I have a birthday coming up, which means that it's almost time to start the next year of my QWP, or Quinquagenarian Writing Project. I started it the year I turned 50, and since then, from birthday to birthday, I've kept a little file of my writing for that year. This year's file is the smallest yet. Apart from my Birdtober poems (daily bird poems in October, following prompts), I've hardly written anything this year. I've already failed at my New Year's writing goals.
I know several reasons I'm not writing a lot, but I think the biggest reason is just that I'm still learning a new job. It's my second year in a new place, with new textbooks and new curriculum and a whole new educational system. I don't have the bandwidth for much beyond work. It's not a bad thing, exactly, but it's a different season creatively. And maybe I just need to accept it and be glad when I do write something, no matter how small.
Meanwhile, since I have no wise birthday poem for myself, here's one I found called Icarus Turns Fifty.
9 comments:
I love the last stanza of the poem, it's so conversational, makes you chuckle. Happy Almost Birthday Ruth! 🥳 And here's to more writing whenever you can catch the time.
I love that poem so much! Thanks for sharing it, Ruth. One more birthday poem: "Candles" by Carl Dennis. (I would include the link, but I'm afraid that would turn my comment into spam? Also, maybe you showed me the poem so you already know it?) Everyone has seasons of creativity...Maybe you would enjoy drawing or making collages? Happy Almost Birthday!
Wow! Ruth this is exquisite. “Is this what we can bear?” Happy Birthday soon. Let the creativity marinate. It will return when ready.
Oops… This was Patricia
Happy Birthday early, Ruth. What a poem of love and contradiction and I guess that's what our lives are anyway, right? I feel as if your learning a whole new educational system must be a poem, or lots of poems, too! And that you've managed others is top notch! Enjoy your special day all the day! I loved the poem!
That poem sure carries some weight! Wow! Thanks for sharing it. Also, Happy Birthday! I agree with what Tabatha says about seasons of creativity, but I can also relate to the frustration of unavailable band width. Wishing you a year infused with poetry and all things creative! PS -- I try to think of fallow periods of time as fertilizer for future creativity.
I had a year like that last year, Ruth, so I can relate! Our creative lives have ebbs and flows, and seasons of creativity and fallow times. Hopefully this time is filling your creative well with lots of good ideas to draw on, when you have the time to write again.
Ruth: Accepting is a big part of my aging process. I've already missed a day of my lenten writing. Surely God understands. Thank you for this update, and happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! Thanks for sharing that beauty. And here's what I'm trying to learn as I gain more years--to give myself the grace that I try to give others, especially when it comes to not meeting my own expectations. And I suspect you are storing up experiences that will flower in your writing when the time is right.
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