Wednesday, April 11, 2012

As Ye Sew, So Shall Ye Rip

Each week, 3WW posts three words on Wednesday;  our mission:  create something written using those three words.  This week:  draft, locate, serenity.  Here's my vision: 


The Battlefield

As I scratch-scritch-scratch, the paper – my draft  -

Takes on the scene of a battlefield:  a word bombed there,

A whole sentence taken out there.  My scratches get deeper

and broader and pierce the paper at times.

I mumble to myself, pull my hair, slake my thirst,

Drag the pencil across my teeth, and rant at the scene before me.

Out, out – no, that’s good, stay stay. 

If at the end, I can locate my sanity,

It would have been worth the battle.

12 comments:

Old Egg said...

As soon as you see the prompt word(s) your mind freezes. I would never use those in what I write. Often in Australia the prompt might appear late at night and by the time you look at the site again in the morning there are 29 posts there already. Should you read them first? or ignore them and start alone. The next stage is your post and the battle begins. Great mirror I looked into in your post.

Andy Sewina said...

Lovely work! Love the scratch-scritch-scratch, nicely done!!

Elephant's Child said...

I like it, but lost serenity. Or were you tricking us?

Jae Rose said...

Ooh, this poem has noise Di..like fingers down a black board..keep on scratching..get those words out..because, like this, it becomes a roaring tune (great first line) Jae

Alice Audrey said...

I'm not sure sanity can be found in the revision process. Seems to me the more I do it, the more lost I get until suddenly a spark lights and everything makes sense. If I'm lucky.

Di Eats the Elephant said...

Thanks for all the comments. The Elephant's Child lost serenity, and that is pretty much what is happening for this writer polishing her/his piece. That's why if (s)he manages to find it by the time (s)he is done (assuming it is ever done), then it's been a good fight, no matter how badly the paper looks after.

Angel said...

Love the feeling in this piece.

Unknown said...

Oh my! I can relate.This happens when a good piece is working hard to be born.

Belva Rae Staples said...

I like this poem! Try to relax, though. You are worrying me! lol.
This is supposed to be fun. I just write anything that pops into my head and if it stinks, so be it!

Unknown said...

Hmm. The struggle to get the perfect words, the perfect line.

Sheilagh Lee said...

don't we all do this?

Sharp Little Pencil said...

This is SO real for us. I write to the prompt first and then see what others have done, and yours is so true. Editing, trying to get it right, can be frustrating. My daughter is an artist and the hardest thing for her is to say, "It's done." Can't we all relate?

Peace, Amy
http://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/04/15/the-drifter-3ww/