For many of us, some of our most memorable times revolve around the fall/winter holidays (Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and New Year’s). We want to hear all about your holiday memories in poetry or prose. If available, please send a photo of yourself at any age taken during the holidays.

PROMPT: Tell us your holiday recollections in a poem (any reasonable length) or prose piece (300 words or fewer).

WHAT: Submissions can be original or previously published poems or prose. You retain all rights to your work and give Silver Birch Press permission to publish on social media and in a potential print edition.

WHEN: We’ll feature the poems and prose in the Silver Birch Press ME, DURING THE HOLIDAYS Series on our blog starting in late November or early December (actual dates to be determined, based on number of submissions). We’ll also feature on Twitterand Facebook.

HOW TO…

Part One of our Midwinter Special 2015 e-issue is now live!

Featuring poetry and flash fiction by: Dennis Trujillo, Sarah Ann Winn, Rebecca Gethin, RMJ Graham, Monica Shah, Caroline Hardaker, Helen May Williams, Carole Bromley, Nate Maxson, Danielle Matthews, Mary Franklin, Kim Malinowski, Erin Lale, Rhiannon Thorne, Cindy Rinne, Irene Buckler, Charles Lauder Jr, Amy Kinsman, Joanne Key, Rona Fitzgerald, Shyla Fairfax-Owen, Matthew Laing, Susan Taylor, C.R. Hodges, Andrea Touhig, T.J. O’Hare, Sarah Doyle, & Shannon Connor Winward.

Le Lièvre de la Lune

‘Twas the night of full moon which was creamy and round,
four friends hatched a plot, offering food they had found,
to the venerable monks transcendent to bliss,
and providing them alms, so no merit they’d miss.

First went the otter down to the banks,
finding several dead fish that were old and smelled rank,
he collected the fish and enquired with glee,
“Are these anyone’s fish? No? Now they belong to me!”

Next came the Jackal quite sleek, strong, and sly,
he snook in a house where he did espy,
an old yoghurt pot, and his luck was abound ,
‘cause there in the corner a dead gecko he found.

He sniffed at the air and whispered with care,
“Are these vitals yours? Is anyone there?”
Then quick on his foot, he picked up the pot,
stuffed the gecko inside it, and off he…

Ever imagine yourself as a character in a book, movie, or mythic tale (or would you like to do so)?  We want to hear all about your fictional musings in poetry or prose, where you appear as a character in an established work of fiction. (You would be, say, Oliver Twist or Emma Bovary, or you could create a new character that appears in the story.)  If available, please send a photo of yourself at any age to accompany your submission.

PROMPT: Tell us how you see yourself in an established work of fiction in a poem (any reasonable length) or prose piece (300 words or fewer).

WHAT: Submissions can be original or previously published poems or prose. You retain all rights to your work and give Silver Birch Press permission to publish on social media and in a potential print edition.

WHEN: We’ll feature the poems and prose in…

I’m hiding in the shadows,

it’s where I long to be,

drifting into dreamscapes,

singing sad soliloquies.

I have my other life, you see?

I’ve lived it since a child;

It’s not quite real – that I know,

but I’ve lived it for a while.

The daytime is the hardest,

a cruel life chased by death;

but night time is so easy,

sleep brings immortal breath.

What’s real, what’s not?

Well who’s to say?

Each one its own delusion,

by night the moon –

by day the sun –

each life is an illusion.

Shadows play upon my mind,

ghosts welcome setting sun;

silhouettes of dreams gone by

half-lives, loves-lived, undone.

So let me go, and leave me be,

to live each night anew.

I’ll sing my sweet soliloquies,

while dreams bring me to you.

© Silhouettes and Soliloquies 2012

By Alexandra Carr-Malcolm

The Eerie Cold (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hi!

It has been a whirlwind week with the release of my second anthology, ‘Counting Magpies’. I was totally delighted and stunned when it made it as high as number 3 in the Amazon Kindle poetry listings!!

If you like edgy poetry along the theme of superstition and the darker side of life, why not grab yourself a copy for the weekend. Reasonably priced at £1.99 – for the price of a Happy Meal you can indulge in a bit of culture.

Have a great weekend!!

Alex 🙂