I look for treasures here and there But luck eludes each baited quest And leaves so little time for rest Hoping to find that which is rare I journey far within my mind Seeking notions outlined in kind Like an ancient carved maple chair I stand proudly while others speak Of that which they alone may seek Or a locket of Helen’s hair Legended to be ensconced in pearl When once the sea did rise and swirl I would wear with elated flair Those treasures from the briny deep Which man covets but cannot keep DVWG Poet Sam Nichols

My synonym for love is an empty library By empty, I mean full but untouched By full, I mean intact but internally crushed Your carpet is a river, Noone’s around to bathe in Your shelves hold secrets, Sitting songbirds of wisdom I could compare you to a prison, The books would be the captives I would gladly be your inmate, But the fact is... Miles are between us, And no compass can compete You’re bound to this spot, Stairs planted on concrete Two stories worth of stories Novels written by nobodys And I just want to be your somebody Not a classic case of Sense & Sensibility “Proximity” is the best word since “insensitivity” So surely there’s a map that’ll lead you to me With a big red X painted in blood That’s IRON FOR YOU Four letters scribbled in the legend, “I yearn for you” Follow the flock of hot-air balloons, And soon enough, you’ll know where For anyone can see, a place like you, Doesn’t belong in the middle of nowhere Your walls don’t talk, they whisper, Your shelves don’t take, they give Filled with books waiting to be read, An encyclopedia of reasons to live Let me borrow one and sift through its pages Even if I only last the prologue, Love, you stand alone like you’ve been standing here for ages DVWG Poet Abigail Handojo

(Inspired by Downtown Laguna Beach) In my dreams, I soar through cerulean-blue skies, streaked with paintbrush strokes of cream-white clouds that unspool like bolls of cotton. I hear the soft rumble of ocean waves, as light shimmers on facets of cobalt crystal water, while waves pad against powdered bisque sands, scattered with shell fragments like broken porcelain. I meander across well-worn sidewalks, where a bounty of art surrounds me, from brightly-painted benches that burst with the colors of summer flowers, to towering sea life sculptures that suspend time. I let myself absorb into the chattering crowds, dodging the shopping bags that bounce against knees and guard store-purchased treasures, feeling breezes that blow gauze-scarves like pennants. Yet, when I wake from my dreams, I will be seventeen before I first see the shore, and four years older still before a kiss in the saffron-glow light of an oceanside sunset with the man later I married, my lifetime reminders that imagining can be a first footprint into truth. DVWG Guest Poet Erin Schalk

So, you want to know the Poet. Seeking inspiration for poem or verse, you yearn for secrets of the craft. Poets, you’ll discover, are such a stingy lot. Shuffling each line with clumsy words that seldom fit, ‘til producing a harmony only they can hear. Moving each verse, again and again, they push and pull to fit the frame and squeeze each word ‘til it makes a sound. At the coffeehouse, they never order latte. Picking a corner table just to sit alone, armed with pen and a steaming mug of Joe, they write as their drink grows bitter and cold. Poets are untidy and wear disguises. Often hiding beneath a mustache or a hat, clothing draped in colored beads, with eyes hidden beneath dark glasses. A Poet is a lonely dreamer. Wild eyed, staring blankly into space, searching each word for meaning, confused by convoluted verse. Poets always misuse language. They bend and break the rules with short lines and phrases, obscuring the meaning, as a tool. Poets are certainly simple folk. Humming tunes that fill their heads, they waste their lives on silly rhyme no sane person wants or needs. Poets are really a shiftless lot. Wasting time in parks, bookstores and libraries, they scribble senseless phrases, filling page after page in their tiny books. You’ll find Poets are a poor lot. They vanish quickly over time, leaving words for lonely singers, brokenhearted lyrics that rhyme. No, they are not worth knowing. Just forget them if you can, these sullen, shiftless souls we call Poets. DVWG Poet Greg B. Porterfield

Flying above the morning dawn I'm looking for my shadow not yet do I perceive what often eludes me I am searching for the sky amongst the clouds up above I look for dandelions to blow sweet seeds across the horizon is it green or is it cold is it real or is it Memorex you can’t compare must be an echo worship worship worship The wheels are turning on a dry ocean the dregs of sand fill my casket I feel like a fish on land take me home to Atlantis and back again what's real what's not real I cannot find it I'm still looking for my shadow below the deep come with me and fly upon the sea I’ve been there before Worship worship worship holding grandma’s shriveled hand finger nails perfect that’s all I have left of her holding babies tiny finger tiny hand holding fast my pinkie Grip the memory It may never be there again worship worship worship the Bradford Stained glass window in the town of York in Great Britain my sanctuary shattered in the war paupers pulled their pennies together to rebuild the cathedral window is it real is it replaced is it refurbished…yes the sun shines through again as does my shadow worship worship worship the sky is green the grass is blue my memory fulfills despite my fleeting shadow DVWG Guest Poet Leticia Garcia Bradford

This simple instruction book takes you step by step, from the wake-up call to the evening prayers, and will help you do the "right things" to raise healthy, happy kids.

An anthology by writers in good company.

In Long Shadows, a mining engineer and his descendants are caught up in events spanning the American continent and beyond. The adventure begins after Horrace Braddick receives a telegram during a poker game in Alaska. Ling Chow, a mysterious and powerful figure needs his help to blast a tunnel through a mountain. Ling Chow is in possession of a vast fortune in ancient gold bars hidden in a mountain cave. The gold could save the United States from bankruptcy during the Panic of 1895— if it can be moved to New York in time.As the story unfolds in the 1890s, Ling Chow and J.P. Morgan, the wealthy 19th century financier, outline a plan to transfer the gold by rail across the country. Later, F.A. Mitchell-Hedges (a famous explorer) challenges and complicates the lives of the Braddick family when the mysterious artifact, known as the Crystal Skull, is taken to ruins in British Honduras where it is stolen. By the 1960s, all that remains of the Braddick name is a house known as Braddick Manor, an abandoned Victorian mansion at the edge of a small town. Three of the town’s children begin to piece together the tale of Horrace Braddick and the family’s incredible history as they explore the house he built. The family’s remarkable story unfolds as they find clues while exploring an ancient cave and by searching dusty books, faded photos, bundles of letters and telegrams discovered in an old trunk in a storeroom at Braddick Manor. This fictional tale shines new light on a few of history’s most unique characters and the circumstances that surrounded them.

Easygoing Jerry Slider is about to experience his lifelong dream of exploring some of the Polynesian islands on a 30-day cruise. What begins as a grand adventure, gets an immediate twist when his beloved wife refuses to go. Instead, she insists Jerry take her longtime friend, Rhonda Russell, who had always wanted to visit these stunning tropical islands. But Rhonda quickly proves to be a difficult and unpredictable cruise-mate who adds many outrageous, hilarious situations for him. Everyone knows someone like Rhonda Russell, an abrasive know-it-all. But they probably haven't had to take a long cruise to the remotest places on earth, sharing the same cabin. This laugh-out-loud yarn, spun against a backdrop of the South Pacific, provides a fun, exhilarating read. Jerry strives to explore remote tropical lagoons and meet exotic peoples, while struggling to avoid the snares and pitfalls on-board the Tahiti-bound Pacific Star.

Who hasn't dreamed of traveling with a carnival? It probably sounds like it would be a lot of fun. Riding the rides, playing the carnival games and eating the food you can only find at the the county fair... It is every kid's dream. Fair Days and Carnival Nights is the story of a summer in 1990 that I spent traveling with the All Alaskan Racing Pigs from California to Alaska and back. It is a journal of the author's experiences and features color photos from that exciting summer. Although the incredible scenery in Alaska, California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Nevada should really be experienced first hand. Perhaps this book will open the door for your own Fair Days and Carnival Nights.

Magic and mystery captivate in this fairy tale as an enchantress, Vera, and a sardonic wizard, Manix, rule the Forbidden Forest, using the vines of the forest to capture those who wander into it. However, their secrets become unraveled when an apprentice, Lance, and a nobleman, Terrence, investigate the mysteries of the forest and discover the source of its power. It is up to them to outwit the unseen forces and return the forest to its natural state as they are challenged by deception, enchantment, and lost discoveries.

Do you like quirky, snarky humor and adventure? Hold on to your hat. This story's loaded with mystery, suspense, and laughs; it takes you to faraway places... What to do when you discover you have misjudged a friend and hurt a love one? In some cases, flowers are simply not enough. Helen Slider wanted to make things up to her husband, Jerry, for having ruined his previous cruise to the South Pacific. She surprises him with a voyage to Central and South America to enjoy all by himself. Jerry is ecstatic with the opportunity of seeing his longtime bucket-list dream, the still-mysterious Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. But there are a great many more surprises in store for Jerry on this exotic cruise from San Diego to Peru. Follow the intrigue, mayhem and rollicking fun aboard the Peruvian Star. Share in the fascinating adventures of Jerry, his hapless sidekick Max, and their small tour group. Explore the eastern jungles of Guatemala and the subtropics of Mach Picchu, Peru. This thrilling story, a sequel to the author's Wrath of Rhonda, will captivate you with scenic splendor, spark your imagination and hold you in suspense to the very end...don't miss the Road to Machu Picchu.