The Wordsmith's Forge

These July gardening tips cover dry weather. 

Today is hot and muggy.

I fed the birds.

This is the linkback poem for the July 7, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl, originally hosted by DW user Dialecticdreamer. It came out of the May 2020 Creative Jam. It was inspired by a prompt from DW user Alexseanchai.

Science and magic are
two ends of a spectrum.

In the middle, science
enhances magic by
making it more consistent.

Magic enhances science
by letting it leap over
the gaps in logic.

Science and magic are
two ends of a spectrum

that bends like a torc
until they face each other

and in the space between:
quantum mechanics.

The following poems from the July 7, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl are currently available. Poems may be sponsored via PayPal -- there's a permanent donation button on my Dreamwidth profile page -- or you can write to me and discuss other methods. There are still verses left in the linkback poems "Mysterious and Impermanent," "Greater Than the Sum," "A Lively Feast," "Always Carry Your Goodness," "Crossroads on the Hero's Journey," "Gökotta," "The Arc of the Mental Universe," "So Often Alone," "An Iron Fist," "The Bushfire Shawl," "Petrichor," "Putting Everything in Its Place," "Everything That Blooms," and "Two Ends of a Spectrum."


"A Choice We Make"
Summary: Dr. G visits the prison in December. Colorful sweaters are involved.
431 lines, Buy It Now = $216

"Hey, Dr. G, do you have a moment?"
Travis trotted up behind him.

"Sure, what can I do for you?"
Dr. G said as he slowed down.


"Delight in Another"
Summary: It looks at the similarities among women who diverge from men in different ways.
36 lines, Buy It Now = $15


"The Highest Form of Self-Respect"
Summary: Chief Marquez leads a meeting in which the Mercedes police discuss ways of making amends for various things that went wrong with Bennett, Jules, and Joshua.
169 lines, Buy It Now = $85

Chief Marquez looked over
the room of assembled cops
and assorted support staff.

"We're here to address issues
raised by the misconduct of
a police officer and aftermath
handled in unsatisfactory ways
by some of our officers," she said.
"Holly, if you would summarize?"


"It Reveals You to Yourself"
Summary: Shaeth discovers an interesting herb in Abredin's garden.
88 lines, Buy It Now = $44

Shaeth went to visit
Abredin the Herb Goddess
in search of candied herbs
to keep his followers in comfort.


"Know What You Stand For"
Summary: When a superhero picks on Vagary, Calliope sticks up for her other half.
262 lines, Buy It Now = $131

A line of thunderstorms had
come through Oklahoma
with the autumn rains,
leaving a gigantic mess.


"Targets for Their Own Self-Hatred"
Summary: Ansel talks with people who are analyzing Carl Bernhardt's experiments.
768 lines, Buy It Now = $384

Ansel pulled into the parking lot
that had become a cluster of
trailers for the people working
on the aftermath of the raid.


"To Prevent Future Tragedies"
Summary: Warshirt and Spotted Deer deal with the aftermath of her rescue, and the Blackfeet offer to help the victims.
456 lines, Buy It Now = $228

Warshirt had spent yesterday
talking to various police and
tribe members about the mess
over at Merry Acres Ranch.


"When a Wheel Refuses to Turn"
Summary: The Marionettes saddle Boss Blaster with one of their problem children. But it doesn't turn out quite like anyone expects.
270 lines, Buy It Now = $135

Boss Blaster was working on a car
in the driveway when a puff of air
blew the dust around him and
deposited a pair of guests.


"The Wings of Hope"
Summary: Kennedy and Rafael deal with a trafficking victim.
542 lines, Buy It Now = $271

Kennedy and Pinion were
helping Benchdog move boxes
when a messenger ran up and said,
"The team just got back from raiding
those pet traffickers. You're both
needed in the medical tent."

This session's theme was "Yeah, we have those too." I wrote from 12:15 PM to 6:45 AM, so about 16 hours 30 minutes accounting for breaks. I wrote 5 poems on Tuesday and another 9 later.

Participation was down, with 15 comments on LiveJournal and another 49 on Dreamwidth. A total of 18 people sent prompts. There were no new prompters.


Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the July 7, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"The Activities of a Casino" (unposted)
"As Gatekeeper to Your Life"
"In Salted Ground" (unposted)
"Not Yet Done"
"Those Who've Been in the Well"

"Two Ends of a Spectrum" (standalone, May Creative Jam, 2020) (linkback perk)
"Ethical Rebels" (Polychrome Heroics, June 2, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl) (free epic)
"Satisfied, Calm, Cared For, and Carefree" (Polychrome Heroics: Mallory, June 2, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl) (unposted)


Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list from July 7. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available. This month's donors include: ng_moonmoth, janetmiles, and Anthony & Shirley Barrette. There were no new donors. There are 4 tallies toward a bonus fishbowl, so that will be on Tuesday, July 21.


The Poetry Fishbowl also has a permanent landing page.

This is the freebie for the July crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by an anonymous prompt. It also fills the "snowflakes" square in my 7-1-20 card for the Winterfest in July Bingo. This poem belongs to the series Adaptive Magic and follows "A Good Imagination and a Pile of Junk."

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