Linda Drattell

Forward Then Reaction

Pay for it

Pay it forward

Forward thought

Forward march

March in line

March to the beat

Beat the drum

Beat a dead horse

Horse around

Horse before the cart

Carte blanche

Cart before the horse

Horse sense

Horse shit

Shits creek

Shit if I know

Know something

Know what

What to do

What to take

Take a hike

Take a stand

Stand alone

Stand outside

Outside the box

Outside the circle

Circle your answer

Circle your pick

Pick a scab

Pick up line

Line them up

Line the box

Box their ears

Box them in

In God We Trust

In over my head

Head on home

Head under water

Water the garden

Waterboard the prisoner

Prisoner of lies

Prisoner of our own thoughts

Thoughts of grandeur

Thoughts versus action

Action speaks volumes

Action and reaction

Reaction to you

Reaction to me

You . . .

Me . . .

Linda Dratell says:

My poetry chapbook, Remember This Day, won a bronze award from Reader Views. My second poetry chapbook, The Lighter Side of Horse Manure, is now released (both chapbooks are published by Finishing Line Press). I won a second place poetry award from Writer's Digest and was a finalist for the 2024 Atlanta Review Poetry International Grand Prize. My co-authored children's book – Who Wants to be Friends With a Dragon? – received a Distinguished Favorite Award from Independent Press Awards. My short stories and individual poems have been published in several anthologies and online poetry magazines. My essay on writing humorous poems about farm life was featured in “The Plaid Horse” blog. I have been interviewed on a number of podcasts (Tea With Miss Liz, Catch the Story!, Eat the Storms, Sonic Salon, Viewless Wings Poetry, Horse Chats, Horse Geeks), and my writing has been reviewed by Prachesta, Reader Views Books, Relatable Voice Magazine, Julia Hones Writing Life, Pleasanton Weekly, Fremont Patch, The Independent, and CTV30. I presented at the 2024 International Stichting Plotz & Laat Doven Congres (Federation of the Sudden and Late Deafened in the Netherlands) about taking control of one’s hearing loss journey through writing.