Friday, May 23, 2008

With all of the new people, places, projects and ideas we have been introduced to in the past two weeks here in Detroit, it helps to get words down on paper to help us realize, organize, and explore what we are thinking and feeling during this time of new experience.  I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we have all been journaling pretty regularly, but another approach to discovering some of the issues in our constantly turning gears has been creative writing led by wonderful writer and Detroiter, Lolita Hernandez.  Our little family has gathered a few times to receive writing prompts from Lolita and sometimes other people in our group,  and then we take off with our thoughts and our pens.  What people have been coming up with and sharing has been truly inspiring for me.  The following pieces are two of my responses to the prompts in the writing workshops.

A response to insects:

It would be interesting to tour a beehive
One of the drones would be the tour guide.
They say that the drone bees are only good for one thing, but I think their forgotten role is giving tours of their humming sanctuary.
"To the left we have some royal jelly, and to the right we have the queen who eats green jell-o for life.  
Down we have some baby honeys, and up we have a huge human in white who thinks that they are our babysitter.  We humor it.
Now we will pass through this geometric hole to the next leg of our tour, mind the sticky substances surrounding your entire body.
Ok, here we are among the lovely ladies, they won't notice you but don't take it personally.
Ok, we've reached the end of the tour, please turn left at the next honeycomb, and max will receive you at the gift shop where your can purchase.....
Horseradish, mustard, strawberry jelly and the queen bee's life cycle calendar.  
Buzz again."


This next piece comes out of a prompt giving by Becca, one of my fellow GIEUers.  The prompt was "I am". Easy, right?

I am sure that this twitch in my eyelid should not be sticking around as long as it has been.  My glassy stare must be confused about this contraction of its protector.
When something you have relied on so heavily begins to act in unfamiliar ways it's exciting.  My pupil and cornea are rejoicing.  My iris is energetic, the veins in my lens keep pumping but now at record speed. 
Sometimes I am eyeballs, but is that only because that's where the action is taking place?  
In part I am what I see but what I see does now shape the way my heart beats blood.
There is a twitch in my eye and I hope it stays because
I am always looking for a new perspective.

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