Tag: writing community

Posted on

Tuesday Poetry: Comfort Places

Sometimes it’s difficult to find
A comfortable place to work
You can’t afford to buy or rent
A private office and all the free
Public places are crowded
Crowds are bad when you have
Panic attacks and don’t like
People walking behind you
No desk lets you have your
Back to the wall so you
Can see when others approach you
Finding a quiet unoccupied room
Helps but your anxious that someone
Who reserved the room will find you
This is why living alone is important
This is why having a private office
Is important but few people
Can actually relate to your needs
They judge you, they pity you,
They feel bad for you, they do nothing
To understand why you struggle
So, you wander for 20 minutes
Looking for the best place to sit
And relax and get work done
Because you get more work
Done when you’re comfortable

From the poetry collection Cats, Coffee, Catharsis.

Posted on

Poetry Monday: Beginning Step Four

It starts with resentment – 
Not only with people
With places, social constructs
Even belief systems – 
So much anger and resentment

I can think of a few things
My father – my mother – 
My sisters – myself – 
Society’s version of masculinity
I resent these things

My closest friends, I resent them too –
What if it’s my anger
Towards my family projected
Onto my friends – 
Do they resent me

I fear being alone
I fear not being good enough
I fear I’ll become my father
I fear I am my father
I fear being taken for granted

I react in anger to many things
I spent years feeling only anger – 
I didn’t know why I was angry – 
I pushed others away
Before they could get close

I was angry because I was afraid
I’m ashamed of my fears
I feel guilty for never letting someone in
And hurting those who tried
I don’t allow myself happiness

I’ve hated my friends
Because I felt ignored and abandoned
I’m ashamed I was angry – 
I’m ashamed I pushed away
Those who cared for me most

I don’t know why those closest to me
Still want me in their lives
I don’t know why they stay
When so many others have left – 
I have to make amends

From the poetry collection Cats, Coffee, Catharsis.

Posted on

Coffee and Contemplation: What Does the New Year Hold?

This is not a post about resolutions or any “new year, new me” nonsense. I prefer setting goals rather than resolutions. Goals are easier to attain and they are more flexible with the uncertainty of life. Goals can be adjusted and revised. There’s less pressure to achieve a goal as long as you’re working towards that goal. The accomplishment is still there. This is why people don’t follow through with resolutions. There’s too much pressure to sustain that resolution for the entire year. Making short-term achievable goals is more realistic than resolutions.

Many people try going to the gym for a new year’s resolution. After a few weeks, they stop going. I suggest you set a goal to eat healthier food and try to be more active. These goals are easier to achieve and you don’t have to focus on these things every single day. Goals are intended to start out small and gradually build. Maybe one year, going to the gym three times a week will be an achievable goal. But first you have to get yourself to that point. You can’t jump to the finish line. Life is never that easy.

I have a few goals of my own. These are things I’ve been working on over that past year and plan to continue. I’m saving money to one day get a down payment for my own house. It’ll be a couple years before I have enough saved so this is more of a long-term goal. I also plan to finish my novel this coming year. I have about 15 chapters left to write. That might seem like a lot, but I have 33 chapters finished. I’ve finished the majority making the finish more attainable. Those are just a couple of small things I’m preparing for the new year. What goals have you made? What does the new year hold for you?