Poetry Project (and Publications) Update

A massive swirl of bright light

photobombs the arctic aurora

frozen ejected falling fuel

for satellites to improve your television picture

more expected in the future

Aerial surveys photograph

a gray* whale hunting where it’s kind

have not revealed themselves for two hundred years

perhaps lost due to geomagnetic storm

perhaps a single explorer braving the northwest passage

more expected in the future

Magnet fisher out along a river

searching for the lost and discarded

retrieves a sword

1000 years old, still in one piece

lost while on a rampage or thrown away in bid for pity

more expected in the future

Untitled poety fragment by Kilmeny MacMichael

Are gray whales gray whales or can we also call then grey whales?

Hello everyone!

I am well over half way through my project to write a poem for every day now, and I am amazed I can report that I have, actually, written a poem for every day since I started!

That means I have written 215 “poems” (or poems that quickly turned into short stories) since early September 2023.

I’m having a hard time believing this.

At one point earlier this year, I was almost fifty days/poems behind, and I managed to recover!

I don’t know if I’m actually getting any better at actually writing poems. I still think the best poem I ever wrote is a poem I wrote several years ago. (Madacamia.) I can’t say there’s anything I’ve written lately which is anywhere near that at all.

While I wanted to continue to keep track of when during the day I wrote poems so that I could determine when was the best time for me to write poems, I’m only keeping this project sort of on track by writing increasingly sporadically and disorganizizadly. (I know, disorganisedly is not a word, and that’s why I can’t spell it.)

I am alternately feeling rather tired of this project – and still feeling there’s something to it. I was catching up (again) this morning, writing down four not-too-inspired works to catch up on the days I’d missed, and right towards the end, just before I wrote my latest poem, I felt that my sub-conscious was waking up to what I was trying to do, starting to get involved and ready to participate in creation again. Unfortunately, I am currently waiting for a plumber to arrive, and feel like I just can’t devote the necessary energy and time to hearing the muse at the moment. I have to get on to the next tasks and be prepared for interruption at any time.

Interruption and a sense of busyness is the enemy of poetry.

For this project to continue, and for it have a better chance of resulting in more work worthy of publication, I need to find the real space for it again. I might need to get back to sacrificing some audio drama time.

I had good news related to this poetry project this week – which helped spur me to catch up again – one of the short stories I’ve written, which began as a poem, has been picked up for publication. And a poem that I wrote that stayed as a poem has also been picked up. Yes, I’ve had two acceptances this week! More details about that when I have them.

Also, I have a short story coming out with Allegory in May!

Here is one of the haikus that have helped keep this project going – sometimes (I continue to hope) you don’t have to be inspired, you just have to put letters together until you have some words. If you do it enough, eventually, something will spark. (although hopefully not in your kitchen appliance.)

Burning toast filters

acrid warmth distinctive Dad

scrapes breakfast ready

K. MacMichael