Part One: Not Writing
The weight
Of a thick, gray cloud
Pressed down
And choked out signs
Of the sun.
Everything was muted.
“And damp,” I thought.
Like my mood.
When the rain fell,
For the fourth time that day,
It hissed.
It struck the surface
Of the lake
And hissed.
Like I did,
At my husband.
Spewing venomous complaints.
I slammed
Cabinet doors
For effect.
And growled,
“I need space.”
Or, maybe
It was time
With a pen
And paper
That I needed.
So, I turned
to my notebook
And finally,
I wrote.
And, it was then
That the clouds
And the weight
Lifted.
~
Part Two: Discoveries
A day in town meant laundry and groceries and a stop at my favorite used book store. Among the stacks, I was drawn to the old books, the ones with yellowing pages and fragile bindings. I pulled one from the shelf because of the title, another because of the cover, and a third because of the author.
Each old book holds several stories: the ones written within the pages and the stories of its own history. When I held them, I wondered who bought the book new and who read it first; who passed it on to a good friend, saying “this one, you won’t be able to put down”; and, through how many hands did it travel before it ended up here – in mine?
After a few hours in the bookstore, and three treasures in the crook of my elbow, we drove back to the camp. Feeling inspired, I finished rewriting chapter one of my WIP (phew!).
~
Part Three: The Thrill of the Small Town Paper
My husband loves to read the local newspaper from any small town. I might pick through a few articles when he buys one, but most of the time I stick to reading the book I brought. However, The Munising News – a newspaper printed since 1896 – is one you cannot ignore.
It’s physical presence demands attention, with a single sheet measuring almost a foot and a half wide. And, as the front page boasts, it’s “the only newspaper in the world that gives a darn about Alger County.”
The articles give the reader a glimpse into the workings of a small town, and they provide fuel for a writer’s mind. I’m tempted, for one, to write about the challenges of holding that paper in full spread: it’s quite a workout for the neck when you read it from left to right.
~
What occupies your writer’s mind when you’re unplugged and miles away from home?
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