The Journal, Thursday, December 21

Hey Folks,

From The Passive Guy:

Barbara Walters: “But what would you do if the doctor gave you only six months to live?”

Isaac Asimov: “Type faster.”

***

I started the day with a good walk, which was more wandering aimlessly about in the desert out back. Then back home for breakfast and to work on the copyedit.

Those of you who wrote regarding the villanelle that Stanley Grill will include in his composition, thank you. I appreciate the kind thoughts.

Here’s the poem, in case you want to see it:

Roses?

When pink and red entwine, their dreams to share,
and climb as one, combining strength and grace,
then will the scent of roses fill the air.

The pink, its petals soft, its scent a rare
and gentle one, will take its rightful place
when pink and red entwine, their dreams to share.

No longer will the wind easily pare
the strengthened petals from the coral face;
then will the scent of roses fill the air.

The red, upon a stem that’s long and fair,
will learn humility and grow in grace
when pink and red entwine, their dreams to share.

No longer will the pride outweigh the care
that ‘neath the sun, all have an equal place;
then will the scent of roses fill the air,

and each of them, with petals strong and fair,
will give and take with ease and grow in pace
when pink and red entwine, their dreams to share;
then will the scent of roses fill the air.
***

I’ve long held that whatever a poem “means” to the reader is correct. The poet’s original intention seldom matches the reader’s take. (I’ve long said when you write a poem and give it to a hundred people, you’ve written a hundred poems.)

If you read the column on WebExhibits.org from yesterday, you saw one reader’s take on the poem. It was a nice interpretation, and I wouldn’t begin to tell that person he or she was wrong. What it meant to him or her is as correct as what it means to anyone else.

But what that columnist took from the poem is not what led me to write it. My intent was to attempt to illustrate that by and large we all begin with equal value, no matter our race, gender, nationality, etc.

We don’t even have to set aside our differences; we have only to accept that others are a great deal more like us than they are different. And if we work together…. So there you go.

As I mentioned to a few of you, the composer said he would send me a track of the composition when it’s finished. I’ll share it here.

Back soon.

Of Interest

Go read the comments on “Five Shots at Your Own Sales” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/five-shots-at-your-own-sales/#comments.

Then follow up with “Talking About Sales Blurbs” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/talking-about-sales-blurbs/. You won’t be sorry.

See the Passive Guy’s take on The Digital Reader’s “Far Too Many People Are Still Using “Password” as a Password” at http://www.thepassivevoice.com/2017/12/far-too-many-people-are-still-using-password-as-a-password. PG mentions some very neat password and test tools.

And just for a laugh, read PG’s “Type” at http://www.thepassivevoice.com/2017/12/type/.

Fiction Words: XXXX
Nonfiction Words: 530 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 530

Writing of “”

Day 1…… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXX

Total fiction words for the month……… XXXX
Total fiction words for the year………… 453762
Total nonfiction words for the month… 4460
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 180013
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 633775

Calendar Year 2017 Novels to Date………………………… 9
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)………………………………………… 27
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)……………………………………… 4
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……………………………… 182