Vocal Deep Cuts 6

Hey! It's time for another edition of Vocal Deep Cuts. I honestly can't believe I've done five so far. That means, in the past, I've showcased 45 different creators. Thank you to everyone who has shown support for this series. As I have always said, I will only stop it when it feels like interest is dying out.

It is so much fun and something I love doing, and as it seems the interest is not dying out, here we are with Vocal Deep Cuts 6.

For anyone who is reading one of these selections for the first time, let me explain. There are so many talented creators who publish work on Vocal every single day. While lots get picked up, achieve Top Story and get plenty of reads, likes and comments, there are many that slip by the wayside.

With Vocal Deep Cuts, I wanted to do my own little bit of work to shine the spotlight on some of the forgotten masterpieces from Vocal creators. I likened these pieces to the deep cuts, or non-single album tracks by recording artists and bands.

Enough chitter-chatter; let's dive straight in with this week's gems.

The UnChildhood by Ruth Stewart

So, I've decided to deviate a little from the usual format. Rather than showcasing one of my own pieces, I wanted to give up this space for one of my wife's beautiful pieces. The original plan was to pick out one piece per creator to work my way around everyone. I felt substituting one of my own with one of Ruth's was a great compromise that meant I could still stick to my rules while not showing favouritism.

This is a very emotional poem and one that will be very relatable to many. So much is said. I also love the title a lot.

Conquering Demons by Stephen Kramer Avitabile

Another deviation from my usual format for this next creator is that I am including a short fiction piece. Normally I like to pick poems, but I chose this piece as Stephen has not written any poems in the Poets community on Vocal. Stephen has such a clever imagination, and while I have not read through a lot of his work yet, the stories, and the informative and inspiring non-fiction pieces I've read so far, always astound me.

He is also very generous with his time and experience and, in my opinion, is an important part of the community here on Vocal.

Panic Attack by Ashley Lima

Ashley Lima is another very supportive creator within the Vocal community. Her comments are always thoughtful and encouraging. She is very versatile as a writer. Whether you are interested in some heartfelt and beautifully penned poetry or fiction that draws you in with stunning characterisation. Ashley has also written a number of excellent pieces on writing as a craft.

There are so many I could have picked out from her collection, but choose this one because it is incredibly relatable and a great lesson in brevity.

Be Yourself by Real Poetic

Real Poetic is a writer I became aware of on this platform not too long ago. Since that point, though, she's made a lasting impression. Not only is she incredibly talented, but she also has a very community-driven spirit. As well as her generosity in the comments section of my and many others' work, she has also run a number of mini, unofficial challenges, which have been a lot of fun and very encouraging to be part of.

If there is something I had to pick out that stands out about her unique voice and work, it's how uplifting, inspirational, and positive her writing so often is.

This piece is no different.

I by Sonia Heidi Unruh

Sonia is a very clever writer. I have always appreciated the inventiveness of much of her work and her great sense of humour. Tautograms are one of my favourite forms of poetry, and this piece, which she actually didn't submit to the Tautogram challenge but completed and published anyway, is so full of emotion. I love how it takes you through a full cycle with a stunning ending.

An extraordinary tale of a [SPOILER] by Andrei Z

I believe this may have been the first piece I read by Andrei, and on digging through his work for Deep Cuts, I refound it and still marvel at how creative it is. Invention, creativity, and heart are three things you will find in all of Andrei Z's writing, but this perfectly showcases that!

LOVE by Babs Iverson

Babs is a very prolific, popular, and key part of the Vocal community. She is always very supportive of my own and many others' work. Her own work is second to none, and because of all the reasons above, it was very hard finding a poem that met my personal criteria for being included in Deep Cuts until I came across this gorgeous abecedarian.

Enjoy!

A God's Twilight Shadow by Matthew Fromm

Matthew is a writer I have become familiar with over the last few weeks. I have yet to have a proper deep dive into many of his fantasy pieces, but thanks to his supportiveness in the comments of one of my own pieces, what I've read, I've enjoyed. This haiku stood out when I was searching for something to include him. I love Mount Fuiji, not that I have been - as a point, I love mountains in general - the picture is awesome, and the 14 words that make up his poem are full of power and meaning.

My Hook by Mohammed Darasi

Mohammed is another Glaswegian, so he has always been cool in my book. That being said, his writing is awesome too. This poem, for the Ode to Ordinary challenge, is a great example of his abilities. The amount of life, experience, and emotion he attaches to something as simple as a hook for his keys is marvellous.

The Journey by JBaz (Jason Basaraba)

Jason is another prolific writer who deserves more credit than he is often given, in my humble opinion. He is another that I need to read so much more of his work, but the things I have read have been great. He has real skills for writing emotionally-driven poems and stories. It also helps that he has a great sense of humour (on full display in some of his entries into the Limerick Challenge)

With this haiku, The Journey, Jason uses brevity to highlight the journey and lifecycle of a tree from seed and relates it to our own journey and lifecycle as humans.

*

Thanks for reading.

There we have it, I hope you check out and enjoy all of these wonderful pieces from our Vocal community.

Look out for another edition next week.

For past editions, follow the links below: