The Writer's Pledge

I have been writing for a little over two years now.  I have one completed and unpublished book, Steps to Courage.  I have a ghost story (that my mother hates), a historical fiction that is all planned out and the book I am working on right now.  I have been editing the first one and sending it out, with no luck as of yet.  My ghost story is on hold until sometime in the future.  My historical fiction is about a teen transported to the east side of the Berlin Wall.  I was taking a class and writing that book.  I hit a snag and have been hung up for about six months.  I stopped writing.  I finally decided I would start on this one which popped into my head the same time the Berlin Wall story did.  It has been working much better.  The funny thing is as I get to know my characters I bounce back to my Berlin story because something else has popped into my head to further it.

As a full time teacher I often lose time to write just for me.  Therefore I am taking this pledge that I have found at Writing Mommy's Blog.

I, Sandra Stiles, take the Aspiring Writers Pledge to write a book in 2010 with the intent of publishing.  I promise to update my progress weekly, ask when I need support and encourage others to complete the  task at hand.

Diversity in Poetry

I am not a person who can sit and just write poetry.  When it hits there is a reason.  I give to you two examples.  "I Can't Protect You", came about the night my baby sister called to tell me that she had lung cancer and it was advanced.  She and I  had just recently put some bad feelings and issues of trust between us away and were working on rebuilding our relationship.  I was angry at such a twist in life.  I am happy to say she is still with us five years after the diagnosis and I give the credit to God.  The second poem, "The Training", is one I sent to several teachers at my school after I had to sit through an extremely boring training session. The trainer is appropriately described below.  The person in charge of the room and setting up the training nodded off in the back as did my neighbor. My reading coach laughed and laughed when I returned with this "report" of my training, so enjoy it, and have a laugh. 

I Can't Protect You

Sandness envelops you like the darkest night.
You feel yourself sinking into the mire of despair.
Pain and fear are your constant companion.
Your lungs cry out - "give me air".

Anger follows you wherever you go.
You feel anger as hot as a dragon's breath.
It sucks the life from you.
This thing called death.

I shed my tears for you and me.
I can't protect you this time around.
If time would allow,
So much more you could be.

I know where you'll be.
I don't know when.
Just look ahead,
Not where you've been.

This isn't a punishment from God.
This is life's cruelest joke.
My spirit is crushed, my hear is brok.
By death!


The Training

Screechy, nasal and high pitched
We're not talking about a witch.
The Speaker here is our trainer
Will someone please try to contain her.

On and on the speaker drones
We look around with silent groans.
She starts to shout and walk around
And now my head is spinning round.

How much longer must we suffer
Sitting here is getting tougher.
Let me go back to my school
My students there are much more cool.

They tell me that I must be trained
I must improve my student's brains.
this class is boring as can be
Oh help me, help me, help me please!

The time has come that I may leave
I have learned nothing I believe.
They just kept going on and on
And now my brain's completely gone.

What's that you ask, what have I learned?
I must speak out, it's now my turn?
Well, I learned to sit and smile a lot.
What have I learne?   A lot of rot!

I learned to look like I am writing
Sit and act like it's exciting.
Nod my head and tap the keyboard
Was that my neighbor who just snored?

It's finally over and I may go
Back to my students where I will show.
The knowledge that today I gained
That left me breathless and entertained.