Falling Out of the Blogosphere

or something like that, as I aim to write a NoPoMo poem a day (though sometimes it's every other day . . . ), and learning a lot about the benefits of being a more-or-less daily poet instead of a sporadic once-a-week-or-so poet.

When I started the one a day thing I was away at a writer's colony, so of course it was a cinch. Then I got home, went back to work, and the energy sort of left the wine (to quote Robert Bly in "The Man in the Black Coat Turns").

It was time to dig down deep. And deeper. To recap, I started bringing my notebook to the playground, just like back in the day when I had babies and they napped in the stroller while I wrote! It's harder to do now, though, cuz they want me to take my turn on the monkey bars, which how can I say no to that? I mean, how many 50-year old moms do you know who can make it all the way across, swinging like a lemur?

Okay, but I managed to write two poems that way. Not while swinging. Not quite that agile yet. But before and after swinging.

And then I came up with an even better idea: leaving for work a little early (okay, quite earlier, as in, before the sun rises), pulling into the #1 parking spot (yep, it's always there if you get up early enough), and writing for 30 minutes before I grab hold of the briefcase and head for the door.

Oh, man, what a sweet way to start the day, though in truth I only go to work in an actual office two days a week, so the rest of the time it's me against the laundry, the laptop, and the little ones (though they're the least bothersome now that they spend 6 hours a day in school).

Okay, one other suggestion for getting the daily poem knocked out: arrive 15 minutes early to pick up your son or daughter from their after school activity. My son plays Ultimate frisbee till 4:40 pm on Thursdays, so I pulled up to the school at 4:20, giving me 15 minutes of silent and golden writing time. Opened up my laptop and typed up what I'd scribbled in my notebook that morning as fast as my fingers allowed me. Had to drop it all fast and run to get him--not a big fan of the sudden whisking away and switch from Writer to Mom in half a nanosecond--but at least I started something I now look forward to finishing up . . . after the kids fall asleep tonight.

Our Lady of Perpetual Excuses is beginning to morph into Our Lady of I Can Do This Daily Poem Thang. I don't do it often, but I am going to take myself a leetle teeny-tiny bow.

Do you deserve to take a bow as well? Please, if you have a secret for getting yourself writing each (or nearly each day), share it here. We could all use a bit of advice and inspiration. Thanks!