Write On Wednesday: There once was a man from Nantucket...

A couple years ago my mom told me about a writer she heard talking on a morning show about how she liked to write poems about her every day life, about her children and daily things.  My mom encouraged me to give it a shot. 

That day I wrote this...

No Me!

By Erin Shakespear

As I try to pull her purple shirt

Over her sweet head,

“No me!” she cries.

And she shoves her arm

Into her sleeve. 

As I try to pull her tights and skirt

Up her little legs,

“No me!” she cries.

And she struggles to haul them

Up and over her bum.

As I try to put Mary Janes on her

Wee chubby feet,

“No me!” she cries.

And she finally gets them on

With the toes pointed out.

Later, as I try to put the kids to bed

Her dad says, “I’ll rock her.”

 “No me!” I cry.

And with a blanket and a book I snuggle

With my favorite girl.

I can't read that without getting a bit teary-eyed. I think Zoe was around two then.  And it captures her sweet little independent spirit perfectly. 

We like to have our own annual Shakespear Talent Show.  We video tape it and then watch it while eating a yummy treat.  It's great fun. And I'm always so impressed with what my amazing children and handsome cowboy come up with.  Did you know my he can stand on his head? And whittle a whistle? Um...not at the same time though....

One year, I decided to write some limericks about my family for my talent.  Now. I'm not the best poet. And I think I cobbled these together the day of the talent show.  Maybe I started the day before.... (there isn't one about Molly because she wasn't with us yet)...

There once was a boy named Weston.

Who always had a question.

He asked night and day

How? When? and May?

Then with tape we taught him a lesson.

There was a young boy with a smile

Who caused trouble all of the while

He teased and he tricked

He flapped and he flicked

And all the while he smiled that smile.

There once was a boy named Sam.

Who giggled and laughed and ran.

But sometimes he cried

And his family sighed

Then they stuffed their ears with ham.

There once was a girl who was loved

She was often as sweet as a dove.

But then she would scream

It was quite obscene

She’d even be mean

Was she letting off steam?

She was oh so extreme

She’d create a big scene!

We’re so glad she was sent from above!

There once was a man with a moustache

Who liked saving his cash

For he often forgot

Just how much he’d bought

Then he’d buy more guns for his stash.

There once was a woman from Cedar

You could hear her before you could see her

For her laugh was so loud

She drew quite a crowd

To a muzzle they did treat her.

So, what is my point in sharing these silly poems?  It's probably pretty obvious.

Don't wait for the grand and brilliant moments to pick up your pen and write. Or maybe my point should be that sometimes the simple things *are* the grand and brilliant moments. And you should write about them. Write a poem. Write a song.  Write a list! Just write. 

And speaking of writing a song, I made this one up about our wee Molly the other day (after listening to Skippy Jon Jones, Lost in Spice too many times)...

(sung to the tune of The Mexican Hat Dance)
Oh! We love our Molly Tamale! *clap clap*
She is our one and only *clap clap* (yes I'm aware this doesn't really rhyme...but you can make it work!)
Sweet dolly, our Molly, so jolly *clap clap*
Oh! We love our Molly Tamale! *clap clap*

*************************************

Alright, writing goals.  blech. Nope. I didn't reach mine from last week. I did think about my story A LOT. I worked on some different ideas in my head and I realized I needed another Aha! moment at the end of the book and I'm vaguely aware of what it is.  I like it when you think you've learned all the surprised in a story only to learn there is more. 

I'm meeting with my Pub Club next Tuesday, so I better get some writing done this week.  I need to polish up ten pages.  Hmmmm, what ten pages? What scene? Something new? Probably not.  I'll try give a spit and shine to a scene I've already written.  Lana has requested the British dragon scene.  Maybe.  I'll have to see where my muse takes me (don't I sound so writerly? Mmmm, no? Picture me in something tweedy...or maybe with a colorful silky scarf?  Maybe that will help.)