Friday Writings #223: Why Bother?

   

Hello again, dear Word Weavers.  

I may have mentioned that I'm a devoted subscriber to The Red Hand Files, in which musician Nick Cave answers questions from his public – any questions. I like his music a lot, though not enough to be besotted nor even to know it well, and I forget how I came across The Red Hand Files, but I love these pieces of writing for their honesty, thoughtfulness, kindness and genuine humility. Also I guess I just like his mind, as revealed in them. There's an innate, albeit intangible Australianness which I naturally respond to, but he is of course an individual as we all are, and I like his individual quirkiness too.

Anyway, see for yourselves! Please have a read, right now, of this recent post. Go on! It's not long, and much of what he says applies to poets as well as singer-songwriters. Besides, you need to, to fully understand this week's prompt.

This week's (optional) prompt: Having read the piece, please tell us, how would YOU answer ‘this most dark and demoralised question: “This world has no meaning. Why fucking bother?”’? (Yes, it's OK to agree with Mr Cave's own thinking on the matter.)

Guidelines: Poetry or prose, old or new, on prompt or not, 369 words maximum (excluding title and notes), one post per person and link to that post below. Please link to us here at your post, please read what the rest of us submit (not forgetting to check back for those who arrive at the end of the week) and leave us some encouraging comments. You are of course welcome to make comments or ask questions here too.

 

And here's something pertinent by another brilliant Aussie, the late and beloved Michael Leunig, who was both cartoonist and poet:

Next week: We shall ask you to write about dessert(s)! 

 

Friday Writings #222: Legacies

 

Hello, word artists and admirers! As many of you know, I've been a student of Japanese tea ceremony for over a decade. In that time, I've gotten to meet other nice, tea-obsessed folks. Terry was one of them. She was endlessly enthusiastic about tea, and life in general. She also was the first person to encourage me to do a public tea demonstration. Sadly, last year Terry passed away. In her last few weeks she made it a point to share tea and some of her well loved tea-treasures with other members of the tea school. I was very honored to receive a special bag, made from one of her obi, that I could use at events to hold my tea things. 

Every time I use it, I will think of her encouraging voice.

So in honor of Terry, and her legacy of encouragement and hospitality, this week's optional prompt will be about legacies, either one legacy in specific or the idea of legacies in general. I'll accept fiction or non-fiction, prose or poetry. Just be sure to keep your pieces to 369 words or fewer and one entry per person please.

Next week, we shall ask you to answer the question, 'The world feels completely meaningless. Why f**king bother?' 

Friday Writings #221: April Quotes

 

Hello, word artists and admirers! We've made it to April. In my part of the world, that means the warmer days start to outnumber the cold ones and there's a little more light when I get Jelly Bean out for her evening walk. What does April look like in your part of the world?

This is pretty close to what April often looks like in eastern Pennsylvania, 

but I also have plenty of cherry blossom trees showering petals down on me too.

The month of April seems to have lots of different imagery associated with it, as can be seen in these quotes.

1. “Although I was born in April, I’m quite certain I was not fully awake until October.” ~ Peggy Toney Horton 

2. “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” ~ George Orwell 

3. “April is the kindest month. April gets you out of your head and out working in the garden.” ~ Marty Rubin 

4. “It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke 

5. “April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull root with spring rain.” ~ T. S. Eliot 

Your optional prompt for this week is to pick one (or more) of these quotes and use them as inspiration for your pieces. I'll be taking poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction. Just be sure to keep your pieces to 369 words or fewer and one entry per person, please.

Next week, we shall ask you to contemplate legacies, either one in specific or the idea of a legacy in general.