So we’ve passed the halfway point on the November PAD challenge. I hope you’ve been enjoying the poems I’ve shared with you so far. I use prompts provided at Writer’s Digest’s Poetic Asides blog for inspiration and today’s prompt was a bit different. The suggestion was to pick a favorite quote and respond to it with a poem. As I was pondering what I might respond to, a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson popped up on my screen, and inspired this poem. I hope you enjoy it.
Writing On The Heart How do you write on your heart, when your brain tells you one thing, but your heart feels differently? I tell myself I am alive— I got out of bed this morning and that's half the battle won. I feel old and tired, exhausted by dealing with the chaos of everyday, but I tell myself there's only one alternative to getting old— I think I'll continue aging, thanks very much. I try to make the most of each day, to focus on the kindnesses and forgive the evils, great or small. I try to let it go like a princess in a Disney movie, but sometimes the heart just whispers this is how I feel and the brain should just shut up because it doesn't know everything, especially when it comes to feelings. Sometimes when I try to write joy on my heart, I end up with a bloody mess. But that doesn't stop me from getting up every morning and trying again. What other choice is there?
~Elise Skidmore ©2020
