Editor's Corner

By Mary E. Adair

Our shortest month of the year appears to be the longest on feelings, as though by being centered by Valentine's Day, it becomes the month of Love. There seems to be a never-ending resource found within this month because Love can take so many forms.

We present some of those many guises in the poetry, tales, articles, and columns for February's issue. There is family love, brotherly love, love of one's vocation and/or avocation, love of pets, and their love for their masters/companions/each other, and the romantic love of couples struck with each other's desirable qualities. There are admonitions for keeping one's marital lovelife sparkling ("Ring of Ribbon" by Candace Vigil) and laments when love has gone from the lover's arms but not from the heart ("Love Stanzas" by LSeeker.) There is even the dangers inherent in self-love carried to extremes as discussed in the column "Taming the Beast" where Dr. Sam Vaknin details 'storytelling' therapy. His definitions of the various 'plots' used can also help define plots for all of us who write.

The article "Lupercalia" (by Leo C. Helmer) tells how Valentine's Day fits into the scheme of dates and other celebrations and the origins. The anonymously authored piece, "Installing Love" was tendered for consideration by one of the poets we have published frequently, Ken Berry. New to our ezine pages, but dear to my heart, my mother Lena Carroll joins our list of authors with an essay "What's in a Name" on what names mean to us, and a poem, "Just Today" that advises living so that our lives bless others with love and caring. Michael Craner, our webmaster and advisor, takes a break from the loves of his life--his wife and three children--to give us the benefit of some of his recent conclusions about how to live the life we love to live in his column, "Mike's Place."

Leo C. Helmer, in his column "Cookin' with Leo" brings us "Salad Dressings to Love" sure to be a great addition to your recipe box. LC Van Savage ("Consider This")shows us one of the experiences that are a fringe benefit of her career she loves that involves writing biographies for famous people. Mona Wanlass expresses a different thought about one of February's annual events with a tongue-in-cheek envy of a 'lifestyle' she'd love to try in her poem "Punxsutawney Phil." In "Smew Déjà Vu" we are given a glimpse into an avocation thousands of people regard as the love of their life as Ted Floyd shares his non-typical hunt for a thrilling addition to his birding life list. To go along with the "Smew Déjà Vu" try this url
http://www.enature.com/main/home.asp
Then choose the topic you wish to view... in this case you click on the advanced bird finder from the right hand column where there is an oriel and a binoculars icon. Next you go to the "duck like birds" then page 6 to find the Smew's picture. When you click the name Smew you'll find out why the Missourian's are so excited to have this bird in their state since it is rarely seen in N. America, and then only "in the Aleutian Islands and very rarely, along the Pacific Coast."

From finding, or seeking, the perfect lover, ("I Wake to You and Gleam" by LSeeker, and the song living "In a Fairy Tale World" by Amanda Speed) to loving nature ("Mountain Springs" by Jolene C. Overy) and the gifts it bestows upon us ("Rain - Precious Gift" by Helen London), to showing parental love ("Tattletale" a story by Liz Taylor), and teaching values to extend into the future, ("Aimee's Daughters" by Dorothy Asher) to maintaining love in a marriage, ("Still Friends" and "Dessert for my Plate" both by Dorothy Asher) to the perceived love of animals for us ("Cat Communion" by Shell Heller) and for each other, ("New Neighbors" by Helen London) to conceptions of the Source of love and comfort, ("The One-Part 2" and "Time Out" both by Shell Heller, and "Loving" by Blinder aka Todd Anderson) to a poem ("In the Mourning" by Michael Karolczak Jr) that presents a special reminder that love doesn't end when someone steps over the boundary of life--it seems that Love is inescapable in our lives.

Thank Goodness!

Therefore, since we love bringing your poems and stories to the readers on the internet, we will see you again in March. If you are a reader, and have never submitted a story or other work, please let this serve as an invitation to do so. We have a submit button on the side menu that pops up a form to be used for sending in your compositions. So let yourself be heard...you'll love it!!!