Meet Carla Girtman
Carla lives in Central Florida with her family and three cats (who claim they write better than she does). She has been writing since sixth grade (and
still has most of her handwritten work in a box somewhere), but didn’t really have anything formally published until 1996 when her story “Me? I’m No Writer” was published in the Phoenix (Valencia Community College) magazine. She received her BA in English in 2000 and her MA in Technical Writing in 2005.
When she isn’t working undercover at an international airport or teaching online, she manages to write speculative flash fiction and especially enjoys writing microflash. Her flash stories have been published in Clockwise Cat, Flashshot, Demonic Tome, Flashes in the Dark, Short Humor Site, Blink Ink, 101 Fiction, and her work has appeared in two print anthologies, The Zombie Cookbook and Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes. Carla is spearheading the anthology: Midnight Tarot: A Fool’s Journey; Mermaids, Zombies, and Vampires – O My! A collection of published and new fiction; and Fits and Starts: 102 Prompts For Story Inspiration. Carla has participated in the National Novel Writing Month four successful times. Her first Nano novel When Elves Return has actually sold copies she didn’t buy herself.
She doesn’t really consider herself a poet and generally writes when the Muse stabs her with a pen. Her poem, “When God Awakens,” appeared in The Corner Club Press and the poem “The Ring” found a home in Dark and Dreary Magazine. Her friend Linda, got her involved with the Muse Poetry Workshop which she helped develop the participant’s workbook. Carla mostly lurked in the Muse Conference due to restraints of grading 15 thousand-word rough drafts for her online composition class. Her favorite part of the Muse Conference was working with the Poetic Muselings and creating the workbook! She also enjoyed creating an aragman poem which did get into the workshop, and of course, it was about cats.
What kind of advice would she give to writers and poets? Set aside a regular time to devote to writing. (She’s also not very good at taking her own advice!) Don’t be afraid of rejection or be discouraged by it. A word written today is one less written tomorrow.
She enjoys reading, watching movies, and collecting antique books and the McDonald’s Madame Alexander miniature dolls.
Below are some poems that I have written.
Alarm! Tracing
the cat who hides
Alarm! Crating
The cat who snarls and yowls.
Alarm! Carting
The cat to the vet.
Alarm! Cat grin!
Aragman for the Muse Conference Poetry Workshop
Break Up
Upon the tin roof
Rain drums its tantrum.
Silver pillows of clouds
mound the sky.
Flashes of lightning
Flit like knives of fire
Following the trail
To where my love lies.
Charting the storm
Which roils my heart,
I weep from loss
And wait for dawn.
(Photo is from Microsoft word’s clip art file.)
Poem was inspired by specific words for an anthology and was eventually withdrawn.
To the Young Mummy Recently Found
Atop an ancient volcano
Buried hundreds of years ago
In a sanctuary shrouded in ice
a girl child was found below.
What thoughts went through your head
When to the altar led
To become the sacrifice?
Photograph by Maria Stenzel/NGS
Were you proud or full of dread?
You were ten, maybe twelve years old
Too young to shed your innocent blood.
The priests had hoped it would suffice
And appease their angry god.
You were frozen and preserved
Your body to the god reserved.
Only once again to become a sacrifice
On the altar of science to be observed
And solve the riddle that would show
Why was a young novice
Buried hundreds of years ago
Atop an ancient volcano.
Photograph by Natacha Pisarenko/AP
Written for UCF poetry class inspired by a news story. Glose form.
Pictures found on http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/photogalleries/mummy-pictures/photo6.html
With shadows of dread
In stillness dark, I alone
wrestle the demons.
Haiku – poetry group challenge
Ocean Song 
Under the window, near the sea
Trembling lip sings sad stories
By mermaids who pluck strings
Of harps against a bare shoulder.
I sit by the window, bow against fiddle
Harmonize with the mermaid’s harp
Joining songs. Seductive dreams
Invade my sleep until morning’s rays
Chase the splash of a fish tail
Beneath the ocean’s wave.
Photograph by Carla Girtman
Published in issue one “use these words” 2008. Specific words were required.
Why A Cat Stays
Languid, fluid, aloof
Basking in sunshine
Nothing is required
From a cat.
Limp, boneless
A puddle of fur
Lying in the shaft of light
Streaming from a window.
Nothing is required
From a cat.
Not even affection.
Which can be doled out
At the cat’s whim.
It may come – or not 
When called.
Regal, royal, proud
A hunter with quiet steps
To pounce on a prey
Unexpectedly.
Nothing is required
From a cat.
Nor does it ask for
Anything.
So why does the cat stay?
It knows a good thing
When it sees it.
Inspired by a poetry group challenge. Included in an altered book submitted in art contest which won first place.
Photographs by Carla Girtman
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