Dancing, Writing, and Living

Half asleep I stumbled
slowly into the kitchen
and then looked up and out
of the huge picture window,
startled by the impression of eyes
watching me with wariness.
Two deer standing still
with their ears cupped towards
me, and their soft eyes
waiting for me to make the first
move, so I waited too.
Then I whispered, knowing
my husband already half awake
would hear me, and come rubbing
his eyes to stop stock still in the
hallway and watch them, watching us.
Finally, deciding we were harmless,
they twitched their ears, and went
on eating the rose buds.
The cat meowed, and our reverie
broken, we moved as they did,
slowly going about our breakfast.

I'm not sure this is really poetry, but I wanted to write it out quickly, and try to capture the stillness and the watchfulness, the peace in the midst of preparation for the day.

"Writing is a dance of language." Ivan Doig said it first, and I often play with that idea, and what it means for me. Some days it is about the rush of excitement, the keys pounding furiously to an upbeat rhythm. Some days it is about the moment of stillness in the midst of a blessedly full life.

Dancing flows, pounds, leaps, stomps, and embraces the music of life. Writing flows, pounds, leaps, stomps, and embraces the nuances of life. Both dancing and writing reflect and encourage living. My hope is that someday, my writing will have that kind of spark, that rhythm that draws us closer in relationship to God, and each other. I've seen dance, and read writing that does that.

So, on the days when I sigh, and think, I would just like to finish a novel and get it published, I know that I have big dreams that maybe aren't big enough. I hope someday to have a novel published, but I also hope that my writing truly becomes a dance of language.

The Answer Key, and other thoughts

The Answer Key.
I write those words, and a part of me thinks, "I need one of those." Just for general life, an answer keys seems like a good idea, like knowing the plot-line of a story that's taking shape.

After mulling over that phrase a few more times, "the answer key, THE ANSWER KEY, The Answer Key," I finally think of the answer key I do have. The Bible. All the answers and the basic plot-line of faith that's taking place in my life are right there.

However, having an answer key in the form of a well-written plot-line for my fiction is an area I struggle with daily. I either want to sail away from the shore with no maps and enjoy the adventure of story writing, or I want to have my course plotted moment by moment. Today I'm trying for a middle ground, getting the basic plot points written out, and starting over.

There, I said it. I'm back on the dock, with a manuscript in hand, and re-starting the journey on a new ship with a map, compass, and logbook in hand. My old ship sank, and the rowboat was springing a leak as I made my way back to shore. The Crystal Sword is being re-fitted on a new voyage with new sails, new rigging, and a few old boards from the old boat just to keep the basic storyline I had in mind.

On a less serious note, when I started this post, I was thinking mainly of the answer key for yesterday's questions about where I've found specific examples of rhyme and rhythm, poetic prose in "real" life.

"Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty" is from Wendy's.

From the Clash of the Titans movie trailer:
"One day somebody's gonna have to take a stand,
One day somebody's gonna have to say enough."

From The Last Airbender movie trailer:
"The last of his kind
will risk everything to save mankind."

From Francesca Battistelli:
"Cause I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy"

And for today's try at poetry, I started feeling a bit empty, then wrote something I liked so well that I decided to submit it to Every Day Poets . . . and part of the submission agreement is that it is not to be published anywhere else first so I had it on my blog for two minutes and then took it off. Hopefully I haven't gotten myself into a legalistic conundrum. If it doesn't get published there, I'll post it. Sorry about that.

Poetry, Challenges, and Contests

In search of poetry
I find myself
delighted with words
sorrowful and sweet,
words of anguish and defeat,
of glory and majesty.

"The world is at my feet"
and all around me vibrant
rich, full, and even "in 3D"
without the glasses or the
booming sound system, I am
completely immersed in life.


So, I'm challenging myself to write poetry this week, even if it isn't perfectly poetic.

In the midst of searching for soul deep words rich with meaning, instead of the flat, overused ones that dull my senses, I've stumbled across poetic prose all around me.

There is poetry in advertising, movies, music, and the books I just happen to be reading right now.

For example:
"Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty" is one of the specialty drinks that I've seen advertised recently. I discovered it while my youngest daughter was looking for tongue twisters. Try to say it five times fast. Or just listen to the rhyme and rhythm of the words.

From two different movie trailers:
"One day somebody's gonna have to take a stand,
One day somebody's gonna have to say enough."

"The last of his kind
will risk everything to save mankind."

-You may notice that the movie trailers are a bit cliched, but they do seem to work to draw movie-goers into theatres. Is it the pull of rhyme and rhythm?

From music, there are so many options that I'm just going to go with one of my favorites:
"Cause I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy"

I'm currently reading: Jeremiah in an NIV Bible, Run With Horses by Eugene H. Peterson (a study of Jeremiah), Dolphin Song by Lauren St. John, Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede, Write Now! edited by Sherry Ellis, and a number of home school related books. Poetric phrasing seems to be leaping off the pages.

So, here's my challenge for you, if you would like to take it: Can you figure out where the advertisement, two movie trailers, and music quotes are from?

I wish I had a really cool signed book to give away, but I don't have those pieces together yet. So this is all just for fun.

If you would like a really cool signed book, then check out the Spread the Awesome Day at Benedictions and Jen Wilks and many others . . .those two will get you started.

Have a blessed day! Enjoy the dance of language!

Challenge for the week: A poem a day

I don't have any amazing prizes to give away, but I would like to invite you to join me in writing a poem a day this week.

Maybe poetry isn't your "thing," but I have to say that isn't always mine either. I started writing it on a regular basis to break those dry spells in my writing. I mean, if I'm having a hard time getting in a 1,000 words a day, I should be able to write nine lines of verse, or twelve, or maybe a haiku.

So, after writing poetry mainly on days when I was having a "bad" writing day, feeling down on my ability to express myself, or just needing to boost the thoughtfulness going into my word choices, I decided to write it more regularly. I write about 20 poems a month now, and most of them are terrible.

So, good or not, I'm writing at least a poem a day this week and posting them. If you would like to join me, just go ahead and post yours in the comment section. Good, bad, ugly, strange, go for it! Try dancing with the language. You never know, you might come up with something wonderful!

Here's my day's attempts:

apple blossoms cast
white petals in green grass
-spring's bridal veil




wind roars through the trees
gusts crashing branches like
- waves breaking at the ocean


And now, back to those 1,000 words for the day . . .

Just a few more minutes . . .

Have you ever wanted just a few more minutes?

To sleep?

To read?

To write?

To cook?

To laugh?

To play?

To clean your house?

Filled with those kinds of moments, this weekend kept reminding me of how quickly time passes. I wonder if I will ever re-capture the feeling that it moves slowly, like I remember from when I was young(er).

I have this glorious picture in my head of a summer day, laying in unmown grass, staring up at the blue sky through leafy branches, sweaty from running but enjoying the cool tickle of the grass beneath me, glad to have a friend next to me who I could laugh with . . . that moment seemed golden and eternal, and yet it was just a moment.

I hold it inside like a snapshot of perfection. Thankfully I have many snapshots like that stored up in my memory so when I feel like I just want a few more minutes, I know to take a breath and be thankful, take another snapshot in my head and live in the next moment that comes.

Today I finished my Readers' Challenge a few days late at my blog about home school life Keeping Track, and I am preparing to substitute teach a group of kids under 10 at my co-op. We'll be singing scripture songs, and fun Bible songs for an hour. They are such a joy! More moments to capture, and hopefully write about soon.

So, how about you? Are there moments when you want just a few more minutes? And when do they happen?