A Mother's Lament (Poem)

My spare room is now a nursery
Nappies and toys everywhere
A funny smell; which just won’t go
I’m pretending not to care

Little finger prints tell a story
There’s a very nice hand print in curry
I dread to think what’s under the sofa
I’m pretending not to worry

There’s pasta sauce on the carpet
The sofa is sticky with jam
My once pretty cushions are no longer cream
I’m pretending I don’t give a damn

All my cupboards have been emptied out
Will my house ever again be clean?
Nothing stays put for more than a minute
I’m trying not to scream

A mummy’s work is never done
My washing machine wants to die
My bloody back is killing me
I’m trying not to cry

I don’t own anything fashionable
Something to wear; without a stain, I can’t find
Nothing really fits me anyway
I’m pretending not to mind

It’s been a long time since I went out
But if I did it would just add to my debt
I seem to have aged 20 years very quickly
I’m trying not to be upset

I’ve no idea who’s at Number One
I‘m not ever sure what’s the day
But I can name all the characters ‘In the Night Garden’
I’m pretending that’s OK

I can no longer have a pee on my own
Or read a book, or have a good nights sleep
My time belongs to someone else now
I’m trying not to weep

I’m constantly interrupted
Or having something thrown at me
Always a noise. It’s never quiet.
At least I’m never lonely.

Perhaps I shouldn’t try to be Mary Poppins
Just be the best mum I can, everyday
I’ve been given the most wonderful gift
(Honestly) I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Joanne Borrill

Published to celebrate the fact I have been writing my mummy blog at: http://grumpymumtobe.blogspot.co.uk/ for 5 years this weekend!!

A Week of Haiku's

We have had an exciting week this week as I have had a hearing aid fitted, the Olympic torch came through Lincoln - just outside where I work, my exhaust fell off and we were rescued by a fire fighter, not to mention the Trust (very long and very boring) Induction and a play date at the park with friends from the Toddler Signing group.

For some reason I had a desire to capture these moments in Haiku - spurred on by a competition in Writing Magazine.  

As I have said a million times before, inspiration comes from many places!!

Mr Grey?!

All this talk about Mr Grey! 

I am happy with Mr Tickle, Mr Bounce, Mr Daydream and Mr Perfect thank you!!

Reaffirm why I blog

1. To keep a diary / record of both my journey as a writer as well as my journey as a mother (see: http://grumpymumtobe.blogspot.co.uk/). 

2. Keep me writing.  Knowing I have two blogs - with perhaps someone somewhere being interested enough to read my entries - ensures that I put pen to paper (or the computer equivalent) at least once a week.  This keeps the cogs moving and stops my brain from totally turning to mush.

3. My blogs provide a place to keep useful (and not so useful) information, quotes and inspiration I have collected over the years.

4. Perhaps even provide an inspiration to others in their own personal quests to become published writers and / or contented mothers with happy offspring?

5. Have Fun!

Blogging without Burnout

Following on from my previous post...

Have realistic expectations. Building up a substantial readership is difficult, and the blogosphere is overcrowded; its highly unlikely that blogging will bring you fame and fortune. Blog because you want to blog, not for what it might do for your writing career or your bank balance.

Set Sensible Targets. A regular posting schedule can be very helpful, but don't make it punitive! Daily blogging will eat up an enormous amount of your time and precious creative energy.

So, don't sweat too much over your blogging habits. Use your blog(s) for the purpose you created them i.e. keeping a diary / keep writing, but don't allow them to take over and ruin the enjoyment.....

Better Blogging??

I have, for a while, been wondering about the process, pressures and benefits of writing my two blogs.  Am I getting anything out of them?  Is the time invested worth it? 

I have realised that writing both blogs helps to keep my cogs turning and as long as I don't get too stressed out when I have not posted for a week or so, I think the benefits outweigh the negatives.  Both blogs serve as diaries for future generations (if they so wish to read this stuff) and if nothing more keep me writing.

I have been worried about my 'style' and my content and have found a number of interesting articles that have helped to focus the future of both my blogs.

Rebecca Woodhead in April 2012's Writing Magazine www.writers-online.co.uk says; 'Decide whether you will blog every day, or once every week or month.  Once you have a plan, stick to it.  Your subscribers and followers will invest more of their time in your story if they know what to expect.  Just to be clear, the story I'm talking about here is not your book.  The story is your story.  When people follow writers online its because they want to be part of the story of those writers 'making it big' or triumphing over challenges to reach their dreams.  Your own story is at least as big as any book you will ever write.  The place you tell that story is your blog.'

But how much to tell? Recovering blogaholic (it says here) Kona Macphee; writing  in Mar/Apr/May 2012 Mslexia discusses the amount of content required. Her blog: www.thatelusiveclarity.com/ has the strapline 'stumbling towards a simpler life'.

Like many bloggers, Kona says; 'I began with ridiculous expectations of how much content I could / should be able to produce while still maintaining my core creative life as a poet (not to mention my everyday life as a parent, spouse, small business owner etc).  Given my own character flaws, perhaps this was inevitable: susceptibility to challenge (Can I blog everyday?) quickly led to perfectionism (I must blog every day).  If  you're a career blogger, making a living your blog, then blogging every day to 'retain and grow your audience' makes sense.  If you're a writer with a non-commercial blog that's secondary to your main creative outlet, then it really (really) doesn't.'

For most of us, the article goes onto say, creative oomph and self-discipline seem to be finite resources, which get drained by creative activity and willed self-motivation - both of which are required for daily blogging.  What suffers are the artist's process of  'filling the well'; all those 'inessential' enjoyable-but-effortful leisure activities, like playing or writing music, drawing, visiting somewhere inspiring - or simply chilling out with a book or a DVD.

Old Poems

A few months ago; while looking through my poetry collection on my book shelf, I came across a couple of my old note books.  In these I had written out in long hand some of my poems.  These must date back nearly 25 years and, though I say so myself, some of them aren't that bad.  I actually felt quite overwhelmed with the amount I have written. There was also a few poems from other friends as well as poems and quotations I had collected over the years.  I have spent a wet bank holiday typing some of them up, but now also feel stressed that I need to really go through both books; thus giving myself more stuff to do!!

Key Emotion

Find the key emotion; this may be all you need to know to find your short story
F Scott Fitzgerald

Quoted in Writers News: July 2012 www.writers-online.co.uk