THE WONDER OF BUGS

When I talk about Wee Three, its meaning to me and what I hope it will mean to others, I always write and talk about the innocence of childhood. When in fact many have not had the greatest childhoods, many children go to bed hungry, live in war torn countries with their innocence ripped from them before they are old enough to even know the world.
It is not that I am unaware that this is happening. It is that I choose to try to bring lightness of spirit back into our society and world. To bring an acceptance of each other whatever our differences, to find a way for all of us to find the place inside ourselves of joy, innocence and a place of reclaiming and relearning what we can be.
Our world has gotten too serious, focusing on all the blight, problems and stress. Many have forgotten the simple joy of a walk in the rain. Jumping in puddles, watching a bug and really seeing it as if for the first time, not as a nuisance but as another creature on our planet, and trying to figure out what the bug is up to.
Each species has its place in our world and without one of them our world would be different. Now in the case of bugs some would say this would be a good thing. Yet without them we would be wallowing in a world filled to the brim with dead trees, plants, food and an assortment of other trash.
We may look on that bug only for the trouble it may cause us. When in fact we should see it for what it is a helper in life. It may appear ugly to our eyes, yet beauty is in the eye of the beholder and to another of its species it may be the most beautiful.
Do you find a bug a nuisance? Can you look beyond the problems it may cause you temporarily and see that it has a place? Can you see its beauty and wonder what it does and why it does it?

Let me know what you think? Is there a bug that you like? Do you consider them all a nuisance or are there some that you can find beautiful?

Wondering

The other day on Twitter my friend @TheFourOrders asked me if we had lost our wonder? I began thinking of all the times I have spent watching the stars, listening to the wind move through the trees.

The moments spent making cloud pictures, finding a new bug that I had never seen before and marveling about its beauty. Sitting and listening to the stories of my parents, the elders in our community or watching people walk their dogs.

It also made me think of what television or playing video games is making us lose. The trips to the mall that are taken, not because we need something but as a means of entertainment.

And I realized that a part of the meaning of Wee Three is its ability to help us to remember the simpler times. The games of our youth, and the joy and wonder that children are born with.

Somewhere along the way it seems we as a society have lost our ability to find this wonder and joy. Can we remember, can we reclaim it?

WONDERING

Have we lost our ability?
To find the wonder in the day?

To look upon the sky so fair,
Make pictures from the clouds above.

Watch the gentle breeze blow the leaves,
Hear the calm voices of the trees.

Pet a dog or watch a kitten,
Open our hearts to see their joy.

Can we still sit so quietly?
Listening to the birds in song.

Do we still see the miracles?
In the uncomplicated things.

Where is the time to watch the stars?
Or see the moonlight shine so bright.

Anger and tension fills our lives.
Killing us with the fear and stress.

No time left to teach our children,
See the glory and the wonder.

Trouble-free, fun and banter too,
All the natural, simple play.

Is it worth the fury and strain?
We give ourselves and children too.

Are we losing our precious time?
With all the running to and fro.

Where has all of life’s glory gone?
Can we reclaim our wonder now?

Copyrighted 2011 Marta Moran-Bishop


Wee Three is a book of verse and memories. But it is also a means to regain and to share that innocence and joy we had as a child. My hope is that in its pages people will find a way to remember the times before the mall or shopping became our means of entertainment. And we as a society will begin to look once again at the pure innocent wonder that life has for us.

What do you all think? Can we as a society reclaim our sense of wonder? Can we help our children to find fun in simple, natural play again?

War and Children

Before I was born my mother, her mother and her grandmother going back for generations lived through one War or another.

For my mother it was World War I, World War II, the Korean War, The Vietnam War, The Gulf War. There has always been one War or another. But what toll does it take on our children? What toll will it take on their children and all the future generations?

Does it solve anything? Has it made the world a better place? Sometimes yes for I know I wouldn't want to be living in a world controlled by the Hitler's of the world. Yet most wars only serve to cost more lives, more lost innocence and more children without a parent.

I believe we need to start looking for another solution in this world. We need to help our children learn to look for the best not the worst in people. To teach them to respect other peoples, cultures and find things that can be shared and learned.

On this Memorial Day I am thinking not only of the boys, men, and women that serve and served our country. But also of the cost to all the children around the world who lost their innocence, parents and lives to war.

My hope is that we find a way past hatred, judgment of others because of their race, religion, culture or difference.

THE GLORIES OF A CHILD'S IMAGINATION

There is not much better then the morning I spent with the kindergarten classes at the Berlin Memorial School, doing a reading of Wee Three.

This particular morning I decided to ask the children what they would like to be if they were not a human. I was thrilled with the different answers I recieved.

Tyler wanted to be a duck and Amanda a river. When I asked them why they chose these two particular things. Amanda told me she would like to be able to flow free seeing the world, tumbling over the rocks without the need to worry about being hurt.

Tyler said that he thought that ducks were beautiful, they could swim and also walk on the ground. He particularly enjoyed watching them in the when they were in the water bobbing there heads for food.

I told them when I was little I wanted to be a bumblebee. Because I could fly over the garden wall and into the cherry tree. I could eat and eat and eat all day and never wash my face or comb my hair. This brought many giggles and lots of laughter.

Unfortunately all good things come to an end. So I wrapped up my reading with snow magic and let the blue jays, cardinals and woodpeckers fly in the form of colored wings to the delight of us all.

Wee Three Hits the Road

January 25 is my birthday so it is only fitting that my very first reading is done the very next day on January 26th. It is at the Berlin Library and will be for ages 4to 6.

I am of course a little nervous after all I am taking my grandmothers, mothers and my childhood memories written in verse on the road.
I am excited yet as you all can imagine am also suffering from a bit of stage fright. I must remember another lesson my mother taught me.

Always focus on others, remember to make eye contact and bring each person into the process. Interact with both the children and their parents and make the day a fun and happy place for all.

I am overjoyed to be sharing Wee Three, it has been a long time coming and I hope to continue the tradition of connecting across the ages. Wee Three is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. It can be read to the young by grandparents and parents. Or an adult can read it for the pure enjoyment of reliving your own innocence, youthful dreams and childhood joys and lessons learned.

In it's pages one can always find something that will make you remember a bit of your childhood, a wonderful memory that you had with your own children or parents.

So I hope you will all wish me luck.

Events

After many calls and more voice messages left, yesterday I finally set up my first two events. I have a reading at the Senior Center in Clinton MA and a reading set for the Berlin, MA library. My first event so far is the day after my birthday and I am excited. Hopefully there will be a large turn out. But even a small one to get my feet wet and begin getting Wee Three out there is a blessing.

With luck I will have a full calender soon. Am I afraid of speaking in public? I guess in some ways it is something we all fight. Yet I am looking forward to the challenge and the chance.

Wee Three: Book Trailers

Today I am able to post both book trailers for Wee Three: I hope you will all enjoy them and let me know which one you like best.

The writing, editing and publishing of Wee Three has been a passion of mine since we read the beginnings of some of the verses too her in the days before she passed. Some of these verses written by her mother are the beginnings of the verses in Wee Three, others are taken from her childhood memories and mine. I hope you will all enjoy both trailers.

Should you decide you want to read more I can guarantee that the book will delight you and take you down memory lane. In the pages you will find at least one verse that will remind you of some earlier cherished memory.

Wee Three Launch

Wee Three has begun it's launch. Shortly the press releases will go out and then the hardest work of all begins. It will be time to begin to market my book. Begin doing readings, events and all that marketing one's book entails.

I am both thrilled and nervous as I begin this new adventure. Writing it was a labor of love, the idea of taking the bits of my grandmother's verses and expanding and writing my own began after my mother had passed away.

Five of the nine siblings sat at her bedside for 12 days. Nine of which she was unable to communicate except through her eyes and hands. We read her her mother's verses over and over and over again as she insisted, watching her delight in the memories they invoked.

Several years later I took out my grandmother's writings and began the project. At first many agents and publishers told me "we don't do poetry, or poetry is too hard of a sell."

Well "Wee Three" is more a collection of short stories that are told in rhyme as seen through the eyes of a child. So believing in it I first self published, later someone suggested more of the verses shoud be expanded, to get a real illustrator, which I did in the wonderfully talented Hazel Mitchell. I also added more of my own verses to the book telling more of the stories of the adventures into a childs imagination based on my own memories as a child.

I hope you will all take a chance and watch the video and read the book. I believe it will help you remember your own childhoods and connect more deeply with your children and grandchildren.

New Book Review, by Beth Hoffman (Saving CeeCee Honeycutt)

By Beth Hoffman – New York Times best selling author of, "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt."

This review is for: Wee Three: A Mother's Love in Verse  

"This wonderful book is not only charming, but it holds a bit of magic on each page ... the kind of magic of days gone by. The beautifully rendered prose urges us to remember, to close our eyes and revisit slower days, childhood days, when there were no cell phones or computers to distract us from seeing the wonders in nature and the world of make-believe.

I believe this collection of poems should be cherished and placed on a shelf with other works that evoke the spirit of childhood wonders. Highly recommended!"

WEE THREE will be available everywhere late fall 2010/winter 2011.

Beth Hoffman's, fabulous New York Times best selling novel, "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" is widely available now.  Please, visit her website for more details on her marvelous book: www.bethhoffman.net

WEE THREE book trailer: Voice-over by Marta Moran Bishop