I’ve been writing poetry since before I learnt joined-up writing, and I still have every one of my poetry journals. Even though all my poetry has now been transitioned to my laptop, I still like looking back on those old notebooks and remember where I was when I wrote them.

Last year I published my first poetry collection: “Turkey Tales: A Bodrum Travel Memoir in Verse”
A Roving Poetry Collection by Jay Artale, which is a collection of lighthearted poetry recounting the challenges and cultural hurdles of relocating from Los Angeles to Turkey. I’m already working on Volume 2 of Turkey Tales, but as I’m currently traveling the globe, it’s been put on hiatus until I’m back on Turkish soil.

In the meantime I still need my poetry fix so I’ve been working on a few different initiatives to keep the  poetic juices flowing.

A Personal Project

“Erasing the Memories: My Mother’s Struggle Captured in Verse” is a collection of hear-wrenching poems that are told in my usual light-hearted style. But scratch beneath the surface and these poems about the impact and effect of Alzheimer’s will rip your heart out, especially if you have a family member or friend who is going through a dementia-related struggle.

I’ve got about 15 poems already completed and another dozen in the works. These poems are personal to me, and so the process of writing them is a supportive an cathartic process.

A Collaboration with Shannon McKenna

Shannon is a writer and editor with a passion for words and photography. She runs a blog called The Write Through Life where she writes and publishes poetry regarding life, psychology and social issues.

We’re collaborating on a poetry anthology joint venture, which has a working title of “Inner Voices Vs. The World: Whose Mold Are You Trying to Fit?” The concept to look at the decisions we make in life and are we making them because we feel we should, or do we really want too? I think everyone has a bar they’re trying to reach to meet expectations, it’s just where are those expectations coming from? Society, ourselves, our peers, our parents? We’re pulled in so many directions – so which do we choose? This is an exciting project to be part of, and although we’re still in the early stages we’re both bubbling with ideas.

A Group Collaboration to benefit Operation Smile

I’m looking for contributions in any style, rhyming, non-rhyming, funny, sad, etc. Topics like, the brain, family, relationships, pain, suffering, happiness, joy, bonding, illness, overcoming adversity …. I want a mix of thought-provoking and some that will lift the spirit.

Contributors will retain copyright for their poem and will be able to post it and use it where ever they like, but need to grant me the permission to publish it in the Anthology.

Proceeds for this Anthology will be donated to OPERATION SMILE – a charity that helps kids with cleft palettes.

Why Operation Smile? I think humans are a resilient lot! No matter what life throws at us we can always find a slice of joy or happiness in any given situation. To me, Operation Smile is the perfect non-profit to partner with, as it helps kids to find their smile.

My style of poetry is rhyming and a little light-hearted, but they contain themes of lessons I’ve learnt and showcase the humor in difficult situations. Obviously a book containing just this type and style of poetry would be too much. So I really want to create an anthology that features different styles and different topics, so that there’s something for every reader to connect with.

Sharing your poetry can be difficult, but have faith in your own creative abilities and share your words for a good cause. Each surgery costs $240 – and we can use the power of our words to help readers connect with different situations, as well as helping a child get their smile back.

I’ve received a varied mix of poems already, but I still have room for more. So if you want to have your poem included in this anthology, send me an email at birdsofafeatherpress {AT} gmail.com

Do you have pet projects that you love working on? Share below.