Do You Feel Lucky?

(and feel free to comment! My older posts are certainly no less relevant to the burning concerns of the day.)

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Poems are hard!

Anybody out there try to write a poem deliberately? It's hard. Even if you don't sweat the quality! In fact, despite what you think, the crappy ones aren't any easier. The good ones are usually a little easier. But even there, it can be a real crap shoot.

I've written seven (7) poems since that post yesterday, and I have to say, man. It's getting to be tough going. I'm one hell of a hard worker, but where poetry's concerned, hard work alone isn't enough! It takes one other very important element: and frankly, I've got no idea what that is. I've been doing OK so far faking my way along, but I'm ready to admit when I could use a helping hand.

So, this is kind of a risk for me. I'm not the kind to ask for help, much. I'm putting myself out there on this one, a little bit. I'm exposing my vulnerability here, just by asking for help. But I'm doing it anyway. So go easy on me. It takes courage to help somebody, but no way near as much courage as it takes to ask for help. People who ask for help are the real heroes.

So anyway. Anybody who wants to help me out, by suggesting in the comments thread a brief idea, or concept - it could be as little as just a word or two. Any slight hint or tip or tidbit, topic-wise, that might touch off a firestorm of creativity within me, to help me meet my arbitrary and irresponsible goal of another 100 poems by midnight, December 31st of this year - well, if you'd be kind enough to help, I'd be grateful enough to say so.

Wait. That's completely confusing. I don't mean "midnight Dec. 31st" - I mean by the end of 11:59 PM December 31st. Like, 11:59:59 at the latest. For those of you who hew to military ways: 23:59:59. That's when I need to be done by, not midnight! Because at midnight December 31st, I'll still have the whole next 24 hours left to go!

Anyway, either way, you get what I mean. That's a lot of poems!

I stress, this isn't a homework situation, to give me a tough assignment when I'm looking for some easy help! I'm not claiming I'll be able to crank out poems to your exact specifications, or anything. I think the best either of us can hope for would be a situation where your cryptic hint or suggestion could serve as the jumping-off point for something greater, lesser, other, or similar from my prolific poem-zone. And if so, wow - everybody wins! And you could then feel privileged to say, "that poem probably never would have happened."

6 comments:

Lunarchick said...

I have been racking my brain here. I think I have stage fright. I keep thinking "random tidbit...come on Alice. Just give SOMETHING here." And the harder I think the more blank my brain is. Paradox. Oh no I have created a paradox! Look out!

(random tidbits are hard too it seems)

Random tidbit 1: clips, lips, PS

Random tidbit 2: our strive to communicate and connect has pushed us further away from each other. The more we grope for connections the more isolated we are becoming. One day we might be just brains floating in sterile liquid inside sterile white rooms with robot attendants.

Random tidbit 3: Christmas tress are funny (okay I stole that one from my 3 year old niece).

Random tidbit 4: plaid is friendly, pinstripes are not.

Okay that's it for now. May visit with more later.

dogimo said...

Thanks, Alice! I'll take whatever you got.

Some of these will definitely help!

Percolatin'.

Hm, this one might already count for tidbit 3!

dogimo said...

Or...it might really not. My memory had it kind of different!

Every time you mention your niece I want to begin referring to you as Auntie Alice.

Lunarchick said...

Go right ahead...she does. And she calls the husband Uncle Carrot. His name is Gerrit, but she thinks carrot is funnier. I am inclined to agree.

Mel said...

This may have potential ...

http://www.engrish.com//wp-content/uploads/2009/10/new-collection.jpg

It's been doing my head in, wondering what the connection is between what appears to be nail scissors and a girl who writes "beautiful poems" ... but there must be one.

dogimo said...

Say Lc, I just got a pretty good poem out of your brains-in-jars idea! Thanks!!

I just wanted to specify, though, since it's a little on the lovey-dovey side, I took the setting idea from you but the more specific inspiration for the content is my sweetie. I would not want you feeling uncomfortably hit-upon ahem ahem!!! Having been there myself, I never want to put anybody in that position.

But the real question might be, what the hell does it say about me that I can get a lovey-dovey poem out of a brains-in-jars idea...