Poetic Asides: For today's prompt, write a deadline poem. You can interpret what a deadline poem is however you wish. Maybe it's a poem that laments the idea of deadlines. Maybe it's a poem about someone intentionally missing them or who never has problems with them (I wish I were that person). Regardless of how you take it, remember that you have until tomorrow before another prompt will be posted. Consider that your poetic deadline.
I had to wrestle with this one. I finally settled on working with my pet peeve – which is probably why the poem didn't want to emerge. Who wants to write about a problem most people don't have? How to put it into terms others could understand.
I hate deadlines.
I love deadlines.
That about covers it. I'm disorganized, forgetful, have trouble getting started on tasks, have trouble finishing the task in a timely manner. I procrastinate, lose time and generally wait until the deadline is looming over my head like some gigantic wave in the Perfect Storm. It isn't until I feel the splash of the water that I buckle down and produce like crazy, go into hyperfocus mode, make decisions, finish projects off, and generally meet the deadline. I love it when I'm done, hate it when I'm in the middle of the race. After each barely met deadline I swear I won't let it happen again, sometimes I even get a project off early. . . and then slip back into old habits.
Writing a poem about deadlines reminded me how much I hate those feelings. So in that way, it was a good prompt. Hopefully I tapped into some of that emotion for the poem. I'm even going to get this post up before midnight. I met my self-imposed deadline of write the dang poem, don't try and edit it tonight, and get the post up before I turn into a pumpkin. Mission accomplished.
Hey, look, I have lots of time left, two hours or so. I bet I could write another poem before the midnight deadline. . . Right after I play tug with the Corgis, answer some email, and put the dishes away.
Lots of time. . .
In keeping with the goal to bring you at least some poetry here today, one of my favorite "attention deficit" poems by an author from my alma mater.
I Know a Man
by Robert Creeley
As I sd to my
friend, because I am
always talking,—John, I
sd, which was not his
name, the darkness sur-
rounds us, what
can we do against
it, or else, shall we &
why not, buy a goddamn big car,
drive, he sd, for
christ’s sake, look
out where yr going.
.
2 comments:
I admire your stamina doing this challenge. (I know how you feel about deadlines.)
As long as it doesn't turn into a death march, I'm all for it. So far the Muse has kept me well supplied.
- Deadlines ought to be shot and hung. Then hung and shot. But then what would I do for that OMG
panicky feeling??
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