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Looking for the Art in Myself by Gary Evans

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I’m the only one up and still awake;
so, I decided to clean the pots and pans,
as well as disinfect the kitchen at 3:00 am.

Then I read one of my favorite scriptures,
Proverbs 14:23, “In all labor there is profit,
but idle chatter leads only to poverty.”

I was going to vacuum but didn’t want to wake my wife.
So, I thought that I would try to write
a rhyming poem, which is very difficult for me,
while it comes to my wife as easy
as taking a breath.

I need to look for the art in myself.

The most difficult writing for me
is ahead, I believe.
With a surplus of judgment,
chance has played a big role.
I will write until it takes its toll
on me.

Gary Evans, retired chiropractor; published in: Pathway to the Heart, WOK’s 2021 anthology; WOK’s 2021 NPM blog and soon 2022’s; accepted in CSUB’s 2022 Anthology, Writing Covid; zoomed open-mic events; member of Parkside Church and Writers of Kern. Gary’s been married to Shelley for 44 years; they have 3 daughters.

Love Letters in the Sand by Khalil Gibran

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“True beauty is a ray
That springs from the sacred depths of the soul,
and illuminates the body, just as life
springs from the kernel of a stone and
gives color and scent to a flower.”
― Khalil Gibran, Love Letters in the Sand: The Love Poems of Khalil Gibran

Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist, also considered a philosopher although he himself rejected the title. He is best known as the author of The Prophet, which was first published in the United States in 1923 and has since become one of the best-selling books of all time, having been translated into more than 100 languages.

April Poetry Month

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Your Poem on the Writers of Kern Blog

April is National Poetry Month if you’d like to include a poem in our blog for that month, please send an original poem. Established poets, emerging poets, and would-be poets all have the possibility of being published during the month. At the end of the month, all the poems published in our blog will be compiled into an online ezine and available to read and embed on your site for free.

Please send your poems to submissions@writersofkern.com

Guidelines:

  1. Poem line limit: 30 lines or fewer
  2. Submit poems as a Word Document; 12-point font, Arial
  3. Include a short bio (50 words or fewer)
  4. Send to submissions@writersofkern.com 
  5. In the subject line: NPM “Title of your Poem”

 You have questions? Please send them to: submissions@writersofkern.com

Peggy Connelly Scholarship 2022

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Writers of Kern is accepting applications March 19 through April 9 for the Peg Connelly grant for children’s writers residing in Kern County. The grant is given in memory of Writers of Kern’s long time member Peg Connelly who wrote for children. One winner will receive $500 to aid the writer in attaining writing goals.

To apply send the first five pages of your children’s work-in-progress (or the full text of a picture book) to wokpcgrant@gmail.com along with a cover letter answering the following questions:

1. What do you consider your strengths as a children’s writer?

2. What obstacles do you face as a writer?

3. What goals have you set for yourself as a writer?

4. If you are awarded the grant, how will you use the money to further your writing and achieve these goals?

Submissions must be correctly formatted, double-spaced with,12-point font. Only works in progress that have not been previously published will be considered. Do not send illustrations. Membership in Writers of Kern is not a requirement, but applicants must reside in Kern County. Direct any questions to Rebecca Langston-George at the email above. Please do not wait until the last day to ask questions. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your application. Winners will be announced at the April meeting. The judges reserve the right to not grant an award if they deem it appropriate due to insufficient entries.