When I was younger,

I became obsessed with the stretch marks on my legs.

Now that I’m older,

I’m more obsessed with the scarred lines on my arms.

I wonder, when I became obsessed with lines?

Was it when I was young and growing out of my baby fat

And into a more mature body,

And these lines on my thighs appeared?

Or was it when I saw sharp red lines on my friend’s wrists

And thought it would look better on me instead?

the old lady didn’t mind being

called crazy

or being laughed at for

spending her days

alone

in her small cottage

facing the dark corner

of the room and

talking to

her dead daughter

encouraging her to eat up

and grow up

and complimenting her on the good

looks she’d gained

“Oh, I bet the boys are all dropping

dead in your wake, hehe. Look

at those legs. So slim and long and

deadly. You’re a beauty

among beauties, my dear. Here, have another

one. Eat up to grow up. You’re gonna

have hundreds of strong, beautiful

children, hehe.”

The neighbors and the world

could keep calling her crazy, she

knew she was just very happy

She grabbed another grasshopper from

a jar and ripped its hind legs

and placed it

on the spider’s web

“Here’s another one, dear. Eat up

and grow up, hehe.”

***

https://bogdandragos.com/2021/03/04/facing-the-dark-corner/

In Need of a partner.

Someone who does the dishes.

Someone who likes to listen to my crazy rambles.

Someone who pampers me just a little.

Someone who gives me alone time.

Like a lot of alone time.

But not too much alone time.

Because I hate feeling alone.

Still searching for someone

Who likes adventures.

But not to any crowded places!

Make me laugh at silly jokes

and dont mess with my head!

I'm sensitive and dont like abrasiveness

so keep your dickishness to yourself,

but not your dick... ;)

Planetary Bodies

form energetic interstates.

Roads for energy to flow and follow.

This is the backbone of astrology.

I study astrology.

How the energetic alignments

at your first breath

set the scene

and the energetic patterns

that you follow

for life.

The stars tell stories

or

we tell stories about stars

it doesn't really matter

who speaks first.

The sky calls to some

and even fewer

answer the call.

The call to follow your instincts

and chase the horizon.

This is how the stars have called me.

It is a blessing to hear the heavens

although some may say

that it is bipolar.

I’m an American so I probably think of car metaphors a bit much. But in that sense, my body is my Honda.

No, I didn’t get a flashy sports car, or something with six cylinders under the hood. Not a heavy diesel with a deep horn and the ability to run over smaller vehicles. Not a petite and cute electric vehicle with a catchy Italian name. Just your average fuel efficient Honda Civic. Gets ya around, everybody has something similar, wear and tear pretty normal for the road.

I read a lot about how folks rail against the body they’re given, and thankfully I’ve never suffered that way. Maybe because I’m one of those take-what-I-get kinda folk who go with the flow by nature. Maybe because I didn’t get bullied too much and could wander off to my own drum. Maybe because I never really, ahem, used my body for interpersonal relationships until I was much older and didn’t care. Then it performed as an average Honda does - reliably, thank you very much.

Growing up I read tons of old school science fiction and fantasy. Some of my favorite authors were what I called “body swappers” - they enjoyed transposing their main characters into other bodies and then seeing how it played out. Put the old man in his secretary’s hot young body. Put the beat up, tired middle-aged housewife into a new, virginal witch and give her a unicorn pal. Put the feminist into a male with a harem, then put the misogynist into a female of said harem and see how they play out. You might think these kind of body-swapping ideas sound like some kid’s comic book but nah, these were the 60′s and 70′s and apparently enough adults daydreamed like this to warrant publishing.

I think we like to imagine what we’d be like if we were something else. How would we change? Would we act differently? Would we love differently? There are folks who argue no way, it’s the soul that matters; there are others who scoff duh, you can’t beat biology. Which is the right answer? Like everything, probably neither.

What I believe makes the difference is the kind of treatment your body gets you. As a Honda Civic, I’m pretty par for the road. I can be your daily commuter, or your starter car, or your passport for those budget road trip vacations. But what if I’d been given a Peterbilt monster? Would I have to act more diesel to live up to everyone’s expectations? Would I have to take long haul jobs and spend forever on the open road? Or what if I’d been given a Fiat? Would I zip around differently, unfettered by the extra baggage and leg room of a larger vehicle? Would I have to hit up wineries on the weekends or navigate parking garages my whole life?

If you’re stuck in a Peterbilt but you just want to sip wine and go clubbing on weekends, or if you’re a Fiat but you dream of hauling big loads, my engine revs for you. I wouldn’t begrudge either vehicle for driving down the road less traveled. Because my little Honda heart might also dream of cruising along the coast like a Porsche-y little number that screams “douchebag” and guzzles gas like nobody’s business, but still looks sexy with the top down and the breeze in its grills.

My lot is easier since Honda’s are middle-road vehicles anyway. Also unlike some I don’t believe my sole existence is defined by this body; as a reincarnation believer I honestly think my soul is shaped by its experience going through multiple bodies over the millenia, whether I remember each body or not. Like those scifi swappers this life is only one book on my shelf, and I’ll see how it plays out. Therefore rather than let my body forcibly shape my identity, or vice versa, instead I try to let my identity settle into my body. If something really goes against my grain, often it’s not my body’s fault -- it’s the surrounding stereotypes that society are pushing onto it. Which is why I fight for more equal roads for everybody to drive on.

I don’t need to be faster or sleeker. I also don’t need to be more robust or lifted. I just need to get to where I want to go - and unless that route suddenly requires snow chains or mud flaps I’ll just muddle through until my warranty runs out.

(hopefully my tires don’t go too bald though)

Everything is not what it seems.

In my world mixed signals are the norm.

They roll in waves,

a fog,

thick with the scent of subterfuge.

Up is down, yes is no, green does not mean go.

Words dipped in sugar contradict bitter energy,

served on a platter, pretty little pastries best left untouched.

I try to hide from the knowing,

but it’s always there to be read as easily as a book.

Even after all these years of being right,

I still doubt my ability,

because everything is not what it seems.

Pretty little pictures on a screen,

rotting from the inside,

Salvador Dali was a prophet.

What I’m trying to say is,

even if I don’t let on,

I know.

I know what you’re really feeling.

I don’t always understand the message,

let's be fair, neither do you.

Not everyone speaks their feelings in a known language,

but energy is universal.

So please remember,

I may pretend I don’t know,

but I do.

Everything is not as it seems.

In the prior two posts (links below), we talked about where you can get short stories and poetry published, each with a how-to.

This, the third and last installment, will answer questions of what constitutes material published before, including Prose.

It is common practice for journals and literary agents to reject previously published writing, but what exactly does “previously published” mean? Why are most literary agents and editors unwilling to take a chance on work that has already appeared elsewhere? When is it appropriate to submit previously published work?

There has been a lot of questions/concerns lately about posting work online and can it be considered as previously published by an editor/publishing firm. After doing some research, I’ve come up with this. It should answer any and all questions or concerns you have.

This should be of concern for anyone on Prose contemplating getting their work into print. I would also ask that when you read this, repost it so others on Prose can see this. I’m not concerned about anyone liking this as most of you normally would when you read.

I would also advise anyone who finds this interesting to either bookmark this page or print it out for future reference.

1) The definition of previously published:

Back when print publishing was the sole option for sharing work, previously published was a black-and-white term. If your poems, stories, or essays appeared in a book, journal, anthology, textbook, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, or any other publication, your work was considered published. If it didn’t, it wasn’t. Simple. But now, more complicated questions arise.

2) Previously published poems, stories, and essays:

Literary journals don’t want previously published writing because editors want to ensure that their publications are fresh, new, and unique. In other words, editors want to be first to discover your writing. Also, editors would prefer to stay away from any rights entanglements.

3) Is work considered previously published if posted on a blog, web site, large social-networking site, or online literary journal?

If you’ve posted your writing on any of the above sites, it is generally considered previously published.

4) Is my work considered previously published if posted in a writing forum or web board?

If the forum or web board is private and intended for the purposes of encouraging feedback or community support, then most editors and literary agents will consider the work unpublished. But just in case, you may want to take it down once you’ve received feedback, so it doesn’t appear online.

If the forum in question is public (that is, if nonmembers can see what you’ve written), then your work will likely be considered previously published.

5) Is a hard copy self-published book considered previously published for the purpose of finding a literary agent?

The subtext of the question above is: “Can I pitch my self-published book to literary agents?” If you’ve published a book or novel on your own or with a third-party POD publishing house, and you still retain the copyright, you can pitch it to most literary agents. That said, always be forthcoming about your book’s history.

6) Is a self-published book offered in electronic format considered previously published?

The majority of literary agents are willing to consider a book that has been published electronically (published in a digital, nonprint format) as long as the author holds all rights. However, you may need to remove your book from online bookstores and take your book down from the Internet.

7) If I publish an excerpt from my book online or in print, does that mean the work is considered previously published?

Generally speaking, it’s okay to publish excerpts online, as long as they are on the short side (relative to the work in question). Be sure you maintain the copyright if you’re going to publish a portion of your book prior to publishing the whole thing! Otherwise you could end up publishing your book, minus your previously published first chapter!

8) The flip side: Publishing your work online can be beneficial.

The Internet can be a wonderful resource, especially for those who don’t have critique groups or workshops available in their area. Unfortunately, very talented writers who just happened to workshop their writing online are getting caught in the cross fire between editors, agents, and the rapidly evolving question of “What is previously published writing?”

There are journal editors and literary agents who don’t really care about work published on small Web sites. Did you put a story up on a message board for critique? Have you posted a chapter of your manuscript on your blog? As long as the work isn’t plagiarized from someone else, some literary agents and editors don’t mind if the writing has appeared online.

But until the industry fully adjusts to the presence of the Internet, many literary agents and editors are going to simply reject work they consider to be previously published. At this point, the best option for writers is to play it safe until the rules become clearer.

I would like to point out Previously Published is about its availability to the public, not whether you got paid for it. It is not published (available to the public) if you give paper or electronic copies to people you trust to not send it around. If you post it on a website for strangers to read it, talk about it, praise it, or condemn it, you should tell any agent or publisher or you are lying to them, and they will then be influenced by what happened there.

9) What if I published my work on my blog or other Web site, but then I take it down before submitting it—is that considered previously published?

This can be tricky. Try not to publish your work online if you plan to submit it elsewhere (like print journals). If you did post online, no one can stop you from taking your work down and then submitting it, but be warned: Editors may not like this tactic.

Once your work is removed from the Internet, do a search of random lines from the work to make sure it is not appearing anywhere.

(Warning: Google and other search engines will often archive old web pages, so simply deleting something from the Web doesn’t mean it’s gone). If an editor finds your “unpublished” work online, you might look irresponsible or, worse, devious.

10) If I publish an excerpt online, does that mean the whole work or part of the work is considered previously published?

Generally speaking, excerpts are okay to publish online, as long as they are on the short side (relative to the work in question).

11) Previously published novels and books:

The rules for determining what is previously published change when you move into the book-publishing business. Literary agents and publishers at traditional publishing houses have different expectations and goals than editors of literary magazines, so the concept of what it means to be previously published can shift.

It’s no secret that literary agents are keen marketing experts. The success of their business relies almost entirely on their ability to find and represent books that are not only well-written but also potentially lucrative. Because of this, work that is available online can sometimes be unappealing for a number of reasons. First, if the book is already being published and the writer is making money, the agent is cut out of those profits. Second, if a book is posted online as a free download, why would readers pay to read it?

The laws (and the industry jargon) are still trying to catch up to the technology. Keep in mind that the following points are general guidelines: Each literary agent or editor may have his or her own definition of what is considered previously published.

With that said, always, always, always ... ask for their guidelines. Guidelines are a must. If their guidelines are online, read tham over carefully.

If a publisher puts out mystery novels and you have a western, though it isn't a good fit, you may find their guidelines have something in there about future publications that is looking for a western. But never ever never send a manuscript blindly just because it's the best thing since the creation of chocolate. It'll get 86'd (trashed) faster than you can blink an eye. This is why reading the guidelines are important.

This is all need to know stuff ... some of it are basics, others require a writer to be in the know, and I also advise keeping up with changing trends.

***************

https://theprose.com/post/400622/looking-for-a-publisher

https://theprose.com/post/410051/looking-for-a-publisher-ii-your-poetry

My Creative Writing book/chapter link lists last known small print/magazine publishers.

https://theprose.com/post/229114/creative-writing-phase-fourteen

For whatever reason the rain falls

with only half its heart tonight, moreso

starlight morose

along my skin, however the thought

was too much

& not enough. So thoroughly I fell

into love, an obsessional

concerning gold, golden, & gold-filled darknesses,

concerning how darkness makes a puzzle

out of you. Moreover, if I could

swallow the night

as the night swallows me.

I hate to be blunt 

  But you're a bit of a cunt

Even homie Frankie approves

  Of such a verbal stunt 

And I really hate to pry

  But that sparkle in your eye

Is lit from the booze 

    And your saddle up high

Try not to look down 

  Wearing that cardboard crown

Rock paper scissors 

   Each one will make you frown

I'll just leave out a bunch

  And express my main hunch

You're a cricket among lizards

  Deserving a direct cunt punch

For shits and giggles lol