Michelle H. Barnes of Today's Little Ditty interviewed sloth fan, Rebecca Herzog, who gave the poetic challenge of writing about what a monster might be afraid of. I started with one thing in mind, and it grew and twisted by the end. Hope you had a scareful Halloween!
Upstairs in my darkened room
I love to scatter dust with broom,
Then eat a snack of lovely bugs
Like beetles, worms and slimy slugs.
I pet my rat, I catch my bat;
Content with where each web is at.
And I am hummy-glum in gloom…
Until…
I hear the dreadful chilling sound
Of children -
Up the stairs they bound
With awful, joyful sounds of giggling -
Their bodies, hands and lips all wiggling -
A disgusting and revolting sight
Made worse when they turn on the light!
I shiver-hide behind a box
Avoiding sounds of happy talks
Trying not to be so scared
Of children with their shiny hair.
Why don’t they have a webby do?
Why do they scream a silly “boo!”
When will they all just go away?
Spider wants to come and play.
But I can’t play until they go
Wait…
I know what to do
And so…
I get my disappearing stuff
And mix it till it’s good enough,
Then slide it out for them to see.
They’ll think it is a bit of tea!
Hee-hee!
They’ll see the potion,
drink it up,
Till nothing’s left up here
but cup!
Phew!
Another scareful, monstrous day
Pretending children come to play...
I have to find my momma now;
I may have scared myself somehow.
Momma warns, “You’ll have daymares
If you’re too scareful with play-scares!
By Donna JT Smith, 10/12/2019
It's Poetry Friday; please visit more poet and poems hosted at Tabatha Yeatts - The Opposite of Indifference.
I've been incredibly distracted and busy. I am writing when I get a chance and/or an inspiration. I have however found a writing workshop to participate in weekly, and am enjoying both the writing time and the time to mentally attend to things other than the day to day! I wrote the post I am putting up for Noah (INoahCat.blogspot.com) at the last meeting...it went over well, so the "book" he is writing may be not bad...
I'm ready to continue finessing a "book" I've written, and a couple of picture books. Maybe I will simply self-publish them to have them out there as finished copies for the grandkids at least! Procrastinating is not a good thing, but I don't feel as much like it is procrastinating as it is running out of steam. Time to fill the kettle again, and that's what I'm hoping the writing group will help with!
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Love your new "look" on the blog! And this poem, ew, who doesn't like a good "daymare"! Happy you've found a writer's group, too, Donna & a way to get going with those manuscripts!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Love your snow pics! Glad I don't have any to share so far!
DeleteContent with each web, until...invasion of the wiggly gigglers! Glad you had a chance to write a poem for TLD and that you found a writing workshop. Excellent! I wouldn't be too hard on yourself for running out of steam. You'll get your second wind!
ReplyDeleteI had fun with it. Just can't seem to get ahead on anything. Lots of little things to do, but I am trying to make some time for myself now. I'm out of practice! The writing workshop is a good start. I'm forcing myself NOT to sign up for the winter swap. I don't want to fail at it again, so I'll wait until summer and I should be on top of things again!
DeleteDonna this is fantastic! I has a very Ogden Nash feel about it. I love how the Momma drops in at the end. Ha!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda I thought I was finished at each break near the end, but another bit arrived until Momma showed up to really end it! Funny how writing goes.
DeleteI love this scareful adventure, Donna! (So much more than a "ditty.") With all those twists and turns It was a bit like a walk through a haunted maze. I found the description of the children with "their bodies, hands and lips all wiggling" especially delightful. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was one of those that I didn't know where it was headed until I ended. Lol! Great prompt.
DeleteI loved your poem on the padlet and especially appreciated your twist at the end. I am editing a memoir and having a hard time with it. I'm preferring to think of it as distilling and fermenting inside my brain and when it and I am ready, it won't be so terrifying and challenging.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the fermenting! It sometimes works for me when I just start writing until something starts to make sense. Then I ignore the "chatter" that happened before I got to the point! Lol!
DeleteThis is such a fun poem--especially the twist at the end. I hope you continue to enjoy your writer's group. Good luck with getting back in the groove with writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay. I am enjoying the workshop/group writing sessions very much. Going to my first Jam Session this Friday with my uke! Excited to try that, too!
DeleteWhat a fun spidery poem–watch out for that "disappearing stuff!" Glad you've found a writing group–enjoy, thanks.
ReplyDelete