Monday, October 31, 2011

Not Now, I'm Busy





I stare at teacups
and blank walls

squeeze a ball
of bubble wrap

as if some kind
of juicy inspiration

might ooze
through my fingers

onto the keyboard
surrounded by books

none of which I read
start to finish

anymore, but graze
from a smorgasbord

dip into my favorite
playboy phrases

then toss them out
for the dogs to enjoy

secretly hoping
they will boomerang

back in the form
of something sexy

something hip
like a trilby or a kiss



tk, October 2011


Listen to the talented R.A.D. Stainforth's reading of this poem:
(visit his excellent blog Black Dogs here)














Join Magpie Tales interactive writing blog here

68 comments:

  1. Oh, for the time to write........
    ;)

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  2. The driver lost his keys somewhere and looked for them under the lamplight because there was light right there. The poet lost his words somewhere and looked under the typewriter because he could.

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  3. Having a little issue with the writers block are we???

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  4. My best inspiration comes from staring at teacups and walls...

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  5. Teacups and walls...I'll have to try that ;)

    Thanks, Tess, for yet another inspiring photo.

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  6. Sometimes putting on your thinking cap can provide inspiration: What style of trilby were you wearing at the time you wrote this neat piece!? Nice!

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  7. I really like this, Tess.

    I live in hope that some of my own phrases will, eventually, "...boomerang
    back in the form of something sexy..."

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  8. Rick, a 1960s Stetson "Playboy"...

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  9. I can see the writer sitting there...hopeful, impatient, a bit bored.

    I had to look up trilby. That was a new word for me.

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  10. Squeezing bubble wrap is oddly satisfying, even if inspiration fails to come.

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  11. Writers block so cleverly described. penny

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  12. Hard to believe that our Tess,
    might get that thousand yard
    stare, poised at her keyboard,
    naked but for her Stetson, and
    admiring teacups, wallpaper,
    and old Hugh Hefner mags;
    for the dogs of poetics reside
    within the manor, beneath
    every cupboard, in every drawer,
    tenth in a pile of china, fourth
    in a line of milk white sculpture,
    tenth of a shelf of Gee Dub
    treasures, in the stained glass,
    in the trees outside, in the garden,
    upstairs, in the cellar, or the cleaning
    products under the sink. How deep
    is the crease in your trilby?

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  13. Fabulous -- and I love the photo, too.

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  14. This day many will celebrate with chagrin, the angst of the creative void, hanging white-knuckled, waiting for the rush and thrill when suddenly the void fills...

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  15. ha...grazing books looking for inspiration....been there...love the pic...this one will be fun...

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  16. Sometimes a walk in nature helps me. The right word or phrase will comes. The wind and bird calls are the noisiest it can be. I think it is strange, but usually, it has to be dead silent when I write.

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  17. Word for the day is TURGID..Playboy Indeed!..Hehehehehe
    Cheers M'lady!

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  18. All comes to he (or she) who waits! A delightful tale of the frustation brought about by an errant muse!

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  19. Ooh, this was good. I've been reading the magpies, and many claim to suffer from writer's block. I'm not seeing that from their fabulous writes.

    I love the prompt. Thanks.

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  20. I love the ending of this--the boomerang, trilby, hip, kiss, dogs. The block lightens. K.

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  21. Hi Tess, been reading a little about you lately. what an inspiring woman you are! the way you have with words is incredulous, I love reading you. when i grow up i want to be a little like you (wanting to keep my good stuff) lol take care my friend, I have been away for a long while but hopefully I am back...i think i am.

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  22. i like this snapshot into a writer's life. wonderful photo. nice form to the poem too.

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  23. Lovely piece Tess, there's nothing cooler than a trilby...

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  24. I would settle for a trilby and a kiss - wordless, even. Great lines in this piece!

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  25. Tinges of melancholic drama and a lyrical crescendo! A beautiful celebration of writer's angst!

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  26. ..hello Miss Tess! it's good to be back here at your lair... i wonder if you ever been in that situation when you can't think of something to write? your words are always rich and full of substance.. and, i agree, your end's terrific! Hope the ghosts at the manor don't disturb you too much this hallooween..hehe..(:

    ~Kelvin

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  27. Inspiration just strikes!! No amount of 'trying to find it' will help!! Interesting poem and a lovely picture choice, loved it!!

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  28. Start by pretending that scrumpled paper left of the typewriter is actually a pair of white knickers . . .

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  29. Dear Tess: Wonders what are your "favourite playboy phrases" :) and of which dogs do you speak; re: "toss them out for the dogs to enjoy". I must have a trilby now! :)

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  30. Thank you C.J. ... it's so nice to see you again at Willow Manor!

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  31. Chicco there were once two big ol' yellow labs at Willow Manor, but I could be speaking metaphorically here...you decide...

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  32. Doctor FTSE now you're talkin'...

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  33. Love the poem AND the voice of R.A.D Stainforth reading it! I have never listened to him before but have wondered.

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  34. Thanks Ann, R.A.D. Stainforth is very talented...he even had a full blown case of man flu, as he called it, and still was kind enough to make this recording. Cheers, Mr. Stainforth! Feel better soon, dear friend...

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  35. Very, very cool!!
    Happy Halloween!

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  36. tess,

    ok.
    i know you are busy...
    but come over and see me.
    i am doing my 1st ever give-away.
    you might win.
    and it is a great prize.

    love xx

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  37. You really captured that hopeless search...brilliant!

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  38. Isn't it frustrating when words don't come? I've had to resort to photography these days for my blogs. I've been to busy for poetry, packing up my home, giving half of it away to Goodwill and preparing to move to India for five months. Arrive there the 19th after a two day stopover in Korea. Perhaps I'll have more inspiration then!

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  39. This is one of my favorites! And WHERE in your poem did Glenn read in that you were naked? LOL

    And my 19 year old son loves these hats!

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  40. Margaret, Glenn is...well...er...Glenn...

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  41. I can so relate to this one Tess....love it! :-)

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  42. Oh how I relate...I am surrounded at times by poetry litter...that is what I fondly call all those uncompleted attempts at writing.

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  43. Wonderful look into the mind of the poet:) This is one for the second book!

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  44. Funny, really, your title. I was so busy yesterday, assembling my t&p portfolio, and your prompt was so enticing. I remember with great fondness my little portable typewriter from college (late '70s). Still haven't had time to contemplate a poem...maybe tomorrow. Love yours, very, very much! Laughed out loud at Glenn's comment :-)

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  45. Oh Tess - you always have such wonderful images - even with writer's block

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  46. First the photo... and then the words. Lovely post! My best inspiration sometimes comes on long leisurely walks through forests.

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  47. That was beautiful! The title got me hooked to the poem instantly :)

    Cheers,
    Arnab Majumdar on SribbleFest.com

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  48. I have so many of those books too, now I have a new determination, by reading start to finish the books my children are reading, how can a writer not read, I think, I am getting better at, terrific Magpie

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  49. You even make writer's block seem attractive! And trilby is such a delightful word! I had to look it up, as I wasn't familiar with it (always just called them fedoras!)

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  50. I particularly like this:
    'secretly hoping
    they will boomerang

    back in the form
    of something sexy'

    Brilliant!

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  51. Writing about not writing makes for good writing!

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  52. Isn't it what we all hope for? As always, you nailed it perfectly.

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  53. Wonderful, Tess. :)

    I am totally blocked, in the dark this week.

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  54. Love this. The Muse does go on strike sometimes!

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  55. Beautifully penned Tess...a great way to describe writer's block... :)

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  56. "boomerang into something sexy" ... Oh yes! You've expressed it, exactly. The whole poem is just brilliant. I feel humbled.

    (Lovely to be back at the Manor!)

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  57. It's always fun to share my stuff with you, dear peeps, thank you!

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  58. Interesting images (bubble wrap! playboy phrases!) to describe the writing process. Thanks for sharing!

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  59. I love the photo and the poem! It's always inspiring to "graze from a smorgasbord" of favorite books when the page is looking blank :)

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)