Two Poems by Ed Woods
Bonus interview with the author
Script Stopped in Progress
Asked to write a relatable story that had all of the attractions of human spirit with appeal to those of sedentary status who rolled over and ‘played dead’ It was supposed to be difficult to fill hundreds of pages but it became too easy The drama and pleasure hardships to overcome successes that were celebrated Failure was a life lesson not to go there again I used two fine tipped pens of ink and later cursed the written cursive that could not be placed upon paper as fast as my mind was thinking It started as an enjoyable highway ride then became a switchback road to the top of a barren plateau where euphoria was promised Once upon high level ground the storyline had to be abandoned It was too close to my legacy and who knew if I had become the one who needed inspiration to go forward and better self
The Final End
Asteroid one million Light Years away on a collision course with Earth No hurry to worry about it today though it could arrive early give or take a few hundred years Amazing that a line or path is calculated but immeasurable even by today’s standards Yet earthlings will be taxed now with a Catastrophic Collision tax to alter course correction effects We hear that it will be a collision as if a minor event volcano but I know it is the final end The only result and positive outcome is all wars will be eliminated
Interview with Ed Woods
Jen Knox (JK): Hi, Ed! Thank you for taking some time to answer a few of our questions. We are honored to feature your poetry at Unleash Lit. Tell us a little about your life as a writer.
Hello Jen; I know this may be much longer than necessary and please edit it to comply with space in the book. It covers quite a bit of paper but I personally couldn’t select one response.
How long have you been writing, and when did you begin?
Ed Woods (EW): Twenty years starting in 2003.
JK: What is the best piece of advice you've received as a writer/person?
EW: My father would quote; “Would you like a helping hand and opportunity?” Then say; “The helping hand is on the end of your forearm and come here, I will open the front door to your world of opportunity”. Basically to rely upon self skills for life.
From a philosophical coworker while training me to become a Cable Splicer for Bell Telephone, Ontario in 50 story buildings with 125,000 phone numbers.
He would stop then say;
“Ed. If you refuse to accept anything but the best that is actually what you will get”
“In life no matter where you end up the only person who will ever hire you is a person like you. Never feel bad about a failed interview as that person may have stayed in one place all their life and resent you”
“Wars will stop when Leaders tire of the body count and there is no profit from war”
“Do the best quality of work even if you hate the job. You will never have to look back to garbage quality performance of workmanship and learn all you can in skills for the only person who will make you unemployment proof is yourself”
JK: Please share with us one (or a few) of your favorite lines, either from your own work or someone else's work, and explain what strikes you about the passage.
EW: I wrote about my mother during her ten-year battle with Alzheimer.
Brakes go on in the doorway
as Mom has one soft question
…
Risks can have a satisfying conclusion:
As a great memory for all
we took our places again
and sealed the moment
in a photograph
JK: Beautiful excerpt, Ed. How did you find your first publication?
EW: While in surgical recovery from a tanker transport collision and building mobility endurance, a nearby gallery sign read ‘Poetry Workshop. Please join us’. I did and after a few workshops they encouraged me to write one poem that was published and this added a new dimension to my life.
JK: What are you working on now? Please share any links our writers can follow to read more of your work.
EW: The early stages of my biography as so many writers said my life events should be in print. Traveling as a pilot and tanker transport driver plus 36 full-time employers has given me great insight from infrastructural work to aviation and cultural immersion enhancement with a better understanding of our planet.
A few entities have featured my writing on their websites and in anthologies.
www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca
www.blackmosspress.com
www.phenomenalliterature.com
Thanks, Ed!!