Options tested for
here and there,
why and why not,
for maybe and for sure
take up too much space
in a muddled head,
while ordinary tasks
get done. People say
‘you think too much’
and maybe so but I want
the goshawks and sparrows,
the robins and meadow larks
to know that their beauty is
part of life that lifts
‘too much thinking’ to the skies of
possibility for each tomorrow.
“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
~ Lewis Carroll
Alone with
my thoughts
that swirl,
dip and dive
I am comforted
when
they shuffle
and regroup
like a puzzle
coming into focus.
Letting them play
their games in my head,
I can choose
which to keep and
which will serve
me in this life.
“The best thinking has been done in solitude.”
~ Thomas Edison
Did I write them down
words that blink
in phrases
in ideas
from nowhere
and everywhere
Disconnected
little stems
for story,
essay or
poetry.
~~~~~
Little notebooks
on table and desk,
filled with notes
wise words
directions ~ how to shape ideas
notes to self
a grocery list for apples and oranges
bills to pay
phone numbers
dates from messages
Not as cluttered as my thoughts
~ but close
At least notebooks are solid
~ thoughts are thinner than the finest gauze.
“Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come
unsought for are are commonly the most valuable.”
~ Francis Bacon
(1561~1626)
When I sit down to write
it is seldom in the same place.
Each time of day has
it’s own nook.
As long as there is
pen and paper,
or, as in this missive,
my laptop, my fingers poised,
I am ready to write.
When I sit down to write,
my thoughts are jumbled
or there may be a spot
on the wall that reminds me
of some bit of philosophy,
or maybe a blank white page
~ silent and patient.
So I doodle,
or read
a bit of poetry,
a novel
or whatever is near at hand
Along the way,
some fanciful thought
floats across the page
when I sit down to write.
“Your intuition knows what to write so get out of the way.”
~ Ray Bradbury
Procrastination:
“the act of delaying
something that must be
done often because it is
unpleasant or boring” ~
Cambridge online dictionary
~~~~~~
Dust has been banished,
soap scum put in it’s place ~
down the drain,
mirrors polished,
floors devoid of cat hair, ……
and all the while I wondered:
“What are you procrastinating about?
You dislike finicky housework?”
Not the first time with the puzzle,
but now I know.
I know that problems need sorting.
The sorting that arises from
the act of ‘finicky cleaning’
You may laugh,
you may guffaw,
you may snort in disgust
but I see my thoughts
attached to the vacuum,
the rag that scrubs grime,
the folding of stray tablecloths
until I have an orderly list of to do’s.
Tax time is always confusing!
“Organizing is what you do before you do something,
so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”
~ A.A.Milne
 |
Thought-provoking sparks
of brilliance, like fireflies,
wink out in the ordinary
getting ready for work,
for an outing,
washing the dishes
shopping for groceries
These brilliant sparks
become fragments
puffs of cloud
devoid of time, pen and paper
floating away on the winds of
responsibility or distraction
Will they return?
Maybe ~ and maybe not
Or like fire flies,
when lights are low
when it is time for sleep
new ones will come.”
“I’ve reached the moment where the movement of my thought
interests me more than the thought itself.
~ Pablo Picasso
Running with the wind
is long past for me.
But when my thoughts take a run through my mind,
to catch them,
get them down on paper,
I am breathless
just looking for a pen!
I can scribble on any old surface -
a dry erase board,
one of the scraps of paper held together by a big pink paper clip
a napkin or paper towel
or a preferred notebook.
a sticky note
the back of my hand (very useful in my work days)
in a pinch, the Note feature on my cell phone comes in handy.
“Always carry a notebook. And I mean always.
The short-term memory only retains information
for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper
you can lose an idea for ever.”
~ Will Self,
English writer, political commentator and broadcaster
