Obsessed - me?
I have just finished reading the latest issue of Mslexia and was going to compare reading its new writing section to simultaneously having an orgasm and being slapped in the face... but my husband objected! 
He said this was a massive exaggeration. Just as well then that I hadn't planned to use kicked in the head instead!
Seriously, he is right that reading Mslexia would have to take second place to the real thing, even if only just! But the analogy does kind of sum up that rollercoaster feel I get from top quality poetry. On the one hand, as a reader I want to shout "wow, Wow, WOW!" with joy and appreciation of the beauty of a perfect poem. But at the same time, as a poet myself, it also gives me that slightly sick in the stomach, slapped-face feeling of "How can I even begin to dream of writing like that?"
But maybe that's me. I am beginning to worry about how much blogging, reading and writing poetry is taking over my time. Even my four-year-old son seems to think I'm obsessed and I fear I may be putting him off poetry for life.
Every time I pick up a pen and start writing, he exclaims "Stop writing that poetry, Mummy!" And when he hears me muttering to myself, he immediately requests, "Stop saying that poetry, Mummy!"
Only trouble is...I can't stop!
Comments, Pingbacks:
I will console my ego by cuddling six month old Alex - too young to be critical.
I have spent too much on entry fees this month - composed 8 new poems - maybe they are right to worry.
Keep composing and keep amiling Sarah and I am not in a position to compare poetry and orgasms, at the moment!
Permalink
11/07/07 @ 07:54 · http://www.milltech-systems.co.uk Well, they won't worry if your entry fees win you a nice little (or big!) prize!
Of the many addictions out there - gambling, alcohol, nicotine, other drugs - I don't think poetry is too bad a habit to have, though perhaps less widely understood than other addictions!
Permalink
11/07/07 @ 08:41 · http://www.writelink.co.uk/blogs/marilyn This month's Mslexia mag. Wow! Suffice to say it 'shivered me timbers' alright.
Permalink
11/07/07 @ 09:35 · http://www.milltech-systems.co.uk I think that's why the poetry competition results issue is always so particularly good though, it feels longer than the usual new writing sections.
Permalink
11/07/07 @ 10:46 · http://www.freewebs.com/annareiers Another daughter told me this morning that I am too old to blog (I'm 53). The cheek of it!
Permalink
11/07/07 @ 22:03 · http://www.milltech-systems.co.uk Permalink
12/07/07 @ 07:41 · http://www.earlyworkspress.co.uk Permalink
14/07/07 @ 22:14 · http://www.milltech-systems.co.uk It was also very interesting to see how Miss Hale's Diary fooled people when Sue first put it up on the blogs (not that there was any intention of fooling people.) It does explain what it's about on the right hand side but at first looked like a genuine, real diary!
I actually think if I was writing a first person novel/novella, I might be tempted to try writing it as a bogus blog. It would be good to get people's reactions in terms of how realistic it seemed and also breaks writing a novel into more bitesize chunks! I believe some authors ahve already done this.
Anyway, I'll stop waffling and get on with boring people with my over 30 internet ravings!
Permalink
15/07/07 @ 08:13