MOMENTS
LIQUID TIME
“I don’t think it is possible to contribute to the present moment in any meaningful way while being wholly engulfed by it.” Maria Popova
Z grasps the fringe of Khronos
“Zehara! Nooooooo…”
“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” ~ ~ Albert Einstein
COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND APPRECIATED.
THANK YOU.
OR
The A to Z Epics, More or Less
I started Tale Spinning at the beginning of 2011 as an offshoot of BornStoryteller. The latter went more towards non-fiction, rants, comparisons, and observations. Tale Spinning: an experiment in creative writing was the space I needed.
Since then, I’ve gone through periods of both non-stop writing and those “dry” spells, where nothing inspired or motivated me.
Joining the A to Z Blogging Challenge in April 2011 was one of the smartest moves I’ve ever made. I’ve pushed my own boundaries over the ten years, always looking for that “challenge.” Taking risks is stimulating. A lot of what I write is expressing what is burning within me at the moment.
Which is probably why I have trouble continuing plunging into the worlds and characters I’ve built over the years. The roller-coaster upheaval of my life during these last ten years have jaggedly flowed from euphoric to complete and utter numbness. This isn’t a pity party. Just stating the facts, ma’am.
Many bloggers/writers I have “met along the way have become family. What is “Family is Chosen” for $2,000, Alex?” (Man, I miss Alex Trebek. Right now, I am Team Levar Burton to become the new host. Reading Jeopardy Rainbow!). It’d take me the rest of the day (it’s early here) to point you all out, but my thanks and love are hereby sent. I even met the woman I love writing these blog posts during that first A to Z. Present tense, even though we are not together anymore.
Shit happens.
Anyways.
List Time. In case, you know, want to read past (and present) A to Z attempts. Each set starts with A on April 1st of that year. There might be a few preceding posts/teases over the years as I tried out the new voice I was shooting for.
A TO Z POSTS
Here’s something not A to Z that I’d love to get your feedback/comments. I keep getting drawn back to it on an emotional/mental level, but have not added a thing to it in quite a while. These were written during the summer of 2011.
ELSeWHEN
Liquid Time
“Forever is composed of nows.” ~ Emily Dickinson
Z thought as a black whole.
Z experienced everything at this/that moment without color.
Z tasted in shadows.
From the shadows came terror.
Z was a variant of a virulent tinnitus strain. Z was at a fixed point of -50 dB.
Z is the shriek that passes through the outer, middle, and inner structures, vibrating into an E Tube.
Traveling is a poor word of choice for Z in this state of being. Peripatetic is more to the point. Z travels from place to place, being to being, dimension by gradation of planes of existence
Z connects.
There are multitudes of levels of every emotional path that any can experience . Z knows.
There are a multitude of levels of pain. Hundreds of millions of points of view involving hundreds of millions of junctures, phases, factors, accents, factors. Z connects to All. All. All.
Z is at zero hour.
TRANSISTION
THE LAB
FLOAT POD con
“Stop fussing. Stop. I’m fine.”
Pushes hand away.
I said stop!”
Cursing, the medic walks out.
“Karen, there is nothing I can add to my statement.”
Debris is being removed. New equipment is being installed.
“Look, Val. Standard BS to make them happy. I know you. I know. Knew, Tyson. Just tell me what you edited out.”
Glare met stare.
“I do not have all day, Dr. Fill in the fucking blanks.”
Takes glass. Sips water. Another sip.
“VAL!”
“Tyson didn’t screw up. I did not screw up. He was being an ass, as usual.”
Pause.
“Fine. You heard the Banshee call. You heard the escalation. Then the cessation. The console sparked. I woke up on the steps, behind the railing.” Sips. “No, again, I have no idea how I wound up there. The pain in my back, my battered face? Stairs. Boom.”
Stare.
“Why did you break Tyson’s fingers?”
Pause.
“I…”
“Why did you break Tyson’s fingers?”
Pause.
Head turns. Sees FP. Nothing. Still in one piece.
Head still turned away.
“Jackass was reaching to mute. The data coming in and Tyson thought he was going to the mute button. He reached too far. He was going to incinerate the inside of the pod.”
“And?”
“He couldn’t hear me, damnit. He couldn’t hear me call out. I went for his wrist. My eyes were vibrating. Wrist. Hand. Fingers. I needed to stop him. So, I did.””
“And?”
Staring at the Float Pod. Shrugs shoulders.
Heartbeats pass.
“OK.”
Nod of head.
A chukka boot approaches.
Hand taps her shoulder.
“Dr. Marin? I need you to come with me, ma’am.
Her head turns to the other woman.
“Go with him, Valentina. Go. I’ll be with you again. Soon.”
Dr. Valentina Marin leaves what’s left of the lab.
She does not turn to look back.
THIS IS THE DAY Z DOES NOT DIE
Walk away. Walk away. Alone. Apart
Be dismissed, discarded, a second thought.
Now hide every piece of your broken heart
Love fractures, splits, by an uncaring dart
Shattered pieces, a broken soul is taut
Walk away. Walk away. Alone. Apart.
With love’s ending comes a yearn to depart
Disregarded love that never was sought
Now hide every piece of your broken heart
Each time, within your grasp, a fresh new start
Drifted, drifted, gone, even though you fought
Walk away. Walk away. Alone. Apart.
What was conceived more emotion not smart
Gave of yourself love could not be caught
Now hide every piece of your broken heart
Dreams of fidelity, hopes to restart
All dashed and ignored from a life so fraught,
Walk away. Walk away. Alone. Apart.
Now hide every piece of your broken heart
***************************************************************************
Author’s Note:
I used the poetic form of a Villanelle for the above poem. This is my first attempt as this was new, to me. Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” is a prime example of this poetic style. It is a 19 line poem with 5 Tercets (3 lines) that follow an ABA rhyme pattern, and one Quatrain (4 lines) to end the poem. Its rhyme pattern is ABAA. The last two lines of the Quatrain are the Refrain (which I crafted first) and they are used in the 2nd to 5th Tercet, intermittently. Thomas use of the 10 syllables per line harks to Elizabethan/Shakespearian Sonnets.
This was a bit challenging at first. I’m glad I tried it. I’ll probably do more, as I did with Sonnets over the years.
Remember: comments are always welcome.
Unfilled to the deepest depths, ardor fails
Pushing love away, Pulls love back again
Games you play, yet I come, no magic, stale
Enchant me with ardor not constant pain.
See a Bee searching for pollen to thrive
Deterred of flower's unopened petals
Across barren fields, darting to survive
Sharp blade edged, pierced deeply among nettles.
Yet, still, betrayed by the memories shared
Raptured embraces, hands entwined, we run
Kisses, smiles, our bed, enticed feelings bared
Blind to the vanishing you, soon undone.
Stagnant, I, bereft of your caring grace
The Bee wanders, black void drops into place.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
I am the organizer and host of two separate groups:
Both groups welcome writers of any genre or style.
We hope to see you.
Prompt: Write an Essential Character Trait: Put your thoughts in the comments: what are their essential character traits?
The AtoZ is a challenge. I take that seriously. Since 2011, my first foray into this, I have changed gears from year to year. I like stretching beyond my comfort zones. Some of it has been well taken in both Stats and comments. Others, like this year, not so much.
I am pleased with what I chose to do: write 26 Lyrical Poems under the theme title. Write every day in April, except Sundays. I have written poetry before, many well received by the readers. But, I write in that style intermittently.
This was truly a challenging April.
If you’ve followed from April 1st with Awakenings to Zealous O’er the Seas, you’ve experienced my venting, wistfulness, wishing, observations, and anger through my words. Some I rhymed on purpose, some I just let the words loose.
Every single poem was written with a genre of music or musician’s styling playing in my head. I did not intend to appropriate any specific song; it’s the overall mood they convey and are masters of. I’ve written songs before, but I have no knowledge of musical notation and I don’t play a musical instrument. I hear it inside and then turn to someone to collaborate with. From humming it out, setting the beats (as I see them), hearing it played, gets me going. Seeing how the meter is off from one (or many) line(s) starts my rewrite of the lyrics if needed. Tweaking the piece, scrapping whole verses, you know: first to finished draft.
The music that drifted around me as I wrote the poem daily (I don’t pre-write) is varied:
Why Nightmares from an Unbleached Soul? What does that mean, to you? What do you think it means to me? I asked that question near the end of the month and got one response.
Noor Anand Chawla wrote:
I think your title alludes to the fact that you lay yourself and perhaps your worst fears, bare to your audience, through these 26 pieces. “Nightmares” refer to your worst fears, and “unbleached soul” refers to the absence of restraint and being absolutely honest about your feelings.
Perhaps my explanation is too simplistic? What do you think?
Noor pretty much nailed it. I feel that nightmares go beyond our sleep. They are all around us. It could be people, situations, personal fears, perceived fears, and hurt that you feel has been done to you, or that you have done to yourself.
Noor also got the “Unbleached Soul” part. I would add to that when we follow the crowd, stop thinking on our own (or made to stop), refuse to look at things from another angle = Bleached. Soul or Mind: interchangeable.
Overall, I am a non-conformist. I despise the statement “We’ve always done it this way!” For me, there is no box for me to think out of. It’s been imposed on me time and again. Not my thing. I’m creative. I don’t always follow mindless rules, inflexible, with no desire to even listen to a different POV. Sometimes I’ve done that: those are the times I get headaches constantly and down more aspirin than I should.
Try Noor’s blog (link above). I think you’ll enjoy her writing.
I love the AtoZ Blog Challenge. I’ve come across some amazing writers, and many have become online friends. Their pieces are varied from all types of fiction to creative non-fiction to reviews and more. That’s a big part of why I come back.
As I mentioned above, I like a challenge when writing. This gives me that opportunity with the potential to reach well beyond the people who follow me. I’m not hawking for new followers. The performer side of me wants people to want more, for the readers to take what they will from the piece that can touch them &/or make them think.
I am disappointed, again already mentioned, with my stats and comments this year. This was the smallest audience of all my years participating. I went out on a limb, poured a lot of what’s inside of me (as Noor mentioned), and while getting some amazing feedback I wonder what didn’t connect with others. Normally, I’ve had serialized stories that are long in length. I get that. Long posts are sometimes passed over, especially when you are blog hopping.
If I join in again next year, I have a lot of contemplation ahead of me.
Big thanks to Arlee Bird and all the other hosts who worked on this year’s Atoz Blog Challenge. It is obvious how much work they have put in. It shows in many ways.
Big thanks 2, to all of my readers, commenters, and supporters. Too many to name, but know your interaction is priceless.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone.
There was a ship tore o'er the sea Zealous she was in name and in deed We caught with ease all of our prey, Nary a one gave us a slip The bounty was always plenty Filling out hold to the deck. Fill up our ale mugs and raise them high Give our Captain Bones a cheer Hey! Stalwart and brave, a rogue to his core Captain Billy Jack Bones HEY! Billy Jack led the Zealous on many a wild chase She was a fearsome sight to behold With raised colors most tried to flee As we came upon them All the crews fought valiantly But for them it came to naught Fill up our ale mugs and raise them high Give our Captain a cheer Hey! Stalwart and brave, a rogue to his core Captain Billy Jack Bones HEY! Billy Jack entranced the women on each pirate isle From St. Mary's Island came Jaquotte; Clew Bay gave up Sadie Tortuga brought his Bonny; Ching Shih was from Port royal At Barataria Bay he fell for Mary Read His met his fate on New Providence, Anne Bonny Fill up our ale mugs and raise them high Give our Captain a cheer Hey! Stalwart and brave, a rogue to his core Captain Billy Jack Bones HEY! The six hellions thought they his only bride Given the news from the massive Black Ghost Ship Sailing out aboard the ship, the six brides did plan To give Billy his comeuppance for once and evermore Fill up our ale mugs and raise them high Give our Captain a cheer Hey! Stalwart and brave, a rogue to his core Captain Billy Jack Bones HEY! Captain Bones was surrounded, ale wenches four All headed to his den, for pleasure and more A blow to his noggin ended that display Tethered to a mast he awoke to six deadly glares Each bride flogged our Billy in turn, unmercifully Anne Bonny approached him at the last, no whip in sight Proud was our Captain, he stared into her eyes Anne Bonny aimed her pistol; Billy Jack Bones was gone So heed this tale when considering to wed Be extra cautious with who you take to bed Marriage vows are sacred; Offer no contempt Or you'll live in agony beyond what was ever dreamt
Fill up our ale mugs and raise them high Give our Captain some cheers Hey! Hey! Stalwart and brave, a rogue to his core Was Captain Billy Jack Bones HEY! HEY! Captain Billy Jack Bones HEY!
**************************************************************
**The female pirates, the pirate safe havens, the Zealous, are all part of Pirate history. The HMS Zealous lived on in three different vessels. I moved the female pirates around for this story-song. The pirate havens were real. Plundering was real.
Everything else was my creation. Hey Hey!
Nightmares from an Unbleached Soul theme is at its end. 26 lyrical poems written daily during the month of April (no Sundays). It began on April 1st and ended Thursday, April 30th. There is still one more piece to this year’s AtoZ Blog Challenge: we are asked to write our Reflections on the process, successes, thoughts, and any changes you might like to make. All the blogs that survived this Apri’s challenge will post their Reflections between May 4th to May 16th.
I will post my Reflections on either May 4th or 5th. I’ll let you know.
I hope you find new blogs that draw you in. If you wish to, go to The Master List.
I’ve asked a few questions along the way: what genre of music you think suits the lyrics best? Who or what style of music was in my head when I wrote these? My last one for the end:
Comments are always welcome.
HEY! HEY!
Tale Spinning 