Raising the White Flag

 

"Surrender" by Jess

 

Hello friends.

I wasn't expecting to post this week, but it's been quite a momentous one, hasn't it? 

 

When my daughter was home for the holidays, she asked if I had chosen a One Little Word for this year. Until she mentioned it, I hadn't given any thought at all to a guiding word for 2021. I've hardly been in that frame of mind. As it was, I completely lost track of my 2020 word until Mary Lee Hahn indirectly reminded me of it with this post around the same time. Funny how that happens. I think my muse, or as Julia Cameron calls it, my inner child, might have something to do with that little coincidence.

 

“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” 

          – Julia Cameron

 

Even though I haven't been writing lately, I have been trying to get back in touch with that inner child (the one that loves creative play and happy accidents) in other ways. For me, the most difficult phase of embarking on a new project are the weeks when I'm walking around in creative limbo. When the ideas have not yet formed in a concrete way and I'm flailing around for something I'm not at all sure is even there. It's uncomfortable at best, this amorphous cloud of confusion. 

 

"Confusion" by Erik

 

You'd think that if I'm familiar enough to recognize and talk about it, I should be able to trust that it's just part of my creative process, and yet, time and time again, I cower under the dread that I may never again be able to connect with my muse.

Over the last several months I have discovered that life can be confounding in a similar way. Last year I came to a crossroads, and while I'm okay with the direction my life is taking, I am confused by the "new normal." I feel stuck creatively, overwhelmed by my to-do list, and anxious about the not-knowing. Is this, in fact, my new destination or am I still in transition—on my way to some place I've never been before? 

 

Yes, I'm a bit of a control freak. There's no doubt about that. I'm also impatient—especially with myself. But I'm also resilient. I'm determined and I'm a problem-solver. So what if, instead of seeing the future as something to be fearful of, I looked to it with anticipation. Amanda Gorman in her inaugural poem spoke of a nation—our nation—"that isn't broken, but simply unfinished." I take that to heart in my own life as well. My creative process is not broken—I am not broken—I am evolving.

 

Always say "yes" to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to something that already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say "yes" to life—and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.
                                – Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now

 

Dan Simpson

 

 

 

 

What if I surrender to the changes in my life and simply trust the process?

 

 

From the Tao Te Ching (chapter 13):

 

     Surrender yourself humbly; then you can be trusted to care for all things.
     Love the world as your own self; then you can truly care for all things. 

                       – Lao Tzu

 

Surrender is my One Little Word for 2021. Not in the sense of giving up, giving in, or losing hope, but in the sense of yielding to the flow of the universe and heeding the whisperings of my inner child. She's never let me down before. 

 

 

"Sweet Surrender" by Sarah McLachlan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2JWJYLNUq4

Wishing you a perfect word to guide you through the next year of your life's journey.

This week's Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by author Laura Shovan.

 

Chiaroscuro

Jeremy Brooks

In 1994, nine months into a blossoming relationship with my future husband, I took my first trip down under to meet two of his greatest loves—his mother and his home country.

Garry Davies

Yengo National Park, after the 1994 bushfires.

Given the devastating fires in southeastern Australia, I’ve been thinking a lot about that trip lately. Aussies live in a sunburned country—they are well aware of the dangers and consequences. Bush fires, although savage and crippling, are an expected, natural occurrence... just not on this order of magnitude.

As part of my welcome package, Peter took me on a tour around the countryside of New South Wales—up the Central Coast, over to the Hunter Valley vineyards, and back down through Yengo National Park to the Blue Mountains. Yengo National Park had endured a major bush fire just six weeks before and it was striking to see such bright green new growth set against scorched, blackened trunks. (My photo doesn't do it justice!) Evidently, eucalyptus are perfectly suited for the harsh Australian climate because they carry buds deep beneath their bark to help them be more fire-resistant and re-sprout—proof that left to its own devices (and without too much human meddling), nature will find a way to regenerate and flourish! I only wish I had as much confidence in the resilience of humankind as I do in the resilience of eucalyptus trees.

A somewhat more surprising recollection from that drive through Yengo National Park was my introduction to the word chiaroscuro. (I have Peter to thank for that, as well.) Typically used in a visual art context, chiaroscuro is an Italian word that describes the interplay of light and shadow when light falls unevenly or from a particular direction.

Rembrandt: Christ Healing the Sick

Hernán Piñera

hthrd

Claudio Marinangeli

As Peter and I drove, wonderstruck, with the sun streaming down through that sylvan setting, the word took root and did not let go. Twenty-six years later, it's rising up from the shadows to be my One Little Word for 2020.

James Jardine

More than merely a stunning visual effect, for me, chiaroscuro reflects a Taoist sensibility—you can’t have light without darkness, good without bad, yin without yang. As I considered various words to accompany me on my personal journey this year, I wanted one that would recognize the way things are, but in a way that is quiet, balanced, and mindful. On Tuesday I shared a quote from Og Mandino that expresses this perspective beautifully: 

I will love the light for it shows me the way;

yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.

In the past, my chosen words have been more assertive, more goal-driven, but chiaroscuro is a word that I can look to for hope and inspiration without the pressure to do more than I can to change things that are out of my control. Now more than ever, life is complicated, divisive, difficult, sometimes downright incomprehensible. I'm not suggesting apathy or blind acceptance, but perhaps instead of casting blame, I can be more patient with myself and more open-minded with others. Can't we all? It's become too easy to react to daily life with criticism or combativeness rather than a deeper understanding that things are the way they are for a reason... usually more than one. And maybe if we look closely enough, we will find that, even in the darkest circumstances, there's something there to appreciate—a starting place, a moment of compassion, a poem.

Turning from watching

the moon, my comfortable old

shadow led me home.

– Shiki

Chechi Peinado

Join me next Friday for our first Spotlight ON interview and DMC challenge of 2020.

Many thanks to Jone Rush MacCulloch for hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Deowriter.

Resolution

Keith Davenport

I like this resolution
             ... though it's similar to one I had three years ago.

For 2018, instead of focusing on who I am, 
                    I'd like to find out what I'm capable of.

New Year's resolutions are a prickly subject. For lots of folks, the only acceptable resolution is not to make resolutions! Does that describe you? It's easy to understand why, when only 8% of New Year's resolutions are successful. Why set yourself up for failure?

According to one poll, the three most common resolutions for 2018 were eating healthier, getting more exercise, and saving more money. In another poll the top spot was shared by weight loss and being a better person. "Being a better person"...? What does that even mean? While most resolutions are well-meant, they're not typically well-planned. Commitment to change requires preparation, not just a fresh start and good intentions. I'm proud of the fact that I've lost 30 pounds over the last several months by eating healthier and getting more exercise, but did it come about because of a New Year's resolution? Heck no.

I happen to like resolutions, but only after I've taken stock of my life and put significant thought and effort into what my priorities are, and how I'm going to carry them out. Generalities like "being a better person" just don't cut it. I need my resolutions to be specific, reasonable, and achievable. That doesn't mean they can't or shouldn't be challenging, but with all the disappointments this world has been doling out lately, the last thing I need is to break a promise I've made to myself.

Back in November, a friend of mine—author, professor, and Huffington Post columnist Stephanie Vanderslice—asked me if I had a writing resolution for 2018. After some thought, here's what I came up with:

While I've been blessed with an active and loyal blog following, I've also become a bit too comfortable. The time has come to be more proactive with my writing career. As a resolution, I've taken my cue from "2018"—complete 2 poetry collections (zero excuses!) and submit my work at least 18 times during the year.

I think that's doable. Though I'm not going to lie, I've been more than a bit nervous about returning to blogging because it tends to soak up my writing time like a sponge. This is not the first time I've tried to make changes to the blog to allow for more personal writing and submitting. Establishing new habits is a fragile undertaking at the best of times, but this year I've also got the aforementioned new exercise routine to consider, a son heading off to college, parents who are planning to move down here, plus all the usual everyday "grown-up blah-blah" as my son used to call it. This time things feel different, though, like the stars are aligned and I'm ready for whatever comes my way. Already well into drafting my first 2018 poetry manuscript, I sure hope so. This would not be a good time to lose my mojo or momentum!

Available at Amazon.com.

My writing resolution was published Wednesday as part of a social media campaign to promote Stephanie's new book The Geek's Guide to the Writing Life: An Instructional Memoir for Prose Writers (Bloomsbury Academic, December 2017). I highly recommend it—especially for beginning writers, but also for folks like me who suffer from recurring bouts of insecurity. Am I a prose writer? No, not really, but poets can also benefit from the strategies discussed.

In Stephanie's own words:

...writing life books are kind of like pep talks; we all need them once in a while to remind us of the difficulty and the importance of what we're trying to do.


This particular "pep talk" covers the nuts and bolts of what it takes to have a writing career. It includes everything from making the commitment and doing the work, to connecting with readers and finding your tribe, continuing education and making a living, and even platform building and finding an agent. Plus it has an appendix chock full of valuable resources. What I especially like is that the book is written in a way that's as warm, compassionate, and funny as it is practical, well-organized, and informative. Stephanie comes across as a friend... which she is. But even if she wasn't, she would be after reading this book! Her guidance comes from a place of honesty, integrity, nurturing, and experience, drawing from years as a Professor of Creative Writing and Director of the Arkansas Writer's MFA Workshop at the University of Central Arkansas, and from publishing fiction, nonfiction, and her regular column for the Huffington Post called "The Geek's Guide to the Writing Life."

To give you a taste, here's the opening paragraph of Chapter 1—Making the commitment:

You don't always choose writing. Sometimes writing chooses you. Sometimes it grabs you by the lapels, gets in your face, and keeps you awake at night, assuring you won't rest until you get your thoughts down, somehow. Sometimes it just feels like a constant malaise, a low-grade depression, like you're forgetting something, leaving something behind, by not writing. Sometimes it feels like a slow building up of thoughts and words until it feels as if your head, or your heart, might burst. You know you have to do something. You just don't know how or what.

Which brings me to my "one little word" for 2018—RESOLVE—as in, I resolve to find out what I am capable of.

What are you capable of?

Let's make it happen together.

The Ditty of the Month Club returns next week! Sharpen your pencils and get ready to write!

It's great to be back and making the Poetry Friday rounds again. Join Carol Varsalona at Beyond LiteracyLink for this week's roundup.

Embracing (and bracing for) Change

"Imperial" by Evonne

CHAIR LIFT
          by Maxine W. Kumin  

Nobody holds your hand up there.
You sit alone in your moving chair

It's not as smooth as an elevator.
It's scarier than an escalator.

Under your feet, the snowy humps
Of hills go by with jerks and bumps

And the only sound in the world is the clack
Of the chair lift clanking along its track.

                                                                                       Read the rest HERE. 

From OPENING DAYS: SPORTS  POEMS, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins (Harcourt Brace & Company, 1996).

The metaphoric chair lift has been clickety-clackety-clanking for many months now. My anxiety has been climbing as well. Now that we've reached the summit, I try to take in the grandeur and possibility of 2017, but I'm distracted by the daunting slope.

I've never been much of a skier. My introduction to downhill skiing was a weekend trip with a group of teenagers, mostly older than myself, all of whom already knew how to ski. The first morning was great—beautiful weather, I had a newbie lesson and mastered the bunny slope. But the afternoon brought sleet and an intermediate run that was well beyond what this bunny could handle. What I remember most was the trail of blue dye that followed me down the mountainside, sliding down on my bottom in brand new jeans. It would have been embarrassing had I not been paralyzed by fear. And yes, I probably could have taken my skis off and walked, but that would have been far too sensible. The second day I feigned illness and had the house all to myself. Far more sensible.

So here we are. As much as I might like to stay home and ignore the challenges ahead, it's not an option. I'm not sure what's on the horizon—politically, creatively, personally. I've got two teens of my own navigating the landscape. Whatever the future holds, it feels big and new and definitely scarier than an escalator.

                    My head is telling me to hold on. 

                                        My heart is urging me to let go.

But first it means heading back to the bunny slope for a refresher course. It means building up my core and balance, and trusting that the chaos I'm feeling right now is exactly where I need to be. To open myself up for something beautiful and extraordinary, though I'm not sure what and when and how. At first I thought my "one little word" for 2017 would be self-love. But then I realized it's not. It's change. Self-love is the means to embrace that change. I've got a new pair of jeans packed and ready for the trip. If you see a trail of blue, make sure to wave.

Photo: Andre Charland

Here's some GREAT news to start off the new year... a new Poetry Friday Power Book by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong that's a Children's Book Council "Hot Off the Press” selection for January 2017!  I'm honored have my poem "Look for the Helpers" included in HERE WE GO.  Next week I'll have an in-depth look and a power-packed giveaway.






After that, we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming.  So sharpen your pencils, poets—the Ditty of the Month Club will be back on February 3rd! In the meantime, please visit Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World for Kids. She's done a wonderful write-up of The Best of Today's Little Ditty, including three poems from the anthology. Thank you, Laura!

Thanks to Violet Nesdoly for hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup with a post that is perfect for today.

My Midlife Crisis, or, Looking Enkrateia In the "I"

Photo: jinterwas

Come closer, I've got a secret...

Today's my birthday.

There. I said it. I tend to be one of those folks who lets birthdays slide under the radar. But this one's a little different— it's the last of my 40-something years. I've been stockpiling enough hopes, dreams, plans, and expectations over the past few decades that it may take some doing to make sense of it all before the big 5-0.

Welcome to my mid-life crisis.

I'm hoping you can help me out, but more about that later.

Did you know that David L. Harrison was here last week? Here's the link in case you missed it. David challenged us to write poems this month inspired by the word DITTY, and so far I've featured some fantabulous poems by Jane Yolen, Kate O'Neil, David himself, and Diane Mayr. Now I'd like to share mine.

Even though I didn't write something new for this DMC challenge, my ditty will probably be new to most of you.  Be kind. It may not be the best poem I've ever written, but it's dear to my heart because it was my first blog post. Ever.

WELCOME TO TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY

Hello!  I am here
with the blog of the day—
another keen writer
with something to say.

I’m not much for rants
or lengthy tirades,
for tangents, or rambling,
or silly charades.

What I’ve got to say
can be said in a ditty—
brief and concise,
though it may not be pretty.

In fact, truth be known,
it may not make much sense.
“I yam what I yam”
is my only defense.

So welcome aboard,
glad to have you along
to this world I call life
chiseled down to a song.

© 2013 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.

It's a good little ditty. It's served me well even though it's not 100% truthful— I am prone to rambling, tangents, and assorted other deviant behaviors, which may or may not be divulged over the next several paragraphs.

SOoooooooo... if you'd rather just read something new and call it a day, visit David's Word of the Month Challenge. My poem is called "In February...".  You may even want to consider contributing a leaves poem of your own. It will earn you an extra entry in this month's giveaway of NOW YOU SEE THEM NOW YOU DON'T (Charlesbridge) to be released this Tuesday!

Now where were we?  (Shame on me– rambling already.)

Right. Welcome to Today's Little Ditty. It was written about three years ago, a few weeks before my blog launched in April 2013. In three short years, look what Today's Little Ditty has become! The blog is scarcely about me anymore. It's about you, the TLD community, the Poetry Friday community, the children's poetry community, the kidlit community. It's really taken on a life of its own. I'm just the momma— the one who feeds and clothes it.

And here comes a tangent... (bear with me...)

Usually by this time in the new year I have my One Little Word (OLW) picked, primed, and fully functioning. In 2014 my OLW was FLYING. Last year it was HEARTBEAT. But this year the process took longer. I've known from the get-go what my goals were for the year— to stay focused and be more deliberate in my choices; to maintain balance in my life while at the same time moving forward (no more status quo); to make the most of this writing career I've adopted. But how do I consolidate all of that into one little word?

Eventually my word found me... with a little help from Carrie Clickard. Given a recent conversation, she sent me this article by James Clear: "The Akrasia Effect: Why We Don't Follow Through on What We Set Out to Do (And What to Do About It)."

The Oxford Dictionary defines akrasia as "the state of mind in which someone acts against their better judgment through weakness of will."

Procrastination. 
i.e., idling... frittering... dilly-dallying... aren't those great words? (Much better than procrastination.)

The article presents a time inconsistency conflict that explains why making plans for your future self usually takes a back seat to gratifying your present self. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with a bit of idling and dilly-dallying. For creative people, those behaviors are desirable (within reason), but not so much when you're trying to build a career. To be honest, I don't even consider myself a procrastinator. More of a distractinator. I don't WASTE time (most everything I do is important to some degree), but I do get distracted by things that give instant gratification (like blogging) rather than keeping focused on my future success as working writer (emphasis on WORKING).

It wasn't until the last paragraph of the article that I found my One Little Word. Aristotle, who was kind enough to come up with the word akrasia, was also kind enough to coin its opposite:  

Enkrateia = to be "in power over oneself." 

Aha! Looking through the lens of enkrateia, I'm coming to terms with what I need to do. I need to cut back on some things in order to make room for others. Duh.

There are some things that I'm not willing to give up. The camaraderie of this community is a big one. Also the spotlight interviews and the challenges. (I need the motivation as much as anybody else!) But there are ways to cut back and I'm considering a number of options.

Here's where you come in, i.e., HELP!!!

Besides the Ditty of the Month Club, there are several other repeating features on Today's Little Ditty (listed as links in the sidebar to the right). The main ones are:

• Haiku Garden 

• Limerick Alley 

• Two Line Tuesday 

• Poetry in Action 

• Five for Friday parties

I'd love to know which (if any) of these are more, or less, important to you as a subscriber/frequent visitor to the blog.

Also, taking a closer look at the Ditty of the Month Club:

• Do you think the DMC would lose momentum if it was only, say, every other month?

• How would you feel if all of the month's poems were collected via comments, as David does with his monthly WOM challenges or Laura Purdie Salas does with the 15 Words or Less feature on her blog?

• How would you feel if we did away with the wrap-up celebrations at the end of each month?

• What appeals to you about the ditty challenges—
• is it the challenge itself? 
• the possibility of seeing your poem featured as a daily ditty? 
• seeing all the poems together in the end-of-month wrap-up celebration?
• something else?

I would be ever so grateful for your feedback—
as much or as little as you care to provide. If you can't leave a comment (I know Blogger makes it difficult for some of you) or would rather contact me via email, please do! Send your message to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com (or use the blog's contact form).

None of these changes are imminent. I'm just exploring possibilities.

So what have we got here:

1. rambling
2. tangents
3. procrastination/distractination

 Let's go ahead and add sentimentality to the list...

THANK YOU for being such a special part of my life. 

I couldn't ask for a better birthday present.

This week's Poetry Friday roundup is being hosted by Kimberly Moran at Written Reflections.

Finding my Heartbeat

2015...  it's here, right on time.

Are you ready?

In my absence over the last few weeks, I've had some time to think about my goals for 2015 and the "one little word" that I would like to accompany me on this year's journey.

Sometimes when life gets crazy, it takes more than one word to keep me focused and headed in the right direction.  At these times, I turn to Mentors for Rent as my compass.  Laura Purdie Salas and Lisa Bullard are my "combobulators" when I'm feeling discombobulated.  Their understanding of my situation is always spot on and their career guidance has been invaluable.

One thing they've suggested I think about is how I want others to view me as a poet and writer. What overriding quality do I want readers to associate with my work?  The essence of my voice, one might say.  I like to think of it as my heartbeat– the quiet, steady pulse of creativity that beats underneath all those layers of distraction.

         ba-boom...

                   ba-boom...

                             ba-boom...

To be honest, I've thought about this a lot and pretty much have no clue.  I can find that essence in others, but it's much harder to pinpoint in myself.  Take Donna Smith, for example. As part of  Tabatha Yeatts' Winter Poetry Swap, I received this original poem and gorgeous bookmark, harvested from treasures Donna found at the ocean's edge.

She describes the form of her poem as follows:

"I have written a Renga, meaning "linked verse," though technically, you need two people to write a Renga. It predates and is related to the Haiku. The beginning three lines have the 5-7-5 pattern of syllables followed by two lines of 7 syllables each. The first three lines are the "Hokku," and are what we now call a Haiku. One person started the Hokku, and the second two lines were traditionally supplied by another person as a response to the Hokku. I added the rhyming. It is not an element of a Renga. A true Renga is quite complex in its format requirements, but I have simply focused on one subject and the traditional syllable counts for my Renga."

Donna writes, "I have always been
curious about the stories behind
each treasure I find at the ocean.
Where did it come from? How did it
come to be here in my hand? How
will its story continue now that I
have become a part of the journey?"

Sea Glass

muted opaline
edges now smooth-worn, once keen
etched with words unseen
     traveling long miles and years
     losing shards and shedding tears

gritty sand, slipping,
shattering, scraping, chipping–
emerging dripping
     from dark reigning ocean's hold
     light of day becoming bold

sand delivery
unceremoniously
washed ashore from sea
     untold cold hidden story
     from rough to rounded glory

cupped in hands today
fingers gently smooth away
sandy disarray
     carved of sea in curve of hand
     rescued slave of salt and sand

discerning eyes peer
held to sun, or drawn in near
story still unclear
     abandoned, useless, broken
     or lost and well-loved token?

vagabond of yore
jetsam strewn on ocean floor
beached, this journey o'er
     returned, rekindling pleasure
     as worn and well-turned treasure

     by Donna JT Smith, December 2014


I cannot think of Donna without thinking of her beloved coastal home. For me, the two are intertwined.  Of course there's much more to Donna.  I think about her love of family and her grandson.  I think about the clever ways she adapts and creates new poetry forms. But what really sticks with me is her experience of "home."

There are so many moods of me, I'm not sure what people would say is the overriding quality of my work– that elusive heartbeat.  I do know I would like spend some time nurturing my self-awareness.  That's why I've chosen "heartbeat" as my one little word for 2015. By the end of this year, I hope to be a better listener.

         ba-boom...

                   ba-boom...

                             ba-boom...


It's good to be back, and I look forward to sharing my spotlight interview with Joyce Sidman next week.  In the meantime, please join Tricia Stohr-Hunt for the Poetry Friday roundup at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

Five for Friday: Defining Flight

Owl Flying against a Moonlit Sky, Caspar David Friedrich

"Flying" is my One Little Word for 2014.  

I didn't choose it, though.  It chose me.  From the moment it escaped from my fingers and flew onto the computer screen last week, Flying made itself at home, nesting prominently in my thoughts.

This week I've been exploring what, to me, the act of flying means.  On a practical level, it means loading up my schedule with goals and challenges like Shannon Abercrombie's Start the Year Off Write and Julie Hedlund's 12x12 to keep me motivated and writing.  I'm also pleased to have been accepted into the Poets' Garage this month, and am quite excited about the heights that could take me to as well.

All of these challenges require hard work, however, and I'm fairly certain that I've loaded up on more than I can handle in a calm, rational way.  But who said flying was easy?  My theory is that birds just make it look that way.

Sandhill cranes flying into the sunset at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico

Today's little ditty is a suite of five definitions of "flight" from a poetic standpoint, or, as I like to call it, my bird's eye view.

Finding

Lightness

In

Goals,

However

Tedious.

Forgive

Let go

Inspire

Glow—

Heavens’

Tidal flow

Fearlessly

Launch

Into

Greatness.

Harness

Transcendence.

Forgo

Life’s

Insanity:

Grow

Heal

Thrive

Freedom

Lies

In

Going

Here

To there 

© 2014 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.

-->

I bet you can come up with your own interpretation of flight.  If you feel like it, I invite you to do so and share it with me in the comments.  At this point, I'm not sure where my One Little Word will take me this year, but I think I'm on the right track.

Heaven knows I'm by no means perfect, but I am perfectly me.  If it takes me some time to earn my wings, all I have to do is trust the socks on my capable feet.

With thanks to Santa and the notes to self elves

Now may I suggest you take your feet walking over to Mainely Write?  Unless, of course, you're able to fly there.  Thank you, Donna, for hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup!