What makes us? (Prose)

The writer has invited you
to read their words
to be privy to their inner thoughts
What they perceive to be ~
the essence of their soul
the antidote for how they feel
at any given moment

How do you envisage them
someone with a life
much the same as yours
A wife daydreaming by the stove
her words cooking in the pot
a teacher scribbling on a
blackboard, only to think of a poem

Do they sit at traffic lights
with words tumbling through
their heads ~ grasping for a scrap of paper
battling to find a pen, so they won’t
leave the words behind
For it’s in these precious moments
that they must write them down
or commit to memory
hoping later they’ll be found

Writers can be complicated
each one so different from the next
whilst one is happy with what they write
you’ll find the other quite perplexed
To you the reader you have the chance
to peer into their heart, their soul
their experiences in life

You will see pain, tears and suffering
love and happiness,  Mood swings
high to low from one day to the next
for they are emotional creatures
whose words reflect what they feel
and a roller-coaster ride is yours
should you care to read

So bear all this in mind
as you absorb what they
have written, understand their love
of writing at times needs to be forgiven
it’s a desire, a want, a lust
with a thirst that’s never quenched
but if by chance, it’s touched your heart
in the tiniest of ways
or brought some strong emotion forth
then you’ll have truly made their day

 

©jmtacken 21 Oct, 2013

On dusted Parchment

photo credits: s1.favim.com

barely visible
letters adorn
dusted yellowing
parchment
as stitches are
divorced
from fraying binders
and
leather bound covers
are held by
fragile
pleated hands
read by waxen glow
his eyes
opaque
he struggles

words of writers
embodied
past times
treasures
as grandmother’s necklace
handed down

feelings etched
from another mind
another vision
penned
with quill
from brighter
eyes
unaware who may
read
whose hands will touch
the ink or
turn
the page

words of love…
philosophy
poetry
pain
a writers life once lived
sharing
deepest thoughts
to be read
again
and again

don’t shut the book
forever wondering
what knowledge beauty
joy
is held
blow off the dust
read what is written
so that you may
learn
to close the book
shall only
close your mind

~~~~~~~~~~~

Miriam from    http://anotherwanderingsoul.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/my-pages/  and I have once again written a piece from a photo that Miriam has chosen.  We then post our pieces at the same time (or near enough) not knowing what the other has written. Please go and see her contribution.

Rambly is taking a small break

My dear Readers,

Rambly/Mumsy/aka Jen is having a small break from posting. I am finding myself somewhat exhausted after writing continually for the last month. My brain is a little frayed at present and I need to step away for a short time, to gather strength, to revitalise my muse and soul search on how often I write and perhaps indeed what I write.

I shall be trying to read what I can, of those whom I follow, but for the time being, I am not able to catch up with everyone on a daily basis as I have been doing, so if I don’t leave a comment or hit a ‘like’ I ask for your forgiveness. For those who may worry about me, please do not, I am fine, I am just a little tired, physically and mentally. I know my ‘stats’ will plummet, my followers may drop off, but such is life in the ‘blog’ lane.

I have pushed myself for the love of writing…because that is who I am,  but right now…this very moment,  I cannot push myself any further, I am not suffering writers block, I have merely reached a dead end,  where I feel I can’t keep up.

As per my Blog Etiquette post, blogging is about keeping up – following – commenting – posting, like any relationship it requires work.  I have made so many friends, been so very fortunate to have the followers that I do and have always received supportive and encouraging comments, which I am immensely grateful for.

I do feel guilty that I will not be doing this over the next 5 or so days, but hopefully soon, things will return to some sort of normality. I will still be reading what I can – just not able to write or give you the feed-back you deserve.

Until I return,

I wish you all joy in your writing and hope to see you all soon.

Yours most Sincerely,

Rambly/Mumsy/Jen

xx

Blog Etiquette- The 10 Commandments from the reader and the writer’s prospective – 400th Post

with the words of Pink …”Who Knew”

Indeed who would have ever thought that I would reach this, that @ the 4th April, 2013 I would have 262 followers in the space of under a year and blah blah visits (half of them probably lost with my obscure tags). I feel I have my feet firmly planted on Mt Sinai about to give the 10 commandments.

Perhaps I shall (though a little longer than Moses delivered)

1. Always be grateful and acknowledge those that follow you. They have taken their time to ‘look into’ your posts and have decided that they like and are interested in what you have to offer. Even if it is not immediate – take the time to read who you follow, we are human, we all like a pat on the back or acknowledgment for what we do. Do not be so self-centered to think that your post is the only one that matters or brag endlessly about the amount you have accumulated. .. *yawn*. Be at least genuine and sincere. Likewise if you are following someone and you have commented time after time and they do not visit you, or acknowledge your existence, then it is up to you whether to ‘pull the pin’ for this in a way is a two way street i.e. Reciprocate.

2. Always when possible, leave a comment to what they have written, for they have spent their time, their energy and their love in writing to be read by YOU. To ignore is rude, so show them that you care. Get to really know these people whenever possible, not in a ‘stalking way‘, but to show that you are interested not only in their writing but them as a human being, you have some affinity with them through their words. How nice would it be to develop a friendship albeit virtual?

3. Always be sincere in your comments, too many, at times have a line that is continually used and it is noticed from one post to another. If you feel you cannot really comment on what the post means to you, then simply hit the like button, that will suffice and in fact, to the writer is better than seeing the ‘same old line’, as it leaves us with the question of “Did they actually read my words”?. This applies to those that hit the like button within 1 second of you hitting the publish button…

4. Always remember that at times, people do not want or indeed have the time to read terribly long posts. I have been guilty of this on more than one occasion, it is difficult to reign in your thoughts, but perhaps a better idea (note to self) is to break it down into one or two. Doing this will also hopefully, keep your reader interested and want to come back for more. This is not greed for ‘hits’, this is simply providing a service of not boring your followers so much that they would inevitably ‘un-follow’ you.

5. Always be kind and considerate in your comments, this forum does not need vicious or vindictive remarks. Critique is justified in a caring manner, do not be obnoxious when pointing this out. Corrections to grammar and spelling are warranted. I have been ‘pulled up’ a few times and I am thankful to those that that have noticed an error and have advised me of such, it only improves my writing.

6. Always be aware that your readers/followers or newcomers have read you for a reason, be exhilarated that they have decided to follow you because of what you have written. In my case some follow because they like Haiku, others for prose, others simply for me just rambling about my life and being a mum. Each follower so vastly different from another. What intrigues or interests one, will not necessarily intrigue another and that is OK.

7. Always remember there is a market for everybody that runs a ‘blog’, people with different interests, different values, different stories to tell, each of us, unique, each of us bringing an idea, a thought, guidance or humour that we wish to share with the world. Do not feel ashamed that you have followers that you don’t follow…for each of us are attracted to different writers. I have followers that I don’t follow, but time allowing, I will pop in now and then to read what they are doing.

8. Always write from your heart, about your passions, your knowledge, your loves. Encourage those that feel they cannot write poetry to do so, or write from the ‘dark side’ or the melancholy or try a Haiku!  We all learn from one another, we therefore should appreciate those that can step ‘outside the box’ from their ‘normal’ writing.

9. Always, no matter what genre you choose, maintain your sense of decency, your individuality and your talent, do not be persuaded to follow what others do because it may be popular. Don’t jump on the band wagon, simply because you see that they have a ‘gazillion’ followers. You are what you are, you write because you have your own story to tell.

10. ALWAYS be yourself, do not write under pretence, write what you love, feel secure in that those that follow are genuinely interested in what you have written and show them the respect that they deserve. Yes, it is a time consuming but manageable process to follow, to read, to comment, to then write your own work. Comments do not have to be done within a second of posting (refer to commandment 3).  I have followers who are now going back through the archives to read older posts. That to me is reassuring, comforting and pleasing. Knowing that they are taking the time to do so. Remember this is NOT a competition, though some of us enter into challenges, we are not doing this to win the race of the best blog or to be ‘Freshly Pressed’. I am just comfy being myself Wrinkled and all, thank you very much.

So now I remind myself of # 4 and close – I thank you for reading and following me.  Without wanting to make any one violently ill – YOU ARE ALL PRECIOUS TO ME.

Reblogging – welcomed and appreciated…spread the love 🙂

*If I have contradicted myself in the aforementioned Commandments –  you can blame the demon drink. 😦

Strange mood

Bit a ‘blagh’ mood..strange mood.

Not writing for comments or pity or even the like button to be hit.
Just writing… not a great day in the new job, which is what set off this mood I guess.
It was very warm again today, but now I sit in the study, with the window half open and a slightly cool breeze, wafts through the gap causing the blinds to blow out and in.

I realise music affects me as does the weather – I can only think it’s a Cancerian trait.

I feel … I don’t know how I feel right at this point and I wonder why in fact I am even writing. I’m not the ‘bubbly’ Rambly I was a couple of days ago and that’s ok, because I can’t be ‘bubbly’ all the time, none of us can. I have posted when I have been ‘down’ before’ so this is no exception to my site. I sit back and wonder why this mood, should I snap out of it, should I just crawl into my bed and try to sleep if off. Will I be better tomorrow?

I should be, the earth is so quiet apart from the noise the blinds make in the wind and an ambulance siren in the distance on the highway.

My journey that you travel along beside me is full of ‘ups’ and yes sometimes ‘downs’, which all of us experience sometimes in our lives.

So I’m simply putting this to a ‘down’ phase or perhaps a little pensive, maybe I’m just a little run down, tired and I am not looking for ‘awww mumsy’ for I’m not writing to seek that response. I am, as I said simply writing how I feel right now at 9.59pm Wednesday night.

I think I shall go to bed and see if a good nights sleep will solve this little ‘downer’ that my mind and body are experiencing right now.

Good night followers.

Yes ‘fraid so it is I again…with my obsession to write.

Yes it is me again …

I wonder how many of you get that notification that I have posted yet again (maybe I should get a job delivering mail?) and shudder.

If you have followed me and are over my ‘ramblings’ and have completely tuned out, switched off , un-followed or simply delete the email notification you receive from ramblings or you couldn’t be bothered reading I forgive you.

I understand you and I bare no grudges 🙂 for I do post a lot I am a prattler  – “talk at length in a foolish or inconsequential way”.

Some times my posts are informative (rare I know) sometimes they are lyrical, sometimes they are poetical and sometimes they are just well nonsense.

But come to think about it, if you have tuned out or struck me off your list you wouldn’t be receiving a notification of this post anyway, so eck I’m not disturbing your peace at all.

I honestly could write all day and night (I’m sure there’s medication for RSI). I cold prattle on forever. What obsesses me to do so? Whether it’s writing a Novel or a Post…it still remains the same an OBSESSION.

I now repost 10 reasons which I found on cassandrajade.wordpress.com site. I hope she doesn’t mind me using it and I thank her, for I find what she has written so very true.

1. You start re-reading every sentence that you write and then start re-writing every sentence, convinced that you are ‘improving’ them. I know when it’s time to stop when I have just written the same sentence ten times and I no longer even believe it to be written in English.

2. Your partner/best friend/child sends you an instant message asking if you will be eating breakfast/lunch/dinner.

3. You start arguing with your characters out loud: “No, you fool. You have to go…”

4. You have any kind of repetitive strain problem (wrist, arm, finger, neck, eyes).   Hence my medication comment.

5. You get home from your day job and your computer is turned on before you have put your bag down, taken your shoes off, fed your pets, or spoken to your children.

6. When you have told your friend/partner/child you will be ready to leave just after finishing one more sentence you write another couple of pages and forget you were meant to be finishing until they unplug the computer at the wall.

7. In your bag you have at least three notebooks and five pens, as well as a pencil in case all of you pens cease working on the same day.

8. Every single thing you read or watch is critiqued in terms of character, plot and setting.

9. When you meet someone for the first time you repeat their name, not to help you remember them but so that you can someday use that name in a story.

10. In conversation you directly reference events and characters you have been writing about (even though nobody else has read it yet).

So I post away day to day if I need to (yes I need to) I’m convincing myself it’s not a form of OCD.

Also I would like to mention October 24th I did a post about having 1,816 people read my ramblings, as of tonight I have had 3,022…Yes I am delighted, thrilled and feel very appreciative to all of you who continue reading.

Whoever would of thunk it!!!!

 

Courtesy of Google & Curiousanimals.net

Courtesy Google & paddingtonpups.com.au

My Dad – Affectionately ‘Pop’

For my Pop,

This is what I wrote & read to my father not so long ago.

For the last few months I have thought more and more about wanting to sit with you and say what I am about to. Instead I being the writer have written those words and will read it, as hopefully I shall find this easier.

What can a daughter say to her father, that I love you totally? Admire your courage to survive your upbringing, your strength to conquer against all odds your escape during the war. Your tenacity to fight for a better life, not only for yourself but for my mother and your children.

You are a man of dignity and honesty. You have been and still are a wonderful husband to mum and a truly devoted and loving father to your children. You have always been there to support and encourage and give me much-needed advice. You have been the disciplinarian when needed when I was younger, the confidant as I grew and the person I could rely on.

Every daughter will say their father is the best, but of you it is true. It is a pity we don’t ‘know’ the man before they became our father, as I would have liked to have known you in your youth, or a young man, but then again are you so different from then to now? As life rolls by I have so many memories of you and my life is the better for it. I would not change one moment, nor one day.

I have wanted to say these things to you for sometime and even though I pray with my entire being that you will be with me for many years to come, reality means that may not be so. This is why I say this to you now, because I do not want to miss the opportunity of not being able to tell you. I adore you Pop, you will always be with me on this earth or when your time comes to leave it. Perhaps believe in the ever after, so that I can still talk to you and know that you are around me. No words shall comfort my grief or pain when you are not here to talk to or laugh with. I shall remember playing childhood games with you, I shall remember sharing a loaf of bread and a full piece of salami in a car with you and not having anything to cut them with. Our memories will being a smile to my heart. I love you unconditionally and respect you as my father and as a human being.

You have brought me up well and taught me well and for that I am eternally grateful.

You are in my heart and so much a part of me, that tears well in my eyes as I write these words.

But I wanted to say them – had to say them. I am so proud to be your daughter and even more proud that you Pop are my father. So with this I close, I wipe the tears and I vow to spend as much time with you as I can. I love you.

I shared this with you, to implore those that may read it, to say what they feel to their parents, before the chance has been taken from you.  I did and I have made peace within myself, that when his time does come he will know my thoughts and how much I love him. I held his hand and struggled with the tears as I read this to him, but I had the opportunity to do so and for that I am happy.

Remember the lyrics to Mike and the Mechanics Song  The Living Years-

I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say

So Who Am I? – Part 1

Who Am I?

I had an interesting conversation with a girlfriend some years back; we were discussing how I felt and what I thought about me – where I fitted now that daughters had left home (though the youngest returned). I told her that I honestly hadn’t given it any thought. She mentioned the three stages in a woman’s life, the Maiden – the pure, modest and chaste. The Mother – a woman has born a child or has nurtured one and the Crone – when a woman is near or past Menopause and acknowledges her age, wisdom and power. So I am now in my Crone years – ah how that lifts my spirits no end!

I have past through my childhood, my teens, young adulthood; adulthood, motherhood and the menopause hurdle. I should be accepting of who I am, I know myself extremely well (my good and bad points).

First and foremost I would like to think that I am a good friend to those that are close to me. My temperament can be extremely moody (well l am a Cancerian) and I have a tendency even I can admit to being a bit of a drama queen. I can accept people and there faults to quite a large extent. If I had to air my thoughts on something someone had said that has upset or offended me, I would try and approach it light-heartedly.

I believe I am a friendly, gregarious and generous person. I have the ability to make people laugh, with some of my friends saying I should have been on the stage and some say sweeping it.

I’m not without vices, how many of us are and to assume one is perfect at my age or any age for that matter is a sure sign they are deceiving themselves. Much to my detriment I have an addictive nature, I still smoke, though I did give it up for seven years when my girls were little. I enjoy drawing, painting and even managed to sell an oil painting some years back, I have toyed with the idea of getting back into painting but that is all I have done ‘toyed’. I’ve attended classes on writing and illustrating children’s and writing for adults.

I had been extremely fortunate not to have real money concerns, I am not rolling in it by any means, I still work full-time and find myself reasonably comfortable and as the saying goes we ‘get by’. I see other women who have wardrobes full of shoes or bags, or clothes. I look at my rather sorry wardrobe and realise I only buy clothes for myself maybe a few times a year, though this has changed more so over the past year especially with the stretchy light fabrics mentioned earlier. When I do buy new clothes I have to force myself to reach for something different, it’s not that I don’t like colours, the older I get the more colourful my wardrobe has become for some reason but I guess I just play it ‘safe’ with black, white and greys. I wonder what if anything that says about me as a person.

Turning 50

A milestone, we now are catching a glimpse of our mortality and making a choice about what in fact we want to achieve if anything for the rest of it. By now, we know what is important and what isn’t, what needs to be taken to heart and when we can laugh unabashedly at others and ourselves. We’ve been doing all, or almost all of the things we’re supposed to be doing for the last fifty years and we’ll continue (most of them anyway) because these are things we want in our life. The ageless woman is purported to be confident and comfortable in her own skin, not matter what age ( I don’t think I have portrayed that about myself so far). There is, so I am led to believe tremendous sex appeal in having this confidence. There are times when I do look in the mirror and think I look ‘hot’ – ok so don’t laugh, there are however equal amount of times when I look in that same mirror and pull the sides of my face up – showing me  how I may look after a face lift and I smile. Maybe it’s merely a case of acquiring a more positive attitude with my own being, having this ‘make – up’ would be a thousand times better than the most expensive cream. Everyone can look upon women who aren’t necessarily beautiful in the conventional sense, yet these women are accepted and admired for their inner sex appeal and beauty. Maybe I should stop micro-scoping my imperfections as much as I do.

One of my closest friends that I use to work with would always say to me “Baby we’re here for a good time – not a long time”. The obvious theory behind this is to enjoy every moment, live as day as if it were your last, funny how I didn’t pay much attention to that before, but now l do.

The morning of my 50^th birthday I remember waking and thought to myself ‘Well girl you made it, how do you feel? As expected absolutely no different whatsoever. What on earth was I expecting to happen? Did I think on waking that I’d need a walking frame to hobble from the bedroom or help from the bed? The fact of facing the number did not hold the quite the importance now as it once had. I had jumped the massive hurdle and survived! I had conquered; it was achieved, complete and final. There was no hiding in a corner, nor under my bed covers. The following day passed and I went into day two of my ‘golden’ years. Are there any women, who look forward to the prospect of getting older, I’d say not. What can we do to stop it- not a bloody thing!

Finding me – The Writer Within – My 1st Blog Experience

So my very 1st Blog – do I actually know what I am doing? I enjoy writing and this is the perfect forum..so here goes readers…..

They say you must capture the reader within the 1^st few lines of your writing, transport their mind to a place where their imaginative wheels start rolling, keep them absorbed in what they reading, so engrossed that they do not want to put the book down and curious as to where it will lead.

So I’ve written 54 words so far – has it done that? Of course it does help if you have been published, that people actually recognise you (The Author) from your written work. Not just a nobody that loves writing so much, that she or he (no room for sexism here) will try to get a book published just because she or he thinks it’s readable? You must (if you are a serious writer) write 200 words a day minimum (they say), doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense (well not strictly speaking) if you hadn’t edited it to some degree and sent it in you would have it back on your doorstep quick smart. I wrote essays at school and was passionate about them, whilst other kids almost vomited at the thought of putting pen to paper.

“It’s not hard,” said I, trying to convince them. They didn’t listen; the mere thought of having to put pen to paper (in those days) was terrifying. Imagine going on a overseas holiday (go on you know you want to) you have boarded the aeroplane and about to immerse all your senses in a country completely foreign. What will be waiting for you? What journeys of the mind and body will you experience? I feel writing is akin to a holiday, you start to pour out words and those words lead to more words and pretty soon you have sentence, a paragraph a page! It’s an adventure of sorts one which gives a new experience. It can be trying, fun, hard, battling, rewarding and all you know is that you have to do it. It’s a voyage within your mind that you have to put on paper.

What sort of story constitutes having a publishable book however? It’s simply in the eye of the reader; do they like horror, science fiction, drama, murder, mystery, romance, fiction, and non-fiction? Would they be happy reading a book from someone who in some peoples minds ‘prattles on’?

I have dabbled in writing on and off for years. To be published?  Hmm well I’m proud to say that l have had a short story published in a compilation book (lots of stories put together) and was paid a one off fee for the privilege of having my words in print. Not that one can earn a great living off writing unless of course you happen to be Rudyard Kipling, Tolstoy or T S Elliot (hmm let’s think a little more current then) JK Rowling, Patricia Cornwall, Anne Rice (she’s the one who wrote the Vampire Chronicles). Have l managed to keep your attention thus far?

I am a writer therefore l must write, it’s in my blood. I felt momentarily like JK Rowling (yes it was that exciting for me) when advised l was to be published. I do have a larger manuscript out there tossed amongst a pile of thousands of other unread manuscripts from unknown authors, waiting to be recognised or in fact even read. I have sent it off to various Agents “Sorry it’s not our Genre” (for some reason I feel that must be said with plum in mouth). Publishers have returned with “You have an honest, down to earth and humorous style of writing, but as we receive hundreds of manuscripts” (you can guess the rest can’t you) lt’s comparable to waiting to hear back from a job interview. You then wait for a phone call to say ‘Yay you got the job’ or the rejection letter (though now a days you are lucky to get an email response). Us writers experience the same thing; we pour our heart and soul out, our brains racing with a million words per minute, our frustration on days of ‘what the hell do I write now’. The nights when we lie there and think of a brilliant line or paragraph and must have pen and paper at the bedside to scribble it down before we forget it.  We finally think we have written something outstanding that a Publisher will phone us immediately on reading it, offering to publish and that we (us writers collectively) are the best thing since sliced bread. I am now looking at E Publishing – how the world has changed.

The harsh reality is (us writers) type on a daily, weekly sometimes monthly basis (we’re actually compelled to do so). We do spell check, we revise, we read it over and over till we have it memorised. We even may have it professionally edited (just to tidy it up the loose bits, making sure the paragraphs flow, the phrasing, the overall (let’s try and make the damn thing look professional). We cannot use unnecessary larger words, just to prove we know them. Then again we should illustrate adequate knowledge of the English language.  We print our copies, double line spacing (if you please and loose leave, don’t go stapling the thing together as that will only annoy them more).  We wait a minimum of 6 months sometimes up to 18 months and each day we walk to the letterbox hoping to have received “The Letter”…..