About Linda DeMerle

Poet, painter, matcher of socks, archive of random snippets de trop. I've made ice cream cones, sold retail from lumber to books, dressed windows, written resumes, fed chipmunks, answered phones, cared for children which included frequent extraction of 2 legs from 1 pant leg and exploring the restrooms of America. Taught a little art, did a little PR, published poems and creative nonfiction, powdered Robert Novak's nose. I once met Ray Davies. Lovely man. Married with start-up adults. Publication credits include Acoustic Guitar Magazine, The Syracuse New Times, The Syracuse Newspapers, Wide Open Magazine, Illya's Honey, Recursive Angel, 2River View, fishwrap and other small press journals; former editor/publisher of Disclosures literary ezine. Three exhibits of paintings. I love nature, painting, music, beach combing and designing stained glass. Interests include spirituality, art, history and handbags. We live beside the woods with whomever is here at the time with our little black cat amid thousands of loose photographs.

Circumstances

We aren’t called to live in perfect circumstances, but to live perfectly as we can within our circumstances.

Fishing for Utopia

Published in 2River View

The very best ones come while on my back
staring upward towards the beam scanning
the ceiling as the person inside my head tries
to reason things out whitewash all thoughts with
a fresh coat of philosophy her name is Little Miss Fixit
christened by a friend who thinks I try too hard

That was once now I give it one consecrated shot
and if casting my bread on the waters
reaps no return I dispassionately reel my line in
pack my gear and go back to where things are always
the same anchored in safety saturated with love bursting
forth with temporary fits of lively anarchy
here with children we love who comfort always with uplifting
contagious laughter so I throw the fish back in

The 2River View
1_3 (Spring 1997)

Wholeness

If you think you see a shortcut on the path to wholeness, it is a mirage.