500 Pieces of Me

So, although I have been working on NaNoWriMo and still posting here regularly, I still didn't really notice until tonight that I was hitting another milestone - 500 published pieces on Vocal. That is during the last two years, with the bulk being this year. So quite the achievement, in my mind.

As someone who welcomes others recognising and celebrating their milestones, no matter how small or big, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a moment, pause, ponder, mumble and reference my 500.

I thought I was going to do something weird, wacky and strange for my 500th piece. You know...like maybe write a story that consists of words beginning with each of the 26 letters of the alphabet, just you know something simple like that or a rap where I mention all the lovely people who have ever bothered to read my insane takes on fiction, satire, non-fiction and of course, poetry.

As before, came death

Ethereal; fatal

Gravestone holds inscription

"Justice Kept Laughing.

My Name

Oh, purity questioned.

Raise swords triumphantly

Under velveteen waterfalls

Xanthic, yielding zen"

Maybe a story about a story within a story in a poem or something equally daft and head-mashing like a poem all about Drake the rapper.

Instead, I'm at a loss.

I almost wrote a poem called "I Give Up" that was meant as slightly sarcastic and humorous, but based on very real feelings I have of humilty everytime my favourite creators on this platform release another piece of beautiful poetry into the world.

I am not just fishing for compliments when I say things like that, and I am aware I say it a lot. It's from a very real place...maybe a lot of it's genuine and maybe a lot of it's imposter syndrome, but it feels real enough and it's always meant with real heart and truthfulness.

I just try my best, though, to be me and that's all I can be. I take inspiration where I find it and it's not easy to find it here. It's incredibly easy.

Even with my first win under my belt, which I am enormously proud of, there is still a bit of me that thinks "bet you can't do that again!" We will see, voice in my head, we will see!

*

There I sat

sat there I

thinking, pondering

pondering, thinking

as I put pen to paper

paper to pen

and fingers to keys

keys to fingers

writing about

the art of writing

about writing

poetically

Oh Aubrey of chiseled looks

Smooth dance moves and

smoother voice

Not a fan

or casual observer

I merely know you exist

and

Existence is everything

*

So, what's happening next?

I need to start putting together my forever threatened, but yet to be delivered, first self-published book of poetry. I have the title - Accidental Poet. I just need to figure out the 100 pieces that will go in the first collection. When it's done and up and ready for human consumption, I shall inform you all.

Other than that, I have another piece I am working on in my head for the Arid challenge and will be running another challenge again after the enormous success of my last one. It will be a poetry challenge and will be a lot of fun, I hope!

So, as they all say, when they say it, here's to another 500!

Thank you for all your support and encouragement, all of my friends and followers. It really is very much appreciated. I cannot name you all this time, but know if you have ever left a comment, had an interaction, gave me a shout-out or anything inbetween, you're one of the people I am talking about.

*

Thanks for reading!