LAUNCH / LAUNDRY / LEARNING
This week, we ponder the future.
/Launch/
“Waterwait” has been published in By The WAYE Vol. 01 Issue 02
To start us off on a high note,
I am very pleased to share that a poem of mine has been published! On paper! For people to buy!
WAYE Poetry and Sure Things, the teams behind the gorgeous By The WAYE magazine, hosted an incredible launch event for Issue 02 at AndCo North in Jersey City.
It was an unforgettable evening, from the light and airy atmosphere of the space, to the delicious Thai Plates food and Alfalfa wraps, to the extraordinary poems read.
I was honored and absolutely floored when I was asked to be one of the featured readers at the event. Reading “Waterwait” to an audience, straight from a freshly-printed page in a book, was surreal. It was an honor to read alongside such phenomenal poets.
Thank you to J.T. Trigonis, Marinell Montales, I. Buenaventura, and Theta Pavis for all your hard work and for helping me achieve this goal in an outstandingly stylish way.
If anyone wants to purchase a copy of by the way, you CAN! Right! Here! << (the link is there… in the word “Here!” See it? Cool.)
On that note…
/Laundry/
Not every task can be “Write a poem”.
Unfortunately,
sometimes — nope, always —
laundry needs to be done.
As a woman with a penchant for procrastination, laundry is my nemesis.
Honestly, it’s not even putting the laundry in that’s the problem…
it’s the whole… taking it out and folding it and putting it away thing.
Truly, as you all know, this is NOT an inherently difficult task (if you have a polite-sized pile to work with).
Folding is easy. Putting away is easy. Easy in theory,
but in actuality, for me, it’s excruciating.
One reason I keep struggling with this is pretty simple: a toppling-over pile of sweaters and jeans in the corner of my room isn’t exactly attractive or inspiring.
Another reason is that I am, at least in theory, an organized person. I can keep track of other people’s calendars, sort out other people’s chaos…
I could probably even do their laundry.
But when it comes to doing things that only benefit me, that’s exactly where my procrastination kicks in.
I’m the only one counting on me to do my laundry and, unfortunately, I don’t always care what I think.
On that note…
/Learning/
I’ve so much more to know.
I knocked out a big chunk of my laundry, and the rest is waiting for me to finish after work tonight. I need to get it done because I’m leaving for a trip tomorrow (updates coming soon!!!). So, I will. I’ll get it done. I always do.
I can, and I will, grow.
I can, and I will, figure out a healthier way to deal with my laundry because I’m committed to learning how to prioritize myself.
I can, and I will, push myself as a writer because I’m determined to practice and learn from people who are better than me.
I can, and I will, grow my community and support system. I’ve already proven that I can put myself out there and join groups like the Brooklyn Women’s Writing Group. I worked through some anxieties to get there, and I’ve learned and grown from it.
Speaking of, here’s a little draftypoo from my latest BWWG meeting:
Stretch Marks
whiplash is stitched
into the armpit
of my turtleneck.
it itches under
there, but I
can’t scratch, my
fingertips submerged in
icy malt, bubbles
and ice numbing
my raw nailbeds,
obscuring my prints.
you insist upon
rubbing my strained
tendons with the
purest of intentions.
every time, skipping
where I’ve been
scored the deepest.
I am riddled
with ridges of
scar tissue, hard
itchy lines which
were once wounds
that have never
and will never
fully heal. your
light pressure palms
achieve nothing as
I continue pretending.
you yearn to
sew me back
together, but you’re
pieces all on
your own. you’re
hacked up by
bread knives, serrated
and toothy, but
you still have
no clue that
you aren’t whole.
and I haven’t
the soul to
tell you. oblivion
in your gaze,
you heal me
with your eyes,
sinking me deeper
into the ice,
so maybe one
day I’ll be
numb like you.If you want to explore your own writing, check out the upcoming BWWG Conference: Writing Our Lives at Bushwick Public Library: December 6, 10:30am-4:30pm. In this conference we are making space to learn and discuss craft and industry of writing through panels, workshops, and readings with the aim of bringing together our writing community. The goal of the conference is to provide insight on both the craft and industry of writing, and to give writers a space to gather and create.
On that note… remember that, no matter who or where or what you are, you are always open to the possibility of change.
/Parting Words/
A song on repeat:
A snack I’m liking lately:
Plain peanut butter Perfect bars
A drink I’m liking lately:
Bottled water (our tap is gonna have lead in it for 6 months boooooooo)
A random thing I enjoy:
Chunky, colorful ceramic dishes
A thing I’m reading or watching:
All Her Fault on Peacock
Clothing I find fun:
Turtleneck-under-crewneck
With love and appreciation,
Annabelle
