What I Signed On For

My hair is sticking out
at odd angles.
Not shiny or sweet-smelling.
The Pantene glow eludes me.
My mom would say
a rat's nest...
I imagine tiny, clawed feet
dancing in my hair.
Does this happen while
I'm sleeping?

My glasses are foggy
from baking
from baby sneezes
from kisses
and cuddles.
No make-up to be seen
from here to Timbuktu.
Which is funny because
I've never been.

I'm still in my pajamas
And it's almost time for Oprah.
Not that I watch it...
I'm curled around my baby
sleeping snorily in my arms.
And I doze off, too,
while Rod Decker yells
something incoherent
like the darling loony he is.
Only to be awoken by
the five year old diving under the bed
in eager anticipation of Daddy's arrival,
heralded by the click of the lock.

Children of my Soul

To preface this it is only in rough draft form so any suggestions are, obviously, welcome. I wanted to write something dedicated to my Seminary students so here is my attempt.

Children of my soul

I may not have children of my own
Running on small bare feet in golden sunshine
Laughter filling up my home

The children in my life were not born to me
But belong, instead, to Thee

I teach them gospel truths in the early hours of the day
To help them find the path and love them on their way

My heart fills up with pride and joy
As they grown in testimony each girl and each boy

These children may not be children of my own
These children are the children of my soul

My eternal crown is full with these,
the children of my soul.

Kathryn's Introduction

Here we are starting a great new blog where we can all put our writing out there. I am glad that I am doing this with my two best friends who I know will be honest and I know I can be safe in sharing what I write.

When did I stop writing? I have written very little since High School. I used to be able to sit in any class in HS and write poetry off the top of my head about anything. My fiction wasn't great but I enjoyed writing it. I want to have that same enjoyment again and I hope this is something that will inspire me so I can get on the writing bandwagon again.

My other strategy (which hasn't worked) is to buy new notebooks. Something about a new notebook becomes something I have to fill up. I would go through quite a few in my younger years so I figured it was time for another one so I bought a very cute rainbow colored one. I love it and I can carry it in my purse.

I am so excited and can't wait to get started! Here's to us!

RCH's introduction

Once upon a time, I had time — and energy, and imagination to spare; words flowed from me like ... stuff that flows very freely. :-P

See how time has changed me? The years have worn my brain down to a little tiny nub.

I used to be the capital-w Writer, the Poet; I defined myself by the things I wrote. In the last 10+ years I haven't written at all, so what am I now? Who am I now? After a long (and hopefully productive) fallow period, we're about to find out.

I am excited to inaugurate this online writers' group, Spill the Well, with my two best friends and collaborators. This will be a safe space to write whatever crap we want to in return for kind and honest feedback.

Though our lives are a good deal more complicated now than they were once upon a time, I hope this blog will inspire us with renewed energy and imagination, and with any luck the words will come spilling back out of our inky little brains.


~RCH~