Dear Rebellious Readers, Writers, and Artists,
Here’s what happens when someone tries to tell a poet what to write.
And the four minute podcast with some music and sound effects is at this link.
The Muse has large flowing green feather wings…
and is fluttering dangerously close to the chandelier.
She is holding a BIG red and black neon sign that says,
“WRITE SOMETHING.”
The poet sees the sign, …..sighs and writes nothing
The Muse waves the sign dramatically,
With teeth pressed together in a large, forced smile.
The poet sighs and shrugs. Still nothing.
The Muse kicks a few clever adjectives onto
the poet’s blank sheet of paper:
TENDER, TURQUOISE, TELLTALE.
The poet swats them with a fly swatter
and places them in the garbage with the trout
and pilaf leftovers from dinner last night.
The Muse, perturbed, pulls out her secret stash of nouns:
CONCOCTION, SKYSCRAPER, BUICK
But the poet is reading the back of the Rice Krispies BOX
that was left on the TABLE from breakfast … then checks Facebook.
The Muse drops a few of her best verbs on the poet’s blank paper.
The poet PUSHES the verbs around with her pen,
and then COLLECTS them in a Mason Jar,
PUCNHES holes in the lid,
and PLACES the jar next to the cinnamon that expired in ‘09.
That’s it. The Muse is frustrated, done with this poet, and flies out the window
to inspire the songwriter who is strumming a guitar behind
the morning glories on the porch swing next door.
The poet smiles and writes this poem.
;)
I’m on a writing retreat and will be back next week to continue with the Modern Day Muses series. I’ve been cooperative with my Muse while here… but only when she doesn’t tell me what to do. (And being on a retreat motivates me to get value from the money I spent, I procrastinate at home for free). We all have our own ways of approaching our creativity.
What works for you to get you started on what you love to do?
Dispatching Muses,
Jill Badonsky
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