The Scream is Silent

Last WEP I typed up a very personal piece and at the last minute decided not to participate. I had a lot going on and sharing my insides did not feel comfortable. For whatever reason, the same thing is still on my mind. Of course, it is. It is life! I am still not ready to share the other piece, but I could not miss out again just because I was too afraid. After all, this is the time of year to face one's fears.

So here is a poem I wrote. It touches on the same subject. Maybe you will feel the emotion and maybe you will understand my words before I explain them. (And maybe it has been too long since I wrote poetry and I have no idea what I'm doing) ;) 

To see other entries in this month's WEP, click the badge above. Read them all, you will be glad you did!

"The Scream is Silent"

Scream.

Why did he do that?

What is his problem?
What is wrong with him?

Haven't you taught him?

Why do you do that?
Why can’t you listen?
Focus, look at me?
Look at me.
Why did you…
Look at me.
What happened?
Tell me what happened.
Look at me.
That doesn’t make sense.
What did you do?

Look at that!
I can’t believe he is so smart.
You’re such a great mom.
How did he learn that?
Where did he learn that?

Awesome job, you did great.
I love what you did.
That looks so nice.
Fantastic work, kiddo.

But not that.
Why does he do that?
Oh, that’s why.

Anger
Pushing
Spitting
Kicking
Name-calling
Screaming

Drawing
Painting
Sewing
Building
Designing
Creating

Sighing, not screaming.
Masking.
The scream is silent.

WC:  127 words

Autism Acceptance because Awareness is not enough. 

October IWSG - Not Dead, Yet

Thank goodness September is over, and I hope my whirlwind of stress is too. (Although I am not naive enough to believe it is...)

I took the month "off" from blogging, short/flash fiction writing, reading, and pretty much everything except a small task list. I never stopped working on my novel. I kept weekly tasks and deadlines and met regularly with my coach, but I did not put extra pressure to move any mountains. 

The Insecure Writers Support Group is such an important part of my author journey that I simply cannot miss the blog hop. So here I am, sipping my cup of tea, soaking in the last of my birthday energy, and hopping along.

October 6 question - In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language?

I think writing is the perfect place to cross the line "with topics." What other chance do we have to experience the thoughts in someone else's mind? When else are we forced to listen to someone without injecting our own opinion? If a topic conjures emotions and reactions, then it is because we are seeing into someone else's thoughts. Even if that person is a villain (real or fiction) they will have their own thoughts. The great thing about writing is no one is required to read it. Readers can put it down whenever they want.

I personally would hope that my words would never cause someone to stop reading. This is one reason why I do try to use language that is widely accepted. I work with kids, so word choice is a big part of my daily life. I spend a lot of time helping kids choose the best words to express themselves. Most importantly, I teach them to choose words that do not hurt others. Maybe that is one reason I like Science Fiction. I can come up with insulting words that mean nothing to "Earthers."

The awesome co-hosts for the October 6 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, J Lenni Dorner, Cathrina Constantine, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and Mary Aalgaard!

My plans for this month involve continuing my limited task list to revise my novel, keeping up my writing meetings, and supporting writers in this community.