Poetic Reflections: Keep The Heart Of A Child

By Lori R. Lopez

With thirteen oft-humorous "Poetic Reflections" columns as a framework for chapters and themes, the author presents a collection of original poems and song lyrics from "a lifetime of versage" — a journey through her soul. The volume features giddy lingual romps, the words to a variety of Folk-Rock ballads, poems from other book projects, witty mullings, and much more. A serious thread running through the book is the topic of Abuse, which the author addresses directly as well as in verse. The collection is thoughtful, unusual, uplifting, and emotional. This is Lori R. Lopez at her gravest and wryly mischievous best.

What is an Author's Draft? It is an original concept devised by Lori R. Lopez: The author's true voice; the author's pure and untampered vision, preserving her idiosyncracies and eccentric stylings!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lori R. Lopez
• Release date: Feb 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301562855

Lori R. Lopez

Lori R. Lopez wears many hats as an Author and Speculative Poet of Horror, Fantasy, Suspense, Humor and more. She illustrates her books and has written songs, while being an Activist for animals and children. Growing up, Lori roamed graveyards and conducted funerals for dead birds, squirrels, insects and spiders. Her offbeat books include The Dark Mister Snark, Leery Lane, An Ill Wind Blows, Darkverse: The Shadow Hours, Odds & Ends, and The Fairy Fly. In 2023 Lori won Third Place in the Long Category for the SFPA Poetry Contest for "Wake Unto Death". Her Poetry Collection Darkverse was nominated for an Elgin Award and a Finalist in the Kindle Book Awards. Her poems "Crop Circles" and "Nocturnal Embers" were nominated for the Rhysling Award in 2020, "Social Graces" and "The Whistle Stop" in 2021, "Biting Sarcasm" in 2022, "The Whippoorwill" and "If Houses Could Talk" in 2023. Poems "The Maw" and "creatures of the macabre" received Editor's Choice Awards among other honors. Stories and verse have appeared in The Sirens Call, The Horror Zine, Space & Time, Spectral Realms, JOURN-E, Weirdbook, Bewildering Stories, Dreams & Nightmares, Impspired, Altered Reality, Aphelion, and anthologies such as California Screamin' (the Foreword Poem), HWA Poetry Showcases II, III, V, VI, and IX, Journals Of Horror, Grey Matter Monsters, Dead Harvest, Fearful Fathoms I, Terror Train I and II, Trickster's Treats #3, Speculations III (Weird Poets Society), and In Darkness We Play. A member of the Horror Writers Association, Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, and Lewis Carroll Society Of North America. Visit the Fairy Fly Entertainment Website Lori shares with her two talented sons, and their YouTube Channel @FairyFly. They have a Folk Band called The Fairyflies.

Book preview

poetic reflections

keep the heart of a child

by Lori R. Lopez

Author’s Draft

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any

media without written permission from the author, except

brief excerpts in critical reviews and articles.

This is a work of fiction.

Copyright © 2013 by Lori R. Lopez

Front Cover Illustration by Lori R. Lopez

Smashwords Edition

With thirteen oft-humorous Poetic Reflections columns as a framework for chapters and themes, the author presents a collection of original poems and song lyrics from a lifetime of versage — a journey through her soul. The volume features giddy lingual romps, the words to a variety of Folk-Rock ballads, poems from other book projects, witty mullings, and much more. A serious thread running through the book is the topic of Abuse, which the author addresses directly as well as in verse. The collection is thoughtful, unusual, uplifting, and emotional. This is Lori R. Lopez at her gravest and wryly mischievous best.

What is an Author’s Draft? It is an original concept devised by Lori R. Lopez: The author’s true voice; the author’s pure and untampered vision, preserving her idiosyncracies and eccentric stylings!

contents

forward!

1. ode to a poem

2. nonsense and stuff

3. punderances

4. existentialism

5. the silent resonance of regret

6. hallowing

7. preposterosities

8. bon-mottery

9. trust

10. m’friend

11. bewary very

12. treedom

13. thirteen

but seriously

about the author

to Lewis, Edgar, Theodor,

William, and Bob —

thanks for the inspiration

special thanks to Lynn,

who was asking for it

(this book)

and speaking of this book . . .

"This is a book that’s both serious

and silly. Like me."

(the author)

forward!

The inimical truth of the matter, or any matter for that matter, is that life takes us forward whether we like it or we don’t. Even when we are the least bit ready or not.

Take, for instance, this foreword. As opposed to the one above, which is spelled differently and therefore is not exactly this foreword but another forward altogether. If you get my drift.

And speaking of driftwood, isn’t it amazing how a random shard of timber can float to the ends of the earth, weather any storm, without sinking? We have much to learn from driftwood.

But back to this foreword. I wasn’t ready to write it so I didn’t. I wrote the other forward to move things along. Let’s be frank — if we waited until I was ready to write this foreword, we might be waiting here awhile.

Don’t fret; the rest of the pages will probably make more sense. It was never my intention to make sense this early in the book. (I should call this mush! instead of forward! Oh well, too late.)

I present a year of poetic reflections. And a lifetime of versage — although not necessarily all of it. But most of the best, which makes this book very personal, like a journey through my soul.

~ the poetic (as in poetic heretic)

1

ode to a poem

(Original Publication Date on

Trilllogic Innoventions: May 1, 2009)

No matter what anyone may say, it is our belief that Poetry is not dead. We are a family of poets, and we contend that the world will always need more verse — whether on page or stage, under a beret, recited in music or whatever form. Poetry survives, and don’t you forget it!

Rafael, our resident poetmaster, expresses verse in volumes. Noél, when he applies himself to something other than techno-babble, is an eloquent thinker in his own right. Myself, I tend to stir poetic language and license into my prose.

Herewith, however, for the sake of poetry for the sake of poetry alone, I shall ascribe to myself the oft-neglected purpose of crafting new stanzas that observe life on this ball of water and dust as only poetry can. Anyway, I kind of need more lyric lines to begin each chapter of my nonfiction series LA PIÑATA, since expanding the project to seven books.

(Correction, make that nine.)

In honor of my first poetic reflections column, I present two offerings . . . an old poem and a new . . . about poetry! Read them in good health.

poetry is

Poetry

Is the soul of literature

The heart of being human

The nature of us all

Poetry is

A magnifying glass, a microscope

That peers at the tiniest particle

Of earthy mundane life

And elevates it to grandeur

Poetry, to me

Is a wake-up call

To look around

And perceive things differently

Fully

A window

Through which to observe

The minute

And think great thoughts

Poetry is

Fragments of life

Photographic, surreal

The stained broken glass

Of imagination

Poetry was

Verses on parchment

The voice of song

Rhyme and reason

With folded wings

But now it is free

An exuberant bird

Released to soar

And startle the mind.

ode to a poem

What is it that cannot be defined in mere terms

But by words that sing like larks at heart

The song of every feather

And ring clear as bells that toll in crisp weather

Yet can freeze a moment

Like a winter’s day

And on little cat feet

Snatch my breath away?

What is it about a poem

That cannot be just written

But engineered and composed

Until we are smitten

Sketched and gushed and spilled

Like drops of frenzied inspiration

Etched and rushed and willed

To the point of poignant desperation?

What is it that rhymes like a tune

Strikes a chord and beats in my breast

Yet does not grow tired or frail with age

For it is always clear and fresh?

What is it, indeed, but a poem

The nimble word dance of the tongue

That speaks to mind and soul of images

Succinct, surreal, common and uncommon

For everyone.

Quoth the raven, Furthermore!

Hi, ’tis I. And hitherwith I must discuss a theme of sorts for this section. Any ideas? Poetry’s a rather broad topic. I could leave it open, I guess. Have this chapter be the place for verses that won’t fit anywhere else. Or is that too obvious? I don’t wish to clear things up. No, no. I prefer to be confusing.

This is a pickle.

(Not an actual pickle, silly. I’m being metaphoric.)

(Although it isn’t really a metaphor, just another meaning.)

(You know what I mean.)

(And in case you don’t, please get help. Immediately. You shouldn’t be wandering the streets.)

(Besides, if this were a real pickle I’m sure I would stick it in a sandwich, not inside a book!)

Okay, I give up. I have no clue what theme to designate, so I’m just going to stuff everything that’s left over hereafter. And if anything should remain, unless it’s a pickle, it’ll just have to be left out. If it’s a pickle, I shall probably eat it.

I’m very glad that’s decided . . .

Keep The Heart Of A Child

(Song Lyrics – 1992)

How many wistful dreams

Are cast upon the stars at night?

Who collects the fragments

When our hopes are lying scattered in the light?

Is there some better way

To reach a better day

When we can all live our lives?

The sun paints a rainbow to cover the clouds

A message of hope in a world full of doubt

And we who stand under and lift up our eyes

Must keep our hopes and dreams alive . . .

And keep the heart of a child

Keep the stars shining in our eyes

Just imagine how it could be

If rainbows never end

Just imagine how it would be

If rainbows never end.

Oh for the days and the ways

To make everything right

How can we ever replace

What we hope for with all of our might?

If it could only be

If they would only see

What’s inside of our hearts

The sun makes a rainbow through oceans of tears

Why can’t we make peace last through all of the years?

Why can’t we feed hunger and live with respect?

Why can’t we find these answers yet?

And keep the heart of a child

Keep the stars shining in our eyes

Is there some better way

To reach a better day

When we can all live our lives???

And keep the heart of a child

Keep the stars shining in our eyes

Just imagine how it could be

If rainbows never end . . .

And keep the heart of a child

Keep the stars shining in your eyes

Just imagine how it would be

If rainbows never end.

Hold On To Your Dreams

(Song Lyrics – 1993/2006/2007)

Some dreams can be hard to reach

Like a bright and distant star

That you try to get a grip upon

But it’s always just too far

It’s a slow step up from where you’re at

To where you want to be

That seems to take forever when

Your heart is full of need

But hold on to your dreams

Even though you don’t know how to

It’s closer than it seems

It’s everything about you

We all need encouragement

In what we’re

Reviews for Poetic Reflections

[lynntolson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review of Poetic Reflections: Keep the Heart of A Child by Lori R. LopezAuthor Lori R. Lopez @LoriRLopez is known for her mystery, horror, and suspense stories. In Poetic Reflections, the reader sees her talent for writing poetry, prose, and song lyrics. What a prolific word-smith!Poetry is often so abstract that it requires too much mental work to interpret: This is not the case with Lori's readable and understandable style. Lori R. Lopez's writing is raw yet carefully polished.As I was reading Keep the Heart of A Child, I often felt as if Lori had been taking snap-shots of my thoughts, those elusive thoughts that come and go so quickly that they defy capture. Lori has the unique ability to contain and examine those thoughts, explore the emotions, and translate them by using words with substance. All this occurs with well-crafted twists and turns of language that convey the universal human condition of slow rises and fast falls as we ride the roller-coaster called LIFE. 
Lori weaves her life story into this volume, creating textures that are not easily labeled but are readily resonating. The reader may feel as much joy from the poem “Sweet” as he/she does sorrow from a paragraph about abuse. Then, a poem like “Trust” appears, exploring the word in verse so that the reader can identify with the feeling, unlike a dry dictionary definition. She toys with words, and her clever word-play entertained me.Each chapter has a narrative introduction that helps to organize the sheer number of words that will follow and the great span of subjects Lori R. Lopez covers. A reader cannot be disappointed; there is some thing, some word, some topic that will speak to your heart.Review completed by Lynn C. Tolson, author of Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story