Inspiration Grows

I wrote a poem today. It's been quite a while since the inspiration has come so easily. Usually when there's been a long lapse in my writing, the first thing that comes out in my poetry is all the stuff I don't like about myself or my life. Today was different. It was a poem about inspiration and the way it feels to me. I call it "Teapot" for lack of a better title. Here it is:

Teapot

I feel like a teapot.

Boiling water bubbling up

from the depths of myself.

Creative ideas dance on the bottom,

leap through the heat to see

the light of my face.

Why is it that these creative bubbles

can be both exciting and terrifying

in the same moment?

Just like the teapot my stomach boils

ideas create acid fear

and efferscent joy

jumbled together in a messy fountain of thought.

Why can't ideas come from peace?

Why can't stillness be their calling card

instead of this crazy tilt-o'-whirl of emotion?

They pick me up and carry me

to the place they wish to go

with echoes of "ooo, what if" and "wouldn't it be cool"

following behind like a pup

racing after a speeding car.

Why no the still, quiet waters

of a mountain lake?

Stop! Wait!

I cry as they race about.

I need time to write it down

before the teapot runs out of water,

before the creative binge runs out of steam,

but, heedless, the ideas race on

and only I seem to notice the dry crack

of the empty kettle on the stove.

It's a little rough, but it served its purpose.

I had quite a flattering event happen this week. One of my friend's daughters wants to be an illustrator, so her mom called me up this past week and asked if she could have a copy of one of my books so Molly could practice illustrating scenes from books. I had an extra copy just sitting around so I gave it to her. Molly read it, loved it, and drew about a dozen pictures. She's eleven, but you'd never know it. She's GOOD!!! One of my favorite pictures is at the top of my blog. The kids is astounding. I know people who have been drawing for twenty years who aren't so good. It's awesome and extremely flattering that she asked to use my book to do it. It's been a fairly happy week. I'm hoping to write another blog entry tomorrow as I've got tons to catch up on and it's time for bed.

I know I've been tagged at least twice over the last several months but can't remember by whom and for what. If you've tagged me anytime since, oh . . . say, September, let me know, would you? I'll get on it as soon as I hear from you.

Quote of the Day: To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it's about, but the inner music the words make.

~Truman Capote, McCall's, November 1967