Ah, simplicity! When I was a child my mother would occasionally serve rice balls in which a single tart umeboshi rested at the center. These have long been a favorite, but I admit that umeboshi might be an acquired taste. Commonly called “pickled plums,” ume aren’t really plums but are more closely related to apricots. Whatever they are, I cherish them.
O at the Edges 
Superlatives don’t suffice. Perhaps “Magnificent” will do for now. A lovely work of art, Bob.
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There you go exaggerating again, Ron. But I appreciate it! :). Thanks.
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Wow. I really like this one. Resemblance is so neatly bookended by looking through the glass, and you’ve somehow managed to give a perfect voice to two entities at once. And those last four lines (!!!)
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Thank you. I suppose identifying with a shriveled, salty fruit says something about me…
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Beautifully written, I like this one exceptionally well 🙂
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Thanks very much!
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I love the lines, ” like lovers separated by distances too subtle to see. Filling space becomes the end.” And the ending is very powerful–beautifully done.
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I’m so pleased this one resonates with you!
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Beautiful poem….and rice balls with umeboshi is also one of my favorites. I began making my own umeboshi last year when my tree finally bore fruit and the birds didn’t get them first! Nothing like an old Southern girl making umeboshi….
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Thank you! You have an ume tree? Wow! I’ve considered making beni shoga, but never umeboshi. I am so in awe of you.
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I’ve really enjoyed the self-portraits, Robert. Thinking of continuing your own series of these?
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They’ve been fun, with each one presenting its own challenges. I’ve been writing these for a couple of years, whenever the urge struck, and will continue. But I seldom plan these out.
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Beautiful, and one of my favorites among the poems I’ve read from you.
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Thank you. These have been fun to write.
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This was beautiful. Thank you for reading and “liking” my poem “Someone Hear, Someone Listen.”
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The pleasure was all mine. Thank you for stopping by.
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Wonderful.
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Thank you.
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Simplicity really is best. I agree. I love the simplicity of this photo …. it’s clean, fresh, alive. Thank you. Love, Amy
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Thank you, Amy!
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You are very welcome!! (((HUGS))) Amy
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I love umeboshi! What a lovely poem. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you, fellow umeboshi lover!
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Your poem is lovely!
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Thank you. I’d guess that umeboshi would fit into your “slow food” world!
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This sounds so delicious!
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It is!
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I just picked up lunch from a new teriyaki place, so “hungrily”, I read your post and also saw your photo of what looked like another delish lunch. Maybe you need a warning, “don’t read when hungry”–like experts say about grocery shopping! Have a blessed day.
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Thank you reading and liking Love Not forgotten. It was very painful to write.
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for, Your post was intriguing!! 😛
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We sometimes forget that companionship and listening are valued at far more than their costs.
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I am very impressed with your post. It is very good. Hugs, Barbara
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Thank you, Barbara.
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You are very welcome. Have a good weekend. Hugs, Barbara
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Reblogged this on Travels with Mary and commented:
Fabulous read! Thanks for the share. 🙂
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Thank you for reblogging!
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Absolutely Robert, it is my pleasure
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I like your work very much and I appreciate your liking mine. I am seeking to greatly expand my audience and I am seeking advice on how to do so. Not only do I write poems, but I also write short stories and novels. Getting published for an unknown such as myself has only led to great frustration. Any help or knowledge you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Writing is in my blood. It is who I am. It is my identity. It is a reason for living.
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George, I’ve no experience with publishing short stories or novels and have yet to publish a chapbook, much less a full-length book of poetry, so any advice I offer should be taken with a huge grain of salt. I’m no expert, and can speak only from my experience.
How to expand your audience?
I confess to knowing little about social media and how one might expand an audience through blogs, FB, etc., and have nothing to add to the standard “visit other sites and engage” advice one finds everywhere. My personal approach to increasing readership is to publish as much as possible in literary (in print and/or online) journals. And this requires patience and time.
How to do this?
Determine who you are as a writer, and where your work has a realistic chance of being published.
Think about your favorite living poets, those poets you’d most like to be associated with, whose work has influenced your writing, and with whom you’d like to “converse” through poetry.
Where does their work appear? Look at their lists of publications, choose the smaller, lesser known literary journals first, and read them cover to cover. When you find in these same journals other writers whose work appeals to you, look at their publication lists. After a while you’ll notice that certain journal titles repeat. Compile a list of these, and consider them your “targets.” Read them. If your sense of aesthetics meshes, send them your best work.
This is not a quick process, but sending your poetry to publications that publish the poets who write the type of writing you like is much more effective than a scatter shot approach. In other words, be selective.
Also, look for newer publications calling for submissions. They may be more amenable to your work, and the competition may be a bit lighter.
You might consider subscribing to Duotrope for a while, if only to determine what certain publications’ acceptance rates are. For example is it worthwhile to submit to a publication that accepts only 1/3 to 1/2 of a percent of submissions? Or would your time be better spent submitting to publications that accept 5% to 20% of what’s sent to them? One can over-think this, of course, but knowing what the odds are may be helpful. And of course ego comes into play, and sometimes you just have to send your work to one of the “unattainables.”
When your work is rejected, look closely at it. Was it indeed as ready as you originally thought? If so, send it back out. If not, revise it. Keep writing. Keep revising. Keep sending.
I submit my work cautiously, as if editors are looking for excuses to NOT publish me. This means that I take my time and ensure that every piece I send out is flawless in appearance – no typos, no grammatical errors, etc. My cover letters are brief and say very little but “thanks for the opportunity” and might at most contain a sentence or two regarding biographical details or previous publications. Anything else is superfluous – I don’t want to give them any reason to not publish my work.
But again, this is how I, unknown writer, have chosen to approach getting published and to build a readership. I’m sure that other, more successful writers have better processes. And of course I ignore my own advice from time to time. 🙂 I hope this has been helpful in some small way.
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Thanks for the like on my post, Robert! I enjoyed this poem of yours very much. The rice balls sound intriguing to eat!
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If you put on the virtual kettle, I’ll bring the virtual rice balls. I warn you, they are rather sticky, even in the cloud!
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