STACIA LYNN REYNOLDS

WELCOME

TO

OUR POETRY ARCHIVE

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Though art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d

And every fair from fair sometimes declines,

By chance, or nature’s course, untrimm’d

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st

Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st

So long as men can breathe, or eyes to see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

~William Shakespeare: Sonnet 18~

William Shakespeare expresses, in the couplet, bliss and heightened elation to an eternal beauty; which is captured in the appearance of youth. He states in the first two lines: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” How glorious it would be to be raptured up into the inner esteem of self, realizing one’s beauty, and the beauty that is apparent in others. Observing, perceiving and delighting in the beauty that surpasses summer days. To embrace love, with all its imperfections and inadequacies. Tuned into the understanding that “Rough winds,” tend to remove what we perceive as beautiful to the eye. We forget the strength and complex workings, are found within; which produces the “darling buds of May.”

People are beautiful, but what is pleasing, is the flow of exquisite inner grace, strength and radiance from within. We can refine ourselves cosmetically, but without an inner glow that radiates outward, our beauty is lost. The heat of life may dim our complexions. Our years add up before we realize time has passed, and nature has taken its course on our physical form, but eternal beauty shall never pass.

Let us shine our inward love toward one another; producing spring blossoms of compassionate grace, and eternal love. The hues of a pure and gentle heart are the result of what lies within. Our world may shake us, people may cause deep hurt, but no one has the power to shake the power of the inner beauty, which we possess, within our soul’s and spirit’s.

The Charity Tree (The Seed of Love)

©Stacia Lynn Reynolds

A tiny seed was planted,

Watered; Given warmth

The brightest rays shone upon,

From the azure skies.

Nestled n’ protected tight

Embraced surroundings;

Was given life from the rains,

And dews of morn’s dawn.

May, drew it up; tall and strong

Within warming ground;

Transforming, development

Apparent, its form.

Perception, senses the scene

Its surrounding’s grasped;

To the inner strength, it holds

Nurturing love shown.

The seed reaps what has been sown,

Due nurturing phase;

Charity branches reach forth

Blessing with its grace.

Its leaves are like no other

No gold, yellow, greens,

But the color of a heart;

Ruby red is seen.

Joyfully drops upon each soul.

Charity given;

Throughout its lifetime cycle

Sustenance bestowed.

Now known as, the tree of love

Whose branches stretch forth;

Gracing all with charity, n’

Those yearning for love.

______

©Stacia Lynn Reynolds

Please take time and enjoy the talent Our Poetry Archive has added to the February 2017 General Edition. This month we are glad to introduce eleven new poets to our readers for the very first time. Those who would like to participate in our upcoming editions, please send at least three poems and a profile picture, along with the explicit confirmation, of your permission, for publication in OPA well before the 21st of every month. You may add your short Bio written in 3rd person narrative only. We are extending an open invitation for our next Continental Edition, which will feature poets from Africa. We plan to publish this special edition, next month, in March. Please send 3 poems, both in English and your native language. As with the General Editions, please send a profile picture and the explicit confirmation, of your permission, to publish your copyrighted materials to Our Poetry Archive. Please specify, in the subject line of your email, which edition you are submitting to, to avoid any confusion, and to assure your poems are published in the correct edition. Those who are submitting to the Special Continental Edition, please state your country of origin, mother language, nationality, and where you reside. Thank you! Our Poetry Archive’s email address is: ourpoetryarchive@gmail.com

Author Stacia Lynn Reynolds, editor, sincerely thanks each poet, poetess and reader who is actively involved in this wonderful blog and continued support of Our Poetry Archive. You are greatly appreciated. Happy Valentine’s Day!

From The Editorial Desk

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SIAMIR MARULAFAU

OUR POETRY ARCHIVE FEATURED

POET OF THE MONTH

SIAMIR

MARULAFAU

FEBRUARY 2016

OPA How long have you been writing Poetry? We would like to know the early stories about your growing up as a poet or writer in general. Who are your favorite Poets? What are some of your favorite genres to read and to write? Had they inspired you a lot, do you believe in inspiration as a guiding force behind writings at all?

SIAMIR  I have been writing poetry for more than 5 years.The early stories about my growing up as a poet or writer in general is that when my wife died of a certain disease 5 years ago i became very sad and started writing many poems dealing with the subject matter  of love and published in some social medias.I wrote some poems about love stories in my own language(Indonesian) and published them as my own “Poem Anthology”.Beside that,I now also write some poems in English which talks about love,politics,religious,etc in International Group Poet and published by Ardus publication,Canada,Columbia,USA .My favorite poets are Robert Frost,and Christin Anne Porter,Lord Tennyson,William Charlos Williams.My favorite genres to read and write is a free verse concerning with poetry prose forms related to modern poetry.Of course,they had inspired me and i do believe that having ispiration is also one of the best guiding forces to write poems.

OPA What has been the toughest criticism given to you as a writer? What was the biggest compliment? Did those change how or what you write?  What has been the strangest thing that a reader has asked you?

SIAMIR  Well,as long as i  have been writing poems,there are so many criticism criticized me about writing poems,especially about using poetic words or choice of words,and i can give a solution since i am a teacher of poetry in my University.It seems there was not biggest compliment.,and these made changed a lot about writing poems.The strangest thing that a reader has asked me is that why i should write the poems were mosltly about love,and answered that not only ‘love’ i wrote but also about politics,religious ,and humanity and war and something concerning with the nature of all.

OPA What is your favorite poem you have ever written? Compared to when you first started writing, have you notice any big changes in your writing style or how you write compared from then to now?

SIAMIR  My favorite poem I have ever written is “NO GAP BETWEEN”.Comparing when I first started writing seems too much different and has any big changes to now since I know that  the more i write poem the more changes there will be caused by dynamic improvement of writing.

OPA   What has been your favorite part of being a poet or and author? What has been your least favorite?

SIAMIR  My favorite part of being a poet or an author is to read and appreciate other poets’ poems beside writing the poems.Criticizing poems written by others’ poets is also my least favorite in terms of being a poet.

OPA  Did you get to quit your day job and become a writer and or author or do you still have a day job and writing is something you do for fun? If you still have a day job, what is it?

SIAMIR  No,i did not quit my daily job,and to become a writer or an author is just to improve Human Resource beside having a day job since writing is a part of my life.Though i still have a day job,i try to write poems and other literary works such as short stories,etc.

 OPA   Besides writing and reading, what is your most favorite thing to do? What genre are you most looking forward to explore during your writing career? Why?

SIAMIR  The most favorite thing i do is to teach students in my own University,especially English language and literature so as to explore during my writing career.It is because teaching English language and literature will improve the way of writing poems.

OPA: Do you think literature or poetry is really essential in our life? If so why? How does it relate to the general history of mankind?

SIAMIR  I think literature or poetry is really essential in our life because it concerns with entertainment as a part of human need or on the other hands,it is a mirror of human life.Literaure or poetry has a very close relation with history of mankind related to the use of language whereas the primitive societies used poetry or literature in conveying something what they like to say to others in daily life.

OPA   Our readers would like to know your own personal experience regarding the importance of literature and poetry in your life.

SIAMIR  In my personal experience,literature and poetry are really very important in my life because since i started studying literature and poetry had made my mind be more wide,especially in understanding arts,which could not be separated from my life until i started writing and teaching literature and poetry as my major subjects of teaching in my University.

OPA Do you think people in general actually bother about literature in general?  Do you think this consumerist world is turning the average man away from serious literature?

SIAMIR  No,i do not think people generally bother about literature.As a matter of fact,they are mostly to take parts in studying and reading literature,even this consumerist world is not turning away from literature seriously since they know that  literature is a part of art that make significat need for mankind.

OPA Do you think society, as a whole, has a factor in shaping you as a poet, or your poetry altogether?

SIAMIR  No,i do not think so ,the society  has a factor in shaping me as a poet and my poetry altogether.My reason to say so is that a few of them still do not know me as a poet even to read my poetry altogether.But,those who know me well and read my poetry in social medias shape me as a poet and rearding my poetry is good.

OPA We would also like to know; How do you relate the present literary trends with the literary heritage of your own country? 

SIAMIR  Well, it is so difficult  to separate the present literary trends with the literary heritage of my own country sincce the two terms are in the same root,and i relate it in terms of the style of writing,which belongs to modern or present literary trends nowadays.

OPA Do you support feminisms? Can literature play any decisive role in feminism at all?

SIAMIR  yes,I do support feminisms very much since they are important to take parts in making man successful.Why not,literature can play any decisive in feminism.As a matter of fact,feminisms are mostly sudied and discussed in lierature.

OPA Do you believe that all writers are by and large the product of their nationality? Is it an incentive or an obstacle in becoming an international writer?

SIAMIR  I think,not all of them but some of them may be presumably regarded like that.I think,no.Not because of  grasping an incentive or an obstacle become an international writer.Most of them would like to share valuable message through writing poems so as to become international writer.

 

OPA What 7 words would you use to describe yourself?

SIAMIR  There are 7 words i use to describe myself are :1.Active,2.Honest,3.Loyal,4.Careful,5.Smart,6.Humble,7.Improved

OPA   Is there anything else that you would like to share or say to those who will read this interview?

SIAMIR  Well,i would like to say that this interview is really good and important to read so as to know and share ideas dealing with literature and poetry between one with another.So,by this interview,those who will read will be involved to differ different ideas concerning with understanding,writing and reading literature or poetry.

SIAMIR MARULAFAU was born in Nias,North Sumatra-Indonesia,May 17,1958.He is a lecturer in English language and literature at the University of North Sumatra,He is a poet,short story writers.He has been writing many poems in English and Indonesian language and some of his works were published such as: “Humanity”(A Poem Anthology,2015); “Lighting”(A Poem Anthology,2016),etc.

The editorial staff of this project: Deborah Brooks Langford, Stacia Lynn Reynolds; sincerely thank you for your time and hope we shall have your continued support.

SIAMIR MARULAFAU

SIAMIR

MARULAFAU

REMEMBRANCE SMILE

When you are smiling

My heart becomes happy

As long as this world is not broken

And you might not forget to draw

I use to wait for

And the smile you provide makes me remember my past

Which is inseparable fom the lives

Wherever I go I bring it always

To remind my fate

That's great I appreciate

Since your smile never hurts me

Though you are so far away from my side

And I know how great love I gain

From the smile I dreamed

Not only,but it brings up my hope

That's what I gaze from time to time

sm/27/12/2016,copyright

MY TRUE LOVE

My desire is to grasp the love

You promise for one till trice

But never comes to reach my mind

Since you are the love

You are the moon of my heart

To give the lighting

Which never fades away

Let the sun knows how far my love be there

To give lightning till the sea is drying

And none of the winds blows my love

Since you are the fuel of my heart

As long this earth is not broken into pieces

As long as my breath is in yours

And only God knows

Of what it is in the lives of mine

For the sake of urging the love

Looks like snow to cover the truth

sm/27/12/2016,copyright

THE FUEL OF MY HEART

Only you and me are smiling

For the sun is shining

Since the love i say that you are mine

I am the lover that yours

No separation between you and me

While whispering about the love

Let the lives be grown by the love

From the childhood we adopted

That the love is a hope

For our lives be happy till to die

Even if the sea is drying

Let us walk on it and try to express the love

From now and then we are friends

That the love be in life and death

Never be separated

I promise you are the fuel my heart

You are the leaves on the tree in my lives

To be a shelter of mine

Since now up to then

Never be separated to die

sm/18/01/2017,copyright

IF THE NATURE GETS ANGRY

Be impossible if the stars

comes down to fetch me

Since there is no way to do it

And the sun does not speak

It only gets angry

Why should i come down to give my shining

So as the moon speaks

Why should i come down to give lighting

And the sea will be angry

By saying i will come to destroy

Since you and me are not friends

For the love is far away

You never put the love in a good way

That we are just the same

As the creation of Radiant claim

To give the message for the man

And may not let them think uselessly

For we are all parts of nature

That must be in the love

If not, all are nihilistic

sm/18/01/2016,copyright

A CUP OF COFFEE

How nice the coffee is

As long as the sugar has not been away

So far i drink for a while

To taste whether it has touched my feeling

Whether it will be sweet or not

The coffee is not bitter at all

To taste it for twice

To keep in mind for the next day

How it will be later to taste

So far no complaint

So far no questioning

Everything has been successful in drink

That's what i like to be

Be sure of its figures

How nice the coffee is

Sometimes it is bitter or nice to taste

As long as the water not to dry

As long as the world not to be spoiled

That's what i like to be

sm/18/01/2017

SIAMIR MARULAFAU

ADOLF P. SHVEDCHIKOV

ADOLF P. SHVEDCHIKOV

CAN YOU HEAR ME, HUMANITY?

I AM ANCIENT SEQUOIA…

I am Sequoia, five thousand years old,

Wise tree in whole world,

I stored in my memory every track of life on this planet.

I live million eight hundred twenty-five thousand days

With joy of sunrise and sadness of sunset...

But year after year it is more and more difficult

To feel the pain of growing violence.

I am like an old faded monument of the past.

I wonder, will really the sad experiments

Of mankind be repeated again?

All religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam,

Promise paradise and love…

Why, then, blood is shed,

Why the Dove of peace will not come to us?

I mourn the countless victims of war,

The suns will never come back to their mothers…

My thoughts are filled with anxiety about people,

My tears are bitter and bitter.

I am the oldest tree, all the same age as the pyramids,

As antique Sphinx, I am suffering Goya,

Why then, mankind, your mind is asleep,

What is the destiny of Sequoia: to live longer or to die?

GOD GAVE US PIECE OF ETERNITY

LIKE A PRICELESS GIFT

God gave us piece of eternity like a priceless gift.

We may use it as we like.

We may soar among white clouds

If you have enough forces to fly up into the sky.

God gave us piece of eternity like a priceless gift.

Transform this gift for a benefit of everyday life.

Save the diamond of your soul to illuminate your path.

God gave us piece of eternity like a priceless gift.

Deliberately use this gift

For the good words and useful deeds,

And the thankful off springs will remember you!

BEATING OF THE HEART

While our hearts pulsate,

While cannons are silent,

While people still plow,

While song resounds in the fields,

While dew sparkles in the morning,

While sunsets are still glowing,

While trumpets of war have no sound,

While summer sunbeams please us,

While fields are not filled with blood,

While death is far from us,

While our souls are at peace,

Let our hearts pulsate!

©

ADOLF P. SHVEDCHIKOV,

PhD, LittD (RUSSIA)

International Poet of Merit

ADOLF PAVLOVICH SHVEDCHIKOV: Russian scientist, poet and translator Born May 11, 1937 in  Shakhty, Russia. In 1960 he graduated from Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry. Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1967. Senior researcher at the Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. Since 1997 - the chief chemist of the company Pulsatron Technology Corporation, Los Angeles, California, USA. Doctor of Literature World Academy of Arts and Letters.

He published more than 150 scientific papers and about 600 of his poems indifferent International Magazines of poetry in Russia, USA, Brazil, India, China, Korea, Japan, Italy, Malta, Spain, France, Greece, England and Australia. He published also 16 books of poetry. His poems have been translated into Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, and Hindi languages. He is the Member of International Society of Poets, World Congress of Poets, International Association of Writers and Artists, A. L. I. A. S. (Associazione Letteraria Italo-Australiana Scrittori, Melbourne, Australia). Adolf P. Shvedchikov is known also for his translation of English poetry ("150 English  Sonnets of XVI-XIX Centuries". Moscow. 1992. "William Shakespeare. Sonnets." Moscow. 1996) as well as translation of many modern poets from Brazil, India, Italy, Greece, USA, England, China and Japan. In 2013 he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature.