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I am new to poetry, not even sure I'm writing it. - Caren Krutsinger's Blog

About Caren Krutsinger

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My name is Caren; I was born an identical twin in a small rural town in Iowa; I live in the country; roosters wake me up. They are not my own roosters, but live behind me, and are eager to be helpful. I am an artist, a cartoonist, a painter, a poet, a writer, and a game-player. When I was younger I knew all kinds of card games. When my children were small, I played many board games. They stopped playing with me when they realized if I was losing, I would diminish my age, turn younger than them, and throw the board. I was once addicted to resale, and yard sale shopping. Every time I think I have broken myself of that habit, I have a relapse and drag home bags and boxes of other people's junk that I think I will someday use. More often than not, these found items end up recycled in other junk shops or recycle bins after I did not use them at all. I'm an elementary school counselor, which means I teach children about respect, responsibility, and how to love each other and make friends. I love my life; I have been with the same man for 50 years, and our home is saturated with my paintings of booby women, because I love to draw and paint them and my husband loves me. I have three daughters, two sons-in-law, six granddaughters, and four grandsons, so my cup is full and happy.

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I am new to poetry, not even sure I'm writing it.

Blog Posted:3/25/2018 7:53:00 AM

I love Poetry Soup because sometimes I'm not sure if I'm writing narrative poetry or a story, and I have had so many wonderful comments from poets for whom I have begun to feel a kinmanship and developed keen feelings of appreciation and love. This has opened up a whole new world for me and allowed me to take risks I normally would not take. Sometimes my brain asks my heart, "You are not really going to add that little zinger are you?" But heart thinks about Line, or CayCay or Nina or Aurturo, or so many others who have been so encouraging and friendly, and heart confidently presses send, believing that even if I make a mistake, the wonderful Poets on this site, will have my back. I misspelled a word in the title once, and Line sent me a private soup mail, saying, "I have your back," and this feels terrific! Thank you Poetry Soup family for helping me develop my poetry, and take risks, while developing neonate wings to fly around this site, and begin a whole new dimension of my life. I had almost entirely forgotten how much I used to love to write 40 years ago, before I got busy with life. This site is better than a penpal in Sweden when I was 12, because the conversation does not rely on snail mail and take two weeks to three months to make a communication exchange. And I had really looked forward to those letters! I think the more we can do to build up the world, rather than only our own country, the less likely misunderstandings will happen, and we will instinctively be kinder to our fellow man. There is afterall one master race - the HUMAN race.

Post Comments

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Daniel
Turner

Date: 3/26/2018 6:55:00 PM

Hello Caren, nice to meet you. I have read some of your poems and I think they are great fun. If you say it's a poem, then it's a poem! Like you, I fell in the soup and have learned more in the last two years than I did the previous , well just say a long time. There are so many wonderfully talented people over here and I have never been refused help from any of them. Poetry is supposed to be fun. When it loses that fun, it can become a nightmare. Just write whats in your heart. Welcome and spill ink!

Constance
La France

Date: 3/26/2018 9:34:00 AM

Caren, welcome to Poetry Soup and your blog pretty much explains why this site is so wonderful. You are now part of a family of poets. And this girl will always have your back. Critical remarks of your writing can be the helpful hand of another poet or the meanness of a self appointed judge of all poetry always seek another opinion before changing or hitting delete..

Jan
Allison

Date: 3/26/2018 4:07:00 AM

What a lovely positive blog Caren. I've been reading your work and love your humour. There are many people willing to help us grow as poets, I have learned so so much since i first picked up my pen in Nov 2013 and joined soup in 2014. I see my poems as my babies and i can only echo what 'shadow of the past has said' just be wary of critique from those who think they know better than others ... I've seen people leave because their work and self confidence has been torn apart. :-) hugs jan xx

Line
Gauthier

Date: 3/25/2018 7:11:00 PM

Dear Caren, I think there are many of us who believe that the minute someone writes from the heart that is POETRY. By the way you mean "Arturo" LOL, don't worry about it - I have your back ;-) On the other hand, your presence on PoetrySoup has been over-the-top cheerful and most lovely. Welcome with open arms, dear Caren.

FJ
Thomas

Date: 3/25/2018 5:30:00 PM

Lol but the "zingers" keep the site interesting Caren! You just keep writing to your heart's content sweet Lady! And just remember that not all criticism is "constructive." Keep your mind open and try to be objective but don't let some of the self-proclaimed professionals here neither diminish your work nor wear you down.

Jan Allison
Date: 3/26/2018 4:08:00 AM

Can't agree with you more Shadow!:-) hugs jan xx

Tom
Cunningham

Date: 3/25/2018 2:58:00 PM

Lovely blog Caren, like you have found people on here a great family group. ( only joined last November) I too made a silly mistake and got a soupmail telling me, I was very grateful for that and learned from it to check check and double check before posting. Keep writing. Tom

Jan
Terry

Date: 3/25/2018 12:30:00 PM

Hello, Caren. Yes, Poetry Soup has a number of nurturing poets who will help you develop your poetry with encouragement and gentle direction. I sometimes wonder how they can be supporting so many new poets at once. They are wise in the ways of poetry and have enough heart to share. I know their comments have motivated me over the years to stick with it. We all want our poetry to be read and enjoyed by someone; If that someone is another poet all the better. Your poetry can be a mirror of your thoughts and the more you write, the better you will get at expressing them to the delight of others. Hugs. Janece

Carrie
Richards

Date: 3/25/2018 10:43:00 AM

Hi Caren! Thanks to your blog, I have just read the last few poems on your list of poetry, and I love the candid expression of words, and how your thoughts are put to pen, some with humor, honesty, and realism that anyone can relate to. They may not be considered strict to form (those labeled haiku, for instance), which seem to be more narrative in nature. If form doesn't matter (let's say for a contest..)..then they are wonderful, relatable. and enjoyable to read. Poetry for me is anything that makes me smile, cry, feel emotion. You have all of those nailed ! Welcome to PS !!:)

Andrea
Dietrich

Date: 3/25/2018 9:44:00 AM

This is a lovely blog. I'll have to check out your poetry if I have not seen it yet. You mentioned three or four poets who are such dear people to the others here! Keep listening to them. They are awesome! By the way. I too am from Iowa! Have you heard of Muscatine?

Caren Krutsinger
Date: 3/25/2018 10:10:00 AM

I have posted a short story on this blog called Muscatine, Iowa. One of my favorite towns in the whole wide world, Andrea.

Maureen McGreavy
The Insolent Rib

Date: 3/25/2018 9:31:00 AM

You are awesome :)

Caren Krutsinger
Date: 3/25/2018 10:11:00 AM

Thank you, Maureen, as are you, my friend!

My Past Blog Posts


I Need Four More Entries to judge Halloween Monorhyme Contest Date Posted: 11/1/2021 11:18:00 AM
Why is Submission of New Poetry Forms on Hold? Date Posted: 8/14/2021 3:09:00 AM
Quatrain Contest - Please look your entry over. Date Posted: 8/12/2021 12:15:00 PM
Abecedarian Contest Needs One More Entry Date Posted: 2/24/2020 12:20:00 PM
Does Anyone Know how to FIX CATEGORIES? Date Posted: 1/20/2020 10:21:00 AM
45 Words or Less means 45 Words or Less Date Posted: 10/6/2019 4:18:00 AM
If You Have a Mind to Read a Short Story Date Posted: 8/30/2019 7:00:00 AM
Does Anyone Read the Short Stories Date Posted: 5/22/2019 4:25:00 PM
Summer Quatrain Poetry Contest Date Posted: 5/19/2019 7:14:00 AM
Charlie's Cartoon Contest Has Been Updated and changed up a bit. Date Posted: 11/17/2018 12:32:00 PM
I have published my first article on Soup! Date Posted: 10/21/2018 7:00:00 PM
Thank you for your love and support. Date Posted: 10/5/2018 6:09:00 AM
Take Me To Your Leader still needs 5 poems. HELP! Date Posted: 8/21/2018 7:29:00 AM
Six months now of pure happy. Date Posted: 8/13/2018 7:27:00 AM
Thank you for your support. Date Posted: 7/24/2018 9:02:00 AM
Take Care of Yourself First only has 17 poems entered. I would like to see 18 more. Date Posted: 7/23/2018 2:33:00 PM
New contest: An Inner Knowing, An Absolute Feeling, My Mystical Soul Self Date Posted: 6/9/2018 12:34:00 AM
Dragons, Dragonflies and Hufflewinks Date Posted: 6/4/2018 8:36:00 AM
Dragons, Dragonflies and Hufflewinks Contest Date Posted: 5/20/2018 9:46:00 PM
Dragons, Dragonflies and Huffle Winks Contest Date Posted: 5/14/2018 8:18:00 PM
Trying to Learn all of the Poetry Forms in the Next Two Years Date Posted: 5/8/2018 11:33:00 AM
Hillbillies, Bybillies and Blowbillies Date Posted: 5/7/2018 12:09:00 AM
Fear Killed My Paternal Grandmother on Good Friday, 1951. Date Posted: 3/31/2018 4:00:00 AM
This site is so crazy positive; I am in awe! Date Posted: 3/28/2018 2:00:00 AM
I am new to poetry, not even sure I'm writing it. Date Posted: 3/25/2018 7:53:00 AM

My Recent Poems

Date Posted	PoemTitle	Form	Categories
6/25/2025	unsettling feeling of doom	Free verse	scary,
6/25/2025	Norest of Ying Ying Forest	Rhyme	10th grade,12th grade,4th
6/25/2025	Knox News	Free verse	satire,
6/25/2025	yesterday I was a dandelion	Personification	me,
6/25/2025	my paint apron	Senryu	art,
6/25/2025	fluorescent yellow paint	Free verse	art,
6/25/2025	I need to leave a small blemish alone	Free verse	10th grade,11th grade,12t
6/25/2025	G H I J K L M N O P Q R	ABC	10th grade,11th grade,12t
6/25/2025	why am I here	Free verse	humor,
6/25/2025	pink pajama pants	Senryu	me,
6/24/2025	Shellys Lucky Break	Free verse	addiction,
6/24/2025	older is not always wiser	Free verse	age,
6/24/2025	Stop Feeding your Puppy People Food	Free verse	dog,
6/24/2025	When Did I Stop Trying to Please Everyone	Free verse	me,
6/24/2025	I Say Yes but I Mean No	Free verse	me,
6/24/2025	Mirror Peekers	Free verse	scary,
6/24/2025	freezing rain in the midwest	Senryu	weather,
6/24/2025	Mystery TV Shows and Mystery Novels	Free verse	books,
6/24/2025	Taking Electricity for Granted	Free verse	technology,
6/24/2025	Kansas Wind	Free verse	wind,
6/23/2025	you will feel much better	Free verse	2nd grade,3rd grade,4th g
6/23/2025	light	List	2nd grade,3rd grade,4th g
6/23/2025	climbing into motorcade	List	memory,
6/23/2025	be your own best friend	Senryu	friend,i am,me,
6/23/2025	phones back in the day my day	Free verse	nostalgia,technology,
6/23/2025	angels of mercy and death	Senryu	angel,
6/23/2025	Optimism takes the prize	Free verse	life,
6/23/2025	Love Love Love Love Love Love Love	Narrative	heaven,love,
6/23/2025	final destiny	Free verse	dance,
6/23/2025	who is the guilty party	Rhyme	10th grade,11th grade,12t
6/23/2025	the sage soothsayer hears spirit	Free verse	spiritual,
6/22/2025	gentlemans fragrance	Senryu	men,
6/22/2025	shivers in the basement	Senryu	scary,
6/22/2025	If I gave up Sugar	Free verse	food,
6/22/2025	Treasure of Tape	Free verse	word play,
6/22/2025	Dog Bark Warning	Free verse	dog,
6/22/2025	Lucky Larry Loses his Faerie	Monorhyme	10th grade,11th grade,12t
6/22/2025	L M N O P	ABC	3rd grade,4th grade,5th g
6/22/2025	Koi Woman	Free verse	woman,
6/22/2025	wordplay with A	Free verse	word play,
6/22/2025	River Flood	Free verse	bird,water,
6/20/2025	you amaze and enthrall us	Free verse	10th grade,11th grade,12t
6/20/2025	thumbs are amazing	Blank verse	body,
6/20/2025	spirit guides arrived	Free verse	spiritual,
6/20/2025	My A K G	Narrative	granddaughter,tribute,
6/20/2025	I am a kindred dolphin	Free verse	10th grade,12th grade,4th
6/20/2025	so many choices	Free verse	life,
6/20/2025	when people die	Free verse	death,
6/20/2025	My Grandmas Delicacies	Rhyme	food,
6/20/2025	old age blues	Rhyme	age,
6/20/2025	Ninety Minutes of Warning	Free verse	time,
6/19/2025	The Website Helped Me in No Way	Narrative	technology,
6/19/2025	the dog will get it	Free verse	dog,
6/19/2025	Messy Jalopy of My Friend Vee	Monorhyme	10th grade,11th grade,12t
6/19/2025	chiropractors are not the same	Free verse	life,
6/19/2025	a bad day	Rhyme	age,
6/19/2025	my sneaky boobs	Free verse	me,
6/19/2025	Roy G Biv	Acrostic	music,rainbow,
6/19/2025	every second is a choice	Free verse	life,
6/19/2025	fowl alarm	Free verse	bird,
6/19/2025	we have AI in every single room	Rhyme	technology,
6/18/2025	prison for life	Free verse	murder,
6/18/2025	murder of crows	Free verse	bird,
6/18/2025	restful retirement	Free verse	retirement,
6/18/2025	Abcedarian Poem Because it is Great Practice for Me	Abecedarian	10th grade,11th grade,12t
6/18/2025	she trusts nobody	Senryu	trust,
6/18/2025	violets soldier	Haiku	tree,
6/18/2025	april	Cinquain	april,
6/18/2025	I was Delivering Triple Meat Pizzas to the Fat Lady	Free verse	humor,
6/18/2025	My Retirement is Great	Kimo	retirement,
6/18/2025	Coleridge Had it Right	Rhyme	poetry,poets,
6/17/2025	Slow Loris has a deadly Trick	Rhyme	animal,
6/17/2025	New Zealand is Progressive and Fair	Free verse	political,usa,
6/17/2025	R S T U	ABC	10th grade,12th grade,7th
6/17/2025	I Salivate as I think about My Favorite Cakes	Free verse	food,
6/17/2025	Leafy Sea Dragon	Blank verse	animal,
6/17/2025	The Angel was Speechless	Narrative	usa,
6/17/2025	A Giddy Happy Spinning Two Year Old	Free verse	easter,
6/17/2025	I Miss My Mother	Free verse	mother daughter,
6/17/2025	demonic ideas	Kimo	feelings,
6/17/2025	Bee Nonet	Nonet	10th grade,11th grade,12t
6/15/2025	I J K L M	ABC	word play,
6/15/2025	God and Dog	Ninette	dog,god,
6/15/2025	D E F G H	ABC	word play,
6/15/2025	corn field crow	Haiku	farm,
6/15/2025	b o n f i r e	Acrostic	fire,
6/15/2025	milk	Epulaeryu	food,
6/15/2025	Love	Personification	love,
6/15/2025	May	Diminished Hexaverse	may,
6/15/2025	Angry Rabbit	Rhyme	animal,
6/15/2025	beginning of April	Kimo	april,
6/14/2025	Toms Fiddle	Rhyme	10th grade,12th grade,4th
6/14/2025	Rainbow Rain Faerie	Blank verse	fairy,
6/14/2025	But it is Weird for These Times	Rhyme	10th grade,11th grade,12t
6/14/2025	Sunshine Loves her Florals	Rhyme	flower,
6/14/2025	Four Leaf Clover Fiona	Rhyme	ireland,
6/14/2025	Aztec Boys	Rhyme	culture,
6/14/2025	why do some coins have holes in the middle	Free verse	money,
6/14/2025	Honoring Black Diamond	Rhyme	animal,
6/14/2025	Empire State Building and Lightning	Free verse	storm,

My Photos

Fav Poems

PoemTitle	Form	Categories
Ballroom Lust	Free verse	desire,fantasy,lust,sexy,
The Night Sky	Haiku	nature,night,sky,stars,
Foresight and Intuition	Free verse	flying,imagery,light,love
Lights Out	Verse	scary,
Don'T Go Stale	Free verse	inspiration,motivation,
Goodbye	Narrative	death,
Beckoning Beyond	Senryu	dance,dark,fantasy,imager
What If	I do not know?	10th grade,art,autumn,bea
Homes	Haiku	beauty,
Gyspy Soul	Free verse	faith,feelings,imagery,in
One Gray Hair	Rhyme	feelings,grandmother,grie
The Vacuum Cleaner Bong	Limerick	character,crazy,creation,
Snuffle	Rhyme	animal,earth,farm,food,ha
Aura	Free verse	beauty,husband,wife,
Moon Song	Blank verse	friendship love,
Shades of Love	Rhyme	dream,emotions,love,roman
The Butterfly	Couplet	butterfly,
Sex Change	Limerick	body,humorous,me,
What We Had Was Real	Rhyme	lost love,sad,
Let Us Back Into Your Heart	Free verse	addiction,depression,hope
My Nineteen-Seventies	Bio	emotions,growing up,music
The Consolation of Danger	Free verse	adventure,emotions,fear,j
The Times They Aren'T A-Changin'	Rhyme	society,technology,today,
Angels Meeting With God	Free verse	bereavement,
Resuscitated Memories	Free verse	memory,october,rain,roman
I Dont Watch Lions	Rhyme	adventure,africa,animal,e
Noah's Apprentice On the Ark	Monorhyme	animal,bird,caregiving,da
What Is That Blinking	Free verse	appreciation,environment,
Dragonfly	Quintain (English)	creation,
Little Toy Soldiers	Rhyme	boy,goodbye,peace,soldier
Old Tom	Lyric	absence,age,death,goodbye
Sins In the Sand	Rhyme	bible,uplifting,
Dream Series: My Vegetable Garden	Prose Poetry	animal,dog,dream,food,gar
You May Have Taken a Fall	Free verse	courage,encouraging,inspi
Magick	Free verse	crush,love,
My Reflection	Couplet	mirror,nonsense,
The One Sock Phase	Quatrain	character,confusion,humor
Love Is Not a Sound	Free verse	love,
Lady On the Church Steps	Free verse	appreciation,christmas,de
Break Up	Tanka	10th grade,boyfriend,brea
A Silent Song	Romanticism	imagery,romance,romantic,
Empath	Lyric	emotions,poetry,
Pow	Senryu	adventure,celebrity,chara
Black Widow	Free verse	betrayal,black love,death
Eye of Egypt	Free verse	faith,imagery,inspiration
Friendship of the Kindest Kind	Rhyme	family,friendship,holiday
The Outsider	Free verse	bird,dark,death,hope,inse
Made of Bubbly Stuff	Rhyme	appreciation,cheer up,enc
Just Maintain That Course	Free verse	courage,encouraging,inspi
Sister	Alliteration	allusion,analogy,
Humpy Dumpty Mystery	Rhyme	children,funny,humorous,m
A Case of the Blues	Limerick	humorous,satire,
Haiku - Tears of Time	Haiku	flower,life,nature,rain,s
Spinning Top - Winged Vehicle	Light Verse	anger,flying,magic,moving
Gypsy Rose	Crystalline	imagery,
Everything Seems Different Today	Free verse	change,cheer up,confidenc
Think I Need a Man In My Life	Rhyme	fun,funny,life,love,
The Wet Garden	Prose Poetry	fairy,flower,garden,magic
Free Mind	Free verse	visionary,
She Loves Jewellery	Quatrain	beautiful,beauty,desire,h
Indie Anna Jones	Epic	cool,identity,romantic,wo
The Lost Years	Free verse	family,father,growing up,
Flash Memory Therapy	Free verse	appreciation,creation,ins
Friendship	Rhyme	friendship,
Nature the Artist	Rhyme	nature,
Ain'T He Plump (To Tune of Ain'T She Sweet)	Light Verse	parodydance,dance,
The Great Glowing God	Rhyme	men,
Halloween Hesitation	Iambic Pentameter	halloween,
Vietnam Reflections1	Free verse	war,
Heavenly	Haiku	christmas,heaven,holiday,
They Walk Amongst Us	Blank verse	adventure,allegory,angst,
Last Lust Lorn Lament	Senryu	life,love,lust,
The Class Clown	Rhyme	fun,funny,sad,school,
A Warm Dish	Epulaeryu	food,
Queen of Croissants	Free verse	abuse,anger,anxiety,betra
Die Another Day	Free verse	fantasy,fun,imagery,imagi
The Light of a Child	Free verse	adventure,dedication,devo
I'M So Annoyed Just Looking At Her	Clerihew	humorous,
The Pepperman and Living Art	Free verse	america,corruption,holoca
Thriving	Senryu	angst,anxiety,crazy,games
Random Acts of Kindness	Free verse	humanity,uplifting,
It Is Slam Time For You	Rhyme	fun,games,poetry,slam,
- Runs In Powdered Snow -	Free verse	animal,beauty,celebration
Comfort Food	Epulaeryu	food,
A Life of Love and Light	Acrostic	hate,jealousy,life,love,t
A Blind Man's Path	Free verse	introspection,
Old Fogies: Part Ii	Free verse	age,community,crazy,humor
Reach Out	Free verse	care,humanity,inspiration
How Big Is Yours	Personification	cute,fun,humor,pride,
Winters Rhapsody	Free verse	nature,seasons,winter,
Tangibility of Life	Free verse	poetry,
She Wolf	Personification	animal,howl,
A Brief Message	Light Verse	funny,hello,
Elephant In the Room	Rhyme	angst,people,
Pass the Peace Pipe	Couplet	spiritual,star,sun,
Parable of the Talents	Rhyme	appreciation,bible,blessi
Arthur	Free verse	betrayal,death,love,sorro
Words That Came To Me	Free verse	care,light,
Amplified	Free verse	black african american,bl
Rainbow of Fun	Quatrain	beautiful,freedom,french,