Just Write Poetry

MantraSome of the M3 Readers noticed my three day absence this week, both from M3 and from social media. During times I am missing, I usually give Mantra a chance to fill in the blank spaces. Alas, she was out of town.

I am not talking about writer’s block. No, truly. She was not here. On my night stand is a tattered notebook. It is the place where Mantra scrawls all of the stories and poetry. It really is her notebook.

Knowing I would be stuck in a waiting room (nearly 75 miles from the house), I took the notebook with me to the hospital. Note to self:

Dear Self,

Put all belongings in bag before anesthetic is administered.

Love,
Red.”

Yes. I left Mantra’s notebook at the hospital. About 50 miles from the center, the tele rang. “No, I cannot be back there in the next 15 minutes before you go home,” was my response.

My punishment for this heinous crime has been to scribble on all available paper-like substances for the last four days. This has included notepads, a grocery sale ad, a prescription and construction paper. Fortunately, my nurse was sweet enough to mail the notebook back to me.

Rewind

Just for a moment, let’s pretend it is Thursday evening, since this post would have gone live then had I had the material available to me to transcribe.

The poem is about the specific type of writer’s malaise which infects poets, on occasion. Mantra was quite irritated with this particular poem. How do I know? She woke me up to write it. Good thing I can scribble with only one eye open.

As irony would have it, the poem is named Poetry. Yes, I questioned it, but it was clearly scrawled at the top of the page. Yes, I suppose it could be a writing prompt…or an explanation, but I am going to stick with title.

Poetry

I put pen to paper
because I need to write.
I look at the lines and
imagine witty prose,
beautiful verse…Yes! Rhyme.

Looking thoughtfully up
into the light, I stare,
willing the words to come.
Pen glides effortlessly…
Something great for my time?

But what is this I see
staring back up at me?
Not the very first line
of a well-metered rhyme.
No words. No, not any.

Curves and lines all scribbled
across the paper’s lines
a jumbled mess of scratch.
Not artsy doodling.
Complete and utter scrawl.

It’s not writer’s block
because I hear the words
rolling around my head,
but none can reach my hand.
All I see is drivel.

Perhaps I’m no poet.
I guess I should know it.
When try hard as I might,
The only thing I write
Is limerick-like shit.

200520120307
(c) Ann Marie Dwyer

~~~~~~~~~~


Does your Muse ever get writer’s block? Should I shake the lantern? Why are we own own worst critics?

(c) Ann Marie Dwyer 2012
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28 Comments

  1. I do that at night sometimes. I have an idea and write it out in the dark so that I’ll remember it in the morning. And then I cannot decipher what I wrote; either it’s too messy, or the words make no sense at all.

    I hope everything’s okay with you, Red.
    Binky recently posted..Diet MonitorMy Profile

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    • Red

       /  May 26, 2012

      Fortunately for me, I print in my sleep. Only when I am awake is my handwriting truly atrocious. I have been told I could give doctors and attorneys handwriting classes…as in teach them to scribble.

      I am making it, Binky…promise.
      Red.

      Reply
      • Well I certainly hope so!

        The funny thing is I do print! Still can’t read it sometimes, though.
        Binky recently posted..Diet MonitorMy Profile

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        • Red

           /  May 26, 2012

          LOL! You need lessons from Bear. He block prints. Wait, no, sometimes he cannot read it either. I can, but then again I was raised around wolves attorneys and doctors.

          Reply
          • But I do block print! Only my blocks get really really messed up sometimes. Maybe I should have sent my notes to you to decipher!
            Binky recently posted..Diet MonitorMy Profile

          • Red

             /  May 27, 2012

            I can do that! Or maybe you could use a stencil?

          • Or maybe I should get one of those recorders and dictate it instead.
            Binky recently posted..Right Way Wrong WayMy Profile

          • Red

             /  May 28, 2012

            *Shudder* I burnt my last Dictaphone in a bonfire.

  2. I learned about the 2 line ‘bantu’ form from Gabriele Rico’s “Writing the Natural Way.” Here’s one I wrote a few years ago.

    My pen is clogged
    I’ll write tomorrow

    Here’s another:

    Everything is due in the morning.
    I wonder when those eggs will be ready.

    Reply
  3. I try to remember my dreams, but they fade away unless I stay awake to memorise them, but all too often I wake and they are gone!

    Love and hugs!

    Prenin – fellow scrawler…
    prenin recently posted..Friday – The weather gets warmer…My Profile

    Reply
    • Red

       /  May 26, 2012

      Mantra rarely writes about the stuff of dreams. I do, but only in the daylight. When something occurs to me to write in my sleep, it normally interrupts my dream. Not that it truly matters. I have been known to go to bed and continue a dream for four or five days in a row. It does not repeat, merely continues where it left off the morning before. {HUGZ} Red.

      Reply
      • Lucky girl! 🙂

        I have such dreams so rarely they are noteworthy! 🙂

        Needless to say it means I oversleep chasing the blessed things! LoL!!! 🙂

        Love and hugs!

        Prenin.
        prenin recently posted..Friday – The weather gets warmer…My Profile

        Reply
        • Red

           /  May 26, 2012

          I answer the tele at least once a week to one friend or the other asking me what dreams mean. I am a dreamer. Always have been. I can get up for a drink in the middle of the night and either go back to the same dream or have another. The remnants of those I do not finish find their way to daydreams on occasion. They are not strictly regulated to when I sleep! One of these days, I really should write some of them. {HUGZ} Red.

          Reply
  4. GOOD MORNING RED …HOPE YOU ARE OK ?
    THERE IS FREEDOM IN WRITING AND ALSO IN NOT WRITING – LIKE YOU WROTE -= JUST SCRIBBLING DOWN SOMEWHERE AND LEAVING IT 🙂 I LIKE TO HAVE LITTLE NOTES EVERYWHERE IN MY APT. WISHING YOU A BEAUTIFUL SUMMER – FULL OF HEALTH AND HAPPINESS AND JOY XO

    MUCH LOVE AND TAKE CARE — REALLY GOOD CARE OK 🙂 I WILL BE AROUND -AND I AM STILL RECEIVING YOUR POSTS VIA EMAIL 🙂 SO WILL POP IN AND SAY HI FOR SURE 🙂
    ENJOY THE SUMMER !!! LOTS OF LOVE AND REST AND RECUP AND REPLENISHING TIME 🙂
    XO CAT
    WP IS COOL – SO I GET TO KEEP ALL THE POSTS I MISSED READING – MAKING A NEW FOLDER – “STUFF I NEED TO READ ” :)SO …..PLS ENJOY THE SUMMER – AND I PEERED OVER AT THE OTHER POST ABOUT THE HATEMAIL STUFF – THERE WILL ALWAYS BE BULLIES ……. HEY – FROM THE PLAYGROUND – TO THE NET, IT NEVER CEASES – HOPEFULLY ONE DAY – AND I AM NOT BEING UTOPIAN IN THINKING – LOL – HOPEFULLY ONE DAY THAT STUFF WILL STOP ……….
    THEY ARE TEACHING “NON VIOLENCE ” AT SCHOOLS HERE = FROM KINDGERGARTEN UP -I THINK THAT IS FABULOUS ……CHARACTER EDUCATION …….SORRY FOR THE LONG MESSAGE – LOL …..EARLY HERE – ANYWAYS – SUMMER MESSAGE OF HAPPINESS AND HEALTH AND JOY AND ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT – XO
    CAT
    Cat Forsley recently posted..Have a Wonderfullllllllllllllllllllll Summer xx CatMy Profile

    Reply
    • Red

       /  May 27, 2012

      We have all of the non-violence things here, too. Zero tolerance has been in effect in most places for more than fifteen years. In some states, more than 25 years. Frankly, none of it works. The failure is with the parents. They are bullies who raise bullies. Or they are cowards who raise bullies as a preemptive measure against their own children being bullied. The teaching mechanism is backward. The teaching should be one of non-violent, diplomatic resolution. Instead, the teaching is only evasion, no diplomacy, and worse, no reporting. The schools are horrible about calling victims down for being “tattlers”.

      I hope you are having a beautiful beginning to the summer, Cat. I am truly looking forward to this one. Much love, Red. xxx

      Reply
  5. Oh Sister Dear, this is actually somewhat funny you know. I have a sneaky this was a cosmic directive for you to breath, as in inhale….exhale

    You of course don’t pay attention to this. Indeed no. Instead you take it as another directive entirely.

    I love you my sister, but do you think God has to throw boulders to get your attention? It might hurt you know.
    Valentine Logar recently posted..Spare a Job, Brother?My Profile

    Reply
    • Red

       /  May 27, 2012

      I always interpret it as the need to buy a new hat! Is that what you mean?

      Reply
  6. Luckily I never seem to have any problems with writing, and I do mean writing about everything here and not just one theme, perhaps this is the reason why it never happens to me, who knows? 🙂

    You have a real gift for writing Red 🙂

    Androgoth XXx

    Reply
    • Red

       /  May 28, 2012

      I believe if I were mired to a single theme I may well explode into a million little pieces. Thank you for the compliment, dear friend. 🙂

      Reply
      • You are very welcome Red 🙂 Hey I have added your shoe to my Awards Page and as I don’t really follow those awards properly I have added a link back to your Space on my leading page 🙂

        I hope that it generates some traffic, though as I am still on the Private setting I suppose this idea won’t push too many new one’s your way 🙁

        Have a lovely evening Red 🙂

        Androgoth XXx

        Reply
        • Red

           /  May 28, 2012

          And I believe of your little band, I am already visiting or am visited by around half of them now! Either way, take and enjoy. You deserve it. 😉

          Reply
  7. In this case: Your shit don’t stink!
    lorre recently posted..Failure to Launch: Friday Frenzy (yesterday)My Profile

    Reply
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