Brenda Stephens's Blog

Hello, it’s been a loooooooooooong while but we’re back in the new year accepting poetry submissions. If you’d like a chance to have your poetry featured here, Twitter, Facebook, google plus and tumblr, (that’s a big audience btw) keep your eyes peeled for our prompts and get in touch. 

In the meantime, we’d like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

Also we are sharing some fantastic kindle deals from our very own Brenda Stephens. Both her bestselling collections are only 99p each on kindle right now so go and grab yourselves a bargain at a massive at least 80% off. Click here to be redirected to her Amazon page. 

Best Wishes and we hope to see you in the new year. 

Congratulations and thanks to Clare Farman who is our featured poet this week.

Shivering hands find

morning steam

as frost lies heavy

below

this home

and

through open doors

I hear you, now

as I imagined, then.

Soft words from kind lips

floating

above the stove,

and suddenly

you are filling

these vast spaces

with the quiet tokens

of your love.

©Claire Farman 

As always, thanks to all who entered and look out for week 8 theme which will be posted later today.

Hello again and a huge thanks again to everyone who took part in week six. Week seven has arrived. The theme for week seven, chosen by poet Peter Hall is

“Tokens”

As last week, please refer to our guidelines before submitting your poem. All entries must be in by midnight (GMT) next Thursday September 10th. Please send your poetry to fromthedarkestcorners@gmail.com along with your name and any details you wish to share with your poem. All entries this week will be automatically included in the book giveaway too. Because we’re nice that way :-)

Looking forward to it.

Bren, Jane and Ellie

P.S. If you are a self published poet and would like to appear on Our Poetry Bookshelf which is a virtual bookshelf featuring your name which links to your bookstore (e.g. amazon, create space etc) please get in touch via our contact form. We have a few limited free spaces left.

Congratulations and thank you to Peter Hall who we have chosen as our featured poet for week six

Wastes of seed heads

Armour of a windy mixer

Warm scents drift on me

From where. I know not.

In the aging daylight

Each second is stretched

And sound calls out a stranger

Strident and loud

A tale of sadness

Of warmth gone away

Dancing light

Leaves on the hour glass

Lost lover, you pass today

©Peter Hall

Please visit his author page to find more of his wonderful poetry. Peter has also chosen the theme for week seven which we will be sharing soon.

Hello again and a huge thanks again to everyone who took part in week five. Week six has arrived. The theme for week six is

“Light”

As last week, please refer to our guidelines before submitting your poem. All entries must be in by midnight (GMT) next Thursday September 3rd. Please send your poetry to fromthedarkestcorners@gmail.com along with your name and any details you wish to share with your poem. All entries this week will be automatically included in the book giveaway too. Because we’re nice that way :-)

Looking forward to it.

Bren, Jane and Ellie

P.S. If you are a self published poet and would like to appear on Our Poetry Bookshelf which is a virtual bookshelf featuring your name which links to your bookstore (e.g. amazon, create space etc) please get in touch via our contact form. We have a few limited free spaces left.

Congratulations and thanks to JC Joyce who we have chosen as our featured poet for week five.

Sanguine in the Rain

Rain, little girl,

A puddle of pure joy

In a drizzle of pain.

Nibbling a cookie,

Dreaming of a charming boy.

Rain, my darling,

Over those thunderstorms,

Plays a mellifluous jingle

Singing an ode to petrichor

As they touch the weary floor.

Now my young lady,

Dance with your pluviophile self.

Limn a sunny world with strokes in celerity

On burdened walls full of promising shelves.

Vorfreude, what you’ll create,

Shaded with a hue of life’s seraphic fate.

© Jc Joyce

You can follow her blog here and on twitter by clicking her name at the top. A huge thanks to everyone who entered and keep your eyes peeled for next weeks theme.

Hello again and a huge thanks again to everyone who took part in week four. Week five has arrived. The theme for week five is

“Rain”

because it has rained and rained for days…

As last week, please refer to our guidelines before submitting your poem. All entries must be in by midnight (GMT) next Thursday August 27th. Please send your poetry to fromthedarkestcorners@gmail.com along with your name and any details you wish to share with your poem. All entries this week will be automatically included in the book giveaway too. Because we’re nice that way :-)

Looking forward to it.

Bren, Jane and Ellie

P.S. If you are a self published poet and would like to appear on Our Poetry Bookshelf which is a virtual bookshelf featuring your name which links to your bookstore (e.g. amazon, create space etc) please get in touch via our contact form. We have a few limited free spaces left.

Congratulations and thanks to Peter Hall who we have chosen as our featured poet for week four.

In the tall nods of the hare-grass

Within the fall of its waves

She flushed a pheasant

A shotgun lurch

Violence

A white-eyed snap

The thicket was silent

Accepting its loss

But the hare-grass blushed

Red and green

©Peter Hall 

You can find more of Peter’s amazing poetry here. Huge thanks to everyone who entered and look out for next weeks theme coming soon.

Hello again and a huge thanks again to everyone who took part in week two. Week four has arrived. The theme for week four is

“Reflections”

As last week, please refer to our guidelines before submitting your poem. All entries must be in by midnight (GMT) next Thursday August 20th. Please send your poetry to fromthedarkestcorners@gmail.com along with your name and any details you wish to share with your poem. All entries this week will be automatically included in the book giveaway too. Because we’re nice that way :-)

Looking forward to it.

Bren, Jane and Ellie

P.S. If you are a self published poet and would like to appear on Our Poetry Bookshelf which is a virtual bookshelf featuring your name which links to your bookstore (e.g. amazon, create space etc) please get in touch via our contact form. We have a few limited free spaces left.

Congratulations and thanks to Lee Anne G. Hall who we have chosen as our featured poet for week three…

Don’t Think That Time Stands Still: A Pirouette

Tight white curls on her head

Loose sad smile on her face

“Enjoy these days,” she said

“Childhood’s a merry chase.

Don’t think that time stands still.”

Don’t think that time stands still …

Recalling words spoken

The winds of change had blown

With winged aim unbroken

Carrying joys she’d known

©Lee Anne G. Hall

A beautiful poem. Huge thanks to everyone who entered. Next weeks theme coming soon.