New Poetry Contest and How to Access My Music!

I have decided to host a little poetry contest for those who peek in here. Send your best poem to cechaffin (at) gmail (dot) com, and with the help of my editor, Kathleen, we will choose the winner. Send one poem only, your "best," whether published or unpublished. In the subject line put "Contest."

The deadline is April 15. The winner receives a signed hardback of my new book (see above). No entry fee, no strings attached. I'll publish the winner (and perhaps near-winners) here with comment.

Gentlemen, start your literary engines!

As for recent news, I have suffered a triad of illnesses: an abscessed tooth, pulled yesterday (oh the sound of the roots being wrenched from their socket!), a tick bite with another allergic reaction (I'm on prednisone now), as well as a cold I picked up from my lawyer coughing on me in court. I knew I was doomed when his droplets hit the air. But I'm recovering from these minor irritations, a mere blip on the radar when compared to depression, ugh!

For those who don't know, I've been writing and performing songs for forty years. Now I've uploaded fifteen, of various vintages and style, at Soundclick under "Dr. CE." You can listen there and download for free. I would dearly appreciate comment on my work.

Do I have a new poem today? Hmmm.... at least a recently revised one:


Among Schoolchildren

A old man in a brown cardigan
walks a black Chow
on a chain leash
beside a fence
where children throng and
in a supplication of white fingers
reach through galvanized diamonds of steel,
each clamoring for a touch,
the soft substantial feel
of mammalian welcome:
fur, abundant fur.

Would they trade
their fence for the leash?
Freedom, too, is relative.


As for my mood, despite my scare last week, I'm doing fine. My shrink even considered lowering one of my medications, a sure sign of stability, though he hasn't done it yet. For each pill I don't take, my percentage of normality increases incrementally. But to go off all medication would be an exceedingly stupid thing, and I urge all my fellow sufferers to keep popping their pills.

I just heard that a new review of my book is due out in Eclectica come April, along with three poems.

All for now.


At 1 Kilobunny,

CE