Poetry Giveaway!!

UPDATE 5/2/2010:  This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered!  I will be announcing the  winner this evening on a separate post.  (I'll add a link to the post if you have this one bookmarked.)


UPDATE 4/30/2010:  THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE ENTERED!  THIS GIVEAWAY WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT (EST) ON MAY 1, 2010.  I HAVE POSTED THE POEMS & PHOTOS OF THE BOOK I CREATED AT THIS POST IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION!

(I have such lovely followers!  Those deep comments on the last post were amazing...THANK YOU!  I have replies floating around in my head and will be in touch soon.)

After much pondering & procrastination, I have decided to join - on the very last day possible - a Giveaway hosted by the lovely Kelli Russell Agodon for national poetry month.

(For some reason I'm having trouble linking this picture.  CLICK HERE to go to Kelli's post about this giveaway)

A little background for those who may venture over here through this giveaway:

Reasons I almost did NOT do this:

1) I am not a published poet.  I've never formally studied poetry.  I'm slightly intimidated by the others in this giveaway who have lovely books and distinguished backgrounds in this area.

2) While I understand you don't have to be published nor have that formal background, I didn't even know what a "chapbook" was.  Seriously.  Had to look it up.  I don't have one of those, either.

3) I'm actually not afraid of public speaking or heights, but when it comes to sharing as something as intimate as poetry?  The butterflies start the cha cha in my stomach.

4)  I'm reeeally close to finishing up a project I've been taunting people with on this blog for at least a few weeks now.  It's taking up oodles of time.  I reeeally want to get it done this week.  Not to mention the two kids, the housework, and training for the mini-marathon and triathlon.  Sleep has been optional.

Reasons I held my breath and jumped right in at the last second:

1)  Those above reasons are really just excuses.

2)  I love poetry.  I enjoy reading it and adore using the power of language to evoke dormant energies in myself and others.

3) I am a procrastinator.  (Isn't that evident by now?)  Having a deadline and a "reason" to write some poems will be immensely good for my spirit and soul.

4)  The winner will win one of my artistically-formatted poetry books.  It isn't a published book nor probably properly bound.  The winner may not care for the poems.  But want to know what finally made me move beyond that?

The winner gets it for free.  Hell, you can throw it away after you get it if you hate it.  (Just don't tell me.  I might cry.)  Regardless, It's FREE.  What have I got to lose by doing this (other than sanity by adding one more thing to my plate) and what do you have to lose by entering (other than the few seconds it will take you to leave a comment)??

On that note,

THE GIVEAWAY!

Per Kelli's guidelines, I'll be giving away TWO "books" - one by one of my favorite poets and the other by yours truly.

The first? 

The Love Poems of Rumi  (Ed. by Deepak Chopra).

This is a tiny book, yet chock full of Rumi-goodness.  I couldn't part with my big old book of Rumi love, but I promise this one is still quite yummy.

**More about Rumi, including a poem from this book, at the bottom of this post.**

The second?  A crafty little book of poetic works - from Haiku to random thoughts in poetic form.  I apologize I don't even have a teaser here, but I haven't decided if it will be a theme book or just some of my more favorite poems.

I will add a photo and some teaser poems as I finish this.

What I CAN tell you is that it won't be like any other poetry book in the giveaway (I suppose that's good to be unique but it still scares the crap out of me) AND it will be handmade. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1) Leave a comment on THIS POST and make sure it includes a way to reach you.  (Email is a good way.  I suppose you could leave your phone number but I can't promise you won't get a few telemarketing calls or late-night drunk dials from a few of my followers.  They are lovely, strange people like that.)

2)  That's It!  I'll randomly select TWO winners on  (I'll probably let the kiddos pick the names out of the magic box since they had so much fun doing that for the OWOH giveaway) and notify the lucky people then.  One will be sent the Rumi book and the other will be sent my compilation. 

If you ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN ONE OR THE OTHER, please leave it in your comment.  When we do the drawing, I will leave those who are not interested in the book we are drawing for out of that particular one.  Some people don't like Rumi but may be interested in some crafty poetry, and that's totally cool, and some people may not want a handmade book but adore Rumi...and that's totally cool, too!!  I just want to make sure those who enter don't receive something you don't want!!


You DO NOT need to be a follower of mine to win.  (I prefer people to follow me because they are interested in what I have to share, not just for free stuff.  Call me crazy.  But hey, if you do like this blog, please join right up!!)


You DO NOT need to be participating in Kelli's giveaway to win.


You SHOULD spend a few moments visiting Kelli's blog (http://ofkells.blogspot.com/) and those of the other participants (found on the left side of her blog).  There are some seriously talented people out there.

So go ahead, leave a comment!

Seriously - IT'S FREE.

***********

Now more about Rumi:

Might I recommend visiting this link about Rumi, created by the wonderful people at Speaking Of Faith (an NPR program).

They describe, among many other wonderful things, how Rumi often told of conversations with the divine using language as one might with an intimate lover.

It is fascinating reading the poems in this book from either the angle of speaking to a lover...or of speaking to one's inner divinity.

From the book:

Do You Love Me?

A lover asked his beloved,

Do you love yourself more

than you love me?

The beloved replied,

I have died to myself

and I live for you.

I've disappeared from myself

and my attributes.

I am present only for you.

I have forgotten all my learnings,

but from knowing you

I have become a scholar.

I have lost all my strength,

but from your power

I am able.

If I love myself,

I love you.

If I love you,

I love myself.