Valhalla

 ON AUDIO HERE 
On Social Justice Poetry 

 photo © Ronald Sorrento, Vietnam Vet, a peace sign made from m-79 high explosive grenade rounds

We are building roads to roads
that build roads to
nowhere

people are at the same time
sane and insane

are you listening
to the wind
as she whispers
when dawn drags her belly
pregnant and full
across the purpling skyline
as the sun
places her hand
ever so warmly
upon the nape of your neck

and the sea
bellows
stop
stop
stop
just stop and listen

no
do not even try
just be

good
follows
good follows
nature and trees
and all that is
Earth and dirt
and sand
and you and me

you
see
it is not easy
to
simply
be

left to right
to
center

as the Earth bellows
bombs
like airstrikes
on the innocent
and we keep voting
and protesting
and dying while alive
living in a
free state of
mind controlled
flight

where do I turn
when the world has gone mad
and everything is on a
merry
go round
and
rounds
of bullets fly
from lips, pursed
in hate
and anger
rising
like Valhalla

and the Valkyries scream like
eagles scrying

thunder

We are building roads to roads
that build roads to

nowhere

© Susan Marie

a thousand words

On audio HERE

 

i can write
one million poems
describing
the sweet breath
of breeze
like peaches in summertime
how they cool your brow and palette
on a day
that is sweltering,
simultaneous

or how the speech
of our forefathers
can never suffice
to explain the thoughts
that explode inside my brain
like atoms, splitting
supernovas in space
constellations ablaze
neurons sounding
and resounding
across synapses
like trapeze artists
on tripwires

and I can write
of the speech of animals
foreign to the human sense of sound
and how only they comprehend,
truly,
what they say
to one another

and I can even write of God and the heavens
the beauty of the skies at dawn and sunset
colors yet undiscovered
painted
for us all,
daily

i can write of it all
a thousand words
describing everything

yet not one word
or poem
can ever compare
to the softness of your gaze
like the canvas of the morning tide
or your silent roar
not unlike that of the mighty lion
or precisely how your spirit connects
to my very own

i can write of it all
mere words
i can write
one million poems

and not one can ever truly describe

you

but i can try


© Susan Marie

2014 Buffalo Small Press Book Fair

It's just 20 short days until the Fair! Less than three weeks to go, so it's time to really start promoting the Fair. Remember, there's so much you can do to help out: Promote the Fair via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram to the right using (#bspbf), and other social media outlets! Remember to follow us! Write about the Fair on your website or blog! Write an article about the Fair in a traditional media format! Tell all your friends and family! Share our Kickstarter Campaign HERE to keep the Fair free! We're looking forward to a huge year, and we want you to do everything you can to spread the word about the event. Use some of our digital banners and web tiles to promote the Fair. GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE! The Open Readings schedule for Saturday afternoon will be posted soon, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, let us know if you're willing to distribute posters and handbills where you live! Contact Us Remember, if you have any questions or concerns, or you want to pitch an idea, contact us.  For all information regarding the Buffalo Small Press Book Fair, see the website:  www.buffalosmallpress.org Help Us Out! Social media is the most powerful tool we have for promoting the fair - that means you should Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and follow us on Twitter. RSVP to the Facebook event, and invite all your friends! Copyright (C) 2014 Buffalo Small Press Book Fair All rights reserved.

What Is Your Purpose? [with radio interview]

First published: 

CNN International

WGRZ NBC 

Catholic .Org 

Pakistan Tribe 

Woman Tribe 

What is divine intervention? Why are we here? What is your purpose?

These are questions many of us ask ourselves and others every day. Such dilemmas exist because we have diverse lives that lead us to further investigation. Such questions may bring one to personal growth, overcoming obstacles, settling on or away from a belief system, deciding what path is correct to follow and most importantly, the value of self.

Scholars, seers, religious leaders, scientists, peace makers, activists and those that have come before us, our forefathers, have asked themselves the same questions.

Did they arrive at a conclusion? We shall never truly know the answer, all we are able to do is keep searching, keep meeting new people, strive to improve and do our very best to simply be good people.

Rich Pawelski was born in Western New York, USA. At an early age he began having intense experiences while in a waking state. As a child, it frightened him at first, not fully understanding what was occurring.

As he grew older, he kept these experiences by him, yet not until the passing of his older brother, his best friend, did he begin to accept what he was gifted with and fully put forth efforts to take what once confused him to learn more about what was happening within him.

I had the pleasure of meeting Rich, a psychic medium, in 2013, while on a similar quest myself; one of a heart centered study, and spoke with him twice before I interviewed him. Everything Rich reported for me, as a conduit, was accurate. Nothing that he said was indirect or vague.

We spoke for an hour in order to educate those who have never had such experiences, as well as those that do, yet might be fearful of sharing or accepting their own path.

The one hour interview, basically, a conversation, is below:

One Hour With Rich Pawelski

Rich has helped me find more direction in my life and to make important business and personal life choices based upon his extremely insightful advice. Most feelings, thoughts and emotions we tend to ignore within us. Most things we already question, yet seek reassurance.

He has been able to bring several loved ones that have passed by me, here and now, those that watch over and guide me. Rich has and continues to be a source of healing of buried emotions and past hurt that I have held onto without realizing. Through his own challenges, he has managed to overcome his own grief and turn that into love spreading outward towards helping others.

Most of us hopefully question existence, all that is, was and will be. Even if you never tell another soul what you are thinking, paying attention to your own thoughts, feelings, emotions and natural instincts are crucial in order to move forward to where you are meant to be.

Rich works with meditation, group parties, personal readings, phone readings, medium ship, tarot and his own psychic abilities.

I have had extensive past experiences with psychics, mediums, and various extensions of the holistic healing arts. I am able to say, without any doubt, that Rich is beyond exceptional tapping into his natural abilities. Every single message relayed to him, and through him, from sources many of us have yet to understand, was precisely for and related to me. Rich has become one of my most dear friends and isn’t that what THIS is all about?

Connecting, learning, growing, exploring?

After listening to the radio interview above, I hope that you too are able to answer:

What is my purpose?

I most surely can.

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