Jasmine's Wish Fulfilled

Gift to My Angel

 

books2read.com/Jamines-Wish

 

    In 2011, I found myself traveling down a road I never dreamed I would.  I have written poetry as long as I can remember.  I write whatever comes into my head.  All feelings, all problems faced directly.  Some were based on personal experiences, others just on observations of the world.  I usually write in the first person, so no one would feel targeted should they happen upon one of my notebooks and read a poem. I wanted everyone to know they were not alone, even if I would not let them see my words. Because of one teacher, rarely would I let anyone outside of my immediate family see my scribbles. My daughter, Jasmine did send one of my poems out for a contest.  When it was selected to be published, she felt she had proof my poems should be in a book.  I let her send them off and when no response was ever received, I declared the proof on my side.  She read every thing I wrote and never stopped encouraging me to put them out into the world. But, I never let her talk me into sharing again.

   After her passing, I joined Facebook in an attempt to connect with her profile to share with her daughter when she grew up.  I found friends who helped me cope with my heartache and loneliness.  A chance share on social media of a poem led to the publication of my first book, Voices In My Head. The whole experience seemed like a whirlwind. So many friends supporting me, encouraging me to put my words out there.

   Their continuous spurring on was fed by my daughter's voice whispering in my mind.  Even from her perch in heaven, she was still urging me to publish, to share my thoughts with the world.  In her memory, and to quiet my friends, I did publish. I had no idea how many poems should be in a book, so I just put every one on my computer inside. With a feeling of excitement and dread, I sent my heart out into the world.

  The pats on the back from my internet friends fed my ego and I almost started to believe I might be a poet. Perhaps I really did write good poems, ones that would give hope to the reader.  As the novelty of the new book faded, the blinders I had been wearing disappeared.  Finding readers willing to purchase my poems was not going to be easy. 

  Lots of people are willing to say you write well and they really love your work, as long as they are able to read it for free.  Testifying to how much work and money goes into publishing seems to fall on deaf ears.  Although many will pay big bucks for a cup of coffee, spending money to help support a friend's dream is a completely different matter.  Even suggesting they could help in a way that is free, like telling people how much they enjoy your work or just sharing your promotions appears to be imposing too much.

  Still, I tried to believe in their praise.  The dream of being understood dangles like a carrot in front of my eyes.  Publish again, they said.  A second book will get people to buy the first one.  Well, I did publish again 2 years later.  Then I tried a sample book 2 years after that.  Funny, despite little interest, I published 2 more books.  This year, I finished the series that started with Voices In My Head. The tribute to my daughter's dream.  "QUIET! Please?" and "Silence" will join "Voices In My Head" and "They Won't Shut Up".  My personal viewpoint, my life in rhyme, collectively called Jasmine's Wish, finally fulfilled.  Will any care, probably not many.  But I will know I did my best to fulfill my daughter's dream and she will be smiling as she looks down on me.

JASMINE'S WISH

My daughter's wish
At last fulfilled
Path to success
Mostly uphill

Obstacles found
Along the way
Kept my desire
My faith, at bay

Her opinion
Kept me going
Though my doubt was
Overflowing

It took her death
To make it real
Poems no longer
Would I conceal

As she looks down
I hope she knows
My love for her
Forever grows

I dedicate
These books to her
Fulfilled this wish
Only for her

She's now a star
I wish upon
Shining on me
As I move on

Jasmine dear
You shine so bright
Hope these tomes bring
You some delight

 

Blog:
https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com
Website:
http://carternovels.com/author-cindy-j-smith.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cindysvoicesFB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/
GOODREADS:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6505989.Cindy_J_Smith
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindyjsmith1/

 

The Gang

Our Author Gang

We are a small group of authors who write various genre books.

What brought us together on this blog:

First and foremost, our shared love for writing.

We like to "hang out" together, helping each another other by promoting each other's books, blogs, events, and doing whatever we can to support one another.

We take turns posting about our books, the rewards as well as the difficulties of publishing and book promotion, and about things we enjoy in everyday life.

We need your support, please visit our blog often, comment on our posts and share our posts.

Thank you!

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/mary-anne.html

Mary Anne Yarde is an award winning author of the International Best Selling Series — The Du Lac Chronicles. Set a generation after the fall of King Arthur, The Du Lac Chronicles takes you on a journey through Dark Age Briton and Brittany, where you will meet new friends and terrifying foes. Based on legends and historical fact, the Du Lac Chronicles is a series not to be missed.

Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury--the fabled Isle of Avalon--was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/joe.html

Hello out there in cyberspace! I write Heroic Fantasy, Space Opera, Sword & Planet Sci-Fi, Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, Children's Books, and I also dabble a bit in Horror stories.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/grace.html

My fascination with the written and spoken word began as a 6th grader. I was like a sponge. I couldn’t get enough spelling, sentence diagraming, and literature. This passion followed me through junior high and high school and into adulthood.

I’m a Jill of most trades: co-owned a weekly newspaper, administrative office work, kitchen design, custom jewelry creation, wedding planning, floral design, preaching sermons, public relations and marketing, designing social media promotions, copy and manuscript editing, and now add the title author to this mix.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/erika_5.html

I became an avid reader at a very early age, thanks to my dad who introduced me to many great books. I write alternate history, romantic fantasy, magical realism novels as well as fun, educational, and bilingual books for children ages 4-12 about acceptance, friendship, family, and moral values such as accepting people with disabilities, dealing with bullies, and not judging others before getting to know them. I also like to encourage children to use their imagination and daydream about fantasy worlds.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/ruth.html

I originally studied fine and commercial art, way back when dinosaurs walked the earth and eBooks weren't even a gleam in Amazon's eye. I started my career as a graphic artist as the sign maker at the old Nut Tree in Vacaville, California. After a stint at a print shop (ouch), I began working as a book designer for Bill Yenne at American Graphic Systems. While working for Bill, I wrote my first two books, "Ghost Towns" and "100 Medical Milestones That Shaped World History."

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/toi.html

Hi there, Toi here. I’m the self-published author of 10 books and counting. I’m also a blogger and vlogger who loves to interview other creatives. A geek girl at heart, I’m also a bit of a techie and foodie, I was born in Texas but consider Virginia to be my home. I enjoy reading, cooking, painting, geek culture, collecting vinyl records, and spending time with my family. 

I also work as a special education teacher’s assistant and find comfort and peace of mind in chocolate, green tea, and naps. My husband and I have been married for twelve years and share our home with a tortoise named Betty and a Redbone Coonhound named Margie, who’s totally taken over the house.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/nikki.html

Nicola McDonagh is known for her unique writing style and is the author of the unconventional sci-fi/dystopian Song of Forgetfulness action adventure series. She loves to play around with the written word and the visual image and has been a photographer, actor, director, scriptwriter and other less exciting things, (worst ever job – dishwasher in a trendy bar in Liverpool) before settling in Suffolk with her musician husband, plethora of rescued cats and chickens.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/rebecca.html

Rebecca is an award-winning author, blogger, and book reviewer. While fantasy tends to be her primary genre she also dabbles in paranormal, romance, and sci-fi. Currently Rebecca has one epic fantasy series titled The Chronicles of the Coranydas. Rebecca likes writing in the the first person as well. Her paranormal fantasy For Their Sins and her Sci-fi action/adventure Neutral Space are both written in this style.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/christina-weigand-joins-grow-generation.html

Christina Weigand’s a writer, wife, and mother of three grown children and a teenage daughter. She is also Nana to four granddaughters. She lives with her husband and youngest daughter in Pennsylvania after a short sabbatical in the lovely state of Washington.

She received her BS in Interior Design in 1995, but after a few years of working in the industry God redirected her path with the addition of a fourth child to the family. So she returned to being a stay at home mom, but having been out in the world of school and work she realized she needed a little more, so she took several writing courses and started her second career as an author.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/rich.html

Rich Feitelberg is a poet and novelist, author of the fantasy series, the Aglaril Cycle. He also has four short story collections and a collection of poetry available at fine booksellers everywhere. 

Rich is an avid map collector, and student of popular culture. Growing up on a steady diet of comic books, science fiction, and fairy tales of all kinds, Rich soon began weaving his own tales at a young age. These activities continue to this day, as Rich is working on the next installment of the Aglaril Cycle, and writing more poems and short stories for your enjoyment.