Mandie J Overocker's E-Mail Address: aoverocker@triad.rr.com
Mandie's Personal Web Page or Favorite Web Page: http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/7336/index.html
Mandie J Overocker's Profile:
I am a 25 year old student who got married in February of this year. I will graduate with my
a combined Master's/Specialist's degree in Mental Health Counseling on August 12 of this year!
Now I live in North Carolina with my husband and three beautiful cats.
When I am not busy working on my internship/job I volunteer coach soccer with three, four, five and six year olds at our local YMCA.
Also I have a passion for the outdoors and do as much work with ropes courses as possible. Eventually I would love to be a trip leader
but I still need to work up my hard (technical) skills i.e. river guiding, climbing, etc. But for now I will continue doing what I do...Living a full and exciting life and loving every minute of it.
I have been writing for as long as I can remember, and my first and only (non-internet related)
published poem was written when I was in the fourth or fifth grade. I was on vacation in the White
Mountains of New Hampshire and as we drove home, the smell of campfires and clean air inspired me to write about the
day that would always stay. I guess my dad was impressed with what I had written and within a few days it was printed
in our local paper. Any way, since then most of my writing has stemmed from the healing process of moving from
childhood to adolescence to adulthood. Despite how much I try not to, I always tend to write from personal experiences...and those
poems that I really dig deep inside for are usually the ones which are received well. (This doesn't account, however, for
the different interpretations that have been given of my work.) The main concept that drives my writing, my work and myself as an individual
is that of expressing our own truth. I once began a journal/book that I assembled with the following
quote from my own writings : "Truth. That is what we must face...challenge it, accept it, live in
it. Our Truth is who we are and if we deny its existence then we cease to be." I closed that same
journal/book with the following quote from Andre Gide "Do not think your truth can be found by
anyone else." My writing I suppose is my effort to "find" my own truth, to reach out challenge it, accept it and live in it.
Hence my penname which I have yet to use here: Livesintruth. Parts of the Journal/Book I put together
can be reached through the Letters link at the bottom of my homepage.
I am honored to be a part of this unique and beautiful community of poets and am grateful that I stumbled upon it one night in March.
I hope to learn lots from all of you and hope that I may be able to reach you as well as many of your works touch me.
-Mandie
Addendum - March 2001
After i graduated in August of last year, i took a position as a Social worker with a Children's Home. I lost myself in my job for about four months.
I recently left that position to address some personal issues and have started working with Eckerd Youth Camps as a Family Worker - so far i love my job.
i get to work out of my home three days a week and the other two days i get to be down at the camp, outside in God's beautiful world, in my jeans and hiking shoes,
no more dresses or heels or stockings! i can just be myself! i have started to write again... i haf gotten away from it for quite a while...this is never a good
thing and my frame of mind/mood is almost always an indicator as to whether or not i am writing consistently. whether or not i am seeking that truth, that "true-self" that lies
within us all.
February 2003
I am back on the website again popping in and out... thinking about writing again... or better... tailoring my writing into the fine art of poetry. I miss this community and look forward to being amidst my friends here. I have also been through hell and back it seems... and perhaps still making trips there on occasion. Perhaps life is just a series of day trips there until we figure out we are worth so much more than that? shortly after my last addendum, I experienced my first severe auto accident and another on the same day. Within six months I had two more for a total of four major auto accidents in that short time frame. needless to say by the end of 2001 I was anxiously awaiting the new year and 2002 brought much better experiences... the dawning of a new business... and no professional employment outside of self-employment. My journey has been all about uncovering my self, discovering who i am and realizing the beauty within and without that makes up the person I am, professionally, socially, personally, and physically. Regardless of what anyone else thinks.. it is what i see in the mirror that matters... and often it is hard to see this beauty... i feel as though i have been blind for so long... so very long. but alas... i will leave this for my writing... and perhaps the poetry will tell the tales.
My husband and I just celebrated our 3 year anniversary! and all our animals,. 3 cats, dog and the newly acquired fish in our new aquarium are all doing great... no children yet... soon perhaps..??who knows... I hope, but I think life has other plans for now... we'll see.
June 2005
Well now we are half way through 2005...My husband and I are still married but no children yet...all the animals are alive and well. The last couple years have been chocked full of all sorts of things...writing writing and more writing. I am currently working on writing an autobiography of healing and my experiences with Vision Questing. What i've written so far can be viewed at http://www.geocities.com/a_overocker/TheStory.html . I am trying to work up the nerve to advertise for leading a vision quest in the coming year. I have been trained as a council leader and can lead a vision quest, but have yet to do it, I have been on two quests so far myself. I so enjoy nature and the grounding i get from being out there.
There has been a lot of work in therapy, I am finally dealing with the enormous amount of grief that has been built up inside me over the last thirty years. I so appreciated this website and place to post my work and commune with others who dabble with this delicious art form! I'm starting to branch out of the personal experience poems to try to write some more lighthearted pieces here and there. I think there will always be a hint of personal experience in my writing...that's just how i work i guess.
I have enjoyed writing and sharing my work with you all this month as well as reading your works! I look forward to continuing to do this as the year progresses. Thank you all for your gentle support and encouragement. I feel so supported by all. Cheers....Mandie
So far 709 People have Entered a Personal Profile on The Poetic Link! Click Here to see the rest of them or to Add your Own Personal Profile Now!
Below you will see ALL of the Poems that Mandie J Overocker has published on The Poetic Link.
By Clicking a Poem Title, you can view the poem and the Critiques it has received.
If you would like to view all of Mandie J Overocker's Critiques just Click Here.
Active Month Poems will not be displayed to preserve anonymous functions.
Poetry Contests Online at The Poetic Link
Click HERE to
return to ThePoeticLink.com Database Page!
Displaying Poems 1 to 50 out of 125 Total Poems.
Click one of the following to display the: Next 50 ... Last 50 Poems.
Click Any of these Sort Options to Re-Sort the Poem List below any way you choose.
Click Any of these Sort Options to Re-Sort the Poem List above any way you choose.Displaying Poems 1 to 50 out of 125 Total Poems.
Click one of the following to display the: Next 50 ... Last 50 Poems.
If you would like to view all of Mandie J Overocker's Critiques just Click Here.
Poetry Contests Online at The Poetic Link
Click HERE to
return to ThePoeticLink.com Database Page!