Observing a Balloon and a Conversation - picture based prompt

Writing group picture-based writing prompt. There were two photos, side-by-side on the Zoom screen.

Theme: Relational Mindfulness, which loosely means empathize and understand. Free form, edited for typos and that's it.

They show me two pictures,

On the left, 

  a Valentines helium heart in the dumpster

On the right,

  three people,

At work?

It looks like they know each other,

  but how well

The older man is gesturing, talking.

  Trying to making a point?

No clue what he is saying.

Is it related to the balloon,

  still inflated,

  slowly losing air in the dumpster?

Is it a couple with their boss or a co-worker,

  listening to advice

  or admonishment?

I don't like to assume I know what's going on

  when I watch from a distance

  not hearing a word

  just interpreting facial expressions

  and gestures.

So, instead I make up a story.

The balloon could be a metaphor

  for love

  losing air,

  being thrown away

  against its will.

An intentional act.

Did the young man give the balloon to the young woman

  unwanted, so she threw it out?

Or vice versa?

Did the older man see the balloon and throw it out

  because office romance is discouraged?
Or are the two pictures not at all related

  And I am relating them because

  That is what I was told to do?

Which could be a metaphor 

for what I am conditioned to do.

Assume.

Arrogantly assume I understand the situation,

Without regard for what is really going on

or the feelings of the people involved.

© 2023 Sue Schnitzer

Valentines Day Writing Prompts

Tonight I attended an online Narrative Writing night. First time. There were three writing prompts. The overall theme was Relational Mindfulness related to Valentines Day.

1.

Which kid didn't get any Valentines today?
This kid, if you can call a 67 year old woman a kid. 

And that's okay with me.

I remember getting Valentines in elementary school.

The rule was you had to bring one in for every kid in the class.

So I got a lot of Valentines

And just a few I cared about.

St. Valentines Day, what does it really have to do with love?
What does it have to do with the kind of love I need and want at this time in my life?
What does it have to do with the kind of love I needed and wanted throughout my life.

Yeah I gave my husband a Valentine and some kind of gift every year. It felt romantic. Maybe it was.

And he gave me a Valentine's Day card and maybe a small gift. 

I guess that was romantic.

Now this kid doesn't need to receive or give Valentines. 

Neither do my kids.

We're all single.

And mostly happy.

We love ourselves, 

we love each other, 

and we have friends we love deeply 

and couldn't live without. 

Romantic love?

Sexual love?

No.

True, unmitigated, do anything for you, love.

The kind of love where we might send a text, give a gift, just because.

Not a Hallmark card. 

Not a red box of generic chocolates. 

Not Hershey's kisses. 

Not those little crunchy sugar hearts.

No, we give gifts from our hearts,

  and the receiver knows it.

We're not kids anymore.

We know what love means to us.

2.

What did the teacher say to this child?

Does this kind of crap still happen in school?
Do they still give Valentines?
Do kids get to pick and choose who to give them to?

If so, I don't want to be in that school as a kid or teacher.

I wouldn't mind being there as an administrator,

so I could tell that teacher to grow up and stop using holidays to traumatize kids.

For real, if this does happen,

What the hell is the teacher supposed to say?
Oh, don't worry about it

  Yeah, right, as the child holds back tears and maybe thoughts of revenge, 

  that isn't go to help much.

It must have been a mistake, an oversight,

  Um, I may be a kid but obviously I am smarter than my teacher, 

  because I know you're lying. 

  It was intentional. 

  You know it and I know it.

Maybe the teacher could say, 

  Valentines Day is one of those holidays that 

  companies have taken over and made into something bigger than it should be. 

  The original intent was to show love. 

  Love can be shown in many ways. 

  Not everyone realizes that. 

  I'm sorry you were left out and hurt by another child's actions. 

  That is wrong and I need to work harder at teaching lessons about

   holidays, love, compassion, and respectfulness. 

  Please help me do better.

Or maybe the teacher will ask that touchy feely question my kids hated: 

How does that make you feel?

If you really wanted to know, 

you probably wouldn't ask 

because you know how emotional the answer could get 

and unless you have special training, 

poking at my wound is not going to help me.

3.

And now it is time to weave these two pieces together.

Hm.

As a kid, I always received the right number of Valentines 

  but noticed 

  that some kids got more special ones than I did.

I never asked the teacher about it.

I didn't want to show it hurt.

I didn't want to let anyone know I was vulnerable.

I didn't care what a teacher would say,

I didn't want to hear a lame excuse or explanation.

I just wanted to disappear,

  or take some form of revenge.

But I knew I couldn't disappear,

  and I knew I wasn't mean enough to get anyone back.

Now I look back and see how maybe 

  those Valentines Day experiences 

  might have shaped my views on love and life.

It's a good thing I don't care about Valentines Day,

Not caring helps me save money and time.

But I do care about love,

  giving and receiving.

And I don't need a holiday or a teacher to help me with that.

Am I bitter?

No.

In fact, these days I feel kind of sweet.

© 2023 Sue Schnitzer

Since I've Been Gone

I created the piano part for February Album Writing Month (FAWM). The challenge was to write something using only minor chords. I wrote the poem a few years ago and thought it might fit well over the music. So I edited, timed phrases, added a little at the end, and here it is my first ever two track spoken word piece, using GarageBand.

Musicbysue · Since I've Been Gone

Not just another Valentine's Day poem

My Valentines Day (and every day) poem to me.

Do you ever wonder if you truly love yourself?

I mean, I love myself,

I try to take care of myself.

But,...

I know my faults.

I know my fails.

I know when I lie and don't like doing it.

I know when I'm depressed, anxious, antsy, 

I know when I'm ecstatic, grateful, so happy that tears come to my eyes.

I know my moods.

I know my mood swings.

I know I sometimes get in a rut.

I know I can be irrational. 

I know I can be unpredictable and that can be difficult to deal with..

I know I am sometimes a pain in the ass.

I know my attention span sometimes seems nonexistent.

I know I sometimes say stupid things, do stupid things.

I know I sometimes hurt people's feelings, by accident.

I help people, hurt people, like people, dislike people.

Yet, through it all,

I love myself,

which is a good thing,

because if I can't love me,

how can I love someone else?

And if I can't love me,

why should you?

© 2023 Sue Schnitzer

The Grass is Growing Green Somewhere Not Here

February Album Writing Month (FAWM) song #6

 

 

Slow Night at the Restaurant

February Album Writing Month (FAWM), song #5. 

 

In Recovery

The idea for this poem (or maybe it could be a song) came from a remark by a songwriter I heard perform the other day. I didn't write it about me, but I suppose I'm in here somewhere. I listened to his stories and songs, and this is what came out of my head. 

Been in recovery for what seems like

most of my life.

Never found the higher being

but somehow found the light

Miracles happen every day

Somehow.

Raced a robin down a path

The robin flew off, I guess she won.

Watched her land and hop up ahead,

Looking for food or allowing me to catch up?

Hummed a song as I walked along

My notes weren't as high

as what the birds and crickets were singing,

But it was my song and I sang it.

Grateful for the time and effort i put in,

Grateful that I got this far,

Grateful for every rising and setting sun,

Grateful and always recovering.

© 2023 Sue Schnitzer

To the Rescue

 FAWM (February Album Writing Month) song four. Song #3 was an instrumental I'm working on lyrics for.

Prompt was your favorite superhero. Working title is "To the Rescue."

If You See Me

 FAWM (February Album Writing Month) song two.

The day two prompt was to use axis chord progression(s). I used lyrics I had started writing a couple of nights ago. One (or more) of the verse's needs major editing. 

Sing Hallelujah

 It's time for FAWM, also known as February Album Writing Month. The goal is to write 14 songs in 28 days. They're posting daily prompts and I'm trying to get caught up after having jury duty for three days. A fascinating experience and also mentally exhausting.

The day one prompt was to open a book, pick a random sentence, and write. I'm pretty happy with this one. It's a lot of fun to play and sing.

Jury Duty

 Not sure why the spacing is messed up. I’ll fix it later.

Jury Duty - Part One

Sunrise was nice, 

Driving east with the low sun a fireball.

Blinding light,

Not so nice.

The jury room is filling up,

Tapping toes,

Bouncing knees,

Books, reading glasses,

A shortage of clipboards.

Not everyone bothered to fill out the forms in advance.

Round trip mileage recorded,

Debit cards in hand.

Let’s get this show started.

© 2023 Sue Schnitzer