Awake and can’t sleep at 4 AM – really don’t like this – but will use the time to update blog. It’s been a couple weeks since I posted – been really busy sending out contest entries — and of course helping out with new baby of our youngest son – just born Nov 14 – a girl – makes five for them. Whew. and their dog just had four pups. They’re due to come over here in a few days – with a few other animals besides. W do have fun – altho there’s not enough snow yet.
Before I forget – wanted you all to know of the March Writers Weekend at the Beach, March 20-23 at Long Beach, Washington (on the peninsula). The conf. is at the United Methodist Retreat center. $200 includes all the workshops, food, and lodging — plus a really fun time of networking, in-class writing, walks on the beach, great times. It’s our 23rd year of this small conference – some of us have come every single time. We start looking forward to it by Sept of the preceding year. Contact Tracie Heskett, bobtracie@hotmail.com
This week, in addition to sending out contests entries, I’ve tried to write in the style of Emily Dickenson, wrote ekphrastics, (for unusual photos and art works), and other challenges I can’t even remember. Challenges and prompts are a great way to be motivated. For one thing, write a list of 5 words you find in the dictionary – now write a poem using all those words (I think I did that challenge too) – loved it. Or make up 2-3 words – all on your own. I woke up with a silly, nonsense poem the other day — wrote a rough draft- been thinking of additions to it — and WAHLA – found a contest market that wants such a poem. You just never know.
My favorite contest asking is: Narrative poems – since I’m a story writer. Have won a few prizes in contests in last few months, been in some anthologies — even some cash prizes. Unfortunately at our age, we have to think of the future a little– should we downsize and move? I’d rather not quite yet — too many projects left undone. But here’s a poem that mentions that
NO LINGERING
I’m not a liberty to linger here,
although I’d loves to spend several
years in review of family.
We watched ball gams, bike races,
choir concerts, drove to emergency rooms
on many Tuesday evenings.
I’d like to slow time down; the after
school quiet, broken by the sound of bus brakes,
door slams, and shouts for “Mom”.
Christmas comes. I lean on the vision of young
eyes, excited, expectant; while kids rattle,
measure, and keep track , as gift piles grow.
The cozy, sunny days at camp with everyone
in the water, splashing, skiing, dunking cousins,
brothers, grandchildren, shouting, carefree.
No, I’m not at liberty to linger,
even in this autumn time.
New adventures, bends in the road
beakon; yet they can never still, or match
past visions and sounds.
NOW I’D BEST THINK ABOUT GETTING THE PRESENTs WRAPPED. Merry Christmas to you all and may God’s peace come to you.