I get a lot of my ideas for poems in the shower. That's probably because it's the only time I'm not surrounded by people. Just by cats: one on the bathtub ledge between the curtain and the liner, one on the sink, waiting to lick the backs of my arms when I get out. (Sorry if you consider such detail extraneous and reductive, Schubert).Anyway, this happened on Sunday, yet it wasn't just a couple of images, but entire lines piling out. Jay gave me an assignment months ago, and I never could do it until Sunday when it all hit me.
So in an unprecedented act of poetic recklessness I skipped church and wrote the damn thing. (I guess I could add "I am Catholic and I go to church" to the list of facts below.)
Wasn't that radical and daring? The alternative was waiting until evening, and by then it would surely have been gone. Turns out it's a really important poem for my Saint Monica series.
Anyone else had a poetry emergency like this lately?
Oh yeah, and I got a haircut on Friday (not that you can tell from this picture). The haircut was not an emergency, but I do feel cooler, temperature-wise.
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PS--And on Sunday I also held a Labradoodle puppy and gave it back! So my will power is still intact. Etc.
The shower is where I also get many ideas.
I've also had a couple poetry emergencies lately and I think it's because it's summer and I've been so busy. When I don't have time I feel this anxiousness to write!
Also, I know I so so so late, but happy belated birthday. I haven't been able to post on your blog for the last month or so, but I can again! I'm not sure what happened, but I tried to wish you a happy birthday and nada!
Anyway, that's the scoop.
best,
Kelli
A friend who is a law professor keeps bath crayons in her shower so she can write down those sudden flashes on the shower walls.
Kelli--thanks for the birthday wishes (and glad I'm not the only one with the emergencies).
Pho, that's an awesome idea! I think they need sidewalk-chalk sized crayons too so that Gabi and Ray can scribble some musings, rather than playing "let's douse mom."
I keep clean undies in my glovebox in case of emergencies...
Oups. I misunderstood.
No poetry emergencies for me. I have the occasional story emergency, which typically results in cryptic clues scrawled on envelopes or the like.
Ewwwww!
So that's what's up with those cryptic messages on envelopes.
The shower is where my inflated sense of well being is readjusted every morning.
This shower thing seems to be the trend. I too keep the tub crayons in there. I actually wrote my senior thesis in the shower, thought transcribing it back onto paper was a pain.
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