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Stuff Happens

Stuff has been happening… always has, always will.  Stuff happening has kept me from posting as often as I would have liked.  I’ve been in limbo waiting to see how things would turn out with this one bit of stuff.  With the type of writing I do, I express what stuff is inside by pouring it out on paper – through fact or fiction, poems or stories – and then into books, articles, social media or wherever.  And, when I’m in limbo with something, not able to put it out there for whatever reason, it stifles my writing.  Hence the recent gap in posts.  All I want to write about, I can’t.  I may be sharing in the near future about the particular bit of stuff that I’m alluding to but not writing about. I have to wait and see how things are resolved to decide if, how and where I’ll share.  So, enough vague-posting for now.

Much of my writing comes from a feelings place.  If I have strong feelings about something, I have the need to write them out.  Often, when I don’t wish to write directly about the situation that may be causing my feelings, I’ll fictionalize them.  For instance, if I’m feeling sad about something, I’ll ask myself, “What’s one of the saddest happenings I can think of?”  Then I’ll make up a story that will elicit sad feelings.  Sometimes, to protect myself or others, it’s better to be safe than vulnerable.  Today, however, I have decided to put myself out there and be vulnerable at the risk of criticism and disagreement.

I have decided to write from a particular perspective that I can relate to, with regard to a recent event in the news.  I know that not everyone will agree with the slant I have taken and that is ok.  I see the many angles being played out in this story and have chosen to express my feelings about it – and I have no problem agreeing to disagree.

I hope that you will be able to relate to this poem I wrote this morning.  It is in the form of a pantoum.

Harambe (ha-ram’-bey)

A zoo gorilla died today.
A curious young boy was saved.
A mother’s life came on display.
The wildlife rights protesters raved.

A curious young boy was saved.
He’d fallen down into the cage.
The wildlife rights protesters raved.
The media is filled with rage.

He’d fallen down into the cage.
It seems he wasn’t supervised.
The media is filled with rage.
I’m sure the mother’s traumatized.

It seems he wasn’t supervised.
Some kids are quick escaping care.
I’m sure the mother’s traumatized.
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare.

Some kids are quick escaping care.
She’d looked around, he’d gone from sight.
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare.
Thank goodness that her child’s all right.

She’d looked around, he’d gone from sight.
It must have felt so terrible.
Thank goodness that her child’s all right.
It could have been unbearable.

It must have felt so terrible.
A mother’s life came on display.
It could have been unbearable.
A zoo gorilla died today.

Terri Skuce
© May 31, 2016

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