creative writing

Look Into My Jumbled Mind – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
An explosion of color, checkpoints that don't
quite match up, there's something for everyone
in here, but I'm only inviting you to step inside
and look around. You know how I feel about

making myself vulnerable-- it makes my stomach
drop and my mouth go dry. So for now, we'll 
walk through this maze together. There's the 
memories of moments together, glances

in hallways and conversations between meals.
We'll take a detour past the song lyrics and books
that remind me of you. Soon, there's nothing left
to take but detours. I don't want you to get stuck

in here forever, so I push you out--back into 
the real world-- silently. Only I remain, 
as always.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It was a fun one to write as clearly, I do spend a lot of time wandering around in my mind and trying to make my thoughts coherent so I can write about them. Please feel free to share feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Say Hello To The Neighborhood – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
Wave hello to the couple next door, and their
baby boy too. Greet the older man across the 

street, the younger woman always on a jog, 
the preteen boys skateboarding down the greenbelt.

Stop to pet each dog you pass, if their owners are
friendly and allow it, of course.

Be friendly, say hello, and you will no longer be
alone, walking in the neighborhood.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It’s a super short collection of thoughts I had surrounding my daily walks and the people I see everyday throughout my neighborhood. Please feel free to leave feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Ode to My Biggest Hater – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
Who knows where I would be without your
presence, your advice, your cut-downs, your
insults?

Now I am strong, I stand tall, and I wait for 
better things to find me, the pull of sunshine
into my orbit. You have made me shape myself

into who I am, so 
                                thank you.

Your unsolicited service will not be forgotten,
never erased from the corners of my crinkly brain,
even when it's old and shriveled.

There is too much to say, and yet not the right words
to say it, so 
                    thank you.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It felt really liberating to write, especially since the person that inspired this poem was on my mind and I needed to channel some positive energy. I encourage you all to write a similar poem if you’re feeling upset about a person that brings negativity into your life. Please feel free to share feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy.

Brooke

Let’s Talk: Writing About Coronavirus

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to discuss my thoughts on writing about coronavirus. It makes sense to write about things that affect you and you have personal experience with, which means a lot of writing about coronavirus is happening right now. I’ve written a couple pieces about it myself on this blog that you may have seen. I’m not saying it’s a good or bad thing– no writing topic is simply good or bad. If you want to hear the rest of my thoughts on this hot topic translating into your writing, keep on reading.

As I already briefly mentioned, I think it’s so important that we see pieces that reflect the crazy times we’re in now! However, I know that for me personally, it’s really hard to put my own personal twist on this topic. I’ve been very careful about social distancing and there’s only so many things I can write about being stuck in my house.

I’m also lucky enough to not know anyone personally who’s had the virus yet or particularly suffered from having the virus– my family members and friends are thankfully safe. I don’t have a personal experience to write about in this area, and I’m not in a place where I want to find one.

I’ve come to the point where I want to write about anything else as an escape from reality and a reminder of different, happier times. If you’re at that point too, that’s not a bad thing either. Write about whatever comforts you and gets you through living in these times.

Conversely, if you need to write about COVID-19 and related things to cope with the situation and get those feelings out on the page, of course do that! Besides, who am I to tell you what to write anyway? 🙂 As we’re all probably familiar with, writing is just another form of freedom of expression that makes our lives more bearable.

As with any topic you plan to write about, write your truth, and write it your way. I have enjoyed hearing about other people’s perspectives on this situation– the bad, the good, all of it together. This is definitely a strange time that needs to be documented, and there’s plenty of free time to sit down and document it. Similarly, there’s plenty of free time to read about it and keep up with the news.

There’s also so much going on in our world right now that’s not directly related to COVID-19. 2020 has been an absolute rollercoaster, and the political climate is intense right now in the USA because of the upcoming election. You can write about these topics if you want without mentioning COVID-19 at all, and they’re just as relevant!

I hope this was sparked some inspiration or other thoughts for you all! I just wanted to have a sort of reminder that this is a great time to write, whether it’s about what’s going on in the world or not. Please feel free to leave your thoughts on this in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there!

Brooke

Smoke Rises – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
Summer heat will bring the smoke that rises
in fall, after we've forgotten what it's like
to run away from smokestacks above houses
and flames that lick our backyards.

The rain won't wash it away-- no water will 
come. Even if it pours, you can't put out this
flame. It lives on inside each of us, seen too
many times by youthful eyes.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! I know it was super short, but I’ve honestly had so many short bursts of inspiration lately. My mind is all over the place, and I’m just trying to get every idea down on paper. If you know what California fire season is like, this piece is probably a clear reminder of late fall the past few years. Hopefully it’s not too bad this year on top of everything else…fingers crossed! Please feel free to leave feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Afternoon Slump – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
3 o'clock on a summer Sunday, the sky is blue and the palm
trees are swaying ever so nicely, waving from a distance

the sun shines brighter, daring us to be tired when it's so 
beautiful out. but the air is thick, and I know there's more to

a day than how it looks outside. wet hair after swimming 
dries stiff and sticky, and bugs swarm around the door,

buzzing through the holes worn into the screen by too many
summer days just like this one. the sandwich from an early

lunch is digested, and the stomach begins to think about 
what's next

I hope you enjoyed this short little piece! It was a fun one to write — it definitely sums up how I feel about the afternoon, especially during summertime. It’s a slump, but there’s some beauty in it nonetheless. Please feel free to share feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Pushing Back Time – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
We're always pushing, pushing a wall back, trying 
to move mountains. My limp, noodle arms can't 

make it very far but we still try our best. Our 
specialty is pushing back
                                                time. 

Pushing past it, through it, passing by it and then
pulling back from the other end. 

Always onto the next thing, waiting to cross boxes
off on the calendar and wait until that "eventually"

when life is peaceful and we are free to do anything.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It’s pretty accurate to me, as I have trouble staying in the moment and often find myself longing for the endless possibilities the future contains. It’s a vicious cycle, and I’m working on it 🙂 Please feel free to leave feedback and/or writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Marked Pages – Poem by Me

Brooke2 Comments 
I've never met a book I didn't like
because I've always seen the bad with
the good. You taught me how to see
both.

And I don't mark the pages up, 
because I want to rely on my mind
and what I remember. I'll come back
to their yellowed corners again and

again, but I want to see clean, blank
margins. If the page stays unmarked,
we can pretend it's brand new. 
Pretend that we're brand new, at the 

beginnings of our journeys and 
discovering new books.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! I wrote it after thinking about different people’s preferences with their books. As you can guess from this poem, I don’t annotate my books except in school. My mom, however, has her favorite books all marked up with sticky notes and annotations, and I know lots of other people do the same. Please feel free to leave feedback and/or writing challenges in the comments.

Brooke

The Colors In The Sky – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment 
if only everywhere had colored umbrellas in the 
sky. let's do this in our backyard-- will you change

the colors every month, or do we have to choose 
only one? that might not be a permanent commitment

i can make. I'd vote for pink, in case you wanted to know.
but you probably already knew that.

we could eat grilled cheeses everyday on the patio,
and ignore the fact that I'm lactose intolerant.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! I know it was a super short one. It was inspired by a restaurant in Malibu called Malibu Café– if you’ve ever been there, you’d know they have an installation of umbrellas. They actually do switch the colors, but I’m not sure how often. You should go there if you’re ever in the area. It’s a little pricey, but really good…especially the grilled cheese. Please feel free to share feedback and/or writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Are You There? – Poem by Me

Brooke2 Comments 
I'm waiting for you here, in front of our 
favorite place to get sandwiches in the city.

Waiting for you, waiting for someone else 
maybe, waiting for something to come my

way, brush me on the shoulder, whisper
in my ear and sweep me away. Because I

can't (and won't) do it on my own, not today.
Turkey and pickle-- yes, just that and mustard,

please. I'll be waiting as I sit and eat this at a
table for two. I know you'll come eventually.

You're across the street by now, you must be.
I could text you, or call to make sure, but we

decided to be more independent, right? Yes,
no one should be so codependent this early.

I'll keep waiting here, for you.

This was something different to write. It’s not based off of my experiences at all, more so something I just got inspired to write. It’s funny how much I write about relationships considering my lack of experience with them. Please feel free to share feedback and/or writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke