Visits and Creepy Poetry

Well, they’re up to their old tricks again. It’s getting comical at this point. Maybe they’re sending signals because it’s “All Hallows' Eve.” Ah, you know who I mean, don’t you? Yes, it’s them again.

I was driving with my son yesterday and at the stop light, I noticed a license plate on the car in front of me with the birth date of an ex-boyfriend on it; that would be the day, month, and year. (An ex-boyfriend that is still alive, mind you.)

Huh. Interesting.

When I looked at a second car, I noticed it had the word “hug” on it.

Then I looked at a third car where I saw the name of a different ex, and a fourth car that had a word significant to all of this on its license plate. (To protect the names of the innocent, I won’t go into detail here.)

That’s four cars at one stop light; a first time that has happened.

I let it dissipate from my mind, but then on the drive home with my daughter today, I noticed the name of a game my dad used to enjoy playing on the license plate in front of me. That car drove away and the next car said, “Luv,” on it.

Seriously, I think all of these people I’ve lost over the past six or so years are having fun with me, trying to remind me on a day when I’m feeling blue – blue about the state of the world, about the weather, and other personal issues that mean nothing compared to the big picture - that I am actually thought of.

At least by them.

I will leave this Halloween post with a “creepy” poem, written using a prompt from Poetic Asides:

Visit

Shadowy man moves
me to sleeplessness, in the morning
just a picture
hanging
where it’s always been,
slamming
to the floor, hazy hand
demanding
attention

Fun with Form Poetry

Photo by Dariusz Dembinski

My blog has been quiet. I know, I know. It has been on my mind.

As I juggle multiple projects with more jumping into the mix each day, my blog sits here staring at me, giving me a feeling I cannot ignore.

I do have several blog posts started. Instead, today I offer a poem written using a prompt from Poetic Bloomings. Please check out their website for rules of this poetry form known as the Blitz. Here is my attempt:

Trail your Soul

Hike up your skirt
Hike up a steep trail
Trail mix in your bag
Trail your friend
Friend your neighbor
Friend a stranger
Stranger than déjà vu
Stranger is better
Better than normal
Better than routine
Routine is boring
Routine can be meditation
Meditation soothes
Meditation brings peace
Peace of the soul
Peace of the mind
Mind full of nothing
Mind full of love
Love for good
Love even for bad
Bad isn’t always evil
Bad can break your heart
Heart has been worn down
Heart needs a hug
Hug me yesterday
Hug me today
Today tears took me aside
Today I breathe
Breathe the breaths of a lifetime
Breathe the emotion in
In your world I am invisible
In your mind I am gone
Gone to another plane
Gone away too soon
Soon I will be missed
Soon my words dissolved
Dissolved into the wind
Dissolved back into eraser dust
Dust to irritate the senses
Dust thrown to the trash
Trash me with your past
Trash my heart with silence
Silence is calming
Silence is music
Music to a heart in mourning
Music to calm my soul
Soul now trapped inside this life
Soul to be freed one day
Day will appear without warning
Life has been oh so loved

Actually this exercise brought back a blog post I read a while back written by Emily McGee at One Trailing Spouse. She records her funny and informative adventures trailing along with her work-traveling husband. Be sure to check it out!

And thanks for stopping by.

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• Having a grumpy day? I just found this old blog post reminding me of a day when I used my children's words to get us all out of the mood.
• Another blog to visit when you're feeling grumpy, well, uh, because she's funny! Bolton Carley on Wordpress.

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Sunday Fun Day

Our rainstorm the other day reminded us that winter is coming. We had about 3 inches in fifteen minutes, complete with thunder, and lightning that I watched strike not far off in front of me when I went to pick up my daughter. Our backyard is sloped with culverts running through it. Every year they need to be cleaned of pine needles and other debris to clear the path for white water.

We gathered our workers and got started.

They decided it wasn't so bad after all. It was even a little fun.

I took a break and looked at the view.

I even enjoyed the view from the hammock. 

But not for long. I had too many other things to do. 

Later, I went to Barnes and Noble to look over some books on poetry. I bought a hot chocolate and pulled theThe Poetry Toolkit: For Readers and Writersoff the shelf. 

Then I found a cozy chair where I felt at home, across from the theater books. To my left was a man who was also writing, reading, and drinking a Starbucks. We held our cups up at the same time and smiled at each other. 

Ahh . . . bliss. 

My poetry teacher popped into my mind; I thought about the mind-expanding experience I had in her class. (Private message me if you want information on her classes.) Then I decided to check my email where I found a message from her telling me of a poetry anthology in San Diego that is looking for writers.

I love synchronicity. 

My deadline to submit is tomorrow. I guess I'd better sign off and get on it.

Happy almost Monday.

Slip-Ups

She’s been thinking about things
that don’t need thinking
about. She’s been climbing tree
houses in her mind, slipping
down one rung at a time, slipping
down into limbs that couldn’t
hold her, slipping down into ground
even colder, slipping down
she falls even harder. Trees
hide the better views, the way
she wants life to be. Climbing, she slips
back into comfort of swayed thinking
about things that don’t need thinking
about.

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I wrote this using Robert Lee Brewer's prompt at Poetic Asides. Fun! Thanks, Robert.

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When Writing Stinks

Yesterday was a hard day. Actually, no it was the past three days. Wait. It has been this whole past year. No, forget that. The past six years have been . . . emotional. No, no, no, it’s been longer than that. Well, you get the picture. Life is hard. Thankfully, it’s also fun.

I think of all that I have.

• A family
• Many friends
• Part of two wonderful communities of writers
• Books/Access to Learning
• Decent enough health to get through each day
• My computer and journals to write with
• A house
• A car
• I could go on and on

For a few days there, I could not write. Actually, I was writing. It’s just that everything I wrote turned out like "doo-doo." I’ve had too many emotions rumbling around.

What did I do to get past it?

I wrote anyway, knowing that I’d most likely never send any of it out. Or maybe I could use bits of it later in new pieces. After that, I took my dog for a walk, hoping to tune into my surroundings for some inspiration. Then I did some reading.

Yesterday I was overwhelmed by the gracious comments on my poem at Curio Poetry. Check out this one: “I want a Linda Hat, so I can think thoughts like this and put these images onto paper. Bravo!”

Then last night I had a comforting dream visit from my dad. Today I seem to be back on track. Thank you for all of the positive energy.

Just curious. What do you do when your writing is “off”?

Carry on!

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• I'm sorry I missed this challenge: Jane Ann McLachlan's October Memoir and Backstory Blog Challenge. I've read some really good pieces coming out of it. 

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See it, Believe it, Find it - Vision Boards

Photo by Loredana Bejerita

Today I decided to make a new vision board, so was flipping through one of the old magazines from the stack given to me to use for art projects. Halfway into it, I came across an article on “the right way to use a vision board.”

I love synchronicity.

The author, Martha Beck, talks about how she was illustrating a children’s book and the animals she was drawing wound up appearing in her life as she envisioned them. She explains that she was looking at a picture of parrots indigenous to her home city, wishing she could see them. Just after she thought it, three parrots appeared outside her screen door.

Her story reminded me of this summer when I was sitting at the Apple store, waiting for my kids to finish their Apple Camp class. I had just been envisioning owning a Mac, thinking how nice it would be to have one for a change. (We have an older desktop PC). Just after I thought it, a store clerk came up behind me with a woman who was asking where she could give away the Mac she was replacing. I asked her if I heard her right, if she really wanted to give away her computer. She looked at me and said, “Yes, do you want it?”

I love synchronicity.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had thoughts turn into reality almost immediately.

But when I first started studying “Law of Attraction” and the philosophy that goes with it, I was not a believer. I decided to test it out, so I envisioned a Model T. I wanted to see one driving down the street; it had been a long time since I’d seen one, so I thought it was a good experiment. I started spending a few minutes a day seeing the Model T in my mind. It took finding a toy version first. Finally after a few days though, I did see one driving down the street.

Beck’s article goes on to say that, when creating the vision board, rip out pictures that trigger a physical reaction rather than ones that register in your head.

This rings true for me. I think it took longer for me to see the Model T because my head was involved in the process more than my heart was. Every time I’ve noticed things almost instantly appearing in my life, my head stayed out of the vision.

I still have a lot of thought monitoring to do. It’s also hard when environmental factors affect emotions.  It takes practice. I’m still learning.

Now where was I?

Oh yeah, it’s time to envision myself putting together a board. One that makes me feel excited when I look at it.

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• Do you have any interesting stories about manifesting things in your life? I would love to hear from you.
• Find me on Facebook.

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A Visit from Dad

On my way to get Miles a quickie dinner after soccer practice the other day, I was thinking of my dad and how much I missed him. We have been having a challenging year and I guess I was having a moment of, “I want my daddy!”

After I ordered our food, I pulled up and looked up at the license in front of me.

Dad was there.

Among the two end numbers (that made sense in another way), sat Dad’s birth date. Funny the car it was on was called an “Odyssey.”

I’m grateful for the signals he sends me letting me know he is still here.

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• If you haven't had a chance, I invite you to check out my new Wordpress blog, Linda G Hatton. Follow my progress as I participate in Submit-O-Rama with Khara House. 
• Jane Ann McLachlan is running a memoir challenge for the month of October. Be sure to check out  the list of participants on the right side of her page for some wonderful, touching stories.

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Mouse Tales Press

I invite you to visit the Mouse Tales Press blog for information about the October, 2012 issue. Or head right on over to Mouse Tales Press.

Thank you!