Poetry Guest Post by Sharon Skinner: In Case You Didn’t Hear Me the First Time

I have previously had poetry and short stories published in a number of magazines and a couple of anthologies, including The Wisdom of Our Mothers and, most recently, The Stories of Haven: I, as well as several other periodicals. However, I am very excited that Brick Cave Media, a local small press, recently published my new book, In Case You Didn’t Hear Me the First Time, a collection of poetry, essays and short stories written over a period of a dozen years.

The works in this collection reflect life’s journey through sadness, joy, love, loss, humor and hope. When asked what the book is about, I generally reply that it’s my personal take on our oh-so-human dance through “life, the universe and everything.”

I’ve intentionally included works that crack open the exterior shell and lay bare the tender interior where we truly live and love. The places where we curl up inside ourselves to cower, dream, recover, grow, and from where we can reach out and take a resolute stance against hardship. The places where we endure and from where we can celebrate our achievements and ourselves.

The poetry cuts deep, but cycles through to a place of self-affirmation. The essays about my time in the Navy are written with as much honesty as I could possibly muster (pun intended), exploring the dichotomies of the beauty and danger of the sea, the nobility and childishness of young service men and women, and the irony of military bureaucracy.

The inclusion of specific "Blog" entries as points in time, reflect specific moments in my life. Pointing openly to who I am and how I react to adversity, they act as a ribbon of truth, a sort of "Real life" or "Reality Writing" look behind the poetry, beneath the polish.

The reason I write is not just to express my personal emotions, but also to connect with others. I truly believe in the importance of transmitting a signal that does not simply radiate out into the atmosphere, but finds an appropriate receiver. And based on the reviews of my book posted on Amazon, my signal is currently being well received. This is not only gratifying and encouraging, but reaches deep into my interior, giving me yet another reason to celebrate.

In Case You Didn’t Hear Me the First Time is available on Amazon:

Paperback version

Kindle Edition

Sharon Skinner is an award-winning poet who received her B.A. in English from Ottawa University and her M.A. in Creative Writing from Prescott College.  She is a grant developer by day, currently serving as the National Board Secretary of the Grant Professionals Association. At heart she is a poet and fiction writer, having completed two Middle-Grade novels and one Young Adult Fantasy novel, The Healer’s Legacy, which is slated for release in Fall 2011. Sharon is currently hard at work on her current work-in-progress, a Young Adult Urban Fantasy about a teenage girl, who truly doesn’t fit inside her own skin.


Follow Sharon on Twitter @SharonSkinner56 
or at http://www.sharonskinner.com/