Artists, Violence, Inspiration

At Saturday Morning Writers, we do various writing exercises with fun prompts, and this was a particularly challenging one. The result was tremendous! Everyone had some pretty bizarre ideas!

Prompt: A frustrated artist temporarily inspired after committing an act of violence.

The sun was rising just above the horizon and Miguel's mind was numb from his wife's screaming. He stared straight ahead into the mirror in his large windowless studio and admired the horse-hair toupee now stuck on to his formerly balding scalp by the local barber.

"Oye Senor! It will make you handsome again, no?" the barber had grinned toothlessly as he adjusted the lopsided catastrophe.

Miguel had walked back to his studio proudly, while failing to notice the horrified looks of the townsfolk. His wife dropped the dinner plates when she laid her eyes on him. What ensued after were four hours of white noise. She was a loud woman and could be heard all the way down the street.

"Eh! What is wrong with you? You think you are young again? You old stupid fool! You look mad, you think the girls will look at you? You think you think people will buy your paintings with this dead animal on your head?" She would not stop.

Miguel, devastated by her torment, quietly retreated into their bedroom. She followed him inside, screaming some more. Then she became violent. Pillows and blankets flew in his direction. "Stupido! I hate it! I don't want to look at you!"

Miguel began his nightly routine in the bathroom and tried to block out her high pitched shrieking. Just as he was finishing up, he accidentally dropped his shaving kit and cut his finger on the razor blade. Would he? No but he could not. Yes he would. That was the only way. After all these years, he would show her who was really boss.

He picked up the razors and crept to her bedside. She had fallen asleep and was now snoring peacefully. He almost regretted his decision. Miguel could make out the shape of her neck with the clear moonlight streaming in through the window.

Slish, slish, two quick gashes and a choking sound from her. That was it. He was free.

The adrenaline rushed through his body and reminded him of the time his father had swung him up and down over andover again. It had made him so giddy with happiness and fear. It felt just like that.

He was filled with renewed energy. He looked at the blood gushing out like a rapid stream from her neck, and then at his blood-soaked hands. Miguel sped to his studio in a frenzy and began to paint with his bare hands.

"This is my winner," he was laughing. "I will be rich!"

Stand By Me - Playing for Change

This is a beautiful coordinated effort of sound engineering by Playing for Change. It is apt especially today, on September 11, that we fight to eradicate terrorism, hatred, violence and try to embrace tolerance, human rights and love for each other.... This song is a symbol of how people all over the world can come together to create a beautiful project with success!

Munkey Bizness

Our very messy office before we moved to our new place!

Posing!
Peekaboo!

My office of 5 months! I should put up some photos of my new one.

I'm Scared

I wrote my first poem in a few years. I have focused so much on prose that I totally forgot what it was like to write a poem! Analysis is after the poem.

I'M SCARED

I am scared of you,
when you tell me in that tone of voice.
Because when I offer
You always take more than I can give.

I am scared of what you think,
so I close my eyes and subsitute
My fear for witty repartee
You will flinch, but you will never know.

I am scared of being with you,
because I always know that you will leave me without a promise or goodbye.
Except when your breaths are short
In your time of need.

I am scared of leaving you,
but I know your heart has migrated
To greener freer pastures.
I hope you will continue to remember.

I am scared of seclusion,
with only my memories left as my companions.
And the inevitable thought of tomorrow.

The poem is about the writer's fear/nervousness/commitment issue etc of meeting the right person and not being able to live up to his standards and he is afraid that he'll never love her enough so she allows him to take her for granted.

The first verse is basically about meeting a guy she likes, and she gives him more than he deserves regardless of how their relationship is. The second verse is about how nervous she always is around him, and she's not sure of herself so she substitutes her nervousness with "witty repartee". Also, the line "My fear for witty repartee" is in the same line instead of separating "my fear" and "for witty repartee" because she is actually afraid to express herself, but she does it in a bizarre split personality way to cover up.

The third verse is about her actually being with him because she knows that this boy is toxic and will eventually treat her in a negative manner "without a promise or goodbye". "Breaths are short, in your time of need" has a sexual connotation to it. Death was not intended. The fourth verse is about her knowing that even though she has to do the right thing by leaving because it's not really going anywhere, she is still scared to move on completely.

Finally the last paragraph shows that, she's done it, she's broken off, and all she has is her memories. I am rather uncomfortable with the last paragraph because I feel it is disconnected from the rest of the poem. It's my first poem in a few years, and I'm very...rusty.