Lightning
Inspiration:
I’ve often found that I’m easily 10 times more productive on my best days than on my worst. (As if “productivity” were a measure of success in life– but it pays the bills, so I’ll save that rant for another day.) On rough days, routines can be helpful, but not may not be sufficient. Sometimes it might be better to let go of the expectations (self-imposed, or others-imposed) and pause the focus on “the work” that “must be done”, and instead do something that will help the work flow more easily. Hint: a little fun goes a long way. (And so does a quick nap.) Stepping away from the work for a bit can be an investment, not only in oneself, but in the work as well. You may be surprised what you come up with when you come back to it a few minutes later. Sometimes we just need to get out of our own way for a while.
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
Lightning
Some say to write the same time each night
whe’r or not you feel the urge.
Yet others do say to wait ’til the day
when inspiration starts to surge.
But I’m looking for proof out perched on my roof
installing a lightning rod.
I like to write when I’m struck by the light,
but I’m not opposed to increasing the odds.
Thinkin’
Inspiration:
One of my boys once wrote that his brother was “stoopid” (on furniture, in sharpie!). I absolutely love that! I love the irony of it, and the childhood innocence. I like writing about childhood and naiveté, perhaps because the loss of both is tragic. We don’t have to lose our childlike love of the world and our ability to play. And the fact of the matter is, we are all profoundly more “stoopid” than we realize. At least, I is.
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
Thinkin’
Teecher said to think deeply,
so deeper and deeper I thunk
’til my eyes they were a crossin’
and my mind was nearly sunk.
Then I think I got it,
but then again maybe not,
’cause for this stoopid test question
this is all I got.
Examples
Inspiration:
I’ve had some really great examples in my life. Good ones, bad ones, and ones in between!
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
Examples
Some people’s lives are exemplary,
they show us just how to live,
the right things to do and to think and to say,
where to go and what best to give.
Other people serve as a lesson
in all things what not to do.
Their lives start out with potential and promise,
but bad decisions then turn them to poo.
But what if you’re somewhere between?
You need not feel any grief.
If you’re not the best nor the worst in the land,
you must be the comic relief!
The Burden
Inspiration:
Sometimes perspective can be better than rest.
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
The Burden
This burden is too great to bear,
Dear God, I must put it down.
Perhaps I’ll trade that man over there
whose burden is on the ground.
His looks lighter and easier than mine,
it would give me the break I need.
And toughening up for him would be fine,
my burden’s perfect indeed.
While he looks away I’ll make the switch
and give his load a try….
Ha! It’s so much easier to pitch,
I’m sure with it I’ll be able to fly!
Hmm, these straps really hurt,
and it’s weighted over my toes.
I’m getting a headache from what smells like dirt,
and something’s smacking my nose.
Maybe this one’s not for me,
there’s another one over there
that’s even easier from what I can see,
half weight, yet twice as fair.
Hmph, what’s in this little one,
lead bricks or college books?
It’s definitely not very much fun
and way heavier than it looks.
What else? Not this one, it looks sad.
And that one’s growing hair.
This one smells way too bad.
What’s that one over there?
An abandoned burden on the ground,
fits great and the weight is fine.
Whose is this load that I’ve found?
The tag says… Hey, it’s mine!
Waterfall
Inspiration:
Probably childhood memories of learning how to pee in the woods when there wasn’t a bathroom anywhere in sight, combined with the memory of running down hills with my siblings yelling “look out, look out below”, inevitably crashing and burning. Luckily kids are so low to the ground that I survived that kind of stuff.
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
Waterfall
If you want to pee silently,
then pee off the side of a cliff,
no sound of water or ground or tree,
just the sound of the wind and of silent relief.
So go ahead, pee and be free,
if it’s raining no one will know.
But if it’s sunny outside then remember please,
first yell “Look out below!”
The Apple
Inspiration:
This is the poem of thing that happens when you like to ponder physics, but also like to twist phrases around in your head.
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
The Apple
I threw an apple into the air,
it hit me on the head,
but it was nothing New-
tons of people said
that fruit gone up must come down
and land upon the ground.
(But when you have the stomach flu
it’s the other way around!)
The Critic
Inspiration:
Ah, those voices inside my head….No, not that kind!
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
The Critic
He said I’d never make it,
that I’d fail, was no good,
that winning required having skills
I didn’t have, and never would.
Always my worst critic,
he saw every armor chink,
exploited all my weakest points,
made me second-guess my re-think.
But I’ve learned not to listen
so I can sing the victor’s song,
I silenced his voice inside my head
and finally proved myself wrong!
Story of my life
Inspiration:
You may wonder how one creates their finest work. Well, I wrote this literary masterpiece while jogging with my dog one fine snow-dusted morning on the trails near my house, dictating it into my phone. The first half of it is a true story. The rest of it is what my twisted mind came up with (sorry to disappoint).
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
Story of my life
I see a poop on snow-dusted trail,
my keen eyes detected the brown detail
beneath the white camouflage
while out this morning dogging my jog.
And since I’m smart, I’ll go around,
no poop on my foot will be found!
But wait, ’tis not a poop at all,
it’s just a stick, straight and tall.
No poop could stand up quite like that,
a poop is soft and would lie down flat.
It’s not a poop , ’tis a kicking stick
waiting patiently to be kicked!
Brings back childhood memories
of soccer games, my Pelé dreams
dashed by bully Bob and his soccer throng,
I’ll kick 10 feet, finally prove them wrong!
Childhood freedom, a simple thing,
so I step up and take a swing.
But I never was that good at ball,
and I guess it wasn’t a stick at all….
Blinds
Inspiration:
Dawn is my favorite time of day – I get some of my best sleep then!
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
Blinds
So as not to confuse my body and brain
as to whether it’s day or night,
and to keep me from going completely insane
I’ll open the blinds and let in the light.
And if my mind and body will sync,
instead of sinking in seas of despair,
I’ll finally be able to freely think,
and my eyes will see clearly through cloudy air.
Perfectionism-ish-ness
Inspiration:
Let me think, let me think, what is the perfect thing to say here? I’ll come back to it after I’ve crafted it a bit and got it just right.
Medium:
Pigmented ink pen and colored pencils.
Perfectionism-ish-ness
“The perfect poem”?
–No, no, no, that’s not right.
“A poem on perfection”?
–Meh, that doesn’t sound tight.
“Cleanliness is next to…”?
–That’s way too abstract.
What if I leave it blank?
–No one will get it, that’s wack!
I need something cool,
something hip, that fits in.
“The rad, boss, catchy poem”?
–Stupid!…Donner and Blitzen?
Now my mind’s on a tangent,
perfection is so hard to win!
Once I get down the title,
I’ll be able to begin!