Category: book

he said…

On By Amrita Skye BlaineIn book, Daily reminders, gratitude, grief, loss, memory, mind, Musings, notes from self, Poetry, writing6 Comments

he said…

over fifty years ago

awful writing
outed me by name
not worth comments
ripped it in half
in front of the class
chucked it in the trash
my cheeks burned
shame carved a pit
I tumbled in
made my home
for three decades

after I survived
being crushed by a tree
thought, now or never
clawed out of the pit
braved another class
months of hard work
this professor called me in
I huddled in the chair
waiting

consider this—handed me
a spiral-bound book
I hefted the weight
before peering at the title
Graduate Writing Programs
two thoughts
I need this much help?
he must see potential

twenty-five years later
1 memoir
3 novels
715 poems

2024 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.

be gentle

On By Amrita Skye BlaineIn Awakening, awe, book, Daily reminders, fear, feelings, mind, Musings, Non-duality, nonduality, notes from self, pathless path, PoetryLeave a comment

be gentle

Be gentle with what’s about to happen. —Elias Amidon

I awaken
squint at the clock
1 a.m.
creep out of bed
sleepily grab my tablet
glance at news
big blunder
I know better
but I’m human
and so fallible

living rolls in
a turbulent ocean
giant waves, little waves
shaping the shoreline
vessels turn slowly
no control
of what’s coming
except my response

a headline jolts
and my belly tightens
not going there
set the tablet aside
pick up Rumi instead
a gentler reflection

2024 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.

Matins

On By Amrita Skye BlaineIn Awakening, awe, beauty, body, book, Daily reminders, feelings, gratitude, Musings, Non-duality, nonduality, notes from self, Poetry, prayer, retreat, Silence, spirituality4 Comments

Matins
Canonical office 3 a.m. to dawn

rise in the dark
writing poems
my practice
in the hush
profound deep
the world around me
still sleeping

soften my mind
allow the dark
to seep inside
eavesdrop
beneath mind buzz
and brush what waits

while I attend
no notebook
pen or longhand
instead computer,
mouse and keyboard
my sacred tools

this morning
prayers of refuge
for those displaced—
may children
find their families
water, food
and remedies
may elders
have someone to hold
their hand

may the animals
abandoned in war
find kindness and shelter
once again

2023 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.

longing

On By Amrita Skye BlaineIn awe, book, feelings, memoir, Musings, PoetryLeave a comment

longing

I yearn for a decade
to compose, then hone,
reading out loud
until words
snap into shape—
this cannot be hurried,
and has its own flow

like assembling flour
eggs, sugar, and salt
to bake a sweet torte—
add extracts
vanilla and almond
texture still needed
slivered almonds on top

slip in the oven
transmuted by heat,
it forms into itself
then, when pulled out,
twenty minutes to rest
mysterious, what happens,
now it’s ready to savor

the torte, just an hour
a book, years and years
endless attention required

2023 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.

strip me

On By Amrita Skye BlaineIn Awakening, awe, book, Breath, Daily reminders, gratitude, loss, Musings, Non-duality, nonduality, notes from self, Poetry, simple pleasures, spirituality2 Comments

strip me

strip me clean of worries—
our county’s winter loss
of bees, rising temps and fires
some states banning books

strip away my weapons terror
and fake-news fear
while you’re at it,
take self-interest, too

leave me fresh day wonder—
squirrel, tail a-twitch,
shimmies up the feeder,
gophers thrive below

light tenders the field
house sparrows flit nearby
an Anna’s hummer sips his fill
keep me this close-in

2023 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.

“Unleashed” is published!

On By Amrita Skye BlaineIn book, dogs, novel, writing2 Comments

My novel, Unleashed, was just published and is available in paperback and Kindle versions. Below the cover image is the synopsis, and then the Amazon links here and around the world. The young girl, Rowan, is awakening.

Please tell your friends and share with your networks!
All the best,
Amrita Skye
Synopsis:
After her father’s death, eleven-year-old Rowan Graham wrestles with depression. Carolina, her mother, looks for a way to ease her daughter’s grief and decides to adopt another dog. Rowan chooses a wolfhound-deerhound mix and believes she and the pup, Zephyr, communicate through mind-pictures, a phenomenon that her mom rejects.
While vacationing, the family is embroiled in a multi-car accident; Zephyr is pitched from the van and bolts into the wilds of central Oregon. Medics airlift comatose Rowan to Portland for head trauma care.
Best-selling author Moss Westbury is haunted by devastating nightmares. A veteran of the Afghanistan conflict, he writes to expunge his demons. When his nightmares are fueled by unfamiliar howling on his isolated land, he sets out to find the culprit.
Unleashed is a story of devastation, courage, hope, and love, told through the eyes of Moss, Rowan, Carolyn, and Zephyr—each struggling to resolve challenges and fears.
Australia for Kindle: http://amzn.to/2g0RVdk
The Netherlands for Kindle: http://amzn.to/2fAt8fv