 Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks for joining me for a visit this week. Matt is hosting this week at his space Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme. Join him for the rest of the round-up offerings! Everyday a new set of current events and topics to ponder present themselves as focal points in our daily lives. While I believe it is very important for us to stay up to date with the happenings and possibilities that we may face in the future, I think it is equally important to stay centered in the now. However, staying grounded in the now, does not always come so easy. In my own experience, I have noticed too often that the thoughts and sometimes worries about the future distract me. And somehow, before I've even realized it, I have given my full attention to something in the future that might not ever happen. As a result, I end up feeling as though I may have missed something extremely valuable and meaningful in my current reality. This tends to be a struggle for me both as a writer and as a person who cares deeply about the natural world as well as the small intricacies of ordinary life. Whenever I sense this tension, this struggle, I do what I always do. I write. This kind of fast and furious writing in my notebook, allows me to document my thinking about the future, so that I can continue living in the now. By both acknowledging my questions and fears, I can create a space in time that gives me the freedom to plant myself in the moment to write the immediate thoughts of my mind. Writing provides an invitation and the the room to welcome balance in our lives.  Invitation to Write:Writers have different ways to balance their past, present, and future thoughts. For example, many writers choose to blog about ideas and issues that they are immediately responsive to. Other writers may choose to log their daily thoughts in a journal or notebook. Some writers do both! How do you choose to document your current and future thoughts for safe keeping? Where do you find balance in your writing life?
11 Comments
Matt Forrest Esenwine
9/8/2017 06:02:52 am
It's so important for all of us to stay grounded and focus on what's happening in the present...thanks for sharing! 9/8/2017 09:49:09 am
One does need to take care of any future needs, but after that, focus on the beauty "now" is an important part of making life good! I enjoyed reading what you see now, Kiesha! 9/8/2017 01:46:19 pm
This is such a struggle for me. My mind wants to race ahead to worry about the future or lag behind to regret what's past. I am working on focusing on moments in the now and to appreciate what I'm experiencing. It's definitely a practice that takes practice! 9/8/2017 02:25:47 pm
You always seem to know how to get through to the writer inside my head. Balance....so easy to type....not so easy to achieve. I have notebooks and journals and daily writings in different places. Perhaps that is a bit of balance. I try to worry less and capture more. I will pay attention to what comes in the next week. I do love the way you ended now with that important question....where is the wrinkle? Lovely and full of meaning line. 9/8/2017 08:16:10 pm
Oh, I need this reminder so very much. I naturally have a tendency to be a worrier, spending far too much of my precious time worrying about the future, about things I cannot possibly control or prevent. Love that ending, Kiesha! What you say about distracting thoughts and worries is so true. How wise of you to become aware of these plaguing thoughts and how to alleviate them with writing. (I write to ease myself too. I think I'd be quite a mess if I couldn't write to get stuff out of my head and heart.)
Mary Lee Hahn
9/9/2017 03:45:35 pm
The thing about balance is that I don't really notice when I have it...just when I don't. Being present in the moment helps me realize that my life is more balanced than not! 9/10/2017 07:39:38 pm
"To live in the now; now there is something," a strong line to work towards and hold on to. We can do so much more if we slow down and take in " the now!" Thanks for this poignant and beautiful poem Kiesha! 9/12/2017 07:03:39 am
Kiesha, balance is something that I continually search for. Your quote will stay with me today, as I try to balance my day. "Writing provides an invitation and the the room to welcome balance in our lives." 4/13/2018 03:22:42 pm
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AuthorWelcome! I'm Kiesha Shepard, and I have a love for writing and the teaching of writing. Whispers From the Ridge is a place where I can share my words and ideas for teaching writing. It's also a place for you to find inspiration for writing the words inside of you. I invite you into my world of writing as I capture the whispers from the ridge. 
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Schedule of Round Up:
July
3 Linda at A Word Edgewise
10 Ruth at There is no such thing a a God-forsaken town
17 Jan at Bookseedstudio w/optional theme: FLOAT
24 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
31 Catherine at Reading to the Core
August
7 Laura at Writing the World for Kids
14 Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone
21 Ramona at Pleasures from the Page
28 Heidi at my juicy little universe
September
4 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink
11 Kiesha at Whispers From the Ridge
18 Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
25 Jone at Deo Writer
October
2 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference
9 Bridget at wee words for wee ones
16 Janice at Salt City Verse
23 Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup
30 Linda at TeacherDance
November
6 Susan at Soul Blossom Living
13 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
20 Suzy at The Poetry Garden
27 Carol at Carol's Corner
December
4 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading
11 Buffy at Buffy Silverman
18 Michelle at Michelle Kogan
25 Irene at Live Your Poem
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