Oh, No! I Have No Time to Write!

I used to think that. In the old days.

After graduation from my MFA program and back when I used a Mac Classic — sigh — I would send emails via AOL to buddies from my writing program. One in particular found me and wanted to stay in touch. I found that a bit odd only because my two years in Florida seemed like some other life. I did not expect to stay in touch with as many of the people as I did.

Since I’ve had good friends for 20-plus years, the friends who were only a year or so old seemed too new to keep. Dumb of me? Yes.

I kept my friends. I kept in touch even when I was ashamed at how little I was writing. They did not say anything. They did not need to say anything since I excelled in being disappointed with myself for my lack of writing.

I thought — how cute! — that I was too busy. I worked. Now I can only wonder (and perhaps dream) what else did I do with all of that time?

Now that I’m a mama (a hip one, I hope), I am really busy. In theory, I have no free time. Yet how do I accomplish so much? It’s one of those things I don’t want to question too much. The smoke and mirrors may remove themselves. I only want to accept that I am doing a lot and somehow continuing.

This month, I’m writing one poem per day. If I miss a day, I’m not being too hard on myself. I’m writing one poem per day despite my new two-hour commute to a client site. I’m writing despite owning a business. I’m writing despite running a magazine, having a family and having a number of people in my life fighting some scary-as-heck sicknesses.

So, there you go. If I can do it, you sure as heck can.

PROMPT: An oldie but a goodie. I first learned from this prompt from Dana Roeser. Just recently, Aimee Nez brought it back to mind. Write a poem using an object for inspiration. Help us see this object in a new or unusual way.