A Frozen Lover's Feature--and Stuff!

     I'm too enamored of the cherry blossom skin to use this one for long, but hey! I figured a change of pace would be nice this week, and have recently fallen in love with Disney's "Frozen", so ta-da. Some quick news first, and then it's feature time!

Personal

     I've officially finished the first week of my second semester at a four-year university, and it looks like my classes are going to be unloading huge amounts of homework on me. So much so, in fact, that Dad and I actually sat down like the math nerds we are gag and created a pie chart on excel that more or less estimated the allocation of activities to my waking hours per week. If I recall correctly, a good 42 hours of my 85 will be dedicated to school, not to mention the eight a week for studying Japanese on my own. Oh yeah! On that note, I'm studying French and Japanese in the same semester...it's tough, but I wouldn't drop either of them for the world. Don't worry, though; it looks like I'll have nine of what Dad calls "floating" hours to spend around here, so I shouldn't be absent or anything. I'll let you guys know if I am. As it is, I'm loving this semester, chalk-full with nerdy, English-major things such as Chaucer and Eliot. I'm going to be doing so much reading and writing! I can't wait to learn from it.

     In other news, I received my first Daily Deviation, and have officially opened art commissions and point commissions, which you can find on my main page. Even though it looks like I'll have my hands full, I'm a sucker for pain, and am just dying for art practice, so lay some on me! I might consider opening requests soon, too.

DeviantART-Related

SixWordStories is hosting a tournament, the first round of which ends in two days.

BurdenedHearts is hosting a fantastic speech-based competition, which you can find the details of on their main page. There haven't been many entries, from what I hear; I know the idea of a speech is intimidating (it kept me away for a while), but I think the cause is well worth the nerves.

For lovers and cynics alike, ZenithOmocha has announced the theme for his monthly contest, so if you guys are more for visual arts, toddle on over and give it a look-see. I think it promises to be quite the treat.

imaginative-lioness has revealed her treat for this years Literature Roadtrip! Check out the goods here.

Finally, Writers--club is hosting their fourth annual writing tournament. The first round ends February 12, so get  your ink ready!

That's all I have, news-wise. If there's anything you feel could use promoting in terms of contests or causes, please shoot me a note! I'm happy to spread awareness for such things. Now, on to the features!

Literature

burn with mei would love to squeeze a story
out of your tongue on
one of our mornings out; i'd be
let inside like quicksand. see, you
don't
really have
a choice.
i would love to act
withdrawn with you, pretension
sizzling at the burn of our
paper cigars, riding boulevard
upon boulevard on a bicycle
fueled with acrylics. i would
like it if you didn't
crumble into an oceanic coma;
your lungs can take
only so much stress.
i digress, lover, or
friend if you haven't sparked
a bonfire in your eyes for me
yet. i heard i'm a great catch
for wanna-be poets; they find
my sp2-hybridized figure, the holy
vessel of Eve's
children. never
mind how we lost Eden
to that.
or perhaps, lover-friend,
I think they're right in finding me
a traitor without knowing. i keep
losing my breath, see
i'm sure so
did Eve.
she must have grown weed in His
backyard and didn't share;
do you think He'd go far enough
to stone us for touching, wait
what was I talking about?
right!
right,
can we run out of sips
from the Laskins' cellar ~our eyes were fogged with farewells marking territories down our cheeks.
the ache felt like smoke at the edge of my throat and i was afraid
to say it loud before you said the ocean kissed your taste buds. we just knew.
maps tore apart and our paper walls built with just enough faith to last three decades broke.
it's been too long since we've been hurt with the blue of the sky and you are not the ache in my bones –
you're the crusts between my fingers when i tried to let the sun make me feel less alone.
you’re the clicking of knuckles i feel inside
and the fishhooks fumbling to pull out some pride
from arching, collapsing
 (deep into your blue arms
  veins overclocked from the last time
  you couldn’t feel anything)
withdrawn – a film folds over, sticking
to your thumb and thenar like silken sheets
- directions dictated from throat to feet
- waxed for attraction, abdominal distention
and directions dragging my uniform
up from the floor
wh

<da:thumb id="421261783"/><da:thumb id="420861051"/><da:thumb id="419310397"/>

Momma Always Said...Needed: Guy who doesn't need me. An Autumn OccuranceResting beneath a yellow-leafed tree
On an overcast day
Plays glorious tricks on your mind.
What little sunlight,
Braves itself through the clouds,
Is magnified, tenfold
Through the shine of the leaves.
Magically turning dreariness
Into the warmest of sensations
The briefest of sunny days
Midst the daily drizzle. Internet SisterhoodYou've quickly become so important to me.
Sharing the parts of our souls
We keep locked away, from the world
Actually- the known world.
Taking solace in strangers
Because then it's different.
They're automatically supportive,
Without needing to know details.
Unless we decide to share.
I think-hope.
I feel a special bond with you
Just sharing this one little thing,
You seem to just.... relax around me
No words need spoken.
But I sense your wall is down.
And I'm so thankful we found each other.
Thank G-d for old French hypochondriacs.

Abidethi will not write you
into a seraph,
nor mend your
headaches,
nor nurse your
raw pock-pitted tongue
because you
do not wear your
sins like
ebbed moons
on your wrists
& you
have never been
one of the damned this is the way that i will extract my revengei am nothing but phantom pains
reborn into old bones;
oh, sugar skeleton, tell me -
what's it like to be a ghost? lattice bonesseafarer, you are
vorticose & valeric;
you are an odyssey & i
am always sinking
(oh, dearest,
i've found the gold
in alchemy)

<da:thumb id="422693380"/><da:thumb id="425920748"/><da:thumb id="424016134"/>

Art

<da:thumb id="411540873"/>

<da:thumb id="419710402"/><da:thumb id="425317903"/><da:thumb id="425553133"/><==If you dears don't know this mad genius of a man, I'll just point you in his general direction that you, too, might know the pain of his teasing. >.> Seriously, though, he's great.




<da:thumb id="415522602"/>



Aaaand that's all for this week! I wish you all a delightful next-week, filled with chocolate...or something else tasty, if you're not partial to that...smiles, and hugs. Oh! And long, fuzzy socks. Those are the best.

If you have any suggestions for features, please note me! You can definitely suggest yourself; don't be shy. I'm eager for new faces. Cheers!
-Tao