What It Takes to Write

I always feel I have to explain/ excuse myself in some way any time I miss a day since the goal that I've plastered all over this blog is that I'll write every day. I often find that I'm ready to move past the fact that I missed a day and just move forward, but I can't yet. Thinking about this and all the reasons I haven't written every single day lately has gotten me thinking about writing and all that goes into it and why I made this goal in the first place. Here's the thing: it takes effort to write. Sure,

"Any idiot
Can write haiku just stop on
The seventeenth syll..."

but to truly write takes time to think. To write from the heart takes even more. Also, for me personally, it takes quiet time alone to be able to construct something meaningful out of words. I need the music off, nobody around talking, and nobody looking over my shoulder. With our internet not working at home for about a week and a big family gathering happening away from home (where I couldn't retreat to be someplace by myself) I simply had to put writing on hold. That's okay. Life is like that sometimes, certainly. And of course participating in real life is more important than writing about it. But it's nice to be back home in the quiet and to have the internet working again so I can plunk away by myself for a while in the quiet of our little apartment.

Do You Smell Something?

It's gross to be
As sweaty as me
Oh pregnancy
How you tease me

Uh Oh

Sleeping through the night
Is already a problem
And she's still inside

July 4th, 2009

Awake
Strawberries
Blueberries
Waffles
Airport
Chris
Anna
Sophie!
Sandwiches
Chips
Settlers
Settlers
Packing
Driving
Shopping
Burgers
Milkshake
Fireworks
Settlers
Toothbrush
Goodnight
Zzz

*Just for the record, I did actually write this yesterday, but I didn't have access to the internet to post it until now. So, no failure! Yay!

Fourth of July in Provo

Oh Fourth of July in Provo
You make me want to
Use back roads
And stay inside
I think of past memories
And wonder how dumb they can be
Those city planners who
Block off an entire square in the city
What dummies
I think I will
Avoid the parade
And the runners
And all the crazies who camp out all night
Just to watch the parade
Which isn't even so great
And instead
I will eat waffles with
Strawberries for red
Blueberries for blue
Whipped topping for white
It will be so festive
And includes no traffic
What could be better?
Perhaps only
Anna's crepes
Mmm

Cabin Fever

Maybe I will win a free vacation
Sometime in
January, perhaps
All expenses paid
To someplace tropical
That would be grand

Fourth of July Cat

Fourth of July cat,
Fourth of July cat,
Why do you explode and explode like that?
Neither I nor the kids
Like that splat
So scat!
Fourth of July cat!


This is a re-write of a much-loved song that I learned while working at the BYU preschool. The original is as follows:

Halloween Cat

Halloween cat,
Halloween cat,
Why do you meow and meow like that?
Neither I nor the moon
Like that tune
So scat!
Halloween cat!

This song took a turn for the morbid, however, when one day as I was walking in and out of the classroom while the kids were singing this song I found that the song playing through my head was actually combining with another song ("Bubble Gum" the first line of which goes, "Bubble gum. Bubble gum. Chewy chewy chewy chewy chewy bubble gum."). Since these two songs have fairly similar rythms, they were easily mixed up/ combined. The result came out as:

Halloween cat,
Halloween cat,
Chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy,
Halloween cat...

After that little incident I have been inspired multiple times to change the words to the original into more morbid things, like the Fourth of July Cat song that I displayed at the beginning.