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Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Uncertainty

I knew that the pile-up of tasks, commitments, and appointments would backfire sooner or later. Instead of feeling relieved that some projects for the house are underway, I feel rushed and scattered. I frantically move from room to room trying to find items buried deep in what looks like mounds of snow inside my house. In fact, this is one reason for not slicing last week. The other reason is that I was Grandma sitting for the little grandgirls. All my attention had to be devoted to the little ones and nap time was not long enough. BUT the five-day experience was filled with happiness!

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There is uncertainty in the way I am moving these days. Besides misplacing important papers, I hit a brick wall. It appears that my muse temporarily took a vacation. The sun is shining and the temperature is up to 48 degrees. In addition, the snow has melted. By the number of people out and about, it looks like spring fever has spread. Without my muse, I struggled with today's prompt challenge at Laura Shovan's 10th Annual February Poetry Project. 

Have you ever heard of the girl band, The Bangles? They took Simon and Garfunkel's 1966 song, A Hazy Shade of Winter, and turned it into a "harder-edged rock song" in the 1980's, titled Hazy Shade of Winter. I love the song and it has been playing over and over in my mind since last night when Matthew Winner asked the group of writers to create a poetic expression using the song. Since I love the winter season with its ambiance, I thought this would be fun. Well, fun turned into more research than expected. In addition, I investigated many formats, such as a blackout poem, rhyming/non-rhyming poems, and free verse. I kept the various versions but decided not to use them. So this morning, I scraped the formats and started with the thoughts. I submitted my last revision with uncertainty recently. Will it survive? Will comments help me revise one more time? As the song says, "Time, time, time. See what's become of me. While I looked around for possibilities."

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Here is what I decided upon. (Hmm! Muse, where are you?)

Time Passes On 

Under a hazy shade of winter, hope rises like smoke from stoked fire pits. Over there, leaves of brown cling to a crystallized mound. Here, chimes tinkle on porches; lights twinkle on posts. Music floats out from stereo speakers. Snowdrops sprout. Springtime shouts; scenery changes. Spring bows gracefully to Winter’s soulful gaze as Time passes on.

possibilities

it’s the springtimes of our lives

hang on to hopes

©CarolVarsalona, 2022, draft

Bangles, Hazy Shade of Winter YouTube


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It's Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers.


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Some Slicers have offered their artistic expressions for my Winter's Embrace Global Gallery. I invite you to showcase one work for the gallery.

The deadline is extended.

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What does one of my online galleries look like? Click here.





8 comments:

  1. Your slice shows a writer who keeps at it, researching, trying and starting over but never not writing. I found your descriptive writing honest and inspiring. I found your poem, lovely. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and adding your thoughts, Sally. I appreciate your response. We need the consistency of writing to keep up the art. Sometimes, I feel pressured to produce something that is beyond raw. I need to concentrate more on the process rather than the product.

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  2. I enjoyed reading through your process to get to the poem. I think writing poetry is the hardest form of writing and always appreciate the challenge writer's go through to get to their final poem. I could relate to this be cause I love that song, too! :)

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    1. Thanks for understanding and adding comments. It is wonderful to have slicer friends that exchange ideas.

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  3. Carol, I can certainly relate to a missing muse since I did not post yesterday. Maybe next week I will write about why I didn't write this week. I really like this line,
    "possibilities
    it’s the springtimes of our lives
    hang on to hopes"

    We all need something to hang onto during these times.

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    1. Yes, you are right, Bob. Hope is so needed. We are feeling cooped up lately. It's been a long two years.

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  4. A muse on a winter break. Or perhaps the muse knew you'd be able to write without her. Your poetry toolbox is deep and wide. I like the shape of the poem. For a while I thought that shaping it more step by step might work better and then decided your version is just right. Spring and snowdrops are nowhere around here yet.

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  5. Hi Carol. Sometimes the muse takes a break, but it's working in the background. Lovely poem and the inspiration for it, ahhh, such a great song! I'm not a fan of winter, but your work is making me consider otherwise.

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