I wrote the following today, in memory of the children of two friends of mine who lost children in the last year. It is my prayer that these are the last times I know someone who loses a child. I desperately need some distance from this kind of aching grief that seems so like an empty endless abyss. Friends who walk the edge of this chasm with every breath, I honor you as I pray to never fully comprehend what that kind of loss is like.

Samhain Mothers’ Day

Too many times so close to birth
Our babes are returned to Mother Earth
Taken by air not yet ready to breathe
Or fire that burns beyond need
Our eyes become wells, bottomless and wet
Dear Goddess please have you had enough yet?
All of this we human mothers bear
Yet again with heavy hearts our love we swear
Lady, grant us mercy and reprieve
Time and distance before again we grieve
For those too small taken too soon
Whose loss blanches us pale as the moon

Blessings and peace upon all who mourn, particularly for those lost much too soon. My heart aches with yours.

Things have kinds stalled out a bit. After finishing the first draft of the first novel at the end of July, I decided to take a bit of a breather before jumping into revising/editing (which I insist I must do one time through and ONLY one time through before letting any editor friends look at the whole story). What is my insane idea of ‘a but of a breather’ one might wonder, seeing as it is now nearly 6 months since I finished the draft? Apparently, for me, it means starting graduate school in a field totally unrelated to writing fiction and falling pregnant with my 3rd child during orientation week.

Yeah.

I am now 25 weeks pregnant. The baby is healthy, strong, and due in mid-May 2010. In between reading and projects for my graduate degree, I’m squeezing in some editing time while snuggling my already-born kids, and have even written a TINY bit of the next novel (which will be a retelling of the Persephone myth from her perspective. Seph made several appearances in the first story and kindly demanded her own novel). My aspiration (which may not be realistic) is to finish editing the first novel (current working title Archer Unnotched) in the next 6 weeks and then try to get at least half of the next novel (working title Six Seeds) done before the new baby arrives. We shall see.

Things have kinds stalled out a bit. After finishing the first draft of the first novel at the end of July, I decided to take a bit of a breather before jumping into revising/editing (which I insist I must do one time through and ONLY one time through before letting any editor friends look at the whole story). What is my insane idea of ‘a but of a breather’ one might wonder, seeing as it is now nearly 6 months since I finished the draft? Apparently, for me, it means starting graduate school in a field totally unrelated to writing fiction and falling pregnant with my 3rd child during orientation week.

Yeah.

I am now 25 weeks pregnant. The baby is healthy, strong, and due in mid-May 2010. In between reading and projects for my graduate degree, I’m squeezing in some editing time while snuggling my already-born kids, and have even written a TINY bit of the next novel (which will be a retelling of the Persephone myth from her perspective. Seph made several appearances in the first story and kindly demanded her own novel). My aspiration (which may not be realistic) is to finish editing the first novel (current working title Archer Un-Nocked) in the next 6 weeks and then try to get at least half of the next novel (working title Six Seeds) done before the new baby arrives. We shall see.

Here is a picture of a coffee shop that appears in the book, this is the back corner where some conversations happen. It was surprisingly busy at 1pm when I went there yesterday to check the place out.