It’s not even winter yet

[Doreen Peri]

It’s not even winter yet
but I’m so cold, I can’t forget
how long the deep-to-the-bone freeze
lasts. December starts tomorrow
but for months the frozen masked thugs
steal children from their schools
and parents from their workplaces,
families separated, people kidnapped
without any ability to track their
whereabouts.

But… We all know
Winter only lasts a short time.
The evil cannot continue. People
aren’t allowed to treat each other
this way. History shows
it won’t be tolerated

[saw]

Yes. let's hope dystopia is seasonal.....I vote for that !

[Doreen Peri]

Yes. let's hope dystopia is seasonal.....I vote for that !

Hahah! ICE is evil. It needs to stop.

And I need to get my rhyme and rhythm back.

[saw]

Terrific aspirations.....I think the most important thing we can strive for these days is balance....Avoid getting sucked down the dystopian drain by creating art....thereby shielding yourself from the forces that are trying to dominate you.....no one will feel better watching 12 hours of news every day, but will likely be lifted up to safe place by using their creative minds to distract and turnout out something of beauty....and by beauty, I simply mean putting up a wall of balance...where youre on one side with your creations, and the nasty stuff is on the other....it's not he same to me as putting your head in the sand...Not at all...It's just understanding a strategy to stay healthy in body and mind

[Doreen Peri]

I hear you but I want to be able to write about what’s going on. It’s important to me.

If I feel like writing about beauty, I can do that too, but I want to also and importantly write about the absolute ugliness of the current state of our country. I can’t think of anything more important to me right now.

I’m hoping the value of it will be an inspiration for my writing skills to return. They’re not coming yet. But they will. I didn’t write incessantly for over 20 years not to have developed any skills.

They’ll return. I’m sure of it.

I want to record spoken word again. That’s important to me too. And if in fact the topics of current events don’t turn out to be something you’re interested in, I’m ok with that.

Today’s platforms at Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Substack offer the opportunity to record live videos. I want to join this 21st century opportunity. Performing spoken word has been a big part of my life. I’m excited about it.

I just need to get my chops back. Time to get back to work.

Obviously, the ICE metaphor failed bigtime. This piece sucks. But there’s going to be more. And my voice will return.

Thanks for your feedback. I can definitely see the value in getting immersed in the creation of beauty instead of speaking to the ugliness. I can see doing both. I’m going to keep writing and when my skills start to emerge again, I’ll see which direction I take.

[sasha]

My ex is battling cancer now, and she keeps a blog of her progress. Many of the entries are dense with medical detail and jargon that frankly goes over my head, which I skim over. Some of her readers have actually accused her of writing about it too much! I've responded at least twice now, emphasizing that the blog is primarily for her, not us - and have strongly suggested (some have said "churlishly") that those who don't care for medical jargon should hold their tongues & merely skip over the tech-journal stuff as I do. And that's the point of this digression - that writing about what ails us - whether biological, emotional, or cultural - is itself a healing act. (Any act of artistic creation, actually - I only single out writing because it's my primary outlet.) Write about the atrocities being committed by our Wehrmacht - or about the serenity found in the wild places. Either way it's really about the subtext - how either/both of these entities make us FEEL. Quiet celebration of beauty can be an act of defiance as valid as indignant rage. I would hope there's enough room here for both.

I hear you, Doreen, about getting back into it - louder & clearer than you realize. I wrote often in journals & fiction right up to the day I married - then stopped, because it took away time from "us". Over my objections, she gave up painting for the same reason. I can't help but feel that it contributed to the rot that set in. Twelve years later I undertook that journey you're just embarking on. I'd forgotten that it's so much more than putting pen to paper (no desktop computers then) - it's goddamned hard work. But it's so worth it. Write on, Girl. Fearlessly. Write on.

[sasha]

BTW, the ICE metaphor didn't fail - it might have been TOO subtly worded, too indirect. In my opinion, it's better to err on the side of understatement than to be too loud and obvious. So don't trash the piece - it's just a matter of fine-tuning the volume. Like I said, just my opinion.....

[saw]

if the ugliness motivates you reunite with skillful writing, go for it....I can hear the importance in your voice, and you may not just inspire better writing but may also inspire other people to either write or get involved in some other way

in many ways creating art begins with motivation.....we all have different sparks

for me I need balance to stay healthy, otherwise I'll be no good to anyone

since we are all getting a little long in the tooth, we should know what's best to protect ourselves...it's our individuality

I've always felt journaling was a wonderful tool to have in your toolbox