2015 Poem A Day, Day Five

This is a place holder.

I took the day off from poetry because I wrote a lot on my novel.

I'll fill this spot as soon as I can.

2015 Poem A Day, Day Four

Prompt for Day Four:

For today’s prompt, write a departure poem. Many people depart to school and/or work every day, and they depart on a plane, train, or automobile–some even walk or ride a bike. Of course, that’s keeping things rather physical; there are also emotional and psychological departures. You may even decide to make a departure from your normal writing style in tone or structure today.

I did not depart from structure today. This is the kind of poem I often write—kind of a Thomas Kincaide type of poetry. There's some imagery (coastlines and harbors, wtf?), there's rhyme and meter, and there's a call to action in the end. Live life! Adventure! Even as I am laughing at myself, I like this poem. It is indulgent and silly (much like me), but the message is good.

Disembark

A ship in harbor blooms

To snare a winsome wind

Its petal sails unfurling

Striking to sea again

Gushing from the tunnel,

Rushing along its track

A train races a coastline

slicing the world in half

Any kind of worthwhile quest

Begins with such a mind:

Cast off all your anchors

Throw off those ties that bind

Be a ship with open sails

Be a train upon its track

Dare to live and love this life,

And never once look back.  

Writing Practice - No Hindrances

For two decades, I have used Natalie Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones as a starting point for my writing exercises. I will open the book to a random page, read it, and get down to business. It often surprises me that the same pages I've read over and over can strike me in different ways in separate times of need, offering me the precise insight I need to get to the next phase of life and writing.

Here is what came to me this morning:

When you accept writing as what you are supposed to do, after you've tried everything else--marriage, hippiedom, traveling, living in Minnesota, or New York, teaching, spiritual practices--there's finally no place else to go. 

I may be technically homeless and unemployed, but in truth, this lull between traveling and teaching is a gift. There really is no place else to go but to write. I have been running and running from it for years. I sat down and wrote a novel six years ago, and it is collecting cyber dust. The Universe has granted me this quiet time to write, to edit, and to submit (both literally and spiritually).

Goldberg goes on to say: You can't depend on its going smoothly day after day. It won't be that way.

This is also good news. Rhythms may vary. Life continues to happen all around us. Rain storms. Deadlines. Doctor's appointments. Keep pushing. Keep writing.

There is no place else to go.

Thank you, Natalie.

2015 Poem A Day, Day Three

Prompt for Day Three:

For today’s prompt, write a machine poem. A machine could be a car or a robot, obviously, but simple machines include levers, pulleys, and screws. There’s also “machine learning” and “deus ex machina.” But there are many other ways to come at this prompt as well.

This came to me in bits and pieces during my errands running today. I was partly inspired by a line from My Chemical Romance: You've got a bulletproof heart/you've got a razor wire smile.

Soldier

You've got a

hand grenade heart,

the pin pulled long ago,

and you're just waiting

for it

to explode

You've got a

muzzle flash smile,

a wit like razor wire,

and you keep what's inside

safe from us

outside.

So if you're the hostage of logic,

such a slave of rational thought,

then why haven't you

figured out the truth?

Private, that pin was pulled

so

long

ago

but your heart will never burst

unless you let it go.

2015 Poem A Day, Day Two

Poem A Day Challenge:

For today’s prompt, write a secret poem. The poem itself could be a secret, or it could be about keeping secrets or, I suppose, not keeping them. Or maybe it’s about a top secret project, or the poem is a riddle with some sort of secret meaning. Or, well, I’ll let you figure out how best to poem secretively.  

Secret

Innocent,

innocuous

just a search—

a scatter

of keystrokes

the letters

of your name

in a window

and then

the pages

pour forth

to reveal:

some truths

cannot

be unseen,

some hurts

cannot

be unlearned

Just a name,

just a search

in a window

late at night

a secret

that shows

how far

you've

fallen.

2015 Poem A Day, Day One

Here is today's Poem A Day Prompt:
Write a resistance poem. There are many forms of resistance, including militant resistance, resistance to new ideas, the resistance in exercise, and maybe even a little resistance to starting a new project. I hope you don't resist the urge to write a poem today.

I decided to write a poem based on one by Emily Dickinson. Here is a link to her poem, 

"Hope" is a Thing With Feathers 

Desire

Desire waits with shining claws

It lurks within the dark

And whispers delicious sweetness

And never rests at all

And loudest in the storm is heart

And sure that it is right

That gives up all it once believed

That it might have the night

I've heard him the darkest place

I've heard his subtle voice

That offers everything you wish

As if you have a choice.

New Year's Goals, 2015: Return to what you know

Last year's goals, right here: New Year's 2014

As years go, 2014 has been mighty big. We moved to another country, met so many new and amazing people, visited Japan, went to Las Vegas, picked up a steady travel writing job, sold almost everything we owned, and experienced a major career change. We're also learning Hangeul!

I was pretty successful in achieving the goals I made last year. The goal was to simplify, which we did. We now live in a tiny apartment in Seoul. Everything we own fits in this one room (and in my Aunt Amy's storage back in Texas. Sorry, Amy!). We reached our travel goals. I made my reading goal of 50 books. I wrote some, both for fun and profit.

In the Health Goal category, we did change our diet from the western carb-laden fare we so know and love to the more healthy veggies and fish diet of South Korea, and it has made an impact. However, I have failed to find a workout/running solution that works here, so that will have to change if I want to stay fit.

In the Career Goal category, I made no effort to get Reprieve published (sad) and am at loose ends where teaching is concerned. I'm still very unsure about what I want in this regard. Much soul-searching needed in.

2015 began in Japan, but it will end with us back in Texas. This has been a wonderful adventure, but one thing it has certain shown me is that we need our family every day. Every. Day.

Here are my goals for 2015. May everyone be blessed this year, and happy, and fulfilled.

1. Health Goal:

• Continue eating the Korean diet - more meat, veggies, and fruit. Less bread and pasta.
• Work on meditating and yoga regularly (three times a week).
• I love work out challenges, so I'm going to do them!
• Also, incorporate a reward system. Three workouts = $5, which I can spend on clothing or art supplies.

2. Travel Goal:

• Save money
• Go back to Texas

3. Career Goal:

• Find something that incorporates teaching, writing, creativity, and helping people that doesn't stress me or my family out so much that we can't be happy.
• Submit my novel to two agencies each month.

4. Reading Goal:

• 52 books! That's one book a week. Yay!