Done Until Dusk

Dawn brought weeding, dungarees, and t-shirt,

flip-flopped feet, head to toe gnats, green shavings and dirt.

Mid-morning showers revived and refreshed

to a bouncy, kicky neon green hippy dress.

Mountain folks’ eyes blared the wonder,

“Is she a koo-koo?”

Other hill fellas seemed dazzled by stardom,

“Well, hello darlin’.”

A toss of coconut-shampooed hair said,

“Who cares” and then again,

“Oo-la-la to you too honey,” with a wink.

Fun, tantalizing, and thrilling little loop.

Dusk settled on dungarees, dirt and chicken poop. 

Feel the Earth -AROS

Work the earth, feel the earth
Gloves not allowed

And So Begins the Day

Cilantro gone to seed

Looks a lot like Queen Anne’s Lace

Plump, dew dripped blackberries

Protected by brambles and snakes

Makes them more enticing

Coffee steam and tobacco swirls

A sign of man about

Disturbs not birdsong or cock’s crow

Earth’s morning dance

With Grandfather Sun burning

Through cool mountain mist

Mello chases bees

From nectar buffet

Rocky howls for freedom at the

Jackrabbit twitching in tall milk thistle

Air heavy with wild honeysuckle and

Sour dampness of red clay

Somewhere beyond

A deep oak fire diffuses dawn’s chill.

And so begins the day.

Writer's Block

I’ve come to realize that writer’s block is not so much a block as the internal critics shackles.

I haven’t written anything substantial all year. I’ve not worked on the novel I retired to the mountains to do; I’ve not compiled the poetry manuscript that’s been on the back burner for several years – probably burnt to a crisp by now; I’ve not written any new poetry, and I’ve written very few blog posts.

A few months ago, I thought I was getting closer to the explicit act. I’d subscribed to some writerly blogs and newsletters, and was feeling the twitch. In fact, I was twitching all over.

The Write Practice gives prompts with every newsletter, and every Sunday I get the Sunday Whirl with words to create poetry. Today, another blog posted about Using Setting as a Character by Marylu Tyndale, while the prompt from The Write Practice was to write about a road trip. There’d been another about ‘not’ being balanced, and one that listed the 22 Rules of Storytelling According to Pixar. That got printed and is hanging in front of my face this very minute. The twitch had become a burning itch.

So what did I do? Nothing. That critic shackled my hands with the question, “What does any of that have to do with your novel or your poetry? If you going to write, then write what you’re supposed to be writing. If you’re going to call yourself a writer, then do it, but since you’re not doing it…”

The itch cooled quickly and the twitching has subsided.