Rosemary Nissen-Wade — poet, author, memoirist

How exciting to have a new book out! This one is particularly thrilling, being a collaboration with two very dear friends and colleagues. Our book description at Smashwords says: Three Cycles of the Moon is a collection of poetry by Helen Patrice, Rosemary Nissen-Wade, and Jennie Fraine. The poems were written over a month, and all to do with some aspect of or relationship to the Moon. As they move through the lunar month, their thoughts, inspirations, and responses move with them. Patrice was travelling for part of the month, Nissen-Wade, and Fraine moored in Australia. It started on Facebook, when a woman called Maggie Strongheart invited people to spend a month writing every day about their relationship with the moon. She formed a group to share the results. Jennie, Helen and I, being poets, naturally decided to do our entries in verse. We three are old friends who like and admire each other’s poetry. So we soon got the idea of collaborating on a collection of our moon

'Not for ambition or bread,' said Dylan Thomas about writing poetry, in the sonnet,  In My Craft or Sullen Art . That's about right, for most poets. Yet we regard it as our work, our vocation, that thing we can't not do. I'll be truthful: I don't write that occupation on forms any more, though I did when younger. I put 'retired' or 'age pensioner'; it's simpler. But I still occupy myself in making poems, and in related activities. As they say, 'It's what I do.' But what exactly? Related activities are : Columns for the international online community, Poets United . I alternate fortnightly (on Fridays) between I Wish I'd Written This and The Living Dead , discussing poems and poets I like. When there is a fifth Friday in the month, I write Moonlight Musings , exploring various matters of concern to poets – such as copyright, plagiarism, influences, form, payment/reward....  Administering various poetry groups on