Happy October to you. I have always declared October my favorite month. But sweet October…sometimes I wonder. As life changes, I´m sorry to admit that I have occasionally questioned you. I think it must be my ¨season¨ of life right now. I´m searching for all of the things that made me fall for you. I…
Author: Kelly Martone
Kelly Martone is a fiction/creative essay writer and poet living in a national park. She loves to simmer words in nature, fantasy, and heart.
08-29-24
I didn’t want to spend the money on one of those fancy electric stand-up desks so I pieced together an eclectic writing space. It’s in the corner of our small dining area. On top of a long folding table, my computer monitor is on a little wooden chair from my kids’ old set. The monitor…
08-27-24
Well, isn’t this nice! I created a nice, cozy space to jot down things of absolutely no consequence. What I like most about this is that notes don’t need rules. I can use poor grammar, far too many adverbs, and ramble on without care. There will be no stress here to attend to plot, purpose,…
Literary Magazines/Journals, & Mentions
Sky Island Journal – Flash fiction – Forget-Me-Not Gargoyle Magazine – Flash fiction – The Sailors Romantasy Novel – Currently querying “Love to the Hexagons“ – Featured sitewide by Medium.com during U.S. National Poetry Month. Published by Third-Eye-Ascension “Ghosts” – Editor’s Choice by Move Me Poetry “The Tree Howls With Fall Delight” – Runner-up…
Author’s Favorites
My collection of poetry and creative writing is ever-growing! If you are short on time, here is a brief list of some of my top pieces and personal favorites. Thank you for reading them. Also… Music is forever inspiring. Here is a beautiful piece by Luke Faulkner. Breath of a Butterfly – published in…
On the Wonderment of Dreams
Dreams can be thought, felt, heard, or seen. Dreaming in a sleeping state can be a wild ride or a calming story. There might be bits of truth needing to be glued together or discarded completely. Awake, dreams are the propulsion toward our brightest futures. Living in the hope of your dreams is following the…
Confetti—4 Poems
Here are 4 poems that are different in their own way. But upon closer look, I see that they all have a central theme . . . love. The first one is a poem to my son published on my Medium.com page. It is about his birth story and the sweet kiddo he has turned…
Speare Writt
As the start of 2023 was quickly heading my way, I was feeling like a change was in order. I have been working very hard writing a romantasy novel. I’ve also put pressure on myself to publish more regularly on Medium and write short stories to be published elsewhere. I needed to find ways to…
On the Wonderment of Inspiration
Inspiration can be found flying through the sky, speaking from lips, or under a rock. When your muse calls, there is no ignoring it. You are set free on the wings of possibility. Finding these sparks makes an imprint on your soul, whether they stay or catch a breeze to some other place. Below are…
On the Wonderment of Strength
Strength didn’t originate from the strong, it came from the gentle. To endure hardships with grace builds everlasting compassion that helps lift everyone up. Being gentle is recognizing that willpower grows strong from your heart and soul. Strength from gentleness creates an unbreakable foundation – one of hope. Here is my article and poem about…
On the Wonderment of Imagination
Imagination is what bridges our present mindscape with our future dreamscape. Connecting these places creates endless possibilities which may or may not materialize. In any case, hope is born. To have hope is to live a richly colored life. Thank you for reading my thoughts and poem about imagination by clicking the link below. It…
On the Wonderment of Gentleness
We live in an exponentially diverse world sharing our home with all creatures, great and small. Every living thing plays a role in our smooth-spinning planet. Gentleness is fundamental to maintaining the spin. A gentle touch invites freedom to love. Click the link below to read my story and poem about gentleness published in Gentleness…
On the Wonderment of Serenity
Feeling at peace with yourself and the world is essential healing that benefits everyone and everything. To have a calm mind, spirit, and soul makes room for more light. Recognizing opportunities to improve your well-being starts from the inside out. Everyone deserves to feel the lightness of living a serene life. Below is my article…
On the Wonderment of Storms
Sometimes storms appear on the sunniest of days. Enduring a storm is to appreciate the rainbow left behind. The hard-earned experiences of life thirst for the quenching days of enjoyment. With them brings nurturing water and strength to face what lies ahead, rain or shine. Here is a story and poem about storms, shared on…
On the Wonderment of the Ocean
The ocean is a whole other world, mysterious in its depths, and abundant in life. It recycles billions of years of history through its water, sand, and clouds. To swim in the ocean is to soak in the past and in the renewal of the future. Here are my thoughts on the ocean and a…
On the Wonderment of Trees
Trees are everywhere, but often go unnoticed; silent companions providing us with so much. They live with us side by side never asking for a thing. These faithful friends show us the wind. We can move as they do, gentle in their being, strong in their hopeful roots. Here are my thoughts on trees published…
On the Wonderment of Flowers
Thinking of flowers can help calm the mind. Surrounding yourself with flowers can remind you of nature’s simple beauties. Wildflowers are springing up and sharing their sunshine with all who notice. Keep an eye out and get an uplifting boost of happiness today! Here is my story and a matching poem about flowers published on…
On My Honor—Do You Believe in Destiny?
For our family, Memorial Day is not centered around picnics and BBQs. It is about honoring and appreciating the freedom that we have here in the U.S. This freedom has come at a great sacrifice for so many. Here is my attempt at honoring a family member who lost his life in pursuit of a…
March and April Poems
Here are a few poems that I wrote and published on Medium.com. These spring months had been solely devoted to my kids’ homeschooling, especially as we got closer to the end of the school year. I should have more time to delve into my poetic indulgence soon! Musical Medicine Aureole of a Luna A Poem…
Strawberry Soda Desert Rosebuds
It’s’ a finicky and transitional time of year where I live; wildfires one day then snow the next. Winter and spring collide, intermixing and playing leapfrog with each other. But we all know how this game turns out. Sorry winter! Below is an essay I wrote on Medium about the beautiful overlappings of these two…
January and February Poems
January and February had been very long, cold months where I’m at. I was not as productive in the poetry department as I would have liked. Here are a few poems I managed to extract from my chilly igloo mind and icy fingertips. They were published in different publications at Medium. com. These links let…
Snowflakes Are Trying to Tell Us Something
The individuality of a snowflake is intricate, mysterious, and fleeting. The tiny and special details make it so unique that no two are alike. For nearly all of them, their distinctiveness will never be witnessed. Snowflakes and people have a lot in common. Should we still sparkle bright even if we are never seen? Here…
The Time I Needed My Calm Toolbox the Most
Sometimes life happens in the most unexpected ways. There can be little surprises that catch you off guard or really big challenges that are uninvited. This post is about a scary occurrence that happened recently without warning. It was at that moment that I found out if any of my calming practices had taken hold. …
November and December Poems
Here are several poems I’ve written throughout the last couple of months in different publications on Medium.com. Most of them are written in a poetry form I call Centifolia. There is also a double Centifolia, a free verse, and a Twittle. If you click on each link, it’ll take you to Medium.com where you can…
How City Living Opened My Eyes to the Natural World
I grew up in a big city. For those that haven’t experienced this, it might seem like a loud, chaotic, restless mess; the exact opposite of calm. In a lot of ways that’s true. But on the other hand, home is your place of peace. It’s easy to adapt to your surroundings when that’s all…
The Tree Howls With Fall Delight
Fall is my favorite time of year. While I love all of the seasons for their special and fun novelties, there is just something about autumn. Maybe it’s because I have great memories of pumpkins when I was a kid. It might be because it was my first experience with an “all 5 senses” season…
The Gift of Self-Patience
Remembering to have patience with yourself is an important part of finding more calm. Giving yourself the time you deserve, brings richer results. Reaching that goal will be sweeter and more memorable, building a lifetime of successfully sweet stories. Here is an article I wrote for the publication Illumination on Medium. Thank you for reading…
Out of This World
I think everyone must occasionally feel a weight heavier than they can carry. If there is nowhere to set it down, the heaviness just becomes greater and greater. Gravity becomes tangible. Forward motion is stunted. Stuck. Having been there, I can reassure myself that it’s possible to make my way back to an atmosphere of…
Perfectly Imperfect
Observing your environment and the people around you can be helpful for learning new ways to find quietude of mind. There might be some unique ideas that you stumble across if you tune into other’s relaxing channels. I wonder if a person’s specific routine, e.g., after returning home from work, is not out of habit,…
Mosey Lou Interview
Welcome to the Hotchocolateful Cafe! This is a cozy place to hear about different experiences, perspectives, and ideas on how to become a calmoisseur. Pull up a velvety chair by the window overlooking the town’s square. Let me pour you a cup of our house hot chocolate. Steamed milk, whipped cream, or marshmallows? Today we…
Mix the Prickly With the Fun
Things can get a little messy around here. A busy family has lots of moving parts; nuts and bolts, spinning gears, racing schedules, and boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. Maybe that’s just us, but if I had it to do over again, I would forget about all the stuff and just gift the boxes….
Becoming a Calmoisseur
When I have activities galore, it’s easy to get lost in the trajectory of the day. It can feel like a whirlwind of have-tos and not many want-tos. A tidy house, dishes, laundry, yard, bills, correspondence, etc., is a good thing! But if other circumstances have got me down, then mundane tasks can feel like…
Time Is Our Most Calming Friend
It has taken 5-6 million years for the Colorado River to form the Grand Canyon, so far. Although this timeline might be debated here and there, I think my human brain has a hard time visualizing any amount of multimillions, especially where time is concerned. This is just a tiny blip of time in geology…
Calm Balm
Here is a list of soothing, calm words with descriptive sentences to read if you’ve found yourself stuck out in a storm. Take a healing breath and open your calm umbrella. There is light, warmth, and hope right around the corner. 1. Calm – The light of a new day filters through the morning curtains…
Kalm Kelly Interview
Welcome to the Hotchocolateful Cafe! This is a cozy place to hear about different experiences, perspectives, and ideas on how to become a calmoisseur. Pull up a corduroy chair by the window overlooking the town’s square. Let me pour you a cup of our house hot chocolate. Steamed milk, whipped cream, or marshmallows? Today we…
How To Juggle Scarves—A Break from Juggling Your Day
There are times when it’s necessary to turn off the engine and just coast. I find it refreshing to take my mind off everyday tasks by trying something new. Focusing on something that is weightless really helps me feel nice and cozy under my calm umbrella. Speaking of weightlessness, juggling with scarves is quite a…
Sip Clouds
1. Flooding waves knocked me over and I fell 2. to sand that sounded a found golden bell. 3. Its song was an opened net that caught me 4. sweeping spirit to shores of harmony. 5. Breathing slow, I took a sip of the air 6. and exhaled calming words heavy with care. 7. Drink…
Calm Down!!!
I greatly dislike the phrase, “calm down.” Therefore, the title of this post really irks me. Just seeing those two words together is so irritating that they’re almost as bad as, “cheer up” . . . almost. So, why do these words rub me like #24 sandpaper? Generally, if someone dares utter them to you,…
What’s in the Hotchocolateful Name Mix?
There is a place I like to go. It’s a velvety green forest dripping with moss and wildflowers. The redwoods soar into the lush clouds leaving you to wonder where the tops end and the castle doors begin. Beneath the towering canopy, ferns and trilliums sprinkle the undergrowth. Deer leap over the carefully placed stones…
I Have a Really Big Umbrella
Never is it easier to appreciate inner calm and peace if you don’t have it. There are many things that can disrupt your zen—a hangry supervisor, a nearly empty container of ice cream haphazardly stuck back in the freezer, a glitch in the matrix. The list goes on. There are of course a bazillion actual…
The Stone Cup
The Stone Cup A scoop of cool air drips across the rim encapturing a warming space within. The stone cup of desert cappuccino slowly spills the pink sunset overflow. A drink as ancient as fossilized sea containing stories carved from history. Sip the wisdom under moon and starfall and rise awake to songs of…
Redwood Forest Walk
Redwood Forest Walk— I tread lightly on the composted trail shedding heavy layers and my fog veil. Open is the air filling my strong mind breathing in rich moss oxygen unwind. Leaving history behind as I walk amongst my ancient friends’ wisdom wind talk. Praising their knowledge with roots balancing standing still in redwood…
Dream Cloud
Dream Cloud— What would it be like if I could touch one; a soft, fluffy, white piece warmed by the sun. I’d keep it in my pocket for always and secretly squeeze it on the hard days. If I saw a tear streaming down your cheek, I would soak it up with my cloud’s…