Writing Journal

First off, I've been an utter failure with making 2012: Year of the Poem. I've gotten a few pretty good ones, I'll admit, but highly doubt I'm anywhere near the 366 I wanted.  I'm so far behind, I might not even add them up.

And I haven't been doing all that great at reading poems after every book I read, either.  Part of that's because I've had to slog through all my reading.  Part of it's because I forgot, though.  Yeah.  To be fair, the forgetfulness happened because it was November and I was excited about starting my annual re-read of O! Pioneers.

Last week, I went to the grocery store...I forget why, exactly, but I had an experience there.  I started composing a few lines about it to post as a clever little facebook status, but then I got long-winded.  So I'll put it here.  As with most all of my other poems, it's open for title suggestions.

(This is the raw version, the one mostly scratched out in my car......at stoplights....of course....)
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After finding my own peace of mind,
I went to the store, and what did I find?
My energy gels in flavors galore!
And then books were on sale,
So I picked out four.
One for my roommate,
And then three for me.
(It's abou ttime we put up the tree.)
And then right there, at the end of the aisle,
Was the perfect big gift
To make my Secret Friend smile.

All of these things I was so glad to find.
And after all this, I was still glad to find
When I went up to pay,
There was not a line!
She scanned half my things as I dug through my purse,
'Twas then that I saw things turn for the worse.
My wallet--have mercy on me!
My wallet was gone--oh, where could it be?!

I scoured my memory, then left like a jerk,
For my wallet, I realized, had been left at work.

Writing Journal

NaNoWriMo kicked off at midnight!!!

I had considered taking a nap and going to the First Chance Midnight Write-in. 
I ended up not going because I knew I wouldn't be able to stay much after midnight if I wanted to function at work today.  I also knew that, with as excited as I was about my NaNo, I wouldn't be able to write just a few (hundred) words, and that it would get me too keyed up to go to bed.

Instead, I went to bed relatively early (10:30) and woke up early (5:30) to write for about an hour this morning.

1,722 words, baby!!

I was surprised at how easily they came, as well as how easy it was to let my internal editor sleep.  I never went more than a paragraph back to change anything, and only added or changed a few things as I went.  Going back to it tonight is going to be difficult, though.  I think the best way to keep my editor out of it is to not read much of what I've written, which is unusual for me.  Call it egotistical, but I like reading what I write.  But I know when I do, I automatically look at ways I could have said it better or differently.

That's going to be hard to turn off.

Oh, and I also wrote a poem yesterday and 3 on Saturday (while waiting for my roommate's plane to get in).
The one yesterday I especially like because it was challenging to say what (I thought) I wanted to say with the rhythm I set with the first two lines.  Then I noticed some patterns that ocurred naturally and wanted to keep those, too.  It was only 8 lines, but it took me about 3 hours as a secondary or tertiary thought item.  (During those 3 hours, I was also processing claims, day plotting and communicating with other people in a social manner.)
Still veerrrrrrrrrrry far behind my 366 goal, though. 

Writing Journal

A few things this weekend reminded me of the loss of a friend(ship).
My facebook status this morning was
"Dear Seashmore's Body,
I'm sorry for waking you up at 4 this morning and not going back to bed. But I hope that emotionally healing poem I wrote makes up for it.
Forever yours,
Seashmore's Brain"

This one was so inspired, it even has a working title! This is the 4 a.m. draft, and it definitely needs some fixing up before I call it finished.

You That I Once Knew
While I miss your body,
I mostly miss your soul.
The You that I see now is
Not the You that I once knew.

You're better in some ways,
This I won't deny.
But somehow, over time, the world
Has lost the You that I once knew.

But maybe the parts that
Made You whole haven't
Left this earth, for I have found
Pieces of the You that I once knew;

Strewn about my friends,
A hand hold here, a kind word there,
A wisecrack in my ear, almost
Bring back the You that I once knew.

It's not your presence I miss the most,
Not your laugh, your smile, your hug.
It's not the things that can be refound-
I miss the You that I once knew.

Writing Journal

So I've been a slacker on writing a poem a day. (I figured I'd have dry days, which is why the precise goal is 366 this year.) It's the 9th and I've only counted 6. Although I may have one or two I don't remember in a notebook at home and I almost thought a list of Wheel of Fortune puzzle answers was some wierd, abstract poem I had written. Although that does give me an idea for future inspiration...

Anyway, today, I'm going to freestyle. Disclaimer: This may be a little obscure to some readers and all too clear for others. I wish there was some other way, but I've learned that I can only put so many emotions into one bottle before it explodes like a Molotov Cocktail. (And I totally call dibs on that imagery.)

(Title Suggestions?)
I don't know whether I should laugh or cry.

The sinister side says to laugh.
After all, the olive branch has made her shy.
Why else the lack of response?
The immediate turn of the glance?

The sensitive side says to cry.
After all, I couldn't ask for a hug goodbye.
Why else but for her coldness?
The thickening tension in the room?

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Well, that was easier and quicker than I thought it would be.