can practice without driving my neighbors batty...did I tell you I will be busy teaching myself. Isn't that a hoot? Not to perform, just for fun and friends especially since I lost my lyric soprano years ago after throat surgery. Friends tell me I can always use my lower register.  Well...we shall see. No promises however.  Signing off now. 

Wishing you all a year full of wonderful surprises, perfect health and abundant blessings. 

ROCKIN' CHAIR COWBOYS AND OTHER SHORT STORIES.

Rockin' Chair Cowboys and Other Short Stories is now available on Amazon.com. I have two shorts stories and a recipe in this delightful book and will be having a book-signing in NYC in October, 2010.

I will be donating (2) of my books; Rockin' Chair Cowboys and 6-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak during the annual B'dway Cares/Theatre Flea Market at Shubert Alley on Sept. 26th.

FIRST PRIZE FOR POEM

                                       ****

LOVE IN NEW YORK (Collection of love poems). Published by The Alternative Anthology, 1976. 

i won first prize for poem titled: GETTING TOGETHER. Edited by Don Wigal.  (Book is out-of-print)

FOUR SHORT STORIES

 

Four original short stories will be published in two separate books. The 1st book titled: ROCKIN' CHAIR COWBOYS, features 2 of my short stories and a Polish pastry recipe. It's a collection of poetry, short stories, memories, recipes, etc. It was published June 30, 2010 and will be available shortly on Amazon.com or ordered directly through me if you want it autographed.  The 2nd book titled: LOST IN THE FIFTIES. also features 2 of my short stories. It will be stories, memories, etc., about growing up in the FIFTIES. Publication date Spring, 2011.

DON'T TELL ME. SHOW ME.

~~~~~~~~~~ **** ~~~~~~~~~

"Don't tell me the moon is shining;
show me the glint of light on broken
glass."

- Anton Chekhov

SOMETHING TO SAY...

~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~
"You have something to say,
something to share with the world
or with the people close to you. Your
life is important, and your memories
document how you have changed
your corner of the universe."

- Goodman -Lang

THERE ARE TIMES...

~~~~~~~~~~~~ **** ~~~~~~~~~~~
"There are times when we must sink to the
bottom of our misery to understand the
truth, just as we must descend to the
bottom of a well to see the stars in
broad daylight."

- Vaclav Havel

WM. WORDSWORTH...

~~~~~~~~~~~ **** ~~~~~~~~~~

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart."

William Wordsworth

CHOOSE TO BECOME A STAR...

~~~~~~~~~~~ **** ~~~~~~~~~
"Never let the sun go down on your dreams,
unless you choose to become a star."

by
A. West

AARP MAGAZINE - 6-WORD MEMOIR

~~~~~~~ **** ~~~~~~

GREATEST THINGS IN LIFE
AREN'T THINGS!

6-Word Memoir
AARP Magazine
Published: Dec. 2009

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~
PEACE, 
    LOVE  and
          ABUNDANT BLESSINGS
                    TO EVERYONE!

IDEAS...

                             ****
Ideas vibrate, pulsing against each other...
and there are a thousand illuminations
coming day by day as the work progresses.

-- Carson McCullers

A REMINDER FOR TODAY.....

                               ****
It has taken us long, too long to come to terms
with our inward selves.We have had to face a
moral crisis for which we were scantily equipped.
But at last we have reached our conclusions and
are ready to act. We have come through.

--Carson McCullers, 1941

~~ TIME ~~

                          ****
Time will say nothing but I told you so.
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

by W. H. Auden

WINNING PRIZE -

                                                     *****
My winning prize was a 5 min. phone session with writing guru, Mike Geffner. I was honored to speak with him and our delightful chat went beyond the assigned time and lasted over 20 minutes.  Thank you for offering your wonderful advice and precious time, Mike.

BOOKS! WONDERFUL BOOKS!

                                           
"You're walking around in a bookstore and a certain one will jump out at you, like it moved there on its own, just to get your attention. Sometimes what's inside will change your life..."

- Sarah Allen

I WON !!!

                                        
Yay! I won! Mike Geffner's "Biggest Frustration" Contest: I have been chosen as one of 5 winners in Mike's "What's your  biggest frustration as a writer?" contest. What a lovely surprise. What a year this has been! Thanks, Mike.

MY BIRTHDAY !!

NOVEMBER 13TH -                                     

Thank you mom and dad for giving me precious LIFE~

LARRY MCMURTRY...

                           ***
"Reading fertilizes the writing..."
"Reading is the aquifer that drips, spongelike, into my fiction..."

~Larry McMurtry~

HEMINGWAY...

                           ***
"There is no friend as loyal as a book."

Ernest Hemingway

*** A KISS ***

                    ****
I placed a KISS in both my palms
And closed my fists tight
Then stepped outside and
Opened my hands to the wind
As it took flight toward a sky of blue
I prayed that one day you'll lift
Your face and that KISS 
Will find its way to you.

****
Copyright (c) 1994
Unicorn Anthology
L. Mitchell

SHAKESPEARE...

                                    ***
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.

- William Shakespeare

DAD'S ROOM

DAD'S ROOM

Foreboding, heavy
footsteps, one
bulb dingy white.
Then the darkness,
the pungent
stagnant room.
On the closet door
a jacket, old
shoes, the gloom.

A Vicks jar,
aspirin, curtains
drawn apart.
Sealed, sick smell
that lingers on
My anchored heart.


by Lora Mitchell


Copyright (c) 1980
New Life Publishers

EMERSON quote...

Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

.....THE TRACKS WE LEAVE...

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.

- Native American Proverb