loose leaf and spiral bound

I took a round about way to fixing my mental block and asked a very dear friend of mine to please send a few pictures that I could use for writing prompts.  He quickly recognized the importance of this request and graciously acquiesced.  What a good friend, eh?  So, here is the photo... Photo credit: Zachary Chipps 2012 And here is my accompanying piece of poetry, aptly titled:  Between a Rock and a Hard Place ... There is more to living than just growing. Thriving, defying, gaining; becoming something stronger. This is bold. It is not how you surround yourself.  Protect yourself. More than that, it is where you put down roots. How far you let them go. How deep. Not delicate.  This one, blooming in full sun. Throwing its petals out, face up, and owning the heat. Feeling the glory. A small victory at every sunset. A new defeat every day.

Okay guys and dolls, I know that it has been a while since I last posted anything.  Apologies all around.  However, after a busy weekend, I now have a stunning new kitchen so I don't really feel all that guilty.  Alas, I have not forgotten my quest for the Zodiac exercise.  Now ladies and gents, I present the second installment...and I warn you that rhyming is not my strong suit.  (Unless I do it in jest.  Then, I am the best.  See what I did just there?) Aquarius: a rhyme of moderately epic proportions I seem to be the beast.  This, my burden to bear. Carrying a delicate but sturdy jug, brimming with a grandmother's hopes, a teacher's plans, and a soldier's fears. My vessel drawn with images of happiness, colored by despair. Spill not one small wet bead. As each is a precious piece of more. Wishes, lies, and fate. All cautioning to slow down and take heed. Mustn't resent the work, the load, the responsibility. It's done for humanity. My humility

Yes...five.  The number of rejection letters I have collected to date.  Instead of being upset by this number, I have decided to think of things that are awesome about five.  As in, without it, there would be no high-fives, no five fingered discounts, and no band called "Five for Fighting".  (Though I don't think that last one would pain me so much.)  No Five Alive juice, no Five for $5.55 deals, and no chance to "take five".  To be honest, I must tell you that I am a little discouraged by getting five "thanks, but no thanks" letters.  However, all it will take is just one "Yes, Please" and all of this will be forgotten...like yesterday's five o'clock news.

Okay, here's entry #1.  I present to you Capricorn . Now, keep in mind that I don't love the whole thing overall, but there are a few lines that I like and just might pull out of there and start something new.  I like the way, "careful to a fault, reckless to precision" sounds.  It brings to mind a  very different image.  But, if in nine lines I found one that spurs on something bigger and better, this exercise can be called a success.  BAM! (Correction: sigh...line 7...*may be plain....this is what happens when you try to make things purty and argue with your child simultaneously.) "Capricorn".  Copyright - Jennifer Klein. 2012. 

I've been struggling with the quality of my writing (or lack thereof) for about a week now.  I still haven't totally climbed out of the dreaded vortex of writer's block and the things that used to be a "can't miss" for inspiration are not even showing up on the target.  Clearly, inspiration is indeed a fickle mistress.  I feel wrong trying to ply her with alcohol.  Even worse when I play songs only for the express purpose of getting her to dance.  (Read: drinking frozen pouches of margaritas and dancing around to INXS will not always bring forth your muse.)  Don't get me wrong, I'm still writing and "dear diary-ing" like an angst-riddled teenager, but I haven't put anything down that gives me the tingles.  It seems like the new thing to try these days is one of those one-a-day challenges pertaining to your specific medium of choice.  But I don't think I want to jump on that bandwagon.  It seems a bit intimidating.  Perhaps I should