Hi CyberPoets,

By this time next month, we'll be ushering in the season of Spring. I don't know about you, but I always find it easier to write verse when in the presence of life stirring in the bud, when the trees are thrusting green freshness to the ends of their branches, and the air is filled with the perfume of a fresh washed earth in flower. The pastel colors of Spring are somehow more delicate and yet more alive.

Okay, so it is not yet Spring, but this is the time of year when I go out and try to find ink cartridges for my fountain pens because I know I'm going to need them. Silly, of me, but somehow the scratching sound of a fountain pen makes me feel like I'm being more creative than usual. There is just something about the flow of real ink on real paper that beats the heck out of a text writer. Don't get me wrong, I'm not to the point of bon-bons and outrageous feather quills yet. It is just, to make a long story short, that it is presently time to prepare the physical sphere for that spiritual overflow that Wordsworth made so much about in his discussion of the poetry process.

Some introduction, eh? Well, in my fancy, we all have our little rituals in the approach to writing. What are yours?

-- AngelPie_Mouse

The website is authored and maintained by AngelPie_Mouse and is located at the following addresses: http://www.geocities.com/cyberpoetsniche for Newsletters, FAQs, and general business and at http://www.geocities.com/cyber_poets for Member Showcases.

Of the fifty members of CPN, eighteen are members with showcase pages on the club homepage. In alphabetic order, showcase members are: AngelPie_Mouse, ArrylT, Cendrilloner, crowstouch, Elfenone, Faerimuse, Jazz_85, Isitis, Kattlyn, Lane_Ware, Mgonzalez01, MooseLodge1999, Oldcusser, Poetry_Gal, Romusthepoet, Sis_Sarana19, Telescope07, and TheCyberwitch. If you want to be added, see the homepage Showcase Questionnaire.

This month (between January 21 and February 20) contributions were added to the showcase pages for the following members: cendrilloner, crowstouch, Isitis, MGonzalez01, RomusthePoet, and Telescope07 -- or for six of our eighteen showcase members.   You may view these additions by clicking the name (on the website repost of this newsletter only).

The group (or interactive) poem begins on the 20th of each month with any member of the club posting a few lines that suggest a topic to the message board under the heading "[month] Interactive." It may then be added to by other members of the club, who repost the material preceding their entry. The purpose of the group (or interactive) is to provide an exercise in critical reading skills and promote participation. You may read more about it on our homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/cyber_poets/ourwrite/interactive1.html.

This month, for the month of February and in conjunction with Valentines, the topic was "love." ...at least that's what MGonzalez01 said when she began the poem although it seems more like the topic was "spring" even from the beginning entry she made. In any event, the club composed the following poem:

The Cadence of Love

The season of the heart draws near� Season of lovebirds and of doves Winter takes a small reprieve, I fear... Whilst nature enjoys the sweet melody she loves� A gentle symphony that sways the soul With a penetrating rhythm that makes you dance And reminds us all Of the promise of passion and of romance...      (MGonzalez01)

The bitter cold of winter fades away; The warm embrace of longer days Awakes and invites to dance and celebrate The renaissance of life and color. The perfumes of green and flowing water Tickle and breeze by for all to embrace and glorify. Spring is near and joy with him awaits the silence of cold winter nights to leave this town.

Furtive looks under this light new coat of light, That was never so bright, as this morning of February 2000. The arrival of a new era, where passion flirts with romance...      (Cendrilloner)

Winter's dress in tattered rags rent by the peeping sun, the too soon rain faded in gray remembrance of her wedding day no longer the bride, she does not complain but feeling her age heavy upon her shoulders shrugs, and in round step moves on; her turn will come again.

Ah, the sunshine of my heart whether winter is at her start or parting I will in embrace with you neither mind her passing, nor any other season.       (AngelPie_Mouse)

[end]

We presently have 50 members at the CyberPoet�s Niche. We have Chat Night every Wednesday at 10 PM Eastern.

Club Ranking. The ranking of clubs in Yahoo! is based solely on the number of members, not on member participation. This month we gained three new members (sort of) and lost one. The departing member was NALewis, and we are very sorry to see him go--not merely because he was a showcase member with ties to the publishing world, but because we can't help feeling that there was a greater depth to his work, his writing that we had yet to experience. That is: he had more to teach us. We sincerely hope he will continue writing and return to us one day.

As for our position in the numbers game�last month we stood in 31st position, pretty low as these things go. This month as of this writing, we are 28th, which means we are moving up again.

New Members. I said we acquired three new members "sort of," this month, because I suspect that one of the new members listed is an alternative Yahoo! ID for a continuing member. As far as I know, there are no rules about duplicate memberships, and I might be wrong.

In any event, this month we welcome eliz1979, philopsychocyf, and tazinator4ever. Although we have yet to see a sampling of their writing, we're really glad they could join us and hope they will soon be posting some of their own verse and offering wisdom and insights on the verse of their fellow club members and a favorite poet or two. Welcome eliz1979, philopsychocyf, and tazinator4ever!

Credits:
Editorial and page layout by AngelPie_Mouse

For those who check the Readability of this newsletter: Flesch Reading Ease: 63.8 (within average) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8.2 (slightly higher than average).