About Colleen M. Chesebro

One day, I stumbled across the Japanese word Ikigari. After some research, I discovered iki means life. In Japanese, Gai means worth or value. When these words combine, they form the definition of ikigari, which is life’s worth. It’s often translated or interpreted as a reason for getting up in the morning. So, yes, writing syllabic poetry is my ikigari.

I also believe writing syllabic poetry strengthens our writing skills. When we create poetry, we gain command of language; cultivate a healthy vocabulary, master literary devices such as metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, and allegory. We learn to work in imagery. We connect with our ikigari.

When I’m not writing poetry or crafting short stories, you’ll find me digging in my garden, or playing with my two unicorn cats, Chloe & Sophie. I live in East Lansing, Michigan with my husband—my soul mate. Most days you can find me writing poetry on wordcraftpoetry.com or helping authors create their books on unicorncaptspublishing.com or on my author blog, colleenmchesebro.com. 💜 💚 💛

BEWITCHING WORDCRAFT

by Ken Hume

For 3 score years and 5
On this earth she’s been alive.
In her writing there is a well
Of knowledge
Where she casts her syllabic spell
Upon her followers & readers
With her poetic teasers
On her Tanka Tuesday
To keep us amused, play
With words & syllables
Help us be more formidable
As poets and wordsmiths
Make sure that they fit
In the right place & verse
Make our poetry more diverse
Encouraging & playful
Hope you had a day full
Of poetry & creativity
Presents and festivities
Thank you for all the time
You give
To help us compose a rhyme
Teaching us how to write & graft
Bewitching us with your WordCraft

Author’s Biography

Colleen M. Chesebro grew up in a large city in the Midwest. Keen on making her own way in the world, she joined the United States Air Force after graduation to tour the world and find herself. To this day, that search continues.

An avid reader, Colleen M. Chesebro rekindled her love of writing poetry after years spent working in the accounting industry. These days, she loves crafting syllabic poetry, flash fiction, and creative fiction and nonfiction.

In addition to poetry books, Chesebro’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of her writing community on wordcraftpoetry.com by organizing and sponsoring a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called #TankaTuesday, where participants experiment with traditional and current forms of Japanese and American syllabic poetry.

In 2021, Chesebro, along with JulesPaige she founded Word Weaving, A Word Craft Journal of Syllabic Verse to serve the Word Craft community. Colleen is an assistant editor of The Congress of the Rough Writers Flash Fiction Anthology & Gitty Up Press, a micro-press founded by Charli Mills and Carrot Ranch. In January 2022, Colleen founded Unicorn Cats Publishing Services to assist poets and authors in creating eBooks and print books for publication. In addition, she creates book covers for Kindle and print book versions.

Chesebro lives in the house of her dreams in mid-Michigan, surrounded by the Great Lakes with her husband and two (unicorn) cats, Chloe & Sophie.