“If you get it done,” they say,
“That’s, of course, very well,
But if you don’t, that’s also fine,”
As their bland shrugs tell.
What other job could someone say
That not finishing is fine?
Try that at your job sometime
And see if the bosses mind.
Writing
wonderful, horrid
drains, inspires, baffles
brings joy almost always
Life
I still can’t believe I wrote that right, but, yes, today marks the 6th month anniversary of starting this writing experiment. I am officially halfway through my year-long challenge of writing and posting something new every day. And what a trip it has been so far!
This blog has been through short stories, poems, bits of plays, ongoing novels, and even a webhost migration. Not to mention lots of new readers (thank you!!!). It seems only fitting to do something special, so why not celebrate with my 10 favorite posts from the 6 months so far?
I’ll tell you why not. That means I have to pick 10 favorite posts! (What? How?!)
Instead, I’ll say that I picked 10 of my favorite posts, and to be honest, the fact that it was hard to choose delights me. The fact that I still like and enjoy most of these posts months later means that I must be doing something right – however hard it makes picking out 10.
To make it easier, I removed the novels from the running (as an ongoing story, they get so much extra effort that it simply wouldn’t be fair to compare them to the rest!), and here are the 10 I finally decided on in no particular order:
10. “Not a What“
There are days when I wish I’d actually said this in response to people. On the other hand, it always sounds a bit Dr. Seuss-ish to me. I may like the idea better than the poem.
9. “Can’t“
I chose “Can’t” because I like the two angles it explores and the ambiguity between them. Plus, it’s a pretty universal issue, which I like in a poem. It’s also one of the earliest pieces from this experiment.
8. “Love“
Speaking of universal issues, this is a requisite for poetry. If you’re writing poems, at least 1 has to be about love, right?
7. “Tangled Web“
Spider-like, they sit and watch
Subtle, deceptive
Camouflaged
Hidden
6. “See the Headline: ’45 Minutes Stolen’“
This is a bit lighter and fluffier than most of the other poems I’ve chosen, but it makes my literal mind happy. And it’s always fun to see evidence of my struggle against constantly rhyming.
5. “Or Not“
A little more recent, this poem is another with an appealing ambiguity for universal issues. I wrote it in September, and I have a feeling I was facing some sort of decision at the time – but that’s a pretty safe guess (I was alive at the time, so…).
4. “Teatime“
Although I’ve been choosing poems so far, “Teatime” is a little different. After months of promising to do a play or a bit of a play, this was the first to be posted. Even though it’s a better script for an online comic than an actual stage production, I enjoy it (although I have been told that my humor is a bit warped).
3. “The Fields“
I love the idea of this poem. It’s a bit twisted, and as a writer, there’s little quite as gleeful for me as hiding coarse, inelegant meaning in poetic language.
2. “The People Paradox“
The longer I live the truer this poem seems. I’m not really old enough to say that yet, but still…
1. “When IDEAS Attack“
Finally, the post that started it all. You may not know this, but the very first post on this blog was an article (a slightly NSFW article at that). It’s a wonderful feeling for me to read it again 6 months later and enjoy it as much as I did when I first posted it on Weebly. I hope you enjoy it, too.
Here’s to another 6 months!
Time is short, but we go on
With words and thoughts and feelings.
I’ll keep on writing (please, forgive the slant rhyme)
And thanks so much for reading!
OLD MAN: Yeah, I know you hate that picture. You’ve told me so since the day I put it up. [There is silence as the old man moves toward a stairway.] No, I ain’t gonna take it down. You can save your breath and stop askin’ me. [Silence again as the man pauses by the picture as if listening.] Well, I like it, and it’s my house. [He reaches the base of the stairs.] What the- [Grunts and straining sounds can be heard.] You stop that! [More strain.] You let me up the stairs right now, or so help me, I-
WOMAN: Dad? What’s the matter?
OLD MAN: [Glaring at the air in front of him.] Nothing’s the matter.
WOMAN: But… you were shouting. Do you need help up the stairs?
OLD MAN: I’m fine. Go back in the other room and watch your show.
WOMAN: But-
OLD MAN: Now, it’s my house. If I want to shout a bit, I can. You go leave me to it.
After giving him one last worried glance, she leaves.
WOMAN: He said he was fine.
MAN: He didn’t sound fine. If he’s having trouble with the stairs-
WOMAN: His doctor said he’s healthy as a horse!
MAN: But what about his mind? You heard him just now. It might be time.
WOMAN: He’d hate to leave this house…
The old man’s glare at the air hardens.
OLD MAN: [In a whisper] You ever try anything like that again, and I’ll burn this house down before I take down that picture.
The lights go down as the old man easily climbs the stairs.
