penandpatience

I am pleased to announce that my fiction short story, “Road Kill” has been published in the December Issue 2013 of the TOUGH LIT Series-Tough Lit XI in Idea Gems Publications. Magazine is available online and in print. www.ideagems.com

Writers Words: “The first sentence can’t be written until the final sentence is written.” –Joyce Carol Oates

                  DECEMBER 2013 MONTHLY MUSING

GG’s POETRY- A Seasonal Inspiration

It’s never too late to realize a dream. Margaret E. Weldon, a beloved but deceased family member, was a poet and didn’t know it—not for a very long time. It wasn’t until the sunset of her years and by a fortuitous accident that her poetry was discovered.

Margaret, called “GG” by her grandchildren and “Marge” by her family and friends, was born in Indian Territory now the State of Oklahoma. The daughter of a farmer and rancher, she grew up with a great knowledge and appreciation of nature. Marge began writing during her high school years and began stuffing snippets of her thoughts, prose, and poetry into a bureau drawer. Later when she married a railroad engineer and moved to Nevada, her writing was put on hold while she raised her two sons. However, after moving to a ranch in Oregon she resumed writing during her early retirement years. It wasn’t until she moved to Arizona to live closer to her only living son that the bureau drawer stuffed with paper slips was discovered by her daughter-in-law, Mickey, while helping Marge with housework. After reading and gathering up the many pieces of paper, Mickey advised Marge that they were quite good and should be published.

Marge Weldon’s book of poetry titled, “Random Thoughts,” was published; she was honored with the Silver Poet Award from the World of Poetry located in Sacramento, California. At the ripe, young age of eighty-three Marge traveled with her son, Jim, to Sacramento to accept the award.  Two of her Christmas poems from “Random Thoughts:”

Happiness For Christmas                                         Peace For Christmas

Happiness if the art of making                                    Again it’s almost Christmas Day

     Others so.                                                                   And time to bow our heads and pray

Give each good deed a chance to grow,                      To every sense of Reason;

Erase the frown from just one face,                            To seek and search each avenue and lane

     Put something good in evil’s place.                       For hope that joy and peace

                                                                                            Will Reign

Happiness is the joy of doing right,                            Throughout the Christmas Season

Defeating evil with brain and might,

With bending limb and smiling grace,

     Put something good in evil’s place.

And now that Christmas time is due,

Take time to leisurely pursue

Delightful things that others do,

All over the world and out in space,

Put something good in evil’s place.                                       

Margaret E. Weldon (1906 – 2000)

  HAPPY HOLIDAYS

GAYE BUZZO DUNN