Writer, Artist, Photographer
25 May 2016 4 Comments
in Poetry, Uncategorized Tags: Poetry
Continuity
miles and miles i’ve
come
some walked
many run
alone and not too
and with you i’d walked
but just a few
but there was something
familiar in the pace
my mind recalls that
gentle face
somewhere, somewhen
my friend
we’d walked in step
before
and somewhere, somewhen
we’ll fall in step again
and share a few
miles more
© Perle Champion
23 Feb 2016 Leave a comment
in Poetry, Uncategorized Tags: Poetry
Wrote this poem when I celebrated my first quarter century birthday in 1974. The drawing came later. Although I’ll be celebrating all week, today’s the actual day and I’m enjoying an Irish coffee of sorts at my desk watching the steady rain outside my window. 
11 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in Blogher NaBlo, Memoir, Poetry Tags: Blogher NaBlo, Memoir, Poetry
“Write in recollection and amazement for yourself.” – Jack Kerouac
Who hasn’t read On the Road? Kerouac understood, as I hope you do, that each of us is the hero, in my case her
oine, of our own story. My journal is my book, and sometimes in recollection, I am truly amazed.
simple notebook pen
soliloquy on the page
journal diary
a day once removed
to march cadence on blue lines
fill each empty page
siphoning angst hurt
experience clears the mind
for new adventure
My journal is the running memoir of my life, my confidant, my Wailing Wall, canvas for creative thoughts, and so much more.
10 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in Blogher NaBlo, Poetry Tags: Blogher NaBlo, Meditation, Poetry
Falling into the gap
you meditate long enough
you fall into the gap between thoughts and
you are one with the one and for
you all things are possible like the quark,
you are now both here, and there.
© Perle Champion
Meditation is not so much a thing to do, as place to go. It is a realm unto itself, where we become our very own note in the one song that is the universe.
08 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in Blogher NaBlo, Journaling, Memoir, Poetry Tags: Blogher NaBlo, Journaling, Memoir, Poetry
Laying Life on the Line
she sat pen in hand
journal open before her
her life paced the lines
glory inglory
marching cadence cross the page
bare and unadorned
“Never mind the misses and the stumbles…” “The habit of writing for my eyes only is good practice, it loosens the ligaments.” – Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf’s quote hits home for me, and if you would write, I hope for you. There is something so freeing about writing just for yourself with no deadlines. It doesn’t need to be perfect; it’s a conversation with and exploration of yourself for yours eyes only now or forever unless you decide to share it.
Saying you want to write is not enough, you must write it. The truth is so much writing is just mental gymnastics. A skater skates, a harpist harps, a writer writes. It is the practice that perfects.
Day after day, with no one to see, no one to hear, and no one to applaud, I rise and go to my practice. I write in my journal.
07 Nov 2014 1 Comment
in Blogher NaBlo, Journaling, Poetry Tags: Blogher NaBlo, Journaling, Poetry
Filling the white space
white space taunts my pen
my épée etching each word
slowly on the page
words marching cadence
along pale blue journal lines
and then there is light
© Perle Champion 2009
William Wordsworth wrote: “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart”
I’ve filled the pages of my journal since I was a child: daily observations, traumas & dramas, poetry, essays, stories and more since I was a child. I didn’t realize how much publishable material languished there in my own journal until one day.
One day I was rereading an old journal when I realized that one story was practically complete, so why not type it up and send it out. That story was “Rain” back in 2004. What a thrill it was to see that story so dear me, not only published but resonating with so many readers.
That day I started paying attention to what I wrote in my journal and noting in the margin whether it would make a good poem or essay or story or a character in a book. That decision has since stood me in good stead. Most of what I’ve published originated inthe pages of my journal.
06 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in Blogher NaBlo, e-book, Get Published, Journaling, NaNoWriMo, Poetry Tags: Blogher NaBlo, Journaling, Nanowrimo, Poetry
I’ve often wondered about those folks who use the excuse of writer’s block for not writing. Yes
, I think it is an excuse akin to a certain in-law of mine who opines, I can’t cook. My response to her is if you can read and follow instructions, you can cook. My response to writers or wanna be writers. If you can put pen to page, fingers to keys, have a thought in your head, you can write.
I write everyday in my journal – that’s a start, and then there’s the Blog challenges, NanoWriMo, and poetry contests, etc. They all have deadlines, so I make the commitment and on top of my daily journal, I write.
It’s day 6 of the BlogHer Blog-a-Day for November (note: they throw that gauntlet down every month), and I’m on track.
And
I’m still plodding away on my NanoNovel and have 17,545 words to-date, so I’m on track to get my 50,000 words done by and hopefully before November 30. I plan to do heavy edit by/before December 15, so
I can take advantage of Amazon’s offer to NanoWriMo winners (anyone who reaches 50,000 words) to publish 2 free hard copies of their novels. I planned on uploading my finished novel to their Kindle platform anyway, but oh, to see the actual book in print (every author’s dream).
I’m encouraged by the sales of my non-fiction e-book published on Amazon in late 2012 – How to Journal and How to Publish from Your Journal. While not a best seller it is selling and yay! It’s making money. I opened my P.O. box this morning and amid the bills, 1 rejected manuscript and the detritus called junk mail, was the check – a royalty check from Amazon.com on my book. It was not large, but oh it’s such a nice feeling to get paid for doing something you enjoy. As I have not promoted the book except for a few Blog posts and an Amazon affiliate link on my Blogs, I’m rather amazed and more than a little pleased.
I like the Amazon affiliate link, as it allows me to link all to the books I review and even those I just like and think everyone should read, and in return I make a few cents commission for having done so. It adds up over time.
05 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in Blogher NaBlo, Journaling, Poetry Tags: Blogher NaBlo, journal, Poetry
In the midst of all things on my November ToDo’s list, I’m still writing my morning pages in my journal – at least 3 handwritten 
pages. Why?
It’s my creative net to:
It’s my friend to:
Do you keep a journal?
04 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in Blogher NaBlo, National Novel Writing Month, Poetry, Thanksgiving Tags: Blogher NaBlo, Nanowrimo, Poetry, Thanksgiving
November is shaping up to be a roller coaster ride of 
To do
To do
To do
To do.
First off, November means a bunch of holiday open house events and gallery openings, and other parties and I try never to miss a one. Then there’s Thanksgiving holidays, which in my family is a 4-day marathon of gathering, cooking, eating, etc.
Add to that:
NanoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is always a challenge. In order to write 50,000 words by November 30 I need to write 1667 words per day minimum.
BlogHer’s November challenge to post one blog per day for 30 days (NaBloPoMo).
Two poetry contests.
Later gators. Tomorrow is my day out with my Mom, soooo I’ve got to write tomorrow’s blog and at least 1667 words on my novel.
What does your November look like?
03 Nov 2014 Leave a comment
in Blogher NaBlo, Journaling, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, Poetry, women's history Tags: Blogher NaBlo, Nanowrimo, Poetry, Women's History
“I prefer the pen. There is something elemental about the glide and flow of nib and ink on paper.”
― James Robertson, The Testament of Gideon Mack
Paean*
praise for the paeans 
flowing from a woman’s pen
that told their story
quietly they rail
assail anonymity
filling silent pages
pen in hand they stand
long lines of women through time
countless pages writ
journals letters more
words telling the history
men tend to omit
© Perle Champion
*Paean: It comes from the Greek παιάν (also παιήων or παιών), “song of triumph…
So much of history is about men by men, but there is a rich history of women if one is willing to look. It exists in journals, letters, and more. So much has been lost or tossed as of no consequence. And, some has been preserved for us if we know where to look. 
Southern History Room of Birmingham and the microfiche archives of the Linn Henley Library are rich with such histories. To pluck any journal from a shelve and begin reading is like stepping back in time and experiencing a life lived.
I’ll be spending some more time there in the next few weeks as I have some research to do. Birmingham has one of the best library systems I’ve encountered and I’ve known many.
Note:
Day 3 of NanoWriMo – Novel Wordcount is 8,449
BlogHer Blog-a-Day challenge 3 for 3
Perle Champion 