Saturday, June 25, 2016

frog pond, not peony





The palest of pinks 
with deep green leaves or a tabby cat.
Mountain laurel. Tabby cat. Paoneia.

Words. I used to love words, to write. 

I wrote poetry, novels, essays,
a few published, most not, but I kept writing,
because it was my way of understanding the world, and myself.

In the last few years I've lost that.
Maybe because I'm painting.
Maybe because I turned to blogging and now Instagram
which I love, but few words are required.
I still read constantly, but writing? 
Creative or otherwise doesn't have a place in my life.



It's sort of amusing that I'm thinking of returning to regular blogging to get back into writing. It's like I've forgotten how to write privately. I used to be obsessed. I worked as a lawyer in the family courts, cared for my three children, and wrote into the wee hours. Just me, pen and notebook, or later, computer. Word processor--who remembers that pair of words? Anyway, life... (that's an Instagram poem.) The thing is, I have one more tangle I really need to figure out, and the only way I think I can do it is by writing.


What I need to write about is a complex personal ecosystem. It's a frog pond, not a peony. It's a lot of dark and murky with some wildflowers and frogs and dragonflies mixed in. (Metaphors! Similes!) I'm thinking of blogging as my sketchbook. To be continued...

30 comments:

  1. Jen.. I often write in my head...then when I try to put words on paper I draw a blank! Whether you are painting or writing, your heart shines through. Blog away, friend... We're here listening, watching... Hoping your words bring the clarity you seek! Smiles...Susan

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    1. Thank you so much for your kindness and encouragement, dear Susan.

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  2. Beautiful. You write with your camera. You are wonderful with words, too, of course. I was reading a poem in the beginning, wasn't I?

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    1. It wasn't intended as a poem, though I was paying particular attention to the words in the first three lines. Thanks, Karen.

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  3. I know what you mean, I have notebooks full of stuff. For years I wrote "trip reports", now I can go back and read them and they take me back since there is so much detail. I love writing regardless if anybody but me sees it. I think you're doing just fine, this is a beautifully written post. Keep blogging, I miss you.

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    1. I loved it when you posted about your trip here. Made me want to visit Spain and Corsica! Thanks for the encouragement. Miss you too.

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  4. I love your beautfiul photos !
    Greetings

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  5. I'm looking forward to visiting your frog pond.

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  6. Dark and murky.... Your blog posts are going to be interesting to read! Keep on writing, Jen.

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    1. It will take me a while to get there--I appreciate the encouragement.

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  8. This whole post read like a series of haiku poems to me - perhaps it is the frog pond element...I love your photos of the wildness in your life...interested to see where this leads!

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  9. This whole post read like a series of haiku poems to me - perhaps it is the frog pond element...I love your photos of the wildness in your life...interested to see where this leads!

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  10. So enjoyed reading this post...
    Your life is interesting and full of lovely happenings.
    Do continue to write... I love that you tell stories of the Catskills and of other places you visit.
    I do believe through writing, we can express ourselves better and also we grow as we continue on this path.
    I have so much that I have written ... its all on Word.. since the first recollection of the beginning of my life.. I'm sure I will be writing it for many more years.. As every day, brings us new adventures..
    Happy Weekend dear Jen..

    I have been absent for a while.. enjoying Instagram.. garden, travel, and life..
    posted my first post in many months.. I see that many followers are not blogging.. !!
    Val xx

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    1. You know I am interested in your exotic (to me) past Val! I love following you on Instagram--it's a great way to connect with like-minded people and share special moments, large and small. Very few of the people I used to follow regularly still blog. Don't know if I will either. Still trying to figure it out.

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  11. Ah, you cryptic poet, you. I do hope you will start writing more, Jen, whether here or there (home, privately). I wrote a tiny poem for you & want to send it but I had an e-mail glitch while in MA last time & lost your newer email addy. If you still have mine, could you send it? Thanks in advance & thanks for being out there, Jen. It means a lot to us, your readers.
    Cheers, Diane
    at 5,280 feet

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement Diane. Hope you are having a good summer. My email is jenjefferson99 (at) gmail [dot} com

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  12. P.s. There is a town out on Colorado's Western Slope called "Paonia." Also two beautiful, melodic words, en Espanol,
    "Nuevo Mexico..."

    Best, D in C

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  13. Hello Jennifer, How intriguing--a frog pond ecosystem as a metaphor for life. I think that might work for me also, but more as how I view a frog pond, and how I remember them. The time element is especially important--frog ponds start out as a simple source of frogs and tadpoles, and rapidly become markedly complex.

    I'll look forward to further musings of yours on this (or other) subjects.
    --Jim

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    1. Thanks, Jim. Maybe I got little carried away... But that's okay.

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  14. Jen,
    I haven't been posting much lately, so just now checking in. Your post was quite interesting, hope things are going ok. Look forward to keeping in touch better and looking forward to your posts. We all need to do what inspires us, whether it's writing, painting or creating, what ever it takes us to fill fulfilled.
    Some times the act of doing these things will give us the clarity we are searching for.
    Rebecca

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  15. I hope you take an enough rest. Frogs are waiting at your next visit.

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