Of Machines and Men

I have no goals for 2024

Ahh, you recoil

I already feel it,

as I pen these words

Why?

Does that thought offend you?

Perhaps you think

Without goals

A seeping void,

Production’s maw,

Opens its jaws

Without “x” stories

Or “y” words

Every day

What are you doing?

Do you even care?

How can you climb the ladder?

If you don’t monitor

Down to the read?

Down to the keystroke?

Well,

This notion, I reject.

I’m no algorithm.

I’m no bot.

Today, I rebel

Today, I throw my goals out the window

I throw my plans in the bin

Today, I will sip my coffee

I will read my book

I will walk my dog

I will admire, lovingly,

The resilience of the evergreens

As the snow outside recedes

Their moment of reprieve,

Before the winds of winter howl again.

Today, I will find peace

In the spaces in between

each note, and ping, and buzzing ring.

Tomorrow,

I’ll pick up my pen,

(should the mood strike)

Tomorrow,

I’ll care about the ladder

Tomorrow perhaps,

I’ll adhere methodology

To algorithms

To metrics

To a mechanical personality

But today,

I choose my whimsicality

Today,

I choose my humanity.

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Seeing as I need to hit a word threshold to submit this to the challenge, I will now ramble here. You have made this bed, Vocal, and now a poor moderator must sit through this dissertation. I pity thee.

I thought about not doing this, as, in many ways, it goes against the spirit of the piece (but so do word counts, so...think on that Vocal).

For all of you who have really solid goals for this year, and there are a lot of you, know I will be cheering you on! I have tried in the past, and it always makes writing feel like a job for me. I spend enough energy on the day job. I do not want to get done working one job to work another. Sure, maybe it is my dream job to sit and write novels full-time, but right now, it is my escape. Every time it tip-toes into the chore realm, I feel my creativity shoot out the window. Maybe the thought of writing is more intoxicating to me than actually putting words on paper, and maybe there is nothing wrong with that. Is it any different than retreating into a new book from our favorite author? I'm not sure, and I promised you rambling. You can't say I don't pay off my promises. With that wonderfully terrible double negative, I'll go back to watching the grass grow. Good luck to everyone in 2024! I hope to read many more top stories about one and all crushing their goals.

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A/N

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