and the sky, she cries thunder

On audio here

i've been thrown away
again

do you realize i told you
this would happen

you smiled and laughed
said there's no possible way
as you stared at me,
staring at you,
lovingly

and you liked that

and i smiled back
knowing the truth
yet to pass

my chest
full
my heart
pounding
trying not to

cry

i smiled

because you needed me to be strong
and i was a pillar
like now
spitting out bits of blood and bone meal marrow
seeping
from the tips of fingers
that writes words
beautiful
like you

but you threw me away
like some second hand thrift shop used shoes
human
being
with
a
heart

and you are not the first
you are one of many

and it has taken me a long time
to accept this absurd existence
i seem to keep choosing for myself

for it is not your fault
nor mine

but you threw me away

Dear God, there must be some greater good
to the muttering thoughts
that do not belong to me
they tell the truth
i push them away
in denial
that i am
thrown
away
again

i kneel under this dank dark grey winter skyline
hovering upon the Eastern shore
palms raised
lined, in supplication
oh, these hands of mine
writing words such as this
to deaf ears
to blind eyes
to uncaring hearts
to the bleeding mouths of those who suffer

but this is not the first time
nor the last

for i rise
like the sun
and rise
like constellations
and rise
like mountains echoing time
after time
that the sky
is
crying
thunder
again

i rise
because
i am love
i rise
because
i am free
i rise
because i am
different

you see
you once saw
like the others
we are
exactly the same
yet different
you see
you do not
see
we are
the same
yet different
because i

have
risen



© Susan Marie

you are like the sun, shining

On audio here

you are like the sun
shining
on a day
grey
bleak and dank

like when the cold rain
settles deep within your
bones
and city smog clogs your lungs

you are like the
sun shining on such days
while driving

a bird flutters by
with the flowers budding through
springtime's forever battle
with time

and you
the sun
shining

your energy is
Mother - Father nature
combined

and the clouds
gather in cirrus wonder
trying to block you
from reaching the
Earth

but
you
are
shining

like a stone tossed and turned
flipped over three times
skipped across a pond
ending on the bank of a river
turned upward
neck craned
feet planted
in dirt and silt
a part of history
of time long past
yet here and now
you are
the sun

shining
brightly

like

gold


© Susan Marie

Wheels of Transformation at The C.G. Jung Center

First published: 

Buffalo Rising

Just Buffalo Literary Center

WGRZ Channel 2 NBC

Poets & Writers.Org

The C.G. Jung Center

Buffalo Spree
Buffalo Place
Buffalo The Social Cities
The Buffalo News 
Artvoice

On Friday, February 21st, 2014, from 7:30-9:30pm at The Analytical Psychology Society of Western New York [The C.C. Jung Center 408 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY 14202], Western New York poets cordially invite you to experience readings from a forthcoming poetry anthology titled, "A Celebration of  WNY Poets."

The volume, edited by Patricia Tansey and published through White Buffalo Publications, includes logo design created by Michael Morgulia of New Buffalo Graphics. The logo symbolizes a time of peace and renewal in Native American culture in order to bring light into the world through poetry. 

Most of the anthology is a representation of how words, images, and metaphors of poetry contribute to a transforming of consciousness and experience, and lead to personal and collective discovery.

Carl Jung stated in an essay, On the Relation of Analytical Psychology to Poetry,  ". . . the special significance of a true work of art resides in the fact that it has escaped from the limitations of the personal and has soared beyond the personal concerns of its creator . . . One might almost describe it [art] as a living being that uses man only as a nutrient medium, employing his capacities according to its own laws and shaping itself to the fulfillment of its own creative purpose."

The C.C. Jung Center is the first location chosen for a poetry and pre-launch event because some, yet not all of the writing embodies the creative process, dream states, archetypes and the collective unconscious. The anthology will be nationally released, focusing on the history and significance of the Western New York literary scene including insights into the uniqueness of the individual poets who have submitted.

The poets who will be reading on the 21st include: Ann Goldsmith, Karen Lee Lewis, Celeste Lawson, Susan Marie, Gunilla Kester, Kathy Tussing, Jane Sadowsk and Geoffrey Gatza.  Samples from the book, such as the authors' segment, the preface, and table of contents will be available, as well as a mailing list for those interested in purchasing the volume. 

The event is free, with various refreshments and donations are appreciated, yet not required.

On Facebook
 
The website for White Buffalo Publications will be online shortly.

In the words of Jung himself, "The creative process, so far as we are able to follow it at all, consists in the unconscious activation of an archetypal image, and in elaborating and shaping this image into the finished work. By giving it shape, the artist translates it into the language of the present, and so makes it possible for us to find our way back to the deepest springs of life. Therein lies the social significance of art: it is constantly at work educating the spirit of the age, conjuring up the forms in which the age is most lacking. The unsatisfied yearning of the artist reaches back to the primordial image in the unconscious which is best fitted to compensate the inadequacy and one- sidedness of the present. The artist seizes on this image, and in raising it from deepest unconsciousness he brings it into relation with conscious values, thereby transforming it until it can be accepted by the minds of his contemporaries according to their powers."

The poetry readings, as well as The Center, will be recorded, edited, promoted and archived by Susan Marie.

Please join us for a stellar event with respected and accomplished writers and editors at The Analytical Psychology Society of Western NY to study and share the work of C.G. Jung and related contemporary thought.

For more information:

Patricia Tansey, Editor

EMAIL

Jan Beurskens

The Analytical Psychology Society of Western NY
716-854-7457 

EMAIL

I Call You Self

 

 

 On Audio HERE

I call you self

mirrored in an iris
solitary drops
of tears
the dew of morning, fresh
gracing petals
pristine and magnificent

I call you self
standing in baptism
in blessing
naked in purity
no weights nor burdens
as the wind
your voice
speaks volumes of ages
of antiquated species

I call you self
alive in the turbine
the hurricane
the tsunami
the earthquake
the deep rich soil
beneath footpads
in other worlds
times and lives

I call you self
the fresh breeze
that kisses my cheeks
as my head tilts upward
towards skies of cerulean

I call you self
my beloved
for I love self
and self is love
and all of this

existing

is divine
as a dream
as no sleep
as the deep black dark
velvet coat of night
as the rich morning burst
like a palette of desire
the sun
shines
for you, my self

I call you self
for you are alive
and all of this
for you
for the universe
is self
the moons, planets, stars
are an extension
of your heart

the leaves of the trees are your limbs, love
your spirit is self

in this world, this great expanse
this book of knowing
and not knowing
being and not being
laughing and crying
loving and letting go

in this immense skyscrape

you
are
self

do not discount your being
you may be but one feather
on the tip of the wing
of an angels flight
but you are golden
self

so be happy
be happy self

for you are self
and this is what I call you

for I am you
self
my beloved mine

I belong to only you
and my heart whispers poetry
in this hollow place
this beauteous world
this troubled time

come, come and smile, self
you were born with wings
that beat as thunder
with the volcanic rumbling
of Mother
Father
Earth

simultaneous

self
my love
beloved self

I call you self

© Susan Marie

Mansion on Delaware: Hotel Lafayette: Submit For Dream Wedding by Feb 1st

ON WGRZ NBC 
What's Up Buffalo
Buffalo Place
Buffalo Rising
CW23

- Attend the event on January 22, 2014 

- Submit to win a Dream Wedding by Feb. 1st!

- Attend the expo on February 27, 2014

The Boutique Bridal Party educates and inspires the newly engaged of Buffalo. On Jan 22, 2014, at the Mansion on Delaware, brides and guests will savor the delicious tastings that the Mansion has to offer while sipping on creative cocktails and engaging in DIY [do-it-yourself] projects led by Buffalo's best wedding artisans. 
 
Brides will walk away with a hand crafted boutonniere, a personalized favor tag, as well as their own decorated cupcakes and so much more.  

Information for all three events below:

Facebook Event Page Jan. 22

Tickets

Map to the Mansion 

Website

Email

SUBMISSION for a DREAM WEDDING

The Boutique Bridal Party, Buffalo’s only indie bridal organization, will hold their annual bridal expo on February 27th, 2014 at the Hotel Lafayette where they will be giving away over $15,000 in prizes towards a dream wedding to a couple in need. The Buffalo community is at the heart of the Boutique Bridal Party, which is why this year the talented vendors participating in the event are donating their time and services to one lucky couple. Everything from the engagement photos to the wedding favors will become a reality for a bride and groom who have been forced to put their dreams on hold. 

The Boutique Bridal Party will be accepting submissions from couples that have experienced true hardships that have prevented them from reaching wedded bliss. The top choices will be interviewed and reviewed by a panel for selection to the finals, in which the stories and videos will be posted on The Boutique Bridal Party’s Facebook page. The followers of the Boutique Bridal Party will get to vote on their top story and the winner will be announced live, at the closing of the event in February.

 

HOW TO ENTER : 

Simply submit your story, 500 words or less, and 1-3 photographs of yourselves to info@boutiquebridalparty.com by 02.01.14.

 

The Boutique Bridal Party was created in 2012 by Ali Eagen of Made by Anatomy and Erica Eichelkraut of City Lights Studio. The first event was held on February 28th, 2013 & received rave reviews! Featured on Buffalo.com, Buffalo Spree, Buffalo Rising and more, with 30 vendors and over 400 attendees, the event was the first of its kind in Buffalo and a hit. 93% of the brides who attended and responded to a survey said they loved the event and would recommend to a friend.

Based on the success of this event, it became more evident that brides in Buffalo wanted better wedding options, yet did not know where to find them. The Boutique Bridal Party set out to solve this problem. With an annual bridal show and new publication, With Love, they have become Buffalo’s most specialized bridal organization connecting Buffalo’s indie brides to the top local wedding artisans. 

With Love will be a resource guide, as well as a source of inspiration and knowledge for the particular brides of Buffalo who refuse to settle for anything less than the most creative elements for their wedding. Published annually, With Love will represent Buffalo wedding artisans as well as present engaging ideas and articles for the modern bride, including editorial photo features, DIY craft projects, cocktail recipes, real life wedding features, stories and more. With Love will push the boundaries by showing the brides of Buffalo how their wedding can stand out from the rest!

Good Luck! 

Check out all three events, January 22nd at the Mansion, February 27th at Hotel Lafayette and submit your story to be entered for a dream wedding by February 01, 2014! 

Miss Mother Nature

                                                              On Audio Here

my head
hurts

like wounds caused
by gunshots

a bullet forced
by physics
through a barrel
thin
as the membranes
that separate
my temporal lobes
as they bulge
outward
waiting to explode
volcanic
thunder

like Mt St Helen
Vesuvius
a most fiery explosion
unrequited

Dear Lord,
my hands are lined
palms
rusted with blood
not my own
but the souls of others

and I have risen them
upward
towards you
in supplication

yet now, I wish to rest
knowing
that the world is on fire
like my brain
slowly, melting


bear my melodies and songs
they are my cries
disguised as madness
as angels in choir

do you hear my voice?

it whispers secrets
of those before me 
a most heartsick feeling
and my spirit is reeling
from simply
existing
where I
do
not
belong

and in the middle I stand
on tiptoes
as a child
trying my best
to peek over the ledge
without
falling

and my neck cranes
to the farthest borders
to the great continents
and I have sunk my teeth
much too deep
into the skin of humanity

and I bite
yet am starved
standing at the abyss
needing your hand
and the tip of the wing
of an angel

so I can breathe

again.


© Susan Marie 

If you care to take stock . . . 2013!

Questions written by Celia White, answered by me below, take a shot at it yourself, it is extremely enlightening and healing:

* What do you want to acknowledge yourself for in regard to 2013? (What did you create? What challenges did you face with courage and strength? What promises did you keep to yourself? What brave choices did you make? What are you proud of?)

-- Strength, I moved twice, got a very good job, focused so much more on my own writing, my son graduated with honors and scholarships from 8th grade, now at Timon.


* What is there to grieve about? (What was disappointing? What was scary? What was hard? What can you forgive yourself for?)

-- I have had to lose and am losing people I love dearly because that is life.


* What else do you need to say about the year to declare it complete?

-- Usui Reiki Master Teacher Practitioner. 


* What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

-- Taught creative writing workshops globally. 


* Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

-- I do not make resolutions. 
 
* Did anyone close to you give birth?

--Yes. 
 
* Did anyone close to you die?

--Yes.
 
* What countries did you visit?

--None, physically. 
 
* What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

--Tolerance 
 
* What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

--June - November -> Bliss
 
* What was your biggest achievement of the year?

--Not completely losing my mind 
 
* What was your biggest failure?

--Giving into anger 

 * Did you suffer illness or injury?

-- Yes, two serious car accidents 
 
* What was the best thing you bought?

-- A new Jeep. 
 
* Whose behavior merited celebration?

--My son, William. 
 
* Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

--Most of society everywhere, as a whole. 
 
* Where did most of your money go?

--Bills. 
 
* What did you get really, really, really excited about?

--My son's achievements, getting paid for my writing, successes of my dear friends, a new dog for my Mother, a new home, new car. 
 
* What song will always remind you of 2013?

--Kingdom Come by The Civil Wars, below: 

 
 
* Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

--Richer, no doubt and I don't mean just money. 
 
* What do you wish you’d done more of?

--Laughed.
 
* What do you wish you’d done less of?

--Cried. 
 
* Who did you love in 2013?

-A Lady never tells *smile* 
 
* What was your favorite TV program?

--Game of Thrones.
 
* Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

--No. 
 
* What was the best book you read?

--Road To Mecca 
 
* What was your greatest musical discovery?

--My son's ipod 
 
* What did you want and get?

--Peace of mind, security. 
 
* What did you want and not get?

--Superman *grin* 
 
* What was your favorite film of this year?

--The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
 
* What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?


-- __ and I have no idea. 
 
* What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?


--Superman *grin* 
 
* How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

--1970-ish 
 
* What kept you sane?

--My Son, My Mother, A.B. 
 
* Who did you miss?

--My Father, immensely. 
 
* Who was the best new person you met?

--R.P., B.B. 
 
* Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

--That I know nothing. 
 
* Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

--"Don't You Fret My Dear, It'll All Be Over Soon and I'll Be Waiting Here, For You."  

* It is a great big world out there people! 

Go exploring . . . and thank you Celia for the prompt! 

It is not ironic I greet 2014 writing! *

Such Things These Eyes They Wish To See

 ON AUDIO HERE

                                                           "Madinah Sunset" by Qalb Par Nazar



i wish upon embers
falling from my eyes
not tears
but starshine
blazing and glorious
like the sunset over Makkah

i wish i can take flight
like Iqbal's eagle
soaring and endless
searching for its place
insane
yet, oh 
so divine

and i wish that my gaze
may one day fall
upon the both of you
smiling 
at me

as Muhammad must have smiled
at Khadija
a love so rare 

not quite romantic
unconditional 

as the love i have for you
simultaneous 

like blood brothers 
mine

eternal.


- Susan Marie 2013 


[last poem of the year, for my two brothers]