Tag Archives: Poetry
Excerpt From Author Jim Scott’s Travel Poetry & Writings
Slake Your Thirst on this Satisfying Sample…
An Excerpt of Jim Scott’s poetry typical of his style that incorporates the essence of the Wanderings and Sojourns series.
—
Tomorrow’s Past Life
There was once a time when my life was filled with living;
Adventure and excitement scattered all across this earth.
I was in my prime, with so much just ripe for giving.
To wander seemed the reason for my birth.
But now my life has changed, I seldom travel fifty mile.
Adventure’s turned to mortgage. Mine’s a sedentary style.
My freedom’s now an office, distant romance an ex-wife.
I have to find the path that leads me on to my old life
So that just once more I can sail the endless ocean,
Or track the old bull wildebeest, and dive amongst the whales.
Watch the condors soar. Change my plans on any notion
To seek of lands heard in a stranger’s tales.
Is that so very much to ask? I’ve known it so before.
The hunger and the plenty, forest snow and desert shore.
The laughter and the loneliness, the passions and the pain.
But still there’s lands I didn’t see, and those I’d see again
If I found a way to undo these chains that bind me,
Not harming those I love nor running from the debts I owe.
I should leave today! Going where no one could find me,
Not caring what I’d seek or where I’d go.
But that’s now how my dreams are made; awake I see the truth:
The bank, the schools the eight to five, so absent from my youth,
Now plot against my wanderlust, my yearning for the road
To hide the path I’m seeking that I once so freely strode.
But there’ll come a time when the house is bought and paid for,
The kid’s are all through college and the pension’s guaranteed.
Then I’ll start to climb back toward the life I’m made for;
My chains released, my spirit once more freed.
Though twenty years may lie between this moment and that day,
It waits on the horizon as a cairn which points the way.
A monument to travellers; emancipation’s prize!
A mark to set my compass bearing steady in my eyes
So that I can see that my life is far from finished.
And some day I will live again adventures yet untold.
Where the wind and me, with a passion undiminished,
Will find that younger life I knew of old.
Copyright © Jim Scott 2008
Don’t miss hearing Jim read at the JUzDIzRTS Author Event at Archtop Cafe in Bolton this Saturday November 8th starting at 2pm!
Excerpt from Poet Joanna Gale’s book – Grains of the Olivewood
Ebb and Flow with Fever and Fervor
An excerpt from poet Joanna Gale’s book Grains of the Olivewood:
DETOUR
This is a detour I must take,
a crossing forced upon me.
Random thoughts bob like boats
in a carnival game popped off by
the next sharp shooter.
A cup of tea tastes like another
reminder of my father — something
good always tasted like another.
Food stuffs me. My eyes are heavy.
I ache to write the designs I lean into
like well-crafted books. Instead
I stumble slipshod around words
in short-cut sentences sagging
like steps on a rung-ladder bridge
about to fall into the reality
i’s dot and t’s cross
closer than I want.
* * *
Be sure to stop by Archtop Cafe in Bolton to hear Joanna read at the JUZDIZRTS Author Event this Saturday November 8th, starting at 2pm.
The Fall 2014 Author Event Flyer
Travel Author & Poet Jim Scott
Travel author, Poet & Short Story Writer Jim Scott has joined the JUZDIZRTS Fall 2014 Author Event!
Born in England, raised on the banks of a river in the Sussex countryside, Jim Scott from a young age developed strong spiritual connections with the natural realm. He wasn’t to understand this until much later in life when this realization explained the somewhat unique atavistic philosophies that evolved from his extensive travels and often ran against the grain of mainstream thinking.
Mostly working and often living in close proximity with nature he developed a profound respect for the balance of how life is lived according to the planet’s natural wisdom. This is represented in his writing where he is not shy to criticize what he considers the synthetic, artificial worlds of cities, industry and reliance upon financial success, while advocating environmental causes, bucolic lifestyles and indigenous groups who yet follow the Old Ways of natural balance. Such views, backed by extensive and diverse experience within many realms of human existence coupled with a keen interest in the written word created the perfect opportunity to express what he has seen and believes within his many fascinating stories, poems and essays. The list of countries to which Jim has wandered is long: Morocco, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, Peru, Gibraltar, India, Antigua, South Africa, Portugal, and many, many more where his sojourns were lengthy enough for adventures to be lived and insightful philosophies developed from them. It is from such experiences among such disparate cultures, landscapes, politics and economies that the stories and verses in his books were forged.
A single father of three, Jim now lives in Canada and spends as much time as he can in the British Virgin Islands where two of his children were born and where, out of all the places to which he has wandered and in which he has sojourned, he
feels most at home.
On Five Continents and Three Oceans
Jim has chosen two pieces for this event. One is a very short and surprisingly true and amusing story written in a medium that is not often used for such from the soon to be published “On Tropical Islands and Sparkling Seas.”
This book is a continuance of the popular book one in the Wanderings and Sojourns series, “On Five Continents and Three Oceans.” Both books comprise collections of true short stories from his extensive and often wayward travels coupled with selected poems often inspired by rather unusual experiences and the somewhat unique life-vision he has developed as a result.
The second is one of the poems which relates to aspects of that life-vision which will hopefully get the listener to at least think about its message, although I do not necessarily ask that they agree.
“JUzDIzRTS is a terrific concept providing up and coming local authors a venue for reaching segments of their market they otherwise may not have the opportunity to touch. It ties in well with the “book room” concept of the coffee house forming a natural bridge between readers and writers allowing them to interface and learn each other’s perspectives. Not just a means for authors to promote their work, the setting and schedule encourages the artists and the audience to converse with and inspire each other in a two way energy flow that is often lacking at other reading venues. As a writer I am very grateful to the organizers for this interesting experiment and plan to support its continuance in any way I can.” – Jim Scott
Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Wanderings-and-Sojourns/209257989178793
Book Sales site www.wanderingsandsojourns.com
Website www.caridiangroup.com
Twitter @tortolajim
Today’s Author Event
A Successful Day Shared
Today’s JUZDIZRTS Author Event went forward with only one hiccup – the lovely poet Joanna Gale was unable to attend at the last minute due to a terrible migraine – we wish her the best and hope she is feeling better now.
With 8 remaining authors we had a full house to read to! Not including the star line-up we had 30 guests filling the seats at On The Bean coffee shop.
The readings were well paced and could be heard by all as our sound system worked without any glitches this year 😉
The local newspaper Snapped Aurora stopped by during our event to take some photos and talk to the authors.
I would like to thank everyone for their fantastic support and the beautiful gift presented to me, from my wonderful authors, toward the end of our readings.
Thank you all,
M.J.
JUZDIZRTS 