I’m so excited to have one of my very favourite people as my guest today, and not only is the wonderful Ashley Lister my guest, but he actually wrote me a poem! Is that the coolest thing ever?!?! But I digress. Ashely is here to talk about Coming Together In Verse, an exciting new anthology of adult poetry he’s editing for charity. Please! Enjoy his poem for moi, read all about Coming Together In Verse, then get ready to wax poetic for a good cause!

I met the author K D Grace
I think she’s ace
She writes so well
She weaves a spell

We chatted at Eroticon
It was such fun
To hear insights
of how she writes

I mentioned my anthology
Of poetry
She asked me to
Share this with you…

My name’s Ashley Lister. Not only am I longstanding fan of K D Grace’s writing, but I’m lucky enough to count her as a friend. We chatted at the most recent Eroticon and I sit in on the workshop she hosted alongside Lily Harlem. (Actually, I’ve written a short story inspired by the title I came up with in that session).

The poetic form above is a minute poem – one of my favourites because it’s so easy to remember. The rhyme scheme is simple and the structure (eight syllables followed by three lines of four syllables) makes for a pleasant rhythm.

If you do fancy contributing a poem, I’d be delighted to consider it for the anthology. The collection is ultimately going to benefit an animal charity but, also, I think it’s going to prove to be one of the most impressive collections of ‘adult’ verse ever compiled. Given some of the material I’ve already received it’s looking like it will be a quality collection. I do hope you’ll give some consideration to maybe writing something and submitting.

The call for submissions is reprinted below and I’d be keen to hear from any writers or poets who think they’ve got something appropriate. If you’re stuck for inspiration on poetic forms, I keep sharing some of my favourite types over on my blog (http://ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk/).
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I’m asking for your best poems.

Coming Together: In Verse will be a collection of erotic poetry and risqué verse edited by Ashley R Lister. Sales

proceeds benefit Hope for Paws.

Erica Jong said, “Poetry is what we turn to in the most emotional moments of our lives – when a beloved friend dies, when a baby is born, when we fall in love.” Wallace Stevens said, “A poet looks at the world the way a man looks at a woman.” Edgar Allan Poe said, “Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words.” Most of us agree, when it comes to expressing passion, there is nothing more effective than poetry.

Whether it’s blank or free verse, or a rigid rhyming metrical form, well-written poetry can touch us in places deeper and more personally than any fiction. There’s nothing sexier than a poem that speaks to us on such an intimate level.

Author, lecturer and occasional performance poet, Ashley R Lister, is looking for your best pieces of original poetry, erotic verse, risqué rhymes, cheeky cinquains or saucy sonnets. The collection will contain a broad range of quality erotic poetry submissions, from the rude, ribald and vulgar through to the suggestive, sensuous and sensitive.

Standard Rules apply: No underage, no non-consensual, no scat, incest, or necrophilia. Any pairings or groupings accepted and encouraged.

Deadline for submissions is October 1, 2015.

Send poems double-spaced, 12 point font (Times New Roman or Georgia) in .doc or .rtf format to me@ashleylister.co.uk, with “ATTN: Coming Together, your pen-name, your story title” in the subject line. British English grammar please. Double quotes around dialogue.

Only submit your final, best version of the poem; do not send multiple versions of the same piece. Up to three poems will be considered from each author. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable and be clear which one is which), mailing address, and up to 250 word bio. You will be notified as to the status of your poem by no later than November 1, 2015.

This is a charity anthology. Contributors will receive ebook copies of the publication. Additional compensation is likely to come in karma and tax-write offs. Hope for Paws will benefit from all proceeds. Hope for Paws is a non-profit animal rescue organisation. They rescue dogs (and other animals) who are suffering on the streets and in shelters. Their goal is to educate people on the importance of companion animals in our society. Find out more at hopeforpaws.org.