Editor's Corner
By
Mary E. Adair
February 2006
A month that means so many things to so many people and yet, it is always the shortest month of the year! Though filled with famous birthdays, the date most likely to be celebrated by all ages and around the world is Valentine's Day. While grownups begin dropping hints for a special Valentine gift, grade school age children begin making their own little "post" boxes for their classmates to deposit missives of enthusiastic declarations of everlasting love to EACH of the girls or boys in the class. There is likely a lesson there for our beginning awareness of the other gender. Don't take everything you are told in a romantic impulse as either truth or everlasting. Perhaps psychiatrists should start with this age group and remembrance to uncover what ails their patients today. None the less, it is a charming tradition and one for which an editor expects to receive reams of material for the February issue. Alas, the closest thing to a valentine this month is the poem "I Give to You" by Sheila J. Keith. So, that will be it for this year.
Other poets did do some romantic verses not specifically for Valentines, such as these by Bruce Clifford: "Wish I Could Be The One," "(A) Broken Heart," and "Thirteenth Step." His other two poems this time are "Part II - Songs From Conversations" and "You Can't."
John I. Blair entertains us with his diverse subjects in the following: "Crinoid,"
"Daniel Boone and Me,"
"Like Monkeys At The Zoo,"
"The Year We Had A Crazy Neighbor,"
"Uncle Pete", and
"What is it about Cats."
Bud Lemire captures our thoughts with "Cherokee Daughter,"
"The Butterfly Whisper,"
"Why Do We Need Music?" and"Your Soul."
WindSpryte solemnly pens "Nuitari," while MJ Mansfield explains why he is "Deafened," and we welcome a new author Dr. Suzanne Linfield Spindler who offers "The Price of Flight." Be sure to click on the author's bylines to see their biographies and a list of other work we have published for them in Pencil Stubs Online during the past eight years.
The informative article showcases "February Stuff" all researched and commented upon by Leo C. Helmer.
Columnists here to help us kick off this ninth year are:
LC Van Savage who writes "Consider This;"
Leo C. Helmer and "Cookin' With Leo;"
"Eric Shackle's Column" by Eric himself;
"Introspective" by Thomas F. O'Neill;
"Thinking Out Loud" which is composed down in Florida by Gerard Meister;
Mattie Lennon's "Irish Eyes" with a totally different type presentation in lieu of his column;
and last but not least, by our Webmaster and co-Founder, Mike Craner, "Nine!"
As always, we solicit your own comments and compliments to the authors by making it super simple to do so. Mike Craner has designed a form that you just fill in and click on "add" and your thought becomes part of the page. You can also invite others to come read the poem or column you want to share by filling out a similar form and clicking on "refer." Please avail yourself of these opportunities, or take the plunge and use the submit button on the sidebar to send in your own compositions for possible publication.
Again, we find ourselves reflecting on February and this time, its propensity for future sadness: this month one of the contenders in the Fortieth Super Bowl will lose. You can bet your editor will be watching to see which one.
Happy Valentine's Day! and may your month be wonderful for you!
See you in March!
EDITOR'S NOTE: The poem, "I give to you," originally credited to Sheila Keith in the February issue has been removed at her request as she said someone submitted it in her name and it is NOT her work.
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