Hatefest - scroll down for 5 on Friday

Tessa at Tessa's Blurb is holding a blogfest today focusing on the darkest of emotions - hate.

I'm reposting a poem for the blogfest which showcases this emotion.

This backstory poem for Richolf, the falconer character who appears in my Saturday serialized fiction, was written during the 3:15 Experiment in August of last year.

The 3:15 Experiment is going on now - I'm not taking part this year, as I'm focusing on writing my novels - but you can CLICK HERE to find out more about this poetry event.













Defining Moment #2


Delicious glances as they wove between the other dancers
Three sword points levelled at his face
The searing bite of the blade upon his brow

His invitation to the soiree
Had been heartfelt
By a grateful noble
One of the hunters who
Wanted to reciprocate
The falconer's hospitality

"Go on, go on"
His master had urged
Declining the offer himself
A twinkle in his eye

So many beautiful girls
So many intoxicating ladies
Richolf danced with them all
Smiled at them all
Clasped her hand
Brushed his lips upon her knuckles
Locked gazes
Felt the heat

Until he was called outside
Surrounded and threatened
In the chill night air
The sweat from the party
Turning to the sweat of fear

He'd danced with the wrong girl
He didn't even know which one
Had inspired these three sword points
To level at his face

A kick from behind
His cry hanging in the night air
The distant sounds of the soiree
His heart beating as he realized
All the moments of his life
Would end in this dusty moment

But the hands which held him
Only meant for the sword to
Kiss his brow
A reminder for life
Not to mix his lowly breed
With that of one born to the blood

They left him
Laying in the dirt
Dripping red between his fingers
That still held the thrill
Of all those girlish hands
Those womanly sighs

© Julia Phillips Smith, Aug. 25, 2010

To find out what the other blogfest writers are offering, CLICK HERE.

Summer Stock Sunday - 27 / Poetry Train Monday - 165 - Expecting Someone Altogether Different

My vintage look at summer for Summer Stock Sunday, hosted by Robin at Around the Island.


















When my husband and I first began going out, he took me to the Exhibition in Toronto, known locally as the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition.) At one point we hopped in a photo booth and took the first of a series of summer photo booth pictures.

Once we got married, we moved our previous CNE tradition to our anniversary, and made sure to take a photo booth shot at some point during our day.

This one was taken here in Halifax a few years ago, just after we'd seen a movie. I'm looking forward to a lifetime collection of these.








Last week I mentioned my husband's suggestion that I write a sexy poem. And several of you wondered if I'd written one.

Here it is - it may actually be more romantic than sexy, but who's quibbling?


Expecting Someone Altogether Different


On my day off from work
I threw on my shapeless
Comfy black pants
My slightly-too-big
Cotton top
My grass-stained garden clogs

I shuffled into the car
To pick you up from work
And because the timing
Had been so close
With Mom not knowing
If she'd be back from the store
If you'd have to call a cab
I parked the car
I went in the store

With my day-off-from-work
Unwashed hair
Stained clogs
Shapeless clothing

How many women
I thought to myself
Would enter their
Husband's workplace
Looking like this?

When you saw me
Your eyes lit up
Your smile was not
For the customer before you
And she could tell
She turned to look
I'm sure she was expecting
To see someone
Altogether different
Attached to the smile
To the look
You gave me

© Julia Smith / Aug. 14, 2010

How to participate in the 3:15 Experiment

Starting on the night of July 31/Aug. 1, set your alarm for 3:15 am, wake up, write a poem in the midst of your sleepiness and go back to sleep. Repeat each night for the month of August.

Visit the originators of the project for more information:

Danika Dinsmore

Gwendolyn Alley

For more poetry, Ride the Poetry Train!

Robin says What a wonderful poem - I love the honesty and the sentiment, and above all the love, that shines through it. I love your photobooth tradition too, what a great idea.

Jessica Sieghart says The photo booth shots are an awesome idea! I like the fact that you spend your anniversary in a similar way each year, too. You wrote that poem at 3:15 in the morning? You go girl!!!

Akelamalu Love the romantic poem - that smile says it all!

Poetry Train Monday - 164 - I Love Your Desire

So far, so good with The 3:15 Experiment.

The 3:15 Experiment? What's that, again?

Starting on the night of July 31/Aug. 1, set your alarm for 3:15 am, wake up, write a poem in the midst of your sleepiness and go back to sleep. Repeat each night for the month of August.

I haven't set my alarm at all for this event. I seem to wake up naturally at about that time anyway. Likely the originators of the event realized that people's sleep cycles do these things and set the wake-up time to coincide with it.

For today's Poetry Train, here is my eighth middle-of-the-night poem, in its raw stage, as written at 3:00 this morning.














I Love Your Desire


"What time is it?"
I ask
Returning from the bathroom
"Quarter to three"
My husband answers
Kissing me
"Time to write
A sexy poem"

- Julia Smith, 2010

For more poetry, Ride the Poetry Train!

For more information on The 3:15 Experiment, visit Danika Dinsmore and Gwendolyn Alley and they'll fill you in on all the details.

I'm blogging at Popculturedivas - Scroll down for 5 on Friday

I'm posting three of my poems over at my group blog, Popculturedivas, today. Hope to see you there.