Week Seven
Monday, October 23rd – Sunday, October 29th
Here is a poem I worked on over the weekend.
THIS HOUSE WAS ALWAYS BROKEN
This house was always broken
and now it’s full of stifling shadows—
a clumsy, windblown panoply
of somnambulant chuntering—
lingering memories that sometimes smile,
shed tears, or spill bitter draughts of laughter.
You leave each moment
as you enter it—
will you stumble in the night
from room to dusty room
or light a lantern
and walk into the sea?
Take courage.
This house was always broken.
And if you find yourself on the water’s edge,
then ask yourself—
with what is your heart filled?
Watch your thoughts
ripple across the canvas of the sea.
You and the sea are inextricably bound.
Your steady gaze will quell the tempest,
scatter the clouds like ashes
and lift up the newborn sun …
and the seagulls will dance in the coddling breezes
and cry for your joy.
You were born chasing the sun.
Now die with it in your hands.
There’s no more room for shadows in your heart,
where ghosts may roam and murmur in tongues.
The 100 Day Project is a creativity excavation. It’s about unearthing dormant or unrealized creativity by committing to a daily practice everyday for 100 days.
Creativity is a skill. The more we practice, the more skilled we become. Practice takes time. Practice takes commitment. Practice is a radical act in this speeded up world. Through practice, we develop a creative habit. Through habit, we reconnect with and know ourselves again as a creative being.
I started this 100 Day Project (my second one) on September 11th. Each week, I will write at least five hundred words of my novel. These words don’t necessarily have to be a polished product, but should, at least, be coherent and grammatically sound. I’ll also post two poems a week. These poems will be a bit more polished than first drafts. Most of the material will come from poetry that I wrote in my first 100 day project. In addition to writing the poems, I’m also going to read them, so that you may hear how they sound in my head. I’ve been told I have a pleasant voice, so I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Lastly, I’ll create one blog post where I read a famous poem written by a real poet! I will also include a little history and fun facts about the poet.