Mantra

and a cautionary tale

If you’ve read any of my writing you may recognize this phrase. It featured in my poem on rejection at the turn of the year, and I included it in a blackout poem from my notes of a writer’s retreat. It’s the mantra I use to navigate this writing life, because somewhere in the unknown of those words is the confidence I need to say—yes.

These words led me to write a 6-week small group study for my church. They put me in my library writing group and two writing workshops. They’re the words that urge me forward every time I sit down to work on my book. They even make this publication possible each month!

I recently finished co-leading my third writing workshop with my friend for some women at church. When we were approached to lead a workshop, the idea of encouraging people to write down their stories had already been floating around in my mind. We created outlines and writing exercises, and I noticed some other words trying to creep in.

You have no business telling people how to write.

My mantra came to the rescue, of course, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m doing it anyway! We told our first workshop attendees they were writers and encouraged them to throw off imposter syndrome as we pushed our own imposters aside. The results were beautiful. 

We wrapped up our third session in April with two hours of writing using prompts in a choose-your-own-adventure. 

I included the prompts from our first few workshops for any new members and pulled prompts from the books The Creativity Project¹, Wild Words², and Let There Be Art³.

Finally, I used the prompt I wanted to do ever since my friend, Elizabeth Vanderhorst, did it at Under the Weeping Beech. Earlier this year she took the format of Goodnight Moon to create her own story with the things around her house. (Read her Hello Scene, it’s fabulous!)

I chose a couple of children's books to have on hand but ultimately used the format and rhythm of The Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson to write my story. Please enjoy the results below!

So what are you doing that you don’t know how to do but are doing it anyway? (AKA learning as you go) Let me know in the comments!

Free Stuff
A Cautionary Tale

In the hallway of a house
with a tidy front lawn
is a giant picture 
with nothing to hang on.

It lies on its side 
as the family walks by,
and the picture rests on.

The owner thought it would be nice
to have a New York scene
to remember the vacation that fulfilled 
the family’s dreams.

But it’s bigger than she thought, 
so it lies on its side with nowhere to run
and nowhere to hide 
and the picture rests on.

She saw it on Facebook
and thought of her boys. 
She commented, “Interested,”
and imagined their joy
at the city that they loved 
hanging on their wall. 

Their friend would be surprised 
when they showed him on a call,
but the picture rests on. 

She got it from the owner’s garage
on that warm breezy day.
It wouldn’t fit in the car,
but she walked it home anyway.

It was 80” long and 55” high.
It must have looked like a billboard
was walking by,
but she carried it on.

“Want some lemonade?” 
the neighbor kids called,
but she held the picture overhead 
like she carried a wall.

This must look really funny,
she said to herself,
with her shoes peeking from the bottom 
like a tiny little elf.

The wind picked up,
but she couldn’t give up 
so she carried it on.

At one point it levitated,
flying up in the air,
but she didn’t let go.
She didn’t care
that the guy by his garage
was looking on wondering
what in the world she was doing 
as the wind went on thundering.

The picture flew behind her back,
but she didn’t crack.
She carried it on.

She waited at the library 
for the rest of the fam.
She couldn’t wait for one of them 
to give her a hand.

The wind kept on blowing
trying to take the picture away,
but she kept on standing 
thinking, not today!

Her family crossed the street.
She was so happy to meet
them, and her son carried one side.

They crossed the main street
while passersby smiled.
She giggled as they walked, 
and her son spoke awhile.

“How’d you do this by yourself, Mom?”
“I don’t know, my dear.
It was very very hard, 
and I’m so glad you’re here.”

They measured all their walls
when they got the picture home.
The boys said, “Not in our room,” 
and she started to groan.

Where can we hang it?
It’s a memory of our life,
but they’d have to take down 
all the art to bring less strife.
So the picture rests on.

Now, she’s thinking about cutting it
to make smaller pieces of their trip,
but she still hasn’t decided if it’s worth it to rip
the city apart 
to have a little more art.
So the picture rests on. 

photo by Jill M Sykes

1. edited by Colby Sharp- anytime I pull this book out for a prompt someone in the group will order it, it’s so fun!

2. by Nicole Gulotta

3. by Rachel Marie Kang