There’s no excuse not to write something for the last day of Just-Jot-It January. 🙂
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God with us, Both human and divine, Remaining until the end of time God with us, Emmanuel by name, "I AM," always merciful, the same Eucharist, Thanksgiving for the gift, Source and summit healing every rift
Today’s word for JusJoJan is “exercise.” I don’t so that much exercise but do really like walks and hikes, and I need to stretch out every day, or I get very tense very quickly. Having had an eating disorder, I need to always be careful that I’m not overdoing the exercise and aware of where the desire to exercise is coming from.
Many of my poems seem more like word games or brain exercises to me, rather than works of word-art. For example, today’s Gospel reading was the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), and I wrote about the Beatitudes using several different, non-rhyming forms. Here is one, a type of cinquain:
Meek,
Merciful,
Pure-heart peacemakers:
Poor in spirit shall see grace
Poured
Nothing sounds fun. Music, reading, even writing Fill me with apathy: So much nothing It has a weight In my chest and belly, On my shoulders -- Yet still I live, Getting older, Getting through drudgery, Until life smiles on me.
This depressing poem is brought to you by 3 prompts: FOWC: Drudgery, MVB: Fun, and Sammi Scribbles’ weekend writing prompt. One thing I’m grateful for: even though nothing sounds fun, I still can write stuff. I also sat down at the piano for 5 or 10 minutes earlier this morning.
I will never throw in the towel when it comes to writing. I may not blog every day (despite wanting to participate daily in JusJoJan), but I write every day, both poetry and in a journal. Also, at this point, I will never throw in the towel when it comes to praying the rosary, as I have done so every day for probably 6 years (thanks be to God). It seems more likely that I will throw in the towel on all of life before stopping those 2 things! Nevermind that giving up on life does sometimes seem likely….but that is a whole other topic!
I am never giving up:
Standing in the storm,
Underneath is solid rock,
Something keeps me warm.
Throwing in the towel is no
Option now for me,
I’ll use it to dry my tears
When sun comes to me.
(Just realized I rhymed “me” with “me” — that’s stream-of-consciousness writing for you)
For Fandango’s Flashback Friday, I have a poem written on this day in 2020. I titled it “Succulent,” and it was in response to the JusJoJan prompt of that day. Linking with today’s JusJoJan prompt.
I wake, and does it seem a normal day?
Yet dazzling moments need not be in lack.
Let gratitude and open eyes allay
All fears of scarcity which hide in back
Of mind; let little, happy moments stack:
Begin with sunlight streaming through this pane
Of glass, and greenery in stark terrain.
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Pexels.com
Playing hide-and-seek with God:
If I cannot find
Him each moment of the day,
He is not unkind.
Have I sought with my whole heart?
He will soon reveal
Loving presence, Spirit’s gift,
Come to me, and heal.
Today’s prompt for JusJoJan is “family.” Family can be a tricky concept because my friends and church people feel more like a family than my actual family does, much of the time. For example, on Christmas, I was most looking forward to going to Mass and seeing my “church family,” rather than the family that I am blood-related to. I am glad to have found such a loving group of people who have accepted me and love me for who I am, since I sought that for a long time.
For DVerse’s Quadrille Monday, we are to write a poem of 44 words containing the word “ice.” I couldn’t help dipping my poetic pen-paintbrush into some dark paints. Not sure if it’s good, but it’s the best thing I’ve written all week.Â
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She tries to ward off his advances, Feeling helpless as a daisy in a snowstorm As his icy fingers chillingly caress Her hair as if it were pure-white petals, Before he rips them, callously as if limb-from-limb. Her tears are the dewdrops of mo(u)ring.
MVB Prompt: Advance. Â
Hello, once again I broke my resolution and did not post yesterday. After going to work and then to an event at my church, I was much too tired and ended up sleeping for almost 12 hours last night. That has become almost usual for me lately, maybe because of depression, although I didn’t used to sleep that much! However, these days, I’ll sleep 10 to 12 hours every day / night — you can count on it.
However, another thing I can count on is my friends. 🙂 I love when they check in on me or text just to say hi. I can count on every day to have good things, such as yesterday’s fun event and nice prayer time at my church. You can count on the fact that I will do some writing, whether or not I post, and I’m hoping to share a poem later today.
The prompt for JusJoJan is “complaint.” Also for MVB: Melody. Depression really is an illness, because I don’t have any real complaints about my life (other than the fact that I can’t yet drive, and it’s going to take me forever to learn well). However, I wrote this poem, thinking about how depression sucks the life out of life. If that makes sense.
All the beauty depression dims, Makes me sleep, when I should Keep my eyes open: Lack of an attention span Truncates melodies, where Once I would listen fully, Sensing more than discordant Harmonies, and appreciating All the different instruments In life's amazing orchestral piece.
For One-Liner Wednesday / JusJoJan, I wanted to find and share a remarkable saying. Instead, I’m going for the “Just-Jot-It” part and am sharing this little quatrain I wrote about learning to drive (which I am finally doing!).
I’m nervous, nervous now to drive,
How oh how will I stay alive?
Nevertheless it will be a blessing,
As long as I strive, strive, strive!
revivedwriter 