Wild Bits on Writing and Living, the 1st: Maladroit

She asked if I had ever been dragged kicking and screaming and cursing in Spanish out of my comfort zone, just to end up having to admit that the new digs are rather awesome. All right, so Rommy might’ve said it differently, but that is what I heard. My answer? Well… who hasn’t!

The first thing that comes to mind—when the topic of unwanted change bursts into the room—is poetry. I couldn’t stand it (things have changed a bit). On a fresher front, I’ve been drawing (since certain cognitive psychologist keeps reminding me that drawing and writing exercise different parts of the brain and doing both is best). I’m not terribly skilled at the art of making pictures that aren’t made of words. But you know I’ll try anything once, often thrice (the moment my brain grows some abs, I’ll totally show them to you).   

a (cherita) poem (for the Poetry Pantry #495 and the Sunday Muse #75) inspired by Kim’s Weekend Mini Challenge (Maladroit, which means “awkward in movement or unskilled in behavior or action”) and my latest drawing (see below):

Watching everyone ahead,

sure of step

and climbing higher.

When I stumble, I remember

stubbornness can conquer

maladroit beginnings.

some time ago, I promised a friend (who’s not on social media) that I would share weekly links to my Instagram posts on my blog. I, um… forgot. So, here are the last couple of weeks of sharing. And I shall try to remember next week, I promise *cough*:

- eclipse of the sun(flower)

- improvise, adapt, overcome

- perfectly eerie

- through Freud-tinted glasses

- weird/change

- you sing in my bones

- passion-flowering secrets

- dream tangible realities

- “To love me…” said the praying mantis

* scroll up to see the captions

“My Wednesday Addams Smile”, by Magaly Guerrero

Why Would Chewbacca or Cousin Itt Wear Tiny Braids?

What feels like a gazillion years ago, I wrote a web serial set in a world were myth had spilled into reality. One of the main characters was a ciguapa, a kind of land-siren who could enthrall anyone who saw any part of his face. He was a good guy. So, to protect others, “He wore sunglasses, and used his long living hair to craft a mask of thin braids around his face.”

Yep, that’s exactly how I described it. Then, a few months ago, my writing partner was reading the old manuscript, and not exactly containing her mad cackles, pretty much asked me, “What’s Chewbacca doing in your story?”

The moment the words left her mouth, I saw exactly what she meant... and burst into laughter. I’ve tweaked the description since then. The character no longer looks like Chewbacca or Cousin Itt in tiny braids. Still, whenever I’m writing a scene with that character in it, I can’t help thinking, Hey, Chewie.

for Poets United Moonlight Musings: the Interactive Edition, #2 (“That’s Not What I Meant”, where I invite you to write about misread words that conjure hysterical interpretations, about grammatical errors (horrors?) which change the meaning of a piece, about descriptions (which we thought brilliant) that end up filling our readers’ minds with images we can hardly recognize)

“Cousin Itt”, by @GroovyGothic

gloriously-haired Chewbacca, via Some Nerd Thing