Creativity 101

I am taking a free e-course from abccreativity.com’s Andrea Schroeder and let me tell you–it is amazing. I’ve already done week 1 and am now in week 2. She uses meditation and journaling to help her students find their creative genius. Last week after meditating I wrote two poems, both flowing out of me so fast I had to scramble for paper and a pen.

I

slice me down the middle
right between my breasts
open each flap,
pull them back to see

i have a river
flowing inside of me–
you are only boulders
walls to close me in
if i want to,
i can smooth you out
carve you to pieces
& roam freely.

II

the heart’s anatomical form glares at me from a biology book in 7th grade

disgust snakes around my ankles my wrists my brain

this is the place where all those dreams came from?

(no wonder they told me i couldn’t do it…)

i believed it was so much more–scarlet, perfect curves slicing down to a perfect point

where all tears of joy & pain drip drip drip out & flow into my body

float up to my brain where i recognize & welcome them–

i stifle it the heart the dreams–not mine not me go away!

instead the ugly heart blooms all over my face my arms my legs

stubborn crab grass lacing its way through me, roots striking deep, deep, deep into the dark cavern

the roots like stalactities in the vacuous cave sucking all those tear drops into their roots

twisting and turning them into food;

clotting all hope

til i dug til i dug through the weeds reaching fingernails down bravely

the weeds roots drawing blood

gritty black bombs of dirt so loud ringing through the cavern

ALERT ALERT

but i reach til i touch something soft slimy

arm deep in myself

can hardly get my hand around it like a giant tree stump

but i do & slowly, slowly (don’t want to yank and leave the roots behind)

pull it to the surface, catapulting weeds, those blemishes

fresh dirt echoing in my soul–
a new life is born!–
cradle my heart gently–
i will not let go.

thank you andrea!!