CJ Heck
Click Cover for Information
Children's Author, Published Poet,
and a former Newspaper Columnist for Children.
Barking Spiders and Other Such Stuff, ISBN #1-56315-221-5 (originally published by SterlingHouse Publisher, August 2000).
Hi, I'm CJ. I grew up in a small Ohio town, the oldest of six children. My parents always felt there was "room for one more" so we also had foster children come to stay with us, too. It was always difficult to see them leave, and when I was thirteen, there was one very special little girl that we just couldn't give up and we adopted my youngest sister to keep her forever with us.
I live and write in the beautiful state of New Hampshire. I have three married daughters, five grandsons, one granddaughter, and another grandbaby due June 1, 2007. Besides poetry, I love writing fiction and nonfiction short stories and essays. When writing, I draw on my life experiences. I was once a flight attendant, the owner of a small business, an executive secretary, a senior records clerk for the detective division of a police department, and I've written radio advertising and sold insurance. I am also a Vietnam widow (Army Medic, Douglas S. Kempf, KIA 1969).
Since its release in August of 2000, I have been promoting my first children's book, Barking Spiders and Other Such Stuff, through school visits, poetry workshops, Young Author Conferences, as well as other personal appearances. The sequel to Barking Spiders is finished (I would love to find a publisher for it) and I'm working on a tenth children's book.
I'm proud to say, my work has been published by CTB/McGraw-Hill, Writers Digest Books, Little, Brown and Company, Oxford University Press, Dane Publishing House, Inc., National Wildlife Federation, St. Anthony Messenger Press, FLASH! POINT Journal, Bluegrass Publishing, TeachingPoint, Inc., Steel Point Quarterly, True Poet Magazine.
Would you like me to come to your school?
For poetry workshops, school visits (I have programs for preschool/kindergarten, elementary, middle school and high school), book fairs, Young Author Conferences, other personal appearances, fees and references, please visit my author website:
CJ Heck: Author Informational Website
http://pages.prodigy.net/myaquas
CJ's Website for Children: Barking Spiders Poetry for Children:
http://www.barkingspiderspoetry.com
A Personal Note: Until April of 1998, I mainly wrote for my own therapy and enjoyment, like most poets and writers, tucking away notes on little scraps of paper, napkins, menus -- anything I could find to write on with thoughts and ideas that popped into my mind, 'just in case' ... I love looking at everyday things and finding the humor and beauty there. My favorite poetry is and always will be, poetry for children ... from their point of view.
"May you always see the world through the eyes of a child."
~ Love and Hugs, CJ
Member Of:
- Poetry Society of New Hampshire
- The Authors Guild
- The Academy of American Poets
- National Federation of State Poetry Societies
- New Hampshire Writers Project
- Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Birth Place: Columbus, OH USA
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I am not a New York Times editor
so my reviews probably don't count for much,
but I find CJ Heck's poetry
to be extraordinary.
She can make you laugh
and she can make you cry.
Here are a few samples!
by CJ Heck
Mommy's on the couch.
Daddy's in his chair.
I'm sitting in a corner on a stool ...
they put me here
'cause I did something naughty
that I'm not supposed to do.
I invented Permagosh
mixing things with their shampoo.
First a real long worm of toothpaste,
then then a cloud of shaving cream,
then two glugs of mouthwash
('cause I like the color, green).
I stirred it in a mixing bowl.
Boy it smelled real good!
It was even looking better
than I ever thought it would.
... could it be a cure for cancer?
... take the itch from skeeter bites?
... or maybe heal a sunburn
when it hurts to sleep at night?
Two shakes of baby powder
made it WAY too hard to stir,
so I added Mommy's perfume.
Permagosh smelled just like her!
Then the bowl tipped over ...
Permagosh was on the floor,
and when I turned around,
Mom and Dad were by the door.
Now Mommy's on the couch.
Daddy's in his chair.
I'm sitting in a corner on a stool ...
they put me here.
by CJ Heck
On warm dark nights I think I see
beneath the weeping willow tree,
the fairies dancing in the grass
on tiny feet that fly so fast.
The music is the wind that blows
while fairies spin on bare tiptoes,
and fireflies jewel up the night
reflecting fairies in their light.
Round and round the fairies dance!
On bitsy feet they skip and prance
through tiny dew drops to and fro,
til morning comes, and then they go.
I wonder where the fairies live
and do they know what fun they give
to little girls and boys that see
beneath the weeping willow tree?
by CJ Heck
Fuzzy caterpillar
with your million-jillion feet,
how do you know which foot should go
as you're walking on that leaf?
You make it look so easy,
right-left-right, the way you do,
sometimes MY feet get tangled up
and I have only TWO ...
by CJ Heck
Wakey-wakey from our beds,
thoughts of cookies in our heads.
Mom and Daddy's eyes are closed.
They are sleeping. They won't know.
Hurry-hurry, on the double,
if they wake, we'll be in trouble!
Blankies, pillows, on the floor.
Squeaky-squeaky goes the door.
Shhh, shhh, tippy-toe.
To the kitchen we will go.
Sneaky-sneaky down the hall,
bare feet creeping 'long the wall.
C'mon, Sissy, it's not far,
there it is, the cookie jar!
I can't reach it, I'm too small.
Get a chair to make us tall.
Shuffle-shuffle, scooty chair,
pushy-pushy, almost there.
Clinky-clinky goes the top,
hold it tight, or it will drop!
Giggle, giggle, tee-hee-hee,
two for YOU, and two for ME.
Uh oh, Sissy, turn around ...
Mom and Daddy. We've been found.
Peeky-peeky, Mom and Dad,
are you angry? Are you mad?
Whisper-whisper, over there ...
they want to know if we will share!
by CJ Heck
Daddy left his boots for me
and here I have to stay.
My daddy is a soldier,
I’m in charge while he’s away.
In Daddy’s boots I can pretend
that now I am the man
who does the things that Daddy does
as only Daddy can.
I help with little brother,
I help with folding clothes,
I help to set the table,
and I hope Daddy knows
that every day I wear his boots
so I’ll feel close to him
and I try to keep Mom happy
till he comes home again.
I know that he’s protecting us,
that’s what soldiers do,
but his boots are way too big for me
and my job, being him, is too.
Mom, when is Daddy coming home?
I miss him all the time.
She said Daddy would be proud of me
and his boots ... fit me just fine.
by CJ Heck
God bless my bedroom
God bless my bed
God bless the pillow
where I lay my head.
God bless my mommy
bless my dad, too.
They chased away monsters
that live in my room.
God bless my brother
bless my dog and my cat
and, OK, my sister
even though she's a brat.
Thanks God, and Amen
Now, up off my knees.
Wait! I forgot somethin'
God bless me too, please.
http://www.barkingspiderspoetry.com
CJ's Author Site:
http://pages.prodigy.net/myaquas/index.html
