A Dramatic Grammatic

It has been a long time since I've written. Call it a slump or a block, but the letters I want to write are scrambled. My A-B-Cs can't find their way into words. Hmm, what to do, what to do....

For me, the stress that comes with not being able to formulate the first, all important sentence is a bit overwhelming. Honestly, it makes me want to close my laptop and shop for the ingredients to make pumpkin pie (it is just 7 days until Thanksgiving). But, since I would really like to get my blog out before Thanksgiving, it seems now would be the time to take my own advice, get grounded and practice a bit of mindfulness. We are here together, do you want to practice with me? Don't worry, I won't ask you to sit and "ohmmmm". BUT, I am going to share a little mindful technique. Believe it or not, mindfulness is easy, free, and we can use it anywhere!

I use mindfulness when I need to center myself and settle my mind. First, understand that mindfulness, put simply, is the conscious, nonjudgmental awareness of what your senses are bringing to you. I often have thoughts that stream through my mind as I try to sift through what my senses are bringing to me. If I am being mindful, I need to be gentle with myself about having these thoughts. I need to say hello and then give them a swift, but kind goodbye.

To be nonjudgmental and to give them a kind goodbye is to acknowledge your intrusive thoughts without berating them or yourself for having them. For example: As I try to settle, my mind wanders to pumpkin pie (being a week from Thanksgiving, why wouldn't it?).

Mindfulness asks that I note I had thoughts like "I could eat a whole pie myself", then onto "OMG that would totally put 25 more pounds on me" and then "OH, NOOOOOO". However, after I have noted those thoughts, mindfulness simply asks that I move them on without causing a scene about their presence. The thoughts are there, I had them, I watch them pass through one ear and out the other and then move back to the task at hand. This little hello and goodbye will happen throughout our mindfulness practice. If you find yourself having trouble letting your thoughts come and go, try counting your breaths--really paying attention to how your breathing feels as it seeps in and out. It will bring you back to the task at hand. That being said, let's get down to mindful business; become aware of what our senses are bringing to us.

While you are staring at your computer or cell phone screen, actually see it. See the contrast of light and dark between the letters and pictures there, hear what surrounds you (for me, it is the simple white noise of my laptop's fan), feel what is under your fingers (I feel the smoothness of the keys on the keyboard mixed in with the rounded edges of the keys as well as the heat from the laptop on my legs) Taste what is in your mouth (for me, it is the lingering warmth and sweetness from my last sip of coffee) Smell what aroma wafts around you (for me, it is my dog's noxious tummy trouble...you know what I mean) How about you?

To finish up, I move back to my breath counting 3-5, slow, deep breaths as I take them. Then I get on with business!

via GIPHY

Hopefully, now you feel the way I do - more centered and grounded. I actually have thoughts that pertain to writing as  well!

HEY!

I think a story-line has been staring my paralyzed typing fingers right in the cuticles! If you will be so kind as to give me a minute (or a few hours)...

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

​​Welcome to A Dramatic Grammatic,  my soft light shed upon managing writer's block and a look at how I keep my D-E-Fs following my A-B-Cs.  

Are you in school endlessly boing, boing, boinging your pink, #2 pencil's eraser on a desk? Or, are you an author/blogger needing to dazzle an audience with words but your typing fingers are paralyzed?  We all need to find a way to  land on a topic, to find  letters to string together to form words that will tell our story. What is the best way to decide on a topic? How can we become inspired? How do we keep the words flowing?

via GIPHY

I don't think our inspiration has to be complicated. Though they may, our muses (or sources of inspiration) need not arise from an earth-shattering, life-changing event.

When I was writing Grow with Me Poetry, one of my favorite poems was born from a simple thought - a challenge to myself. I wanted to see how many nursery rhyme characters could I fit into a single poem.  "It Could Be You" features Goldilocks, Snow White, the three little pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood. ​

It Could be You
Goldilocks slept in a bed juuust right
And awoke to three bears coming home for the night!
Snow White, so fair, ate a ruby-red gem
From an evil old witch she mistook for a friend
And those three little pigs, well they were all a bit lazy
To ignore the wolf’s huffing and puffing was crazy
(Little Red Riding Hood, in her defense
Knew that the wolf was spewing nonsense)
The swine, Goldilocks, little Red, and Snow White
All missed the moral underwriting their plight
Consider perhaps it rings differently though
Than what you may think that you already know
Poor Goldilocks risked a terrible fate
And so did Snow White with the apple she ate
Those fat strips of bacon lost their humble abodes
Their error in judgment not building to code
Learn from them yes, but make no mistake
For here is another simple keepsake
Don’t cast stones or join with a jury
Quick to lay blame in a judgmental fury
For as the world spins and all in due time
You too may appear in your own nursery rhyme.

Another came from a bout of sadness. However, the poem is not about the event that provoked tears, but the tears themselves. I wrote as if the tears were animate and were participating in a relay race. The tears themselves were the actual muses. ​


​​​The Relay Race
The runners were ready, lined up toe to toe
One wavering gulp signaled Ready—Set—Go!
A checkered flush warmed, then appeared on my face
The flag had been waved, beginning the race
One tear welled, then sprinted from my eyelash
With two more following behind in a flash
In tandem flowing, with passion they ran
Down with speed, as only tears can
They streaked ’cross the finish, in an unbroken stream
Though a few lone stragglers were trailing the team
Until the track lay bare, no tears fell down my face
One heavy, long sigh marked the end of the race.
A bit out of breath, I sought out what was tufted
’Top the treasure chest holding the tissues I trusted
To clean up the remnants of the relay
And all that was left of my utter dismay
With a gentle blow and a soft dab to finish
The burst of emotion slowly diminished
My moment’s sad relay race has been run
And so onward now; a new moment’s begun.

When we have a muse, it becomes much easier to find our story. While writing poetry, one specific event, feeling, person, or even thought can serve as inspiration (like the tears or the nursery rhyme characters). When all else fails, I just begin writing, even if I am not sold on my A, B, Cs at first. As I write, l let my words settle a bit. I come back to the words and as I do, a storyline almost always takes shape. The delete and backspace keys become my best friends and while the result rarely resembles my initial idea, what takes shape is better! The re-writes almost certainly contain the inspiration that my first draft lacked. It is a process, for sure. Patience and persistence are imperative. Rushing the process ends in scrambled letters.

via GIPHY

​ Now let's look at another poem. In this blog's journey, these poems were written first and the blog post followed. See if you can identify the muse managing to set my A,B,Cs in motion.

Introducing "A DRAMATIC GRAMMATIC"

DRAMA

Dramatic Grammatic
I or thee? This punctuation signals quandary.
Can the future truly depend upon me?
Now and then, adverbs prove time and again.
The future is indeed hampered by when.
“This way or that way” our phrase of the day.
Leaves the future in the midst of a fray.
A smile upside down can be a noun,
and Future’s adverb when feeling down.
I or thee, when a single pronoun is key,
might the future need it to be "we”?​

​

via GIPHY

GRAMMER

I have to be honest, my brain hurt as I was writing this poem. As I set out, I was thinking about moral dilemmas. But, I also had a hidden agenda. I needed another "mission" for Mission Poetry. Mission Poetry is the page on this website devoted to introducing children to  poetry. It includes lesson plans for parents and teachers that can be used to supplement those in a  school's curriculum.  I am a huge fan of using one lesson to reinforce another. Therein lay my inspiration; I wanted to write a poem that was thought-provoking but also reinforced another English lesson, in this case, grammar. Since the grammar concepts and how they are presented suit a higher grade level and thought process, I also wanted to write the same poem in a more basic form. By focusing on the moral concepts alone (no grammar lesson), the poem can be enjoyed by much younger children, thus encompassing a broader audience.

---

A DRAMA-RAMA
Me or you, think about who
Both are important in what you do
Now or then think about when
It really matters time and again
My way or your way
The words that you say
Can turn smiles into frowns
As they flip upside down
Me or you? Is that the choice?
It's time to listen to another voice.
It says: leave out all the lonely "I"s
For doing so is very, very wise!
And just as one plus one equals two
Try adding this: add "me" to "you".
The answer will forever be
Not me or you, but "W"-"E"

THE BIG TAKE AWAY:

Eventually, my obnoxious dripping of words actually turned into a trickle, which then turned into a steady stream. Withing that stream was the insight and inspiration for what my finished prose.  Be patient and be mindful. Let your thoughts and letters drip. Before you know it, your A-B-Cs will have found their words and those word will reflect your inspiration.

via GIPHY

As a final thought, I actually think this is true for most things in life. So often, we sit and stew, or sit and procrastinate as we avoid any given task. The result of taking that first step should be celebrated. Whether it is writing that first letter, picking up that first paper off the top of the stack or that first dirty sock off the floor, that action should earn a trophy for participation. Having the courage to start, to take that first step, deserves recognition. I took my first step and now, I'm off to claim my pumpkin pie trophy. Want some?

via GIPHY

HAPPY THANKSGIVING