I am
not who you think I am
not who you expect me to be
not who you want me to be —
I am not defined by you

I am
not designed in your words, your deeds
not created by the presence or absence of you
not born in opposition to you
I am not defined by you

I am
uncounted pieces melding to form one
implying imprecision, defying definition
nothing less, nothing more than
I am

I wrote this poem in response to the following challenge:

It had gotten
seriously out of hand —

The smooth surface of the air
throbbed. Its shine
and fire had died, breath held
to feed the winter.

It was coming
as sure as their seed —

The wind like a gunshot
of order, like the impossible
children conceived through
their hunger…

October 25, 2012

I lose hope that my calls to Brighid are heard — better that than the alternative, that she hears but ignores me. Why she of the home and the hearth still does not light my womb, despite all my offerings and prayers, I cannot imagine. …

If you’re in the mood for love, have we got a treat for you! (And if you hate this example of consumerism at it’s baldest, now’s your chance to fight back.)

The Serenade project kicked off last week, seeking your ideas of what love might sound like…in words and music…

My head held high, my eyes turned low
I take my time ’cos I don’t know you
Or what this means, or who we are
Or how each small step can feel so far

Ten steps closer to you
Ten steps away from everything I knew
And I feel so scared to…

I promise:

• You won’t be the only one who submits a song to Chalkboard’s Serenade.
• You won’t be the only one who submits a spoken word piece, either.
• It doesn’t have to be polished.
• It doesn’t have to be fancy.

It might still feel scary to submit your piece, but I guarantee you the experience of writing a lyrical piece that’s set to music is well worth stepping outside your comfort zone.

And just to get you started, in the spirit of vulnerability and trust, here’s one I prepared earlier:

(You can also use this as a template to check you’ve provided appropriate licensing information.)

I want your smile
I want your touch
I want your time
I want your love

One, two, I want you
Three, four, give me more
Five, six, I need my fix
Seven, eight, I can’t wait

I want your lips upon my own
I want my skin to be your…

Call for submissions — new deadline February 21st

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you’re probably getting bombarded with images of how romance should look (red), feel (warm), smell (like roses), taste (chocolate, champagne)…but how does it sound?

Let’s find out!

Spoken word or song

You don’t need to be a composer for this one. In the true spirit of Chalkboard…