Spice of Life: Meet Berlie

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nekot
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Spice of Life: Meet Berlie

Post by nekot » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:13 pm

I enjoy variety and truly believe it is the spice of life. People come in the most varieties of all; no two are exactly the same. I believe each person has a significant gift to share and a unique journey to live.

The Pages are not lacking in these givers and journeyers who share their insights, joys, traumas, imaginations, hopes, despairs, fantasies, fictions, beliefs, and doubts via the written word in prose, poetry, stories, and quips.

I have laughed many a time and cried many a time, as I have sat with mouse in hand reading these Pages and sharing my own heart. Folks here are an inspiration to my soul and have been a catalyst for significant growth in my own life. I have witnessed a mutual respect among this variety of souls that if duplicated in our world, would make it a better place. :bow:

Scroll down for a little spice from Berlie ..... :grin:

:hello:

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Re: Spice of Life: Meet Berlie

Post by nekot » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:15 pm

Berlie launched/joined the 'current' incarnation of Poetry Pages on December 17, 2001.

Before delving into featuring Berlie, following is a brief PPs history from Berlie and heinzs:
heinzs wrote: The current embodiment of PoetryPages is either the second or third incarnation. I was a member of the previous site when Berlie upgraded and switched over to this format back in 2001. I think I joined in 1998... but I could be wrong. Berlie would probably remember.
Berlie wrote:
"We are on what could be called the third incarnation if you are counting the different forum scripts we have switched to... the original, UBB and PHPBB. I don't think I would count the latest upgrade to PHPBB 3 as not too much changed there.

The original site had a very no frills message board that quickly became abused by spammers and trolls. At the time I was very rarely on the site and had no time to moderate it (and the forums script offered no moderating or admin tools). Instead of just closing up shop and calling it a day a brand new forum script was purchased and installed and heinzs volunteered to be the administrator. The forums script was called UBB and everyone had to re-register and we started off with a clean forum.. no posts from the original were brought over.

Eventually the forums script was switched again to PHPBB as UBB cost money and PHBB is free. That time however I was able to convert all of the existing members and posts over to the new forum.

If you want to take it back even further the Poetry Pages started off as 'Voices of Poetry' around 1996-97 which was hosted on my free webspace provided by my ISP. It didn't contain a message board back then, people would send me their poetry in an email and I would put it up on the site and also would do a 'feature' of one of the poems every month with artwork and even background music. This was when I was still married and living in Oregon. When I divorced and moved away the site was lost in the ether and it was about a year before I started it fresh as the Poetry Pages. originally it was the same idea.. people would send me their poetry and I would post it. As a bonus I threw up a small message board which was the beginning of what we are now.


Whew.. how's that for a history lesson!"

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Re: Spice of Life: Meet Berlie

Post by nekot » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:16 pm

Meet Kimberly, Poetry Pages' Berlie and Poetry Pages' originator.....

What is your age bracket: under 25, 25 - 50, over 50?
36

What is your name? Where do you live? What do you like to do? What is your occupation?
Kimberly Martin.. although I publish under my maiden name (Kimberly Eddleman). I live north of Atlanta, Georgia. I am self-employed with the majority of my business focused on book formatting for self-published authors... including poets!

Not much else interesting about my present life. It's my past that had all of the interesting things happen in it. Lately I just hang out at home with my boyfriend or go to the movies and dinner with friends. I ride a 125cc scooter instead of a car (never owned one!) which is a little different where I live. I enjoy it though and can't beat the gas mileage and insurance rates!

How long have you been writing poetry? Do you recall what led you, if anything, to start writing?
I remember writing my first poem in what I believe was third grade. It was a class assignment. I even remember it:

An elf is little
He doesn't sleep at night
An elf plays a fiddle
By the candlelight

An elf may be a leprechaun
And hide his gold around
Find it if you can
And you'll be nice and sound.



I wrote a few other little kid poems after that which my mom kept a copy of.
I lost interest as little kids do until I was a teenager when I started to keep a journal and wrote poems in there.



Have you ever been published? In what books or by whom?
Only self-published and in the Poetry Pages books that we put out. I never tried to get published in any magazines, books, etc. Writing was always personal to me.

What inspires you to write? Is there a certain setting where you like to write? Do you listen to music when you write?
I only write when my muse hits me and that can happen at odd times. Sometimes it can be when I am having trouble sleeping at night or when my mind wanders when I am supposed to be doing something else. I usually only seem to really write when my life takes a turn for the worse and as such many of my poems have a dark or emotional feel to them. When i do write, it usually comes out all at once with only a little tweaking. If it doesn't come out 'right' in about 15 minutes I put it away and usually don't come back to it. For it to feel 'right' it needs to evoke some type of emotion in me when I read it.

I haven't written anything in awhile other than a few bits and pieces that never made it... my life has been pretty good lately!


What is one of your favorite poems that you have penned? Would you mind sharing why or the story behind the poem?
Hmmm... picking favorites is always tough.

From my younger years it is probably In My Corner. This one was written when I was 16 or 17 I believe. I would often go down to the local Denny's, eat and write in my journal. I was doing so (in my corner booth in the back) and was hearing muffled conversations around me and was wondering what they were saying.

The 'backroom' of my mind also comes a bit from the house I grew up in. There was a room in the rear of the house that was a converted porch. We called it the 'backroom.' It had small windows covering all of the outside walls looking out over the backyard.. but it also was drafty and leaked in the rain.

The poem itself reminds me of someone with mental problems or who has shut themselves off from the rest of the world.

*********************

In My Corner

Here in my corner
Whispering in my head
I wonder what they said
And I wonder can they see me
Here in the backroom of my mind
Here in my corner
I might hear
Time
Slip away
And I wonder what they say
While I play with memories
Here in the backroom of my mind
Sometimes I might glimpse
A distant
Shadow
For an instant
But I just smile and look away
For I don't understand what they say

Why do they leave me here
Why don't they break this mirror
And discover there is much to find
Here inside my mind
And I wonder can they hear me
Screaming...
Here in the backroom of my mind


*********************************

It was hard to pick from my more recent writings. One of my favorites is The Loss. This one was written after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. My boyfriend was on a business trip soon afterward and i woke up without him being next to me and took me a few minutes to remember where he was. I then started thinking about the spouses and families of the crew of the Columbia and how they must be dealing with their loss and the fact that their loved ones will never be coming home. The poem was not for them specifically but for all of those who lose a loved one suddenly and violently.

*****************************

The Loss

she awakens from a nightmare
of pain, of suffering, of loss
rolling over she reaches for him
before she remembers, again
that he no longer sleeps beside her
blurry eyed, she stumbles
into the bathroom
looking for the pills they say,
will help her forget
she finds instead his shaving cream
and the cologne their son got him
for Father's Day
she finds her son in the living room
asleep on the couch, the TV flickering
clutching his teddy bear close,
the one he outgrew years ago
she turns off the TV
not wanting to see more news
about the accident, the tragedy
the loss


*************************************

Read more about Berlie here:
Who runs this place? A little about me.


************************************

Berlie's archive: Berlie

********************************

Thank you Berlie!!! And thank you for creating a little 'corner' in cyberspace that I believe makes a ripple through the waves, making the world a little better place.
:bow:
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Re: Spice of Life: Meet Berlie

Post by nekot » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:19 pm

A few of my favorites by Kimberly. I enjoy the simplicity and honesty in her poems...


today i wrote poetry

today i wrote poetry
it wasn't written down
there were no words to speak
it will win no awards
that wasn't meant to be

it contained no rhymes
nor meters or lines
syllables were not accounted for
i don't do that anymore

today i wrote poetry
by simply being alive
every gesture, every smile
a bit of muse set free

...thats poetry enough for me

View it here: today i wrote poetry

**********************************

Shhh...

beep..beep..beep...
his alarm clock
disturbs my sleep
turning over, grumbling
tangling the sheets
shhhh.. he whispers
fingers gently brushing
against my cheek
its ok.. go back to sleep
he leaves with a kiss
...I drift away

View it here: Shhh...

************************************

Insomnia

Asleep, beside me
He slumbers gently, his snores
The background to my thoughts

As I…

Stumble through the past again
My memories a minefield of sorrows and sin
Old friends and lovers accuse me
The father again abuses me
The parents yell, the neighbors stare
The truth of my life laid bare

Awakened, beside me
He reaches out and draws me close
Safe in his arms, I close my eyes

And dream…

2/5/2003

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Berlie's archive: Berlie

*******************************

Thanks again Kim... :hello: :bow: :hearts:
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heinzs
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Re: Spice of Life: Meet Berlie

Post by heinzs » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:15 pm

:bow:
**************************************
An' it harm none, do what ye will. Blessed Be.
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My Poet's Page Archive | Topics I've started

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Re: Spice of Life: Meet Berlie

Post by gordy » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:19 pm

:thewave:
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My Jesus hung out with thieves and sluts and liars, which Jesus do you worship?

---Todd Agnew


Perfection is my enemy
Procrastination is his cohort
Persistence is my sword

---Gordy

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