14th-Page-Creative writing class-one page at a time during the pandemic

I was getting ready for a morning walk when I found one sock on the floor. So, I checked my jeans, the bed, the bathroom, the couch no sock. So, I started to crawl underneath the covers, trying to find the matched pair. Do you ever get mornings like that where you cannot seem to get it together, and socks randomly disappear? So, I found a different colour sock and wore a mismatched pair rationalizing that today’s athleisure style of sweatpants and design colours can make my fashion trend during Covid 19.

Speaking of the Coronavirus, surely this pandemic storm will calm someday. At least I have faith that it will. We live in turbulent times; however, the storm of Covid 19 is one with several different views. Some of my family see Covid as a hurricane, some as a blizzard, and others like thunderstorms. I happen to think Covid 19 is like a flood, the damage is long, and the renovations are troublesome.

My class starts later in the day, a great relief from the clamour in my head. Hiking and being at the lake inspire me.

I land at the edge of the lake watching ducks float by, such a surreal moment; that is the best kind of inspiration a piece of poetry flew out of my fingers onto the page.

As the words pour out, I am careful not to bring my work into the page, careful not to convey what should not be said. But sometimes, when I am staring at giants who won’t back down, I crumble in tears. It’s one thing to walk out with mismatched socks and hike to clear my head; it’s another thing to try to balance my work life with the under-the-cover giants that seem to have more of a hold than I can explain.

That’s where my Professor comes in with guided exercises. First, the writing exercises help us go beyond the emotional stuff, bringing forward art from the giants in life, like Covid, like addictions, stress or grieving. Soon the poem takes shape, and the art of words dance on the surface of the water.

What You Do

Duck floats 
Duck eats 
Duck flies 
Duck sees 
How easily it is to shut off noise 
For creatures who aren’t bound to understand 
right and wrong 
Choices disturb 
The water that flows to us 
Water is energy, 
constellation galaxies 
Hydrogen, water, H20 
Think about the input 
Of the world of stars around you all this 
Power passes through you 
Around you of grace, curse, change 
Transference of matter, a smile 
A frown the current of light waves flowing 
As humans pass our way 
The yelling of rights 
The praying in silence 
All make a wave of movement in you 
What you have matters 
What you do gifts and multiplies 
The crying one walking passed 
The starving one lying there 
The obsessed bound by ejaculated stress 
The release only to gain another 
Level of chains it leads you 
Into traps of matter 
That’s poured into your soul. 
Will you dance? Or stay trapped in your net? 
How to release a duck from oil spills 
Is something only two hands can do 
Why are you using your hands for seeking to remove 
Your head from your heart into a drug