Happenstance

In last week’s episode Pella was faced with an applied need artifical intelligence unit that was a replica of Alman Romani. What is the bot’s pur-pose? Who sent it? Read more about the perials of Pella Soames, a young woman in search of her past in hopes of having a future.

Rosanne Sterne is an award-winning poet, watercolorist and flutist whose po-etry has been widely published in literary journals including Ar-tisan, Journal of Poetry Therapy, Long Island Quarterly, Progenitor, and Santa Fe Literary Review. Dancing in the Gaps, her first poetry chap book, was published in 2010.

Happenstance LiteraryMid -January, 2013

Happenstance PublishingSharon Vander Meer

Permission to use content contact:

sharon@vandermeerbooks.comCover image: Marking Time

IMAGE: clipart.com Some interior images from

clipart.com

Going to Physical rehab was terrifying. But getting to rehab via transportation in a van equipped for people with wheelchairs was a stunner. I had entered the hospital on Feb. 15, with all my limbs intact. I exited the hospital on May 20th, with one remaining limb.

Next issue:On or about Feb. 1, 2013

Submisson deadline,Friday, January 25, 2013

Creative Prompt:Love, Love, Love

Page 7, Rosanne Sterne

In this issue:Page 3 • Regrets, I have a few; do you?

Page 4 • Writer’s Block Schedule

• News and Notes for writers

Page 5 • Copeing with Parkinson by Niki Sebastian

Page 6 • Cindy Charlton: Writing through pain

Page 7 • Rosanne Sterne: Artist, poet and entrepreneur

Page 8 • Poetry by Rosanne Sterne

Page 10 • Episode 4: Thunder Prime: Hunter’s Light, by Sharon Vander Meer

Page 12 • Everlasting by Tom McDonald

Page 12 • Poetic forms from poet.org

Letters and comments are welcome at sharon@vandermeerbooks.com

Page 6, Cindy Charlton

Happenstance Literary Mid-January, 2013, Page 2

Subscription: $12 annuallyFree to contributing writers

Mail check to Sharon Vander MeerHappenstance Publishing

PO Box 187Las Vegas, NM 87701

Subscribe online at Happenstance Literary

All rights reserved by Happenstance Publishing in Las Vegas, N.M.

Reproduction of contents in any fashion without written permission fromthe publisher is prohibited.

Happenstance Publishing is not responsible or liable for the loss of any unsolicited materials or incorrect dates or incorrect

information in articles. Opinions expressedwithin the pages (or web post-ing) of Happenstance Literary do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the magazine. By-lined articles and editorial content repre-

sent the views of their authors. For permission to reprint any part of a by-lined article, contact the author.

www.vandermeerbooks.com Copyright 2013

Page 10, Thunder Prime

Call for SubmissionsThe focus for Happenstance publica-tions in the coming year. These are intended as creative prompts not fences to corral the writing muse.

February: Love, Love, LoveMarch: Spring ThingsApril: Flower PowerMay: TransitionsJune: TraditionsJuly: Summer CelebrationsAugust: School DaysSeptember: Autumn LeavesOctober: Spirits and GhostiesNovember: Fabulous FoodDecember: Winter Celebrations

Submission deadlines: One week prior to the publication date, which is typically on the 1st and the 15th of each month.

Writer’s Guidelines:1. Must be original work.2. Grammar, punctuation and spelling must be correct.3. Maximum length 1,500 words.4. Acceptable genres and styles: poetry, humor, essay, memoir, short story, photo essay, feature articles, travel, social commentary, food, wine and dining, book reviews, fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance and sci-fi/fantasy.5. Submission does not guarantee publi-cation.6. Submit work to: sharon@vandermeerbooks.com.

If you have specific questions about the submission process,

please e-mail sharon@vandermeerbooks.comCompensation not paid at this time.

Contributors receive a free subscription.

Regrets, I have a few; do you?

If you could control time, what would you do? Go back and correct wrongs? Which wrongs?

The ones you did to others, or would you correct how you reacted when you felt you had been wronged? Would you go back to school and complete your degree? Change majors? Marry a different person? Think twice about getting that divorce? Be tougher on your kids? More lenient? Work harder? Relax more? Spend more time listen-ing instead of talking?

The Psychology of Regret, an article recently published Psychol-ogy Today, confirms what I’ve been saying for years. We agonize and remember in detail the times we screwed up. The good decisions, the perfect moments, those we may remember, but we don’t dwell on them in the ways we dwell on mistakes, hurt feelings, inflected emotional pain we delivered with rapier sharp wit and later kicked ourselves silly over, or wishing we’d done something that may have been too risky for our comfort level, like changing jobs or focusing on family instead of work.

According to research conducted by Neal J. Roese and Amy Sum-merville, the six biggest regrets fall under the categories of education, career, romance, parenting, self and leisure.

Who hasn’t considered, as Robert Frost wrote, the road not taken? Education, or the lack thereof, is a defining factor in the lives of most of us. Careers often determine an individual’s level of overall satisfaction. Romantic relationships are emotionally comforting or a prickly field of fearful unrest, depending on where you are in your love life. Some yearn for romance, unable to define what that constitutes.

Parenting. Let’s not go there. That cute little darling at two can be a terror as a teen and a dependent moocher at 25, filling you with regret for not being a better parent, whatever that means. Even when children turn out “perfect” we feel regret because we wonder if we were too hard on them. And then you become a grandparent and it starts all over again.

In the US we have the luxury of being self-aware in ways people in other cultures can’t fathom. When you’re starving it’s hard to get worked up over how much you weigh, or whether your personal sat-isfaction is at an acceptable level. Only in wealthier nations is self-im-provement a subject that merits consideration. “Am I too fat? Too thin? Am I attractive? Ugly?” The list is unlimited when it comes to self. The most popular books purchased in bookstores and online are self-help books.

It has been said, “No one on his or her deathbed says, ‘I wish I’d worked more’.” Not taking time for leisure activities is one of the top six regrets. I’ve worked with people who refuse to take paid vacations. Why? I don’t have an answer, but I believe it’s one of two things: they believe the office can’t run without them, or they’re terrified it will run better without them. The horns of a dilemma indeed.

According to the study there is nothing wrong with having regrets. It likely means you’ve learned valuable lessons. When regrets become a roadblock to moving on, then you have a problem. Check out the article in Psychology Today that talks about how to deal with regret and make it work for you.

—Sharon

Happenstance Literary Mid-January, 2013, Page 3

Writer’s Block is a weekly radio program on KFUN/KLVF in Las Vegas, NM, featuring the work of

writers in most every genre.

Jan. 22, 9:05 a.m., Pat RomeroAbout the Book Cowboy Reunions of Las

Vegas, New Mexico: For nearly a half-century, Las Vegas, NM held “Wild West” adventures rivaling

Cheyenne’s Frontier Days, the Calgary Stampede, and Oregon’s Pendleton Round Up. The San Miguel County seat annually hosted full-dress cowpunchers, Native Americans, ranchers, dance bands, artists and writers, moviemakers, and rodeo per-formers. The Las Vegas Cowboys’ Reunion became legendary in

western lore, drawing such ten-gallon names as Tom Mix, Jim Shoulders, Montana Belle, Prairie Rose Henderson, and Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. Dick Bills and his nephew, Glen Campbell, played at the “Big Balls,” and the reunions drew famous western artists, such as Randall Davey. Join author Pat Romero for these reunion tales based on Git Fer Vegas, Cowboy , the exhibit she curated at the City of Las Vegas Museum and Rough Rider Me-morial Collection.

Pat will be at an author event at Tome on the Range, Saturday, Jan. 22, at 2 p.m.

Mary Hanley, 9:35 a.m.About the Book Romance and Murder in the

Cinque Terre: Former Special Forces Commander Drake Harrington and his partners find themselves on a trail of lust, murder, and vengeance that lead them from San Francisco to Rome, and then to the Cinque Terre area of Italy. An unexpected encounter with a beautiful brown haired woman puts Drake’s life on the line as he strives to save her from a serial killer’s need for revenge.

______Interview podcasts: http://wbvandermeer.

podbean.com/. Program format: http://www.vandermeerbooks.

com/WritersBlock_copy.pdfScheduled guests: http://svmwritersbloc.

blogspot.com/2012/12/schedule-through-jan-29-2013.html

Pat Romero talks about her new book Jan. 22 at Tome

Happenstance Literary Mid-January, 2013, Page 4

News and notes for writersWorkshops at the Plaza Hotel Feb. 2

Stewart S. Warren, Jules Nyquist and Lauren Schwartz are conducting three workshops in Las Vegas on Feb. 2, at the Plaza Hotel. Imbolc’s Way — writing workshops and poetry performance is a unique opportunity to nudge the creative muse and network with other writers.

The workshops are inspired by Brigid the Celtic Goddess of poetry, heal-ing, and smith craft. You may participate in one, two, or all three workshops designed to cultivate the seeds of intention and usher in the season of longer days. The prices are $20 for one workshop, $40 for two and $50 for all three.

To register go to www.heartlink.com/imbolc

_________________

2013 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards StartsEntries are now being accepted for the 2013 New Mexico-Arizona Book

Awards. Books by Arizona and New Mexico authors and publishers that were released between 2011 and 2013 are eligible. The deadline for entries is July 1, 2013. There are forty-nine categories this year. A new category has been added for bilingual children’s picture and activity books.

Entry info is at http://nmbookcoop.com/BookAwards/BookAwards.html._________________

ABQ arts magazine seeking entries

What: ABQ Arts & Entertainment Flash Fiction Contest. Deadline: Friday, February 8, 2013

Write well, but write short. Enter the ABQ Arts & Entertainment Flash Fiction Contest for a chance to win $100 and publication in the April 2013 issue. Runners up will be published online at abqarts.com.

Only unpublished short stories from 75 to 750 words submitted by e-mail or snail mail will be accepted. Any subject matter, but keep the words clean. No matter how short, your submission should be a complete story, with a beginning, a middle and an end. Read past winners in the archives at abqarts.com.

No entry fee. Multiple entries okay. Include your name and phone num-ber. Entries will be judged by a panel of professional writers whose decisions are final.

DEADLINE: Entries must be e-mailed or snail-mailed by midnight Mountain time, Friday, February 8, 2013. No exceptions. E-mail to publish-er@abqarts.com or snail mail to Flash Fiction Contest, ABQ Arts & Enter-tainment, PO Box 20609, 87154. Winners will be notified by Friday, March 15, 2013.

_________________

Las Vegas writers’ group meets monthly If you’re interested in participating in a writers’ group, the Las Vegas

Writers meet the second Sunday of the month from 2 to 4 p.m. to discuss writing, publishing and opportunities.

For more information contact sharon@vandermeerbooks.com. Type Writer’s Group in the subject line.

Happenstance Literary Mid-January, 2013, Page 5

Alzheimer’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease are both dreaded diagnoses.

• Both are named for men who studied and described their patterns of development.• Both are progressive, inexorable, to date irreversible although amendable to medication that slows progress.• Both are the result of deterioration of brain function.

Alzheimer’s begins in the frontal lobes of the brain, whereas Parkinson’s begins near the rear – hence Alzheimer’s first manifests with mental deficits while Parkinson’s begins with physical ones. Eventually, if the affected person lives long enough, a Parkinson’s patient may develop signs of dementia, and an Alzheimer’s patient may manifest physical tremor, stiffness and weakness.

The mechanisms of the two disorders are different. It is not my purview to continue this essay on the two topics jointly – my focus of interest is Parkinson’s – and very specifi-cally, the coping devices that people living with Parkinson’s (PWP) discover to help themselves to overcome (one writer claims to reverse) its most annoying symptoms.

“It’s like living with a very clumsy, messy and annoying roommate,” states one PWP who is a close friend of mine. “I have to use my creativity and ingenuity to compensate for his (Parkinson’s) behavior, in order to live the life I want.”

I am only in the initial stages of my reading, research and interviews, but it is becoming apparent that within the very individuated manifestations of Parkinson’s (one of its challenges is that it has such a wide range of symptoms) some patterns can be discerned. One cluster appears to be of those PWP for whom the first symptoms are hand and arm trem-ors, a second whose symptoms begin with changes in gait or balance. Another cluster manifests with swallowing problems and tremor of the face and/or head.

I recently interviewed the widow of an 85 year old man who died last spring from complications of his Parkinson’s. She described her husband’s experience of what she called “Parkinson storms” in which his entire body and all its parts shook so violently that it approximated the behavior of a grand mal seizure. Nothing could be done for him until the episode passed – just as nothing can be done during a seizure beyond protecting the person from injury.

My friend with the “Parkinson roommate” is an intel-ligent and creative man, an actor and musician, who has applied his inventive mind to finding ways to overcome the obstacles Parkinson puts in his path. He has learned, for example, that when Parkinson causes his body to lock up and refuse to step forward, he can mentally direct it to shuffle around and start to move backwards, thus loosening up enough to turn once more and walk forward more normally. He has also learned to throw skipping steps into his normal walk, or to hit one leg (the right one which tends to drag) with the opposite hand in order to maintain forward motion.

It is this friend’s desire for access to a compendium of “ideas to try” that prompted me to begin my research and interviews. It is the resourcefulness, the ingenuity and the determination of the PWP I have met along the way, that motivate me to master the complexities of brain science, and to collect the nuggets of creativity from which an encyclope-dia of “how to” suggestions can be constructed.

• Visualize climbing up onto an imaginary staircase, to walk across a patterned carpet.• Use a cane to hit one foot, prompting it to take astep through the doorway.• Don tight-fitting shoes before getting out of bed, to keep toes from cramping.• Press forcefully down onto a walker to stop armsfrom trembling too violently to hold the walker upright.• Bend down to sip drinks through a straw instead of lifting the glass up off the table.• Bounce a basketball off a wall while walking sideways, to retrain reflexes.• Consciously disrupt and alter familiar patterns of movement, to prevent them from becoming frozen.

And most universally – appropriate for all of us - share successes, ask for ideas, have patience, be grateful for the presence of understanding support people, and don’t give up.

—Niki Sebastian has been in the health field for a num-ber of years and in addition to being a writer, she is an avid researcher. She is writing a book about coping mechanisms for Parkinson sufferers. For more information about her work contact her at comcado@gmail.com.

Coping with Parkinson“It’s like living with a very clumsy, messy and annoying roommate. I have to use my creativity and ingenuity to compensate for his (Parkinson’s) behavior, in order to live the life I want.”

—A person living with with Parkinson

Happenstance Literary Mid-January, 2013, Page 6

“It is only when you open yourself to others, that you will find the truth which lies within you.”

—Cindy CharltonGoing to Physical rehab was terrify-

ing. But getting to rehab via transporta-tion in a van equipped for people with wheelchairs was a stunner. I had entered the hospital on Feb. 15, with all my limbs intact. I exited the hospital on May 20, with one remaining limb.

I was now leaving the world I had come to know, transported in a van equipped to move me in a wheelchair…my wheelchair. I had been outside one time during my three month stay in the hospital. My first wheelchair outing left me spent, and in pain. The trip to the rehab facility was exhausting, and excruciating both physically and emotionally. I dreaded the thought that this was going to be my new normal, my new life. Read more at The Survivor’s Handbook.

This is the beginning of Cindy Charlton’s latest blog posted in The Survivor’s Handbook. Cindy is candid about her

experiences and an advocate for people with disabilities.She is one tough cookie. The trials she has endured would have felled the less hardy,

but she came through with a positive attitude and the spirit of a survivor. She is an accomplished and powerful speaker taking her message of hope and inspiration to people of all ages.

Cindy says her experiences of loss have allowed her the vision to see and understand how precious and valuable every moment of living is. “I am a survivor. I’ve lived through a traumatic illness, which took three of my limbs. I beat the odds. I escaped with my life, when no one thought I would live.”

As hard as that was, two years after her own harrowing expe-rience with illness, her husband Michael, died from a rare form of cancer. On her website Cindy says she was left to pick up the pieces of her children’s broken hearts, and the challenge of creat-ing a new way of living for her family.

“One of the most important lessons in life is not to let losses get in the way of living,” Cindy writes. Below are responses to questions about her career as a writer. In addition to her blog she has been published in three Chicken Soup for the Soul books in the survivor series.

H. What do you most like about the writing process?C. I love stringing words together that will have meaning

for someone who will be reading them. I often find music inside words and certain phrases, and I love that! But most of all, I just enjoy creating an emotion for my readers, as long as the emotion isn’t, “Yuck this is stupid!”

H. In your very busy life, how do you find to write?

C. Writing has become necessary to my every day. If I don’t write some-thing—doesn’t matter how much or how little—every day, I feel unsettled, almost incomplete. I wish exercise affected me the same way!

H. What does it mean to you to be published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series?

C. It’s a huge deal. It feels like a vali-dation of me as a bona fide writer.

H. Briefly talk about the stories that have been in the series.

C. All of the stories I have written for CSFTS (I’m three for three now) are stories that have occurred within—and because of my life’s circumstances—these past fifteen years. They will appear in my memoir in some form or another. The story, One In A Million, which came out last Spring in Family Caregivers, was a story about me and my husband, Mi-chael, and how we dealt with his terminal illness, as a couple. The story, We Are Sur-

vivors, which came out last October in Power of Positive, is a story about my son Wes, and his struggles with the loss and sadness in his life. And the last one I submitted, Nothing Less Than Miracu-lous came out the first of January in Angels Among Us. It’s about an extraordinary experience I had in ICU with my angel.

H. In five words, what does writing do for you?C. Sanity, hope, inspiration, purpose and creativityH. What have you learned about yourself in the course of writ-

ing you didn’t know before?C. I think, as I retell my stories, that I have found, or perhaps

realized, courage of which I wasn’t totally aware. And I think that I can reach people through my written words, sometimes better than spoken words.

H. As a motivational speaker, what kinds of reactions to you get from your personal story?

C. People are in almost (maybe awe) disbelief of what has occurred in my life. My hope is they are inspired to overcome ob-stacles they may face on their own paths, and realize they too are survivors. I have been told that my story has given many people hope and strength.

H. You are an inspiring person. Who inspires you?C. I am a survivor story junkie. Anyone who has overcome

adversity inspires me.H. What are you working on now?C. I’ve been working on my blog, which I hope to finish

within the next few months. And I am working on two stories for two more CSFTS books. My biggest project is getting my memoir written completely, this year.

—Continued on page 12—

Cindy Charlton: Writing through pain

Happenstance Literary Mid-January, 2013, Page 7

The description of Rosanne Sterne

on her website gives an overview of her many talents. She is an award-winning poet, watercolor-ist and flutist whose poetry has been widely published in literary journals includ-ing Artisan, Journal of Po-etry Therapy, Long Island Quarterly, Progenitor, and Santa Fe Literary Review. Dancing in the Gaps, her first poetry chap book, was published in 2010.

Rosanne is a gradu-ate of Harvard Univer-sity where she studied poetry with Alan Williamson, holds an M.B.A. from the University of Denver, and is a consultant to foundations with a special focus on arts and culture. Rosanne was raised in Mas-sachusetts and moved to Colorado in 1981.

Below are Rosanne’s responses to questions about her writing and the writ-ing life.

H. You’re a poet and mom, what else keeps you busy?

R. I am kept busy by all of my artistic pursuits and by my consulting work. In terms of other artistic activities, I am a semi-professional flutist. I perform regu-larly throughout Colorado with the Garrett Sterne Duo and I have been principal flutist of the Littleton Symphony Orchestra for twenty-six years. I do one major recital each year, most recently on Jan. 11, on the St. John’s Episcopal Church Artist Series in Denver.

I am also a watercolorist. My work is primarily abstraction, with bright prismat-ic colors and some collage. My paintings are in collections across the US and in-ternationally. My work has been in many juried shows over the years. In Colorado, I show regularly at Willow Artisans Market and Stellas Coffee Haus.

I am also a consultant to foundations and nonprofit organizations with a special focus on arts and culture. I review grants and make funding recommendations to several foundations. I also provide man-agement consulting and assistance to indi-vidual nonprofit organizations in the areas

of board develop-ment, financial and strategic planning, and overall organi-zational manage-ment. I have owned my consulting busi-ness for twenty-five years.

H. When you were at Harvard, what was your major and how have you applied that in your writing?

R. At Harvard, I majored in music. I have been inter-

ested in music, poetry and the arts — all of them — since I was a young child. In high school, an art instructor told me I would have to choose a focus, which didn’t seem right to me. When I went to col-lege I majored in music but I took art and poetry courses as well. My three artistic disciplines inform one another in my work. Music influences the rhythms in my writing and in my painting. My poems are very visual. Words, collaged or written, are often included in my paintings. If I have a dry spell in one discipline, others are always still going. I can be creative all of the time. My current writing project is an ekphrastic poetry series. Ekphrasis is use of visual art to create writing and, in this case, poems. In my current project, I am writing ekphrastic poems inspired by the works of Impressionist artists. Color and rhythm frequently find their way into my writing.

H. What inspires you? R. Key inspirations for me are

interpersonal relationships, family, color, nature, and the arts in general. I am also inspired by other artists, poets and musi-cians.

H. What have you learned about your-self through your poetry you didn’t know before?

R. I have learned that I am very resilient and quite optimistic. I have also learned that I can survive and thrive even after some very difficult life circumstances. I might start out writing a poem about a challenge and by the end I realize that I

have turned that challenge around in a way that strengthens me and also the reader.

H. What poets do you most admire and why?

R. My favorite poets include Sharon Olds, Mary Oliver, Theodore Roetke, Louise Bogan, Li-Young Lee, Rilke, all for different reasons. Common among them is their ability to inspire a sigh of awe at the end of the poem. The language is beautiful but also direct and accessible. Each offers an intensity of emotional experience that makes me want to read or listen to a poem many times.

H. If you were going to write a poem about yourself, what would be the title?

R. I actually have written a poem about myself. It’s in my book, Dancing in the Gaps, and it’s called girl 1964. It talks about my difficult childhood and how the arts helped me to survive and grow past the awfulness. The title of my book comes from that poem. The concept is that we all have gaps — areas where our needs or wishes weren’t fulfilled. Despite these gaps, we can grow to live full and productive lives. I liked the idea that we can all thrive so well using our existing strengths that we might even “dance in those gaps.”

H. Why that title?R. In 1964, I was seven years old and

extreme family dysfunction surrounded me. Yet, even then I was writing poems, playing piano, and making paintings that I enjoyed. So I knew that there was a way out of that place. Many people have lived through difficult childhoods and become productive and generative artists and professionals. We all have our girlhoods or boyhoods and we all have our 1964s. Sharing the idea that one can thrive after difficult circumstances and not be weight-ed down with them was the basis for the poem and its title. We also don’t have to keep seeking to fill the gaps; we can dance in them.

H. How do you find time to write?R. I always wake up early to “greet the

muse.” That is my best writing time. All of my children are now grown and out of the house so more time is available for writing and reflection.

H. What does your family think of your writing?

—Continued on Page 8 —

Rosanne Sterne: Artist, poet and entrepreneur

Happenstance Literary One-January, 2013, Page 8

Continued from Page 7 —

My family is proud of my writing and supports me in everything I do. We all support one another’s work and life pursuits. We’re very fortunate.

H. You also teach poetry. Talk about what that’s like and what appeals to you about teaching.

R. I love teaching writing because I can help to open up hearts. In my last workshop, the students each came with the desire to write but limited experience. Or they had written in the past and but had not accessed that part of themselves for a long while. I like to teach by having students try many forms and use a variety of media for writing. For example, we wrote one poem with crayons. We used postcards of various paintings as inspi-ration for poems. We made handmade poetry chapbooks with colored papers and images. I also plan a mini poetry reading at the end of each workshop. That way, each student has the opportunity to hear her/his own voice and read poems in front of a group. For some people, it’s very daunting and yet after they do it successfully you can see the pride and growth in them. I love to teach students and I look forward to seeing their growth. I feel sad when the class is over.

H. What are the traits other people see in you that you’re surprised by?R. One of my consulting colleagues once asked me to attend a meet-

ing because she said my presence always has a “calming influence.” I was quite surprised by that when she said it. But I did reflect and realize that I am very calm and generally handle stress with measured consideration and diplomacy. I probably learned this skill in my childhood, hard-earned, of course, but it serves me well.

H. What is the greatest compliment you’ve ever received?R. The greatest compliment is that I have been a good mother. I have

received this compliment many times. This is so important to me because I want to be generative and to leave a positive legacy through my chil-dren and future grandchildren. I try to help children, family, friends and students to grow and mature into the people they need to be. I hope to be a positive influence on that growth so that when I am gone, I have left behind in people the sense that they can also be generative positive influ-ences on their families and communities.

H. What habit best defines who you are?R. I have been keeping a journal for over forty years. My habit of

daily journaling reflects who I am in many ways. It shows my dedication to writing and to a certain amount of routine. It shows my loyalty, which extends way beyond my writing into all of my personal relationships. It shows my steadfast belief that writing can help to organize human experi-ence. Daily journaling shows my reliability and commitment, which extends to family, friends, my artistic pursuits, my work, and many other aspects of my life.

H. Final thoughts.R. I love animals and find the routine of caring for animals very ful-

filling. I especially love cats. My cat, Bartholomew (after Dr. Seuss), is my faithful writing companion, always curled up nearby when I am compos-ing. He’s the only cat I’ve ever had who will sit on the table next to me when I practice my flute. Other cats have usually made for the bed and hid under the quilt with their paws over their ears!

—The poem at right and on the next page are by Rosanne. For more information about Rosanne and her work go to http://www.coloradopo-etscenter.org/poets/sterne_rosanne/index.html. Rosanne’s book, Dancing in the Gaps, is available https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product_info.php?products_id=695

•Illusionby Rosanne Sterne

The good motherpossesses a gift.

Though winds are brazenand skies full of secrets,the balm of her hand voice wordoffers to her childrenthe illusion of safety.

Her hug is an amulet,shielding against mossy human terrorsand pledging a powerful leap through man’s malignant fireto deflect danger.

Her voice –one only her children can sense –is a salve,as if mere maternal vocalizingcould offer hope.

Her unbroken wordprovides constancy,trust in a language of reliable meanings,a stable post on which to leanin a sloppy, botched, frivolous world.

There is privilege in the gift of being the hub of a wheelfrom which spin sons and daughtersmoving confidently toward themselves,

Ready to offerthe same humbling illusion,willingly and knowinglyto their own children.

Happenstance Literary One-January, 2013, Page 9

PoetryA new endingby Rosanne Sterne

From the sea of deathalways a certain rebirth, whengrimy viruses and spindling bacteriarecoil, remit into cellularwisdom; and detrituscomposts into dark loam,like the dirt under oldouthouses, a certain black-richscent from which seeds, oldand new, with their central fetuses offerfurl of stem and leaf.And the murderous skiesand urgent cloudslift, evaporate, clear –& sunlight slants itsunresisting arm on sprig andceladon bud. Andthe poisonous seas split &subside to their depths, emerging into fields and insects, frothyriver foam, meanders and mudrunning under cutbank and the sureblanket of watercress,dense with green,drenched in green,leaf over leaf,bud upon bud.

Kilauea 4:30 a.m.by Rosanne Sterne

In the edging dawnbanana leaves scratch theirtalons, impatient with tides and the incessant growling of junglefowl

Where the sea vows its wantoncourse under full purpled moon, its certain planto suck large chunks of land and burnt orange lavaoff the mass, out to depths

In this verdant perfumed sanctuary --jasmine, plumeria, swallowtail –rivulets bend, snowyegrets launch, and the great frigatebird stalks

Under shade of silent mahogany, brilliant cadmium-topped Brazilianjays flit, open mouthed toads dance their brief moment – calcified orchards

stilled.

This place where all green things growto excess, oversized boat-like palmfronds, fat tree stems, audacious prickledbreadfruit, wingspan, wave, and wind

Here, brief human breaths standdwarfed, shrunken, made minute,mere commas in a poet’ssmudged sea of time

Even still, in all of our smallness, we seekwisdom and goodness, blind supplicants,naïve pilgrims on life’s cruel,predictable and impossible course.

When I was a kid, I thought there was one poetic form. Bor-

ing! I’ve changed my mind and not only enjoy reading poetry, I like writing poetry. I’m delighted to have submissions from such talented writers. There is a fluidity and beauty about poetry you rarely find in prose. Because I’m not a student of poetry, I checked out poets.org to get an idea of just how many poetic forms there

are. Fortunately I found both a list and a brief explanation of what each form is, at least the ones the site had listed. Poetry it seems, is an ever-evolving medium. I’ll give you a few of the descriptions, but for the rest you’ll need to you to the website. Very interesting.

Poetic forms from poets.orgAbecedarian: Most commonly used

as mnemonic devices and word games for children, such as those written by Dr. Seuss and Edward Gorey.

Anaphora: As one of the world’s oldest poetic techniques, anaphora is used in much of the world’s religious and devo-tional poetry, including numerous Biblical Psalms.”

—Continued on Page 12—

Poetic forms: There are more than you think

In Episode 3 Pella was faced with an applied need artifical intelligence unit that was a replica of Alman Romani. What is the bot’s purpose? Who sent it? Read more about the perials of Pella Soames, a young woman in search of her past in hopes of having a future.

Episode 4

I gave the dazed Romani-fake a hard push back into the room. Box

closed the door, but not until he’d checked to see if anyone had observed us.

“Clone or ANAI?” I had to know which before determin-

ing a course of action. Clones were deemed human. Even illegal knockoffs had rights. ANAIs were bots; sophisticated bots, but bots nonetheless, and had no rights.

“ANAI,” Box said without hesitation. The Romani ANAI offered no resistance when Box touched its right iris with his forefinger. It went still and glassy-eyed. “And not a good one.”

“Yeah, I can see that. It’s like the thing was cobbled together with essential parts missing, like a brain.”

I crossed my arms and continued to look at the bot. “If you knew it was a fake, why did you leave?”

“I interrupted the ANAI program-ming before completing your instructions.”

How much was wrong with what Box had done? I didn’t bother toting it up.

“Understood, and you understand this is against your programming directive.”

“I obeyed the prime purpose of ANAI protector programming.”

Of course he was right. The con-straints that in theory prevented the ANAI from taking initiative outside its program-ming could not override prime purpose: in this case protection of its owner, me. Still, it begged the question of why Box disrupted the Romani ANAI to go about other business instead of telling me I was in danger. Or did he perceive no danger from the fake Romani?

I could ask but it was a waste of time. Box’s reasoning would be so sound I couldn’t argue with it.

Box easily lifted the much larger and now lifeless ANAI, and set it further into the room. While I poked at the Romani bot Box emptied my bags and placed the contents in appropriate places: clothes in the closet, undergarments in drawers and toiletries in the bathroom. When he was done he approached the ANAI and looked it over with a far more discerning eye than I had.

“Instructions?”“Take it apart. See if you can figure out

where it came from and who ordered it.”“At your command. Might I suggest

when you go out, you take SPIN with you.”I grimaced. There were instances

when I did not want the ANAI in my busi-ness, but as it happened, this time it didn’t matter. I stood still while he secured SPIN to my left eyebrow and made sure it was transmitting. Satisfied he turned his atten-tion to the ANAI. He began by bloodlessly popping the head off, which made my stomach churn. I left him to it.

I headed to the lower level and let it settle in that somebody was after me. Two odd events might be a coincidence. A third was a warning bell. I had brushed off the incident at Safe Haven as jerks looking for a free ride. The attempt to snatch me from the lobby of the Wayfarer hadn’t alarmed me. Stuff like that happened all the time. You never knew when some fool was going to take a dislike to you and act on it. The fake Romani, that was a different matter.

I headed for the Wayfarer din-ing room, but in mid-stride, changed my mind. Nothing would suit me more than having a quiet dinner alone, but if I wanted to hear scuttlebutt the place to be was in Chase Cantina. Besides there was every chance Bart Casey would be lurking around. He was forevermore trying to re-cruit me for Thunder Transport. I did not fit in his world, or anywhere. Like Elvira, the Casey-Conner-Jaleese clan thought my quest futile. I was in no humor to deal with any of them, least of all Bart. Being around him made me long for things I couldn’t have.

I headed toward the atrium that separated the hotel from the cantina. The beautifully designed glassed-in garden

was a soothing respite, an oasis between the bustle of the lobby and the din of the cantina. When I got past the buffer zone and entered the cantina, noise hit me like a hammer to the head. The racket was unrelenting, accompanied by jabber from promo pieces flashing from every surface. Mendoza didn’t allow promo jabber inside the Wayfarer because his daughters had convinced him that travelers were look-ing for a place of rest and relaxation, not a continual cacophony of noisy product hype. He’d more than made up for it inside the cantina. Even the tabletops pulsed with alluring promises of happiness if you would just buy whatever product being sold. The benefit to Mendoza was enormous. Not only did he rent space to promoters, he took a cut of any purchase made from a cantina kiosk. Mendoza knew how to turn a cred better than anyone.

I meandered in and out of groups, talking to pilots and crew from other ships. It wasn’t in my nature to social-ize, but over the years I’d forced myself to appear in places like this to hear whatever gossip might be floating around. I’d picked up a few leads about my father, none of which panned out, and occasional hints that Chandor dealt heavily in slave trade despite denials by its governing council. Memories of Fog Island were enough to confirm that not everyone on Chandor abided by official edict.

I had been at it for more than an hour, snagging a fish taco along the way to silence my rumbling stomach. So far I’d come up with nothing. I was ready to head for my room when I spotted a couple of crew members from Hermes standing at the far end of the bar chatting with several other merchantmen.

Without realizing it I’d been looking for Romani all evening. Not that he would necessarily be in the cantina; he was more likely in Duketown. I just felt the need to know he was okay.

I headed over to see if the Hermes crew members had heard from him.

Early Winter, a man whose opinion of his appeal to the fairer sex far exceeded his charm, sneered as I walked up.

“Whadda you want?”

Thunder Prime: Hunter’s LightHappenstance Literary Mid-January, 2013, Page 10

I signaled the barkeep for a vacpac of ale. I wasn’t Winter’s favorite person having tenderized his most personal parts the one time he tried to force his attentions on me. He was a good navigator and a force to be reckoned with when the Hermes got into trouble, so I hadn’t ratted him out to Romani or Box. I was capable of taking care of myself.

“Same as you, ale and a little company.”

Winter snorted and showed me his back.

Apple Polar grinned and started to give me a hug. The aroma of eau de booze was overwhelming.

“No thanks, pal.” I pushed him away and leaned my back against the bar.

Incapable of being offended Apple raised his ale pac in a mock salute and grinned, his unruly cowlick waving like a wheat stalk.

“Hey ya, Pella! Thought you wuz headed for free zone.”

“Changed my mind.”Apple nodded sagely as if I had

described the mysteries of the universe.“Either of you hear from Romani?”Winter ignored me. Apple squint-

ed with the effort it took to consider the question.

“Not if I can help it!” Finding his own words wildly

amusing he guffawed loudly and threw his head back. The man behind him had just turned from the bar causing his head to be in a perfect position to be slammed by Polar’s head. If the re-sulting thump was any indication it had to have hurt clear to both their toes.

“Hey! You son of a...” In seconds a drunken brawl

erupted with Apple getting the worst of it. Winter egged him on.

“You can take ‘em, Apple boy! Mix it up! Mix it up!”

The kinder’s opponent, a bigger and more savvy fighter, knocked him down and kicked him. I saw Polar struggle to his feet, and then a crowd of onlookers pressed forward pinning me to the bar as Polar went down a second time, curled into a fetal ball with his thin arms wrapped around his head.

I managed to pull my stunner out of my utility belt and carefully shot low-level bursts, just enough to get the crowd around me to move away and give me space. When I had room I pivoted off my left foot, and with my right kicked the drunk in the belly, knocking him off balance. He stumbled into someone else setting off a wave of pushing and shoving that promised to become a free for all.

I grabbed Polrar’s jacket and with Winter’s help hauled him up. We hustled him toward the exit. Blood streamed from his nose and tears of confusion and pain streamed from his eyes. If his nose wasn’t broken it was most certainly misaligned.

Once in the lobby we gingerly released Apple’s arms. I stood ready to catch him if he couldn’t stand on his own. Winter clapped him on the back and grinned, nearly knocking him down.

“Hey, kid, you did all right. You’ll whup him next time.”

“You’re an ass, Winter,” I said. Polar clutched his belly and

moaned. His eyes darted frantically.“I don’t feel too good. I need the

head.” Winter pointed him toward the

nearest exit. “You’ll never make it kid. Take it outside.”

Apple didn’t hesitate. He was off and running – more like staggering – toward the front door. I started to follow but Winter held me back.

“This won’t be the last tussle he gets into or the last time he gets boozed up. He can handle it.”

“He’s not much more than a kind-er. Why did you egg him on in there? He could have been seriously hurt.”

“I got a better question, why’d you do it?”

“What?” “You kept the idjet from getting

stomped. Why?”I could have blown him off, but

Winter seemed genuinely curious and it was the first conversation I’d had with him that didn’t look like it would end up with me wanting to slap him.

“I’ve seen Apple in a fight. He’s not much good at it.”

Winter coughed a harsh laugh. “Needs to toughen up, that one. A few brawls’ll do it.”

“Or get him whacked.”Winter shrugged. “He’d a got in

trouble, I’d a stepped in.” He eyed her speculatively. “So why’d you do it? You got a soft spot for him?”

Polar had a long way to go before he grew into a man, and even then I wouldn’t be interested. Bart Casey’s face popped into my head and I blinked it away. Polar was a scruffy pup Romani picked up on an off-planet run right after I signed on. There couldn’t be more than a year difference in our ages, but despite the rough life he’d lead — family all gone, village destroyed — he was goofily happy and eager to please. It bothered me that his inno-cence was taken advantage of by the likes of rough men like Winter.

“You might not have thought he needed help, but I did.”

His brow drew down and he pulled at his lip.

Apple came back inside and headed toward us wiping his mouth. He still looked pretty green.

“Do the kid a favor. Get him out of here.”

With that I walked away. I didn’t have an answer about why I’d stepped in to help Polar, I’m not sure I had one for myself. I had enough to deal with and didn’t care one whit about him or Winter.

As I made my way across the lobby I caught sight of Box coming toward me. I cringed slightly. He would chastise me about my actions in the cantina in that very civil way he had. Of course he would have seen every-thing from beginning to end because of SPIN. Maybe getting the seeker pod intel node hadn’t been such a good idea after all.

___________

Pella is in peril from more than her concerned ANAI. Someone is after her. Who is it and to what lengths will they go to capture her? What do they want with Pella? Who is behind it all? Follow the clues in Episode 5.

Happenstance Literary Mid-January, 2013, Page 11

Happenstance Literary Mid-January, 2013, Page 12

Cindy CharltonContinued from page 6—

H. What do you like to read?C. I like to read every genre, except romance. I love fiction,

and horror (Stephen King and Dean Koontz have been two of my all time favorite authors). I love the way Barbara Kingsolver can make her words sing, as well as Pat Conroy, and Alice Sebold. Recently, I’ve been reading a lot of David Sedaris short stories. He makes me laugh out loud! I love the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

H. What advice do you have for writers?C. If writing is something you love, don’t let anyone discour-

age you from doing it! Find your voice, and make it sing. Listen to critique, not criticism, there’s a huge difference. Never quit learning about writing, take workshops or classes. And read, read, read.

H. What author events do you have scheduled?C. I have a book signing here in Denver at the Southwest

YMCA on Thursday, Feb. 7, and I will be at Tome on the Range in Las Vegas, NM on March 9 for a book signing. Both signings will be for the new CSFTS book, Angels Among Us.

 H. Last thoughts? C. I have always enjoyed writing, but I never thought I was

good enough to share my writing with others. I took a class two years ago in creative fiction, and it was my instructor who really encouraged me to think about publishing. It was because of her belief in me as a writer, that I have published some of my essays. I am gaining belief in myself with every publication. It is important to get your work out there whether you’re sharing it with fam-ily, friends, teachers, or publishers. Don’t ever ever give up on yourself.

—To learn more about Cindy Charlton go to her website at http://cindycharltonspeaks.com/. In addition to writing she is a motivational speaker.

EverlastingBy Tom McDonald

The old man wasn’t always so old.Once he was young, strong and bold.He married his soul mate,Made her laugh and sing.He loved all the people,Gave freedom a ring.He lived out loud,He sang great songs.He raised up boys,Taught ‘em right from wrong.The depth of his givingNo one will know,Nor the heights of his faith,Or the breadth of his soul.We cannot imposeLife on the deadBut we will always supposeEverlasting instead.The old man didn’t really die, you see.His heart beats strong in you and me.We’ll always remember his laugh, his cries,And we’ll always come short of that final goodbye.So wait for the momentWhen we feel him again.As love everlastingRides high on the wind.

— As a longtime newspaper reporter and current editor/publisher of the Las Vegas Optic, in Las Vegas, NM, Tom McDonald is accustomed to journalistic writing. When his father, Charles McDonald passed away last year, he used a poetic form to remember him.

Continued from Page 7—Ballad: Subject matter deals with

religious themes, love, tragedy, domes-tic crimes, and sometimes even political propaganda.

Ballade: One of the principal forms of music and poetry in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century France.”

Blues Poem: Typically takes on themes such as struggle, despair, and sex.

The Bop: Not unlike the Shakespear-ean sonnet in trajectory, the Bop is a form of poetic argument consisting of three stanzas.

Cento: From the Latin word for patch-work, the cento is a poetic form made up of lines from poems by other poets.

Chance Operations: A chance opera-

tion can be almost anything from throw-ing darts and rolling dice, to the ancient Chinese divination method, I-Ching, and even sophisticated computer programs.

Cinquain: Examples of cinquains can be found in many European languages, and the origin of the form dates back to medieval French poetry.

Dramatic Monologue: The poet speaks through an assumed voice—a character, a fictional identity, or a persona.

Ekphrasis: Modern ekphrastic poems have generally shrugged off antiquity’s obsession with elaborate description, and instead have tried to interpret, inhabit, confront, and speak to their subjects.

Elegy: The traditional elegy mirrors three stages of loss. First, there is a lament,

then praise for the idealized dead, and finally consolation and solace.”

Epic: Elements that typically distin-guish epics include superhuman deeds, fabulous adventures, highly stylized language, and a blending of lyrical and dramatic traditions.

Epigram: Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.

Epistle: Epistolary poems—from the Latin ‘epistula’ for ‘letter’—are, quite liter-ally, poems that read as letters.

Found Poem: The literary equivalent of a collage, found poetry is often made from newspaper articles, street signs, graf-fiti, speeches, letters, or even other poems.”

I’m stopping there. I ran out of room. Check out the site to see the rest.

Poetic forms