“Winter Manifesto” by Christine Bode

Poetry

Winter Manifesto

A poem by ©Christine Bode 2022

Dark, dreary, and damp: 3D Canadian wintertime depression.

What to do to beat the winter
B

L

U

E

S

?

Watch every movie on Netflix set in a sunny, tropical climate,

start a poetry reading group where everyone must pass the joint before they read,

call a friend, bust out the tequila and turn the post-punk playlist up loud—
it’s time to dance on the ceiling!

Eat the cheesy jalapeño poppers without guilt; just don’t forget to log the calories.

While you’re at it, you might as well blow your budget and order some
Thai from Royal Angkor or the best calamari with aioli in town.

Noom says to live without guilt and shame, we must be allowed to eat what we want sometimes

‘cause you only live once, and in winters that last almost five months,
spent mainly indoors, you’ll need to have a plan for

P

L

E

A

S

U

R

E

.

Don’t think about Philip in Savannah having outdoor oyster-shucking,
pool parties in January—you don’t even like oysters.


And never forget that comparison is the thief of joy.

Read more poetry by Christine Bode in Eden Refugee and Eden Redefined.

Eden Redefined is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3T6vbZf

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3gWMFtH

Eden Refugee is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3FEAXhg

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3TQDd9x

“Acquiescence” by Christine Bode

Colours and emotions by Christian Kortum

Summer sunset on the shores around Hvidbjerg Strand, Jylland, Denmark

Poetry

Acquiescence

A poem by ©Christine Bode 2022

I do not mean to hurt you with my pain;
I’m trying to manage it, six ways to Sunday.

Some days, I succeed, and some days I fail,
And some days, I simply feel trapped in this jail.

Anxiety and depression run in my family;
For years, I lived elsewhere, attempting to run away.

Don’t know how to thrive and escape this gloom,
As I will not get to Europe anytime soon.

I must surrender and make the best of what Kingston can offer;
So acquiescence and submission I’ll proffer.

I can relate to John Prine’s Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings;
I’ll look for beauty and hope in Send in the Clown’s window dressing.

Although all I ever wanted was love, actually;
I received it, just not the way I had hoped, factually.

Another thing I must surrender to and accept;
Give thanks for the blessings and garbage the rest.

Read more poetry by Christine Bode in Eden Refugee and Eden Redefined.

Eden Redefined is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3T6vbZf

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3gWMFtH

Eden Refugee is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3FEAXhg

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3TQDd9x

“Endpoint” by Christine Bode

Poetry

Endpoint

A poem by ©Christine Bode 2022

This epoch’s information inundation’s now acute;

devouring knowledge like pecan brownies until I need to puke.

Overwhelmed with info in the social media age;

watch decent people hurtling into an unrelenting rage.

It’s so hard to distinguish what is real from what is fake;

so be careful what you say, or they will burn you at the stake.

It’s fatiguing to put up with another’s conflicting views;

just cannot read another doomsday headline in the news.

Work-at-home isolation turned me into a sad, anxious hermit;

she shouts tough love at me on the phone, but I don’t have the bandwidth.

If we can’t learn to live and let live with distinct viewpoints,

and we can’t grasp how to figure it out, it will be our endpoint.

★★★★★

Read more poetry by Christine Bode in Eden Refugee and Eden Redefined.

Eden Redefined is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3T6vbZf

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3gWMFtH

Eden Refugee is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3FEAXhg

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3TQDd9x

Kingston Author Releases a New Collection of Audacious Poetry That Breathes Compassion and Rages against What Disconnects Us in Her New Book, Eden Redefined

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kingston author releases a new collection of audacious poetry that breathes compassion and rages against what disconnects us in her new book, Eden Redefined.


Kingston, ON – October 31, 2022

In her latest collection of audacious poetry, Eden Redefined, Christine Bode bares her soul, teasing every sense by revealing her life as an existential mud wrestler. Eden Redefinedintimately contemplates grief, human vampires, spiritual growth, love in its many guises, pandemic isolation, and the madness of the 21st century.

Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Christine Bode’s first poem, about Shaun Cassidy, was published by Scholastic Book Services in Rock’s Biggest Ten and in 16 Magazine in 1978. Encouraged by a letter from Bob Geldof in 1987, mentored in the 2000s by Companion of the Order of Canada, Patrick Watson, and a review of her first poetry book, Eden Refugee, by Grammy Award-winning filmmaker Tom DiCillo, who said, “…it is blatantly obvious to me that Christine Bode has created an achingly beautiful piece of art here,” she continues to write poems with “the pulse of life in them.”

Bode’s work has been published in The Kingston Whig-Standard, Toronto Sun, and various American poetry presses such as New York Poetry Foundation, Inc., The Poetry Center, and American Poets Society.

I have been writing poetry and prose since I was a teenager as a means of self-expression and self-therapy. I have learned that no matter our life circumstances, we can develop resilience and grow spiritually through the creative process,” says Bode.

An empath and truth seeker, she encourages people to question everything while remaining authentic. Christine has worked for fourteen years as a copy editor and social media manager for musicians and authors through her business, Bodacious Copy. She lives in Kingston with her Goldendoodle, Eloise.

What readers are saying:

“From the ravages of limerence to teaching an alien about the taste of pumpernickel, this little book bears the weight of the world. The poems breathe compassion, for self and others, and rage against what disconnects us…” – Cathrin Hagey, Writer and Editor

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Full of passion, vitality, boldness, and inspiration Eden Redefined is as startling and audacious in its themes and concepts as it is beautiful and emotive in its language. Brilliant and brave poet Christine Bode knows how to capture the heart like a butterfly in the palm. This vibrant, courageous, and gripping collection of poetry will remind the reader of the frailty of love, life, and happiness and why that fragility is worth experiencing for all its nebulousness.” –  P.L. Stuart, Author 

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Eden Redefined is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3T6vbZf

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3gWMFtH

Contact Christine Bode at her website: https://bodaciouscopy.com


Eden Refugee
is available on:


Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3FEAXhg

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3TQDd9x