The first Friday of the month is reserved for the Inkling challenge. This month Mary Lee fascinated us with Visual Frameworks as a prompt for writing. You can see all the choices here.
With school, teaching, volunteering all get fully underway, I feel the sense of juggling lots of balls in the air. And at any time, one or more may fall, and mess with the balance I am currently trying to hold onto. I taught the zeno form to my students last week and featured it on This Photo, so I chose the form to juggle this challenge. I like how the rhythm of it creates the sense of juggling.
Juggling Zeno
A system complex and controlled
Margaret Simon, draft
keeps all balls up–
motions
bold.
Ability
to thrust/
hold–
a blink of eye
plunges my
load.
Other Inklings:
Mary Lee
Linda
Catherine
Molly
(Heidi is taking a blogging break.)
AHH! Plunges is just the right word! (Although I hope it doesn’t happen in real life. Keep those plates spinning and those balls in the air!)
Marvelously tight poem and perfect form for it, love the challenge Mary Lee gave you too! I’m having a bit of a challenge keeping all my balls balanced presently, as I continue to help my mom out with whatever comes up, thanks Margaret!
What a fun topic and a great metaphor for the busy-ness of life! I love your ending: a blink of eye plunges my load!
[…] at Reflections on the Teche Margaret Simon responds to the Inklings challenge by showing how she has been […]
I like how your draft is coming along, Margaret – I think we can all identify, ah!
Margaret, well done. Even as you juggle your load, you don’t neglect to add the sweet important poetry ball to the mix. This is a perfect sentence to begin: “A system complex and controlled” So glad you are here with this!
Yup, “plunges” would be right. I enjoyed this, Margaret, and will have to look at the Visual Frameworks site. I’m not familiar with it.
I like the rhythm of the zeno but haven’t tried it yet. Your poem matches the visual so well, especially with those precise words complex, controlled, hold, plunges. Nicely done!
I worked on this draft a bit, so I’m happy to hear the word choices work for you. Writing zeno poems is a bit like juggling, or puzzling.
Oh, your revisions really strengthened this, Margaret, and your form is a perfect fit for the topic. “Plunges” is perfect! PS–I’m so glad you reminded me about Zenos. I’ve been having some notebook fun!
Ah ha! Plunges…love that word. This is what my days feel like. You are right on point.
I played with finding a synonym. I think plunges works, too. Thanks!
That “a blink of eye” turned my day yesterday with a ‘fraud notice’ that keep me busy for hours, hence my lateness visiting most everyone. Wishing you keeping the balls up every day, Margaret. In a few words, truth spoken!
My husband had a breach this week that took him hours. I think it was all a fraud. Too much of that going on these days. I’m sorry it happened to you.
“plunges my/load” YEP! I feel this in my bones!
Your poem is one we call all relate to and nailed the way many of us feel. Well done!
Well, I should have proofread before I hit “reply”. That’s what happens when I try to juggle too many things at once. : )
(call should be can)
Margaret, you juggled those balls quite nicely. I have not written a zeno poem in a while so thanks for sharing yours. Keeping balls up is quite a feat so best of luck with your life tasks that often befuddle mine.
OMG – you are the one who wrote about visual frameworks! I read so much this week, I couldn’t remember where I saw it referenced! Thank you so much! I really like them and want to use them with some reluctant writers. THANK YOU, thank you, thank you!
My writing group wrote to them so I wasn’t sure if it was my blog that you got it from, but I’m glad it was motivating. I definitely want to try them with my students.