Scotland & Further Poems by Karol Nielsen

Scotland

We took a family trip to Scotland and toured the country in a minivan. My great grandmother 
had Scottish roots. Her maiden name was Bothwell. My grandfather said we descended from a 
Scottish earl, Lord Bothwell, who kidnapped and married Mary, Queen of Scots. We visited 
Bothwell Castle and learned the history. Mary, Queen of Scots’ third and final husband—James 
Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell—was not our ancestor. It was one of my grandfather’s tall tales.

Flashes of Inspiration

I used to come up with a new poem in order to have something to read at my monthly open mic. 
I was always inspired by colorful experiences in the city. I began to write in big bursts based on 
memories during the pandemic when live encounters were few and far between. Now I notice the 
woman with a neon green afro, the police explorer with a diamond stud on her tooth, the sleepy 
teen in pajamas and Winnie the Pooh slippers on the subway. I have flashes of inspiration as life 
returns to normal.

Dead Poets Society

My Israeli boyfriend and I had one of our first disagreements over the movie Dead Poets Society. 
In the film, prep school students are inspired by their teacher to embrace poetry and seize the 
day—carpe diem! One of the students, an aspiring actor, shoots himself after his father enrolls 
him in military school. “I don’t want to see this guy in Israel,” my boyfriend said. He had completed 
his mandatory military service in Israel during the first intifada. I defended the film, but he 
wouldn’t budge. It was an early sign of our divorce. Now I surround myself with poets and writers 
who feed my soul.

Googling

I started to Google myself after I went to a party with poets and writers hosted by my urban 
writers’ colony. People kept asking what I did and I said I was a writing instructor with a memoir 
in progress. Most of the people I talked to were published authors who said they would look me up 
online. I felt self conscious because I had not published a book. When I got home I Googled myself 
to see what they would see. I was astounded when I saw a link to The Best American Essays. My first 
published essay had been named a notable essay in the anthology and I had no idea. This lucky 
discovery prompted more searches. Now I check DuckDuckGo. I find unexpected reviews of my books 
by strangers and poems published without a formal acceptance. I cannot resist the urge to look for 
more happy surprises.

 

 
Karol Nielsen is the author of the memoirs Walking A&P and Black Elephants and three poetry chapbooks. Her first memoir was shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Her full-length poetry collection was a finalist for the Colorado Prize for Poetry. Her poem “This New Manhattan” was a finalist for the Ruth Stone Poetry Prize

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Karol Nielsen’s SHAKESPEARE’S GARDEN & other Poems

 
SHAKESPEARE’S GARDEN
 
I sat on a bench, raw logs,
shaved clean almost
in Shakespeare’s Garden.
The magnolias were bursting,
and the cherries,
and Japanese plum.
A photographer
held his lens high to
the pink, white, and purple buds,
snapping, looking,
snapping. Across the
sky, the apartment towers
looked grand,
like church steeples,
graceful, gothic spires.
And I thought of you,
painting this scene,
like we used to do.
 
COWBOY HAT
 
I wore a cowboy hat—
straw—and raw confidence,
as I walked past two men
who turned to look and said,
We’ll never see that girl again.
 
HEADS
 
They turn in summer for
sun-kissed hair, buttery
flesh—exposed, carefree.
They look down, turn away,
after fall brings its dull cast,
and I wonder what is true?
 
THE WRITING LIFE
 
I write a few lines
and feel the calm
of a practiced monk.
But too long away
I am the worst sort of
neurotic—incessant.
 
 

 
 
Karol Nielsen is the author of the memoirs Black Elephants (Bison Books, 2011) and Walking A&P (Mascot Books, 2018) and the chapbooks This Woman I Thought I’d Be (Finishing Line Press, 2012) and Vietnam Made Me Who I Am (Finishing Line Press, 2020). Her first memoir was shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing in nonfiction in 2012. Excerpts were honored as notable essays in The Best American Essays in 2010 and 2005. Her full poetry collection was a finalist for the Colorado Prize for Poetry in 2007. Her work has appeared in Epiphany, Guernica, Lumina, North Dakota Quarterly, Permafrost, RiverSedge, and elsewhere. She has taught writing at New York University and New York Writers Workshop.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Robin Ouzman Hislop is Editor of Poetry Life and Times at Artvilla.com ; his publications include
 
All the Babble of the Souk , Cartoon Molecules, Next Arrivals and Moon Selected Audio Textual Poems, collected poems, as well as translation of Guadalupe Grande´s La llave de niebla, as Key of Mist and the recently published Tesserae , a translation of Carmen Crespo´s Teselas.
 
You may visit Aquillrelle.com/Author Robin Ouzman Hislop about author. See Robin performing his work Performance (University of Leeds)

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