Category Archives: Word Salad Poetry Magazine

Speechless – poem by Bruce Whealton

Speechless
Shyness can be like writer’s block
and vice versa…
There are times like this,
right now, when I know,
I have something to say.
I can feel it…
The desire is strong
and yet, I feel speechless…
nothing comes out,
It’s almost like I lost
my capacity to use language.
And all I have
is this internal dialog.
I go to write something
and some critical voice
stops me -
“That’s [...]

A Cold State of Being

A Cold State of Being
Winter hangs on
in bare skeletal trees
in cold nights,
in the south,
in March.
It hangs on within me
like a state of being
and I cannot help but doubt
if there will be warmth
and life within me
ever
again.
You can find my poetry by me at: http://brucewhealton.us

Secret Companions – poem by Bruce Whealton

Secret Companions
Despair is a companion
I’ve known well,
it almost seems that he is a part of me…
We’ve had a unique relationship
few would understand -
it was our intention -
we invented our own language.
Since he came back,
we have been talking endlessly,
we have so much catching up
to do.
There’s no time to think of anything else
these days…
Words, I cannot express
to [...]

The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done – Poem By Bruce Whealton

The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done
I forget how it happened,
was a kneeling?
Doesn’t matter.
It wasn’t a surprise.
She picked it out.
Had no doubt I was going
to get it.
While it is true
that many other details
around this event
have faded
over the years,
I do remember,
that though there was
no surprise surrounding
this event,
she had tears in her eyes
when she held the ring.
I made [...]

Show me how you see me? – For Celta – A Poem in 3 parts – Poem by Bruce Whealton

Show me how you see me – Three Poems, Three Parts
Poem I.
Part I.
She asked,
“show me how
you see me.”
I said I cannot draw or paint.
So, I tried to paint
a picture
of her
with words -
a poem
to serve
as a painting
of what I saw
when I saw her.
Part II.
My challenge was
to convey something
beyond
what mere descriptive words
can do -
my desire/challenge
was to [...]

Advice from an Editor to one seeking publication – poem by Bruce Whealton

Advice to those wanting publication
Tell your stories,
paint your pictures
in verse…
be concise,
add passion
use vivid imagery
paint your reader
a picture
with words.

Poetry Reading/ Workshop: Chapel Hill area: Jan. 30, 2010: Featuring Jean Jones and David Capps

Poetry Workshop Followed by a Poetry Reading
Poetry Reading will Feature Jean Arthur Jones and John David Capps
Poets Jean Arthur Jones, Word Salad’s co-editor, and John David Capps, will be reading their poetry in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area on January 30, 2010.  We also will be having a poetry workshop hosted by these poets, with myself, [...]

Wow! 9 of my Dark/Horror poems being published

I just got news that I have 9 more publications to add to my credits! Nine, that’s a pick me up for the day/week. Aphelion, the Webzine of Science Fiction and Fantasy is going to publish in February, my poem “The Angel of Death Offers Consolation.” In addition to this, I am [...]

Finding something creative to say…

How does a poet find something new and original to say?… something creative? Something that will astonish the reader? I think one idea is to write what is personal – personal experiences and perspectives. Jean Jones said to be honest. I think the “Confessional Poets” were great at this. Confessional [...]

TAZ – Poem by Bruce Whealton

TAZ
He goes by the name
Taz.
Only a few know
his real name -
he wants it that way.
That’s the homeless man,
laying in a tree bed
wearing a coat
too heavy for a warm day
like today…
That’s the homeless man
asleep on a gray November day
on Franklin Street.
That’s the homeless man
who goes by the name
Taz -
decorated Vietnam War Veteran,
trained in our country’s
Special Forces
many, [...]