New Year of Writing

My only New Year’s resolution is to keep writing, and to keep moving forward. The days of stagnation are over. At the exciting age of 54, I must do or do not, there is no try—any longer.

I came across a terrific writing prompt on the blog Not Quite Enlightenment Chicago poet David Buddha-Hargarten of Waiting 4 the Bus. Apparently, he picked it up from Donna Vorreyer. The idea is to take a 10-12 word quote, or a 10-12 line poem, use the individual words of the quote or the first word of each line of poetry as the first word in your line of poetry. I thought it was a great way to start the New Year off writing. It’s a different way for me and I’ve found different to be good for creating—gives me an inspirational challenge.

A Facebook friend, Cassidy Webb of Webb Weaver always posts quotes from writers, so I decided to visit her page and pull a quote for the exercise. I came away with one from F. Scott Fitzgerald:

Draw your chair up close to the edge of the precipice and I'll tell you a story.

The following is my first attempt at the exercise and I will most likely do it again—maybe even later today.

Draw from the deck of
your dream cards the
chair of Queens or Kings
up on which to repose.
Close by the fantasy of life
to sup at the table, to sip
the nectar of eternity at the
precipice of time, where mind
and heart are one. Where
I’ll whisper of promises,
tell tales created to entice
you. Surrender your being to
stories written by souls freedom.

dk
2011