When I open the box
You are sitting there,
Crouched,
Raggéd.
You peer at me,
Hopeful:
Eyes squinting
Vulnerability plain
As I scan you.
I need to finish you.
But
I don't have time
For you
Today.
And so, I close the lid.
The light recedes
And you stew once more.
I quash the guilt.
I will let you emerge.
Just
Not yet.
Then, I will name you.
***
It's weird the way I feel about the drafts' section on my Vocal account. This is the second time that I have felt the need to express my feelings about seeing all of those stories listed (no title) every time I go into my profile.
The link to the first one is below:
I feel palpable guilt when I leave them and I am not sure why. Sometimes, I toy with deleting them so that they are not sitting there waiting but, if I take the time to read them, I am struck by their potential and can't let them go. But then, another challenge comes along or something outside of my Vocal sphere intervenes and the stories have to patiently wait until I return, who knows when.
So, I decided the best thing to do in the meantime is to dedicate something to them, some writing, a poem. The irony is not lost on me, believe me but I will return to them and writing always makes me feel better. And then, hopefully the universe will let them know that they are not forgotten and are valued in some small way.
***
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More stories from Rachel Deeming and writers in Poets and other communities.
If Evil, Why Cute?
It starts like this, fair readers: It's the early morning, and I've just stolen the last cup of coffee from the pot. I open up my brainstorming journal to scrappy pages, my laptop primed upon a dusty, glowing white screen; words either already written or about to be written upon the blank spaces.
By Amanda Starks3 days ago in Humor
Comments (8)
Feel this so much, Rachel! My WIPs, even the wickedly dark and awful evil ones...are my babies. And there are some that I leave off finishing, because I know, or sense, to get them to the way I want them to match how they are in my head, will take longer than I have. Some, come quicker. But, there have been, since my time on Vocal, ones that will stay in my WIPs folder on my computer for months. This was wonderfully expressed. Well done!
Fabulous!!! Loving this!!!❤️❤️💕
Perfect! In every way! I like the non title, title!🤍
Oh, I know this feeling way to well! There are far too many things in my drafts or on my works in progress list.
Hi RD - How fun would it be to have 'Who Chose the Best Title Contest.' As most of us I may 'percolate' over just the title of a piece for days ~ And don't get me started on how much I 'Stew' over subtitles. I think it may have something to do with not being able to edit them once they are down. Not a 'contest-guy' JB
I have almost more pieces in drafts than actually published! 😉 That is a bit of a joke tbh! Like life though ..it’s like I’m waiting for some perfect day of perfect health and harmony to do that thing that I’ve been meaning to do! 😅😁 I liked your little poem!! And the write up at the end. I couldn’t help but think of gremlins for some reason ( the movie) as you were personifying the drafts …or whatever it is called when you give something animal characteristics. So basically all your pieces are animals and they need to be nurtured so I hope they can eventually see the light of day! ⛅️ 😊👍
Awww, you're like the sweetest person ever! You feel so bad for all the stories and poems sitting in your drafts to the extent you wrote a poem for them! If that ain't sweet, I don't know what is! Also, please be kind and gentle with yourself. There's just so much that we can do. You are amazing!
I love this! Its great writing, but I also love that process of paying homage to your own little embryonic morsels. I feel like that's somehow also respecting yourself and seeing your own worth. I evidently wrote very differently, I have no drafts, I'm one hit and done. Obviously life interferes, and then I might have one draft for a wee while. But on the flip side, I let ideas pass and then feel irked that I lost them because I didn't have time when they were conceived.