Ashlee Craft's World

Tag: youtube

  • “Prelude” – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 038 – Poetry

    In Episode 038, I read a poem from my book “So Long, Lonesome Place” called “Prelude”. Enjoy!

    SO LONG, LONESOME PLACE

  • 5 Beautiful Rare Things I Want to Feel in 2018 – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 036 – Motivation

    In Episode 036 of The Ashlee Craft Show, I talk about the things that, at surface level, aren’t things I thought of when setting up my goals for the year. But they’re things that actually matter more, because they’re the core feelings behind the things you want.

    READ THE ARTICLE

  • FOG: A Zine, Poem 4 – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 033 – Poetry

    In Episode 033, I read the fourth & final poem from my book FOG: A ZINE.

    POEM 1: https://youtu.be/n_ccVs8QAwU

    POEM 2: https://youtu.be/owNvh9CecxY

    POEM 3: https://youtu.be/4mNDij1hU_E

    FOG: A ZINE: http://amzn.to/2zzz30b

  • FOG: A Zine, Poem 3 – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 032 – Poetry

    I read the third poem from my photography zine FOG in Episode 032 of The Ashlee Craft Show! One more poem left to make an episode about, & all the poems from the zine will be on YouTube.

    Here are the previous poems:

    POEM 1

    POEM 2

    FOG: A ZINE

  • 2017 In Review: I’m On My Way – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 031 – Books

    2017 was the most outstanding year of my life so far! I read the essay I wrote about it, titled “2017 In Review: I’m On My Way” where I talk about what 2017 felt like.

    Here’s where you can read the original article!

  • “Fog – The Walls Are Not Gray Anymore” – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 030 – Poetry

    In Episode 030, I read one of the poems from my newest poetry book, “The Walls Were Gray” titled “FOG – THE WALLS ARE NOT GRAY ANYMORE”.

    FOG – THE WALLS ARE NOT GRAY ANYMORE

    I floored it –
    out onto the empty road –
    gray mist rose up around me –
    floored it –
    ahead the fog cleared –
    I saw the vibrant nurturing rainbow –
    & the meadow where I will thrive –
    non-linear joyful skip dance drive towards it –
    suddenly finding myself closer to arriving –
    the fog clears –
    gray walls around me melt away revealing rainbows –
    I am no longer confined
    by my own false belief that I did not deserve to be free –
    floored it & didn’t need to look back into the fog –
    floored it –
    away vroom vroom –
    freedom, I am free finally finding it –

    I KNOW WHO I NEED TO BECOME NOW

    THE WALLS WERE GRAY

  • “getting back up again” – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 029 – Music

    In Episode 029, I play the 6th track from my 2nd album – an instrumental song called “getting back up again”, which is a reworking of “The Strength of Hope”.

    LISTEN TO THE ALBUM VERSION HERE

  • 3 Things to Do to Make 2018 Your Year – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 028 – Motivation

    In Episode 028, I share three things you can do in 2018 to make the upcoming year YOUR YEAR, where you achieve all the things you’ve wanted to do.

    BLOBFISH BOOK

  • CHRISTMAS DAY – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 027 – Poetry

    It’s Episode 027! I update you on some cool news – two new poetry books have been released in the past two weeks! One is called “A Ship Onto a Sea of Hope” & the other is called “The Walls Were Gray”. Links to both can be found below. On December 31, the next book in the Wonderful Wildlife series is coming out – it’s about Blobfish! Also, I’m launching three new shows in the next two weeks – “Animals with Ashlee” (a pet vlog series), “Explorations” (videos of cool travel & other experiences I have & places I go), & “The Feel-Good Life with Ashlee Craft” (videos about minimalism, health, happiness, self-sufficiency, etc).

    Then, I read a poem titled “Christmas Day” from my Christmas poetry book!

    CHRISTMAS POEMS

    THE WALLS WERE GRAY

    A SHIP ONTO A SEA OF HOPE

    —

    CHRISTMAS DAY

    waking up earlier than we normally get up. It’s Christmas!

    Christmas Day! the thrill of Christmas gifts fills our eyes

    & we’re rushing from our rooms & heading towards the tree

    brightly wrapped packages in cheerful colors with bows & ribbons around the tree

    we shout with excitement

    thrilled, exalted, joyous

    we rush around & scarf down breakfast

    we don’t want to wait another minute!

    when we’re done we rush out towards the tree again

    first we remove our stockings from the mantlepiece & dump them onto the floor

    beautiful things spill out of them

    we shout & smile thrilled by these gifts

    then we move on to what’s under the tree, tearing the paper from the gifts

    & being thrilled by what we see in front of us

    so many dreams, so many wishes, so many hopes

    coming true

    Christmas Day is one of the best days of the year

    the air is filled completely with happiness

    & our souls are smiling
    –
    later on everyone’s in the kitchen cooking

    making all the delicious things we’ll eat tonight

    kind of like Thanksgiving all over again!

    the delicious smell of eggnog

    & main dishes & side dishes & rosemary & oregano & cinnamon

    & cheesecake & everything else delicious & wonderful

    filling the house;

    we can’t wait to eat it all later!
    –
    then it’s Christmas Day dinner

    & we all sit down at the table

    the house in happy chaos

    & us smiling with every cell in our bodies

    we eat together

    once more thankful for all that we’ve been blessed with

    after dinner we talk & laugh some more
    –
    & when we go to bed that night

    tired, smiling, aglow

    we are so happy

    for Christmas has come once more

  • “Silent Night” – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 026 – Poetry

    Episode 026 is THE SIX MONTH ANNIVERSARY EPISODE of The Ashlee Craft Show, so thank you SO MUCH for all your support for it! It’s been so much fun making it & will be even more fun as it continues. For this episode, I read a poem from my Winter poetry book titled “Silent Night”.

    WINTER (FOUR SEASONS #2)

    Silent Night

    silent night / holy night

    you sit there looking into the down-turned eyes of lonely strangers / lost on a cold, unforgiving ocean to which there seems no chance of rescue & the boat seems on its last leg / it’s Christmas eve & you huddle in the canvas tents while the boom boom boom explosions nearby shake the ground / fear flows as fresh as the blood in their veins as the cramped isolation begins to take its toll & you suddenly feel as though you’re falling thru an empty world yet the overcrowded illusion & warmth stifles you / the cool night air outside seems as cold as the desperation – frantic grasping rapid fire falling falling falling into an abyss to which there is no return hope is gone from your soul & all you want to do is go home / the isolated desolation & illusion of paper-thin canvas walled tent huddled, silent, seems as fragile as the beating of your heart which could stop any moment & you feel the liquid cool of night air sifting thru your palms / mind goes back to ten years ago when you were a kid

    you feel cold despite the heat in the tent & the putrid smell of sweat fills your nostrils & you feel empty – cold – alone – your heart beats madly against the wall of your ribcage, beating so strongly yet seeming so weak like a baby bird just hatched attempting to flap it’s wings & fly / you see the fear felt in your heart mirrored twenty times in the faces around you / what do they think of, what do they feel / the same as you, each in their own way / you avert your eyes to the dirt floor & suppress the urge to tear the nightmare illusions around you down, tear down the canvas backdrop & the projections of people & the illusions of fear / but you can’t / it’s not an illusion & it’s the only reality that there is

    your heart aches for your family & friends & the thought crosses your mind constantly that you may never return to them / you wonder why you signed up for this but there’s no turning back & you feel alone in the world

    first Christmas away from home / your heart reaches the most desperate lonely despondency distraught with fear & misery

    silence is broken / a voice so warm & kind, trembling slightly beneath the weight of the war & world & fear, overcomes the situation & rises to do what they know they must do / they feel the same fear as you & their young face gleams in the pale lighting, a reflection of your own

    the song raises thru the air & wafts onto the roof of the tent & it remains there / as more of the song is revealed, the air becomes heavy with the hope & fills the whole tent / other voices join in & you suddenly find yourself singing / your spirit soars & suddenly somehow you know you’re gonna be okay

    you’re gonna be okay

    the Christmas voices & spirits soaring flying alive for this one moment enter into each heart & hope is restored

    in the midst of loneliness & pain came the soft words bringing hope / the midst of war & hate, for just a moment, there was love & peace

    silent night / holy night / all is calm / all is bright / round young virgin mother & child / holy infant so tender & mild / sleep in heavenly peace / sleep in heavenly peace