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Identifying as Poet #ROW80
January 28, 2015
— 11 Comments
I have told a few people in the last week that I am a poet. I believe I am trying it out to see if I like the title because I don’t think of myself as a poet. First I explained to my fiduciary who handles my investments and gives me advice for retirement that my most important interest at the moment is poetry. He knows, since we do split the money he makes in the market, that I am interested in his best performance with little or no chit-chat. He has incentive to do that since his own profit is tied directly to mine. He is not a stock broker, but has a fiduciary responsibility to me for which I pay him a percentage of the profits. I switched to this arrangement before the last presidential election because it all felt too volatile and risky. Since he has done a bang up job I feel secure to trust his future work on my (our) behalf. My debt free, secure financial position is one reason I can dabble with being a poet. I have arrived at a time in my life during which I can reflect and use my talents in any way I choose. Now that I have told the fiduciary I am a poet he is convinced I will not be producing any more income during my lifetime. I am fine with that because it puts the pressure on him to make sure I never become a staving artist.
Last night I told a friend I have known for many years who came over for a drink and conversation. He is visiting from out-of-town, so we had news about our lives to share since our last reunion. After he left I was kind of surprised that I had told him about the poetry writing at all, let alone describe myself to him as a poet. I did make it clear that although I publish it daily I am not promoting it per se because it is not very well-developed. I am not ashamed of it, but I have no pride in it either. It is a practice and a new persona. I told him I admire and want to emulate Dorothy Parker. He recited a couple of her witty lines. I am not sure how sincere he was, but he told me that I am like Dorothy Parker. We were laughing and joking together all evening, so this was part of the fun. In retrospect I am giddy about being compared to her, and this little exchange has given me new hope about my poetic prospects. With some work I do believe I can be witty, satirical, and poetic all at the same time. I have loaded up two books by Dorothy into my Kindle and pre-ordered another about her life, Dorothy Parker Drank Here, by Ellen Meister. Now I am carrying with me two poetic muses, both ghosts. Henry Howard represents Tudor England and Mrs. Parker post WWII New York City. That should cover everything.
It is in the spirit of Mrs. Parker that I am working on curses and blessings suitable for twitter. They must be short and pithy. I am calling them #Twurses and #Twessings. Join me if you like. I think there is a market. It is a bit of haiku in 130 characters, ideal length. I think rhyming makes it memorable. #Twurse the snow and howling wind, Super Bowl parties must begin. I am sure I can warm up and do better than that. Thanks to all the #ROW80 writers who have taught me to have a good time and just do it, as they say at Nike.
ROW80
Persistence Pays #ROW80
January 26, 2015
— 9 Comments
ROW80
I have managed to slip out of my creativity rut, just a bit. I admire the way so many writers in this program work on several books or projects at once. I rarely start a post that I do not finish in a day, so this longer attention span on a written piece is intriguing. I heard an interview on PBS radio with a professor of creative writing. He shall remain nameless, in part because I do not remember his name. He described two distinct ways of working on a story. He starts by just grinding out the words, and later in the day he edits them. He says the later session in which he edits can be relaxing and easy. I see this advice as a basic guide for me to expand my ability to tackle different subjects and new kinds of forms. I not only need to just do it, as they say at Nike. I also need to just edit it. I have written poetry this week that is not all about soul and butterflies, so that is a start. I spun a little story into a poem about real life. This is something I might try with matching prose and poetry posts. Starting with beheading was just too tricky, but I did relate to my grandmother’s craft work and extreme busy-ness with a short tribute. I still reserve judgement because I have not been doing this for very long.
Two goals are eluding me, but I think I can find ways to accomplish them. I want to be loyal to my dream journal by writing before I get out of bed, or even stir. This worked well for a while, but during the last week my dog, who has end of life issues, needed me to let her out during the night 4 or 5 times, including first thing in the morning. I can keep a little bit of the memory while I walk down the stairs and give her the relief she needs, but it is difficult. I have tried to capture specific words and colors from dreams to inspire the poems. I am sad about the kidney failure of my darling dog, so a certain sorrow takes over as soon as I think about how often she needs to go and how much water she is drinking. She has had a good life, and is not in pain, but this is a shadow covering the early morning dream memory. Maybe I need to write about my dog. I have also failed to physically visit the U of A Poetry Center. I keep planning to dedicate Friday to Venus, to revere all things of beauty and love. I think sitting around the Poetry Center reading is a total dedication to beauty, but my daily routine has not capitulated enough to allow this to occur. I will overcome, although maybe not on a Friday. I know that once I establish a habit, a ritual, I will enjoy it. I do love the podcasts and the apps that read to me in the comfort of my home, but I believe the pilgrimage to the poets’ place will change my perspective. I am not taking these failures too much to heart because the whole point was to write poems, and I am doing that. Onward and upward..
I am chiming in one day later than some because yesterday I made a stunning discovery in my family tree. I do think that since many of my real family members have been the subjects of fiction and even operas and poems, I should look more closely at making stories based on fact, or even on imagination. These characters are already alive in my thoughts and dreams and do some predictable stuff. I enjoy all the time I spend learning about the family facts and the supporting evidence. I notice that fiction writers develop their characters out of thin air, perhaps with a culture or time in history in mind. I can start with facts and the skeleton of what is known to make my stories real. I can also write about my dog and stop whining about my precious dream journal. Soon enough she will be only in my dreams. Now is my chance to see her in real life and help her with her dreams.
Artemisia the wonder hound
Artemisia the wonder hound
Coffee Break at the MoMA #Weekendcoffeeshare
January 24, 2015
— 8 Comments
Today our teleporting cloaks will be hung in the cloak room of the spacious light filled Museum of Modern Art in New York City. I want to go to this cafe for our weekend chat because it is the perfect place to ponder modernism. After some time with the art let us gather to talk over coffee and a snack. I like to stay at museums much longer than most people. Taking a break for social time and tasty treats gives me a second wind to examine more of the collections. Surrounded by what is considered to be modern art we are also surrounded by the city of New York. The stately gothic St Patrick’s Cathedral is right around the corner, a few blocks down Fifth Avenue. In the museum light is abundant, structure is open. The design of the building brings us into connection with nature and the sculpture garden patio. In St. Patrick’s the light is all filtered through ornate, colorful stained glass. It has a very blue feeling from the window placement. The gothic ceiling implies lofty access, but we are enclosed and encircled by religion. Heaven is a formula to be achieved by following ritual. It is a beautiful eternal ritual.
I invited you to meet me here today because I wonder if you have some of the same questions I have about history, philosophy, art, and communication. While I study my family tree and the poets in it I have noticed that I enjoy their works much better when I hear them. Reading the old English style, along with the heavy religious tone, is not my cup of tea. The sound of the words as they are spoken, however, reveals to me the art and skill of these poetic ancestors. When they wrote, 1500s and 1600s, I think most poetry would be read aloud or recited more that individuals reading from books. Literacy was limited. These poets were lucky enough to read and write because of their social status. The views, the philosophy, the relationship with God which they explain in writing are a wonderful way to really know them. I keep thinking about the fact that when they were alive they were modern, progressive, and Mistress Bradstreet was something of a feminist, for publishing poetry. Bibles, priests and vicars were the order of the day. Reading and writing were not for everyone. It was a walk on the wild side, especially for a Pilgrim woman.
After our visit I plan to spend a long time with Gustav Klimt, an Austrian artist I love. I have visited Vienna to see many of his works in person. His use of gold and highly decorative style is recognizable by those who don’t know his name. His images are popular. A painting of his patron, Adele Bloch-Baeur II, is on display now at the MoMa. I have not seen this one. I saved it for after the break because I look forward to a close inspection, and deeply serious interaction. I hope to write an ekphrastic poem about her life, her fortune, and her painting that was stolen by Nazis. You can join me if you like. I do want to hear about your week and projects you are creating. Do you ever link what you do now with centuries past in order to define modern for yourself? Modern when this museum was constructed is already different from modern today. Do you think of yourself as modern, gentle reader?
#Weekendcoffeeshare
Prepping Lifestyle is Fun and Easy
January 20, 2015
— 3 Comments
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- marinated cherry tomato salad
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- roasted garlic cherry tomates
You probably know about the doomsday preppers, who build bunkers and buy machine guns and prepare to survive Armageddon. This has no interest to me. However, the other popular group of preppers, the ones who prepare food ahead of time to make sure they have healthy meals ready when they want them, are very attractive. I started following this idea in 2015 as a way to branch out of my food habits and try new dishes. I had a bad habit of making too much of one dish and tiring of it before we finished it. This was such a waste of time, energy and money. The remedy is simple. Make exactly the amount you need for each meal, or deal with any excess on the spot. I have not started a good freezer regimen, but I have managed to come out even with prepared food. This was one of the benefits, but not the only one. I decided to make at least two different dishes from each basic staple I cook.
I created a calendar in order to finish all my meal preparation in 4 days in order to leave the kitchen clean and undisturbed for 3 days a week. This is such a great change because it means a lot less clean up for the same amount of food. I make a big specific mess, clear it out, and enjoy the meals in the fridge ready to heat or add dressing. I think I can move toward 4 days out of the kitchen if I concentrate. Most of my fellow preppers do a whole week in one day, so surely I can pick up my pace on this. It does not take that much time, but it does require planning and strategy. The time off feels like I have hired a chef to make all my favorites. The fact that I am the chef does not intrude on this fabulous feeling when I waltz into the clean kitchen to find dinner. There is no drudgery involved because the prep days are very creative with research and invention. The magic chef days are wonderful because I reap the harvest of time as well as the pristine kitchen.
I have been a vegetarian for 65 years, so I am not planning to implement any new phase. I am fine as a lacto-ovo vegetarian eater. I have no desire to be gluten free or vegan, but I do really appreciate all the available recipes in those categories. I go very light on wheat, eggs and dairy, so many treats I enjoy are raw, vegan, and gluten free. I also happen to have a kosher home, but I go to no extra effort. This week we came into a giant harvest of cherry tomatoes. I am drying them, roasting them, marinating them, and next I plan to make a salad dressing from some of the roasted ones. I also saw a good looking focaccia recipe with cherry tomatoes and olives on top..That will be a new way to use them. If you have interest in trying these methods or learning about the food prep movement, find everything you might want to know on Pinterest. Happy prepping, gentle readers.
dried cherry tomatoes
Equal Opportunity Profession, Poet
January 18, 2015
— 12 Comments
ROW80
My adventure into poetry continues, and the plot thickens. I learn about the lives of poets from my podcasts and reading. I am highly encouraged by the diversity found in the population. Any and every kind of person has written poetry in the past, and the platform only expands now. There were people who worked in mundane industry who took up writing after retirement and found smashing success. There are prisoners, idealists, and students working diligently to create verse and other written art forms. Many of my fellow writers involved in #ROW80 have years of experience and much more instruction under their belts as poets. This feels like a good place to learn from those who have already mastered and shared words carefully placed and edited, intended to express something beyond what the reader can see. I notice that I might be better instructed by poems that do not suit my fancy than by those I instantly like. I also notice my subject matter is similar every time I work on my poetry. I am like Claude Monet and the water lilies, just can’t stop.
I see merit in making series or building on a theme, but in a couple of weeks of daily poetic practice I seemed to be pleasantly slipping into a rut. My drawings are mostly stylized butterflies, and the poems related dream images and psyche flying around the world bringing messages to daytime consciousness. I did say I was not entering this practice to be self critical, but I did need to nudge myself to move beyond the butterflies and tell some kind of poetic story. All the poems I hear and read show contrast and variety, while mine are running flat in a straight line, going nowhere. I aspire to be like Monty Python and Dorothy Parker, yet my current offerings look like rorschach tests with brief captions in explanation of my personality. I do hope we can improve on that.
I made an attempt to write a witty little ditty about the execution of my famous poet ancestor as a story. This truly haunted my dreams and daily life for a couple of days after I learned about the incident in history. We know details of his life and death because he was an aristocrat. We even have several portraits of him. Reading his work and imagining his last 6 days in the Tower of London in January freaked me out to the bone. I skipped a day of poetry writing because I could not come up with any angle from which to create this story. I know I dreamed about him, and developed sympathy for his plight, but nothing carried over into my writing. I found that my boundaries restrict my creative muse. My desire to capture emotions was not as great as my will to make a statement and be done. I finally wrote a short poem with him in mind, but it was not the big leap I wanted to take. I have decided to keep Henry Howard with me as my ancestral muse. I will confer with him before and after I write. I think that by reading more of his work and keeping his memory alive in my dreams I have a chance of expanding beyond my comfort zone as it is now.
I am grateful to all the writers in the #ROW80 challenge for showing me that all of us have similar issues, both helpful and obstructive to our process. The support and sharing within the group is a great incentive to keep the faith. Thanks to all who check in on Sundays and Wednesdays on this adventure of ours. I appreciate knowing we are in this as a team. I have high hopes for all of us.
Writers
January 11, 2015
— 2 Comments
ROW80
The Round of Words in 80 Days challenge is a wonderful new experience for me. I joined last week by setting goals I intend to accomplish during the following 80 days. By joining this group I am entering a zone designed to support and entertain writers looking to learn new skills as well as improve on old ones. In the few and far between workshops I have taken in creative writing I did learn from my fellow students in many ways. First, it is comforting to see that many share the exact same creative obstacles and follies. Once we see that writing has certain difficult passages we feel less isolated. It cheers us up to find out others get stuck around the same places that we do. Many of the participants have much more experience and education, which does reflect in the way they put their words together to express themselves. It matters little how large your vocabulary is, or how much you know about crafting dialog for a story if you are out of ideas. We all have to go to the well of creativity and draw water to keep our writing alive. In #ROW80 we share this mutual idea of renewing our source of inspiration. The group is much more powerful than the sum of its parts.
My new devotion to write, read and immerse myself in poetry stems from my ancestry. I have some famous poets in my family tree. This, more than any other accomplishment of my ancestors, has made me think about my own creative legacy. I don’t care to be famous, but think it is very cool to read the handwritten poems of my famous 9th great-grandmother. They are the work of a religious Pilgrim in America, not exactly my cup of tea. I still treasure the poems because they have a life of their own, staying in publication for hundreds of years. I can hear her “voice” because she recorded it (as best she could in the 1600s). She inspires me to refine, discover, and expand my own poetic voice.
I have done the ground work I agreed to do by publishing a poem daily. This is starting to be natural. Usually I do the drawing and poem first thing in the morning, which makes me feel good. I don’t get too critical of the work, I just make an attempt to prime the pump and get a constant flow of words. I will be happy when I become more fluent and need to edit with more thought and specificity. For the present I am pleased just to keep that daily beat. I stay with the images as well as the words while I do my daily routine. I think pondering the colors and the words I have used works to inspire the next day’s creation.
My goal to expose myself to the work of poets with whom I am not familiar is made incredibly easy by the fabulous podcasts and poetry apps available at little or no cost. I have also downloaded a couple of apps that help you create poems, and even record your work. There are many good options to read and to hear. These are a just a few of the new resources for poets and poetry fans:
- Poetry from the Poetry Foundation
- Poetry Daily
- American Poetry, 5000 poems and verses
- Poetry Foundation Podcast
- Poetry Translation Center Podcast
I am using these and a few other mobile apps to make it easy to find and lean about poets. I particularly like the translated work because the reading is done first in English, followed by the poem in the language in which it was written. I like to hear the sounds and the cadence of the original language after I know what it means. I have been pleasantly surprised by how easy and fun it is to discover poets and enjoy a variety of styles. I like the funny subjects the best.
I skipped the reading last week at the U of A Poetry Center. The schedule arrived in the mail for all the readings, events, classes and workshops to be presented in the spring semester. There is a series called the Poetics and Politics of Water which is very interesting to me. I have marked my calendar to be ready to attend all four parts of this collaboration with the American Indian Studies Program. I am also looking forward to an exhibition of photos from Afghanistan to accompany a presentation on oral folk poetry of the women of the Pashtun tribe, living on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is tremendous technical excellence built into all the work done at the Poetry Center. I cherish to the academic and aesthetic rewards of living very close to this special institution. It is my hope that with the inspiration of my dead poet ancestors and the living poets right around the corner I will be staking a claim to an identity as a writer. A lot can happen in 80 days!!
Meeting Expectations
January 8, 2015
— 8 Comments
cocktail that wants to be a poem
People walk through the doors of your expectations. This has been my belief for most of my life, and has proven to be a valid one. I have high standards, but notice how I am much more likely to apply them to others than to myself. I do set goals and make commitments, but not usually in a public way. This is why the #ROW80 challenge is perfect for me. I have set myself an expectation of working more creatively and do a daily bit to achieve that goal. I want to practice being more poetic in all aspects of life, so the drawing, photography and poetry are intended to build on themselves . I expect to become more observant in all aspects of my habitual life. There are already a few good results:
- I have kept my dream diary daily, concentrating on the words I associate with my dreams
- My daily drawing practice (digitally assisted) is enjoyable. I warm up for the day by making visual art
- I have written short poems to go with the art, inspired by the experience of creating it
- My attention has expanded to include all kinds of subjects for poetry that I had not considered
The addition of the art has made this exercise natural and easy for me. I have written poetry before, and even looked for art to use as inspiration. Making the art myself is a new and interesting way to tie my attention to a written project. Usually I write the prose, then add the visuals. Starting with color and form is a good way for me to see action and hue within the emotional tone I want to set. I have not attempted to draw anything realistic. My best work is not representational, but based on geometry and color. I am not afraid to try, and am considering going to the botanical garden and trying to do a depiction of the cactus section. Words to go with the cactus poem have been rattling around in my brain as a think about the idea. Although I do publish my work, the purpose of this venture outside my normal writing style is completely personal. I am not seeking adulation or followers. I am curious to see if my writing practice can expand and include more comedy, enlightenment, and beauty. So far, so good!! Now, for the poetry of others:
- I adore Dorothy Parker, and would love to emulate her style of poetry
- The U of A Poetry Center is holding a reading tomorrow night, and I may attend
- I discovered I like reading the Kindle on the exercise bike, so I plan to collect poets to read while I ride
- I will shop Amazon to discover the work of poets I do not know, and make a stop at the library
In general the poetic life is off to a fine start here. I have also started a food preparation calendar, which I think of as an extension of poetic thinking. I want my home life, my cuisine, and my fitness regime to reflect creativity and artful planning. The food preparation trip is actually a very good foundation because it concentrates kitchen time and frees me to wander off into the world of visual art and poetry. I have had some funny thoughts about food and drink poems I want to write. I think a cocktail series could be pretty funny. Asking “What would Dorothy Parker say?” is a fabulous prompt I am using. In my heart of hearts I want the ROW80 to turn me into a glib, sophisticated observer of the details of living. I don’t think that is too much to expect in 80 days.
cornbread that wants to be a poem
Saudis Laugh Last
January 7, 2015
— 6 Comments
PA and Penn State Teach Fracking
My grandfathers both worked in the oil business, so my parents were very much in favor of petroleum as the way of the future. My father went to Oklahoma University and Penn State to study petroleum engineering. He later got his PHD at Texas A&M in computers (industrial engineering). He was a big deal in the oil business before and after his professional career. After serving as president of the World Petroleum Congress in the 60’s he went on a lecture tour he referred to as the extinguished (distinguished) lecture circuit. He was speculative and relied too much on his own beliefs when investing. This worked out well for them in the glory days of petroleum. They rode the wave of high dividends and capital gains. Their investments did very well.
At the end of his life my dad was seriously demented as well as invested in some wild speculative oil fields in Texas and New Mexico. I had always considered my parents’ finances to be a private matter, but I started to be concerned that they could be left broke as a result of my father’s wildcat mentality. Indeed, when I discovered how far he had gone into these non liquid investments I saw they could brake the bank any day. The first thing I tried was to legally sell all my father’s holdings in these oil fields for $10 to my erstwhile husband, who had persuaded my dad to go deeper into this stuff. When he refused to buy them I knew there was big trouble. I actually left the unmentionable one when I discovered how awful my parents position was in terms of risk. He was willing to financially abuse my parents, which was not a huge surprise, but it was the very last surprise I was willing to have. I went about getting my parents’ assets in trust, which required that my father own the oil folly on his own so none of us could inherit it. It was a legal hassle and expense, but it was accomplished. The week before my father died his lawyer had convinced the partners in Texas to let him off the legal hook. They signed documents to free him, and he instantly died. The documents had not yet been recorded in Texas when he expired. The drama was heavy, but the ending was the best I could have desired. My mom still had plenty of money to live and none of us had an obligation to spend big, risk everything in the oil business. Whew!!
My mom had a happy and easy end to her life. She died at home on Jan. 4, 2008. On that day oil hit $100 a barrel. We figured this was the sign for which she had waited because my parents had always wanted $100 oil. They believed that the price might fluctuate, but it would always go up, no matter what. They invested their lives, careers, and life savings into the big petroleum idea. We just celebrated my mother’s death day, and noticed that on Jan 4, 2015 oil had reached $50 a barrel. During the last 7 years the US has developed the ability to produce oil at around $50 a barrel. It costs the Saudis around $12 to produce a barrel. All price wars are intended to eliminate competition for the market. The Saudis say they can go $30 if they feel like it, and the whole world will have to follow. The benefits of this global price war go chiefly to the Chinese government. Hold back on those selfies with the low gas prices. There are consequences not yet discovered, and they are not all good.
Mind Work/Body Work
January 6, 2015
— 1 Comment
Globe
There is no way to separate the effect the body has on the mind or the mind on the body. This intricate interaction is centered around self image, accurate or not. We may not see ourselves as we are. In fact, the yoga sutras begin by addressing this subject:
1.1 Now, instruction in Union.
1.2. Union is restraining the thought-streams natural to the mind.
1.3. Then the seer dwells in his own nature.
1.4. Otherwise he is of the same form as the thought-streams.
1.5. The thought-streams are five-fold, painful and not painful.
1.6. Right knowledge, wrong knowledge, fancy, sleep and memory.
This was written in Sanskrit and has been translated in many ways since Patanjali wrote it. This translation is by BonGiovanni. We learn by reading this ancient text how the mind works. It is very specific and detailed. Meditation is offered as remedy for confusion and lack of clarity of purpose. Westerners have flocked to yoga as the perfect fitness activity, enjoying all kinds of variations on yogic teachings. Here in the western hemisphere we have trouble integrating mind and body, consciousness with soul and spirit. We want to have landmarks and rewards for success as we progress. Yoga as a strictly physical practice, even if you include pramayama, or breath control, does not align with the purpose, which is to control the mind. If we are successful yogis we will not only dwell in our own nature, but we will be free of identifying with thought streams. This requires constant and uninterrupted practice. Thought streams arise from ourselves, from the opinions of others, from cultural belief, and from circumstances. To acknowledge them and let them go is a powerful and uplifting act. You are not your thought streams!! This idea is the basis of meditative practice. Learning to execute the perfect tree pose takes full concentration. Presumably there is no attention left for thought streams while you balance on one leg and stay aligned. Asana is not the only way to bring the mind into focus by using the body:
- Walking or running can be a kind of contemplation. Using a mantra while you move along can improve focus.
- Body work by a good therapist offers a healing, non-verbal way to leave the daily grind on the table.
- Bathing, steaming, soaking, or using aromatherapy reduces the level of stress, opening the door to bliss.
- Breathing is a simple, always available, way to bring your focus inward to keep your mind in order.
The easiest (and therefore perhaps the most difficult) breathing practice I know is just a simple counting of breath. Count to ten, marking each inhale and each exhale with a mental number. This seems so simple that you will be surprised how often you can’t make it to ten without the mind drifting off onto some thought form. When you observe the interruption, simply start again with a silent number one on the next breath. Don’t struggle with the thought; just let it go. Resume counting and breathing. Do you have a practice to focus the mind and keep it focused? Do tell.
#ROW80 Writing Challenge
January 5, 2015
— 11 Comments
winter writing challenge
I just read in a fellow blogger’s post about the ROW80 challenge. I have just started a practice to improve my writing by creating poetry and art. I had not planed to commit to a daily routine, but I am finding that starting the creative day by drawing, editing photos, and making visual art I am more likely to be observant for the day. Observant includes in this case a full attention to detail as I go through my life, and easy flawless observance of boundaries I have set. Since the group is making personal goals a shared conversation, observant will also mean that I pay attention to my fellow writers and the way they express themselves. This idea arrived at a most propitious time, since 80 days of tracking my goal of a more poetic life will give me a good jump start to a full time practice. I look forward to learning how other people contribute to this exercise.
Observe and Grow are the key words for my goal. I hope to grow my vocabulary, my skills, and my creativity by publishing art and poetry. By observing the world, as well as my dreams, I will find richer, more vibrant subjects. I tend to be a scribe, writing just the facts, and supporting the facts with some photo documentation. I still enjoy that, but feel I could do some story telling, humor, and abstract sound pieces if I develop my poetic sense. I want to see where poetry leads me. I am not seeking approval for the work as much as I am wondering what will happen when I apply myself.
For the next 80 days I will observe what happens when I write a poem each day. This is an adventure I will share. It will include:
- dream diary work to bring images into daily life
- reading poetry
- visiting the U of A Poetry Center
- developing photography and art to inspire my poetic sense
It is my desire to explore a different way of using the written word. I think it will open new doors for my self expression. I also believe my daily life will be enriched by looking for poetic subject matter. I publish my art and poetry on my Tumblr blog, The Flow.
winter writing challenge
