Global Poetry Writing Month - Getting Started - Day 1

I feel the spring creeping into Finland. It takes its time here, but there are blue skies above the melting snow. The warmth streams in through the windows, but the wind is still biting outside, the grass is finally being revealed, but it's gray and dead. 

I started a yoga class a few weeks back as a way to get my body into motion again after my winter hibernation. I've practised yoga on and off for decades, but with my studies, the kids and generally just being unorganised, I haven't done a class or done much at home for years. I stumbled on a brilliant class and am really enjoying the feeling I get from gently pushing myself. Afterwards, I find someplace for a cup of tea, cake and writing. However, I've been also been struggling to get the writing going, so April's Global Poetry Writing Month challenge #glopowrimo has arrived just in time to give me a creative kickstart. It is most needed. 

From past courses and challenges, I know that I am able to start a poem a day and have learned to enjoy the challenge, so this will be a way to get me working again. The NaPoWriMo/GloPoWriMo website linked above has a daily prompt which helps. I also have a few books to play with for ideas. Even if I don't write every day or write anything decent when I do sit down, I should get a few poems out of it just from that act of trying. 

Day 1 - the theme is 'to judge a book by its cover'. I pondered the idea while I swept up as I waited for the kettle to boil. My life is always a series of multi-tasking, so finding some quiet time to just think and write is unusual. And as often happens the things I was doing snuck into my poem.

Notes from my draft:

You cannot draw a conclusion

from the cover illustrations 

unread at my bedside, 

from the pile of crumbs I sweep away,

from the statues that clutter 

my never used for writing desk

a queen in dismay

a bog cat

a berserker biting down on his shield

we are all cliched

and we are all jagged

a switchback of contradictions

The line 'we are jagged' came from a training lecture we had at my school recently, referring to the fact that on any continuum or spectrum, we are never just a straight line or all one thing. You can look at aspects of our personality, our thinking, and our actions and we will all have our own quirks and diversities. I liked the idea of it, but I'm not sure how to use it yet though it seems to fit in this draft poem for now. We'll see if it goes anywhere. 

At least I've started.