Be warned--these poems might inspire you to pick up a pen and write a poem of your own! These poems spill out from the imagination of a woman who travels through love, marriage, loss, and the decades that lead to aging. Through some of these travels she is accompanied by Chloe, a golden retriever mix. The author muses about her mother and stepfather, her deceased father, old boyfriends, and loneliness. The ease at which our lives could be overtaken by war becomes a reality, and romance, when love seems lost forever, could be just around the corner. In this delightful collection a line from a poem will pop from a page and you'll want to put it in your pocket and keep it close. "A Few Blue Pearls" might remind you of William Carlos Williams--but only for a line. You'll hear echoes of a nomad, a modern woman visiting places with scorpions, where wind chills a face to a burn. Shrewd observations are juxtaposed with longings. As the author flaunts her "glittermost" musings, she also tucks in the plain truth of a cup-of-tea, a sweeping landscape, and an eclipse that takes too long. --Marge Pellegrino, author of Journey of Dreams These richly imaginative poems bring the reader into everyday scenes of quiet New England winters, the surprises of dandelions, and the celebration of family. In these beautiful pieces Tejada invites us in to many occasions and seasons of her life: desert creatures, solitary walks, pets, writing, the comfort of a warm coat. What a joy that she has shared her poems with us! --Sally Curd, essayist Blue Pearls, Carlene Tejada's first book of poems, examines places real and imagined, relationships realistic and fantastic, words that unveil her rising poetic voice. --Alice Shapiro, Pushcart Prize nominee and author of Cracked and Life: Descending/Ascending Carlene Richardson Tejada teaches English as a Second Language, in which she holds an M.A. She grew up in New Hampshire but spent her adult life in several locales, including New York City, Arizona, Georgia, and El Salvador, Central America. Wherever Carlene settles, she offers writing workshops for women. She has written articles for home plans magazines and Natural Health. One of her short stories was published in North Dakota Review. Some poems in this book first appeared in Northern New England Review, The Poet's Touchstone, The Burning Cloud Review, and White Pelican Review.