The Morning After

A couple of years ago in one of my poetry courses we had to write a short work of fiction and a poem that described the morning after a significant event. My prompt was to write about the morning after a parent either (a) backed into their child in the driveway or (b) started to drive with the child in their carrier on the car (I can't remember the exact wording). Despite my attempts, I can't find the short story, which is upsetting because although it was hard to write, it turned out much better than I thought simply because of the difficulty of the subject. I did, however, come across the poem I wrote and figured I would share.

The Morning After

Silky sheets desolate, icy touch freezing the heart.

Familiar waking noise: pop and sizzle, clang and beep.

Loving laughter. No.

Silence.

Hardwood to tile, butterflies to bees. A nest disturbed.

Yellow sun-glow, sparkling white. Clean. Empty.

A witness! Green light, aroma slight.

Splash. Stir. Sip.

Sniffle.

Dewy air, table, and chair. Lone stare.

A hesitant touch. Two shy words. "Honey, I-".

<Squealing breaks. Slide, scrape, bang. Terror.

Tremble. Splatter. "Our daughter, Ben!"

Shatter.

Phonetic arrows, pummeling ire.

Guilty arms circling pain, mistrust.

Whispers of fault, regret. Forgiveness.  

The monitor cries.

Here's the challenge: write a poem or short story about the morning after a significant event in the life of a couple. Don't go easy and pick the morning after their wedding day or something happy. Make it difficult. Challenge yourself. Channel those emotions and see where they take you.

10 Common Literary Devices (With Examples)

There are certain literary devices that I use often in my writing because they are simple and seem to make it flow. I never bothered to intentionally use them when I wrote in the past, but now I find that they just add that extra something. A literary device has to do with the sound, repetition, meaning, and description of words or phrases. Used wisely, these devices can really enhance your work and create a deeper level of meaning that readers will enjoy decoding. Try some of these in your next poem or story.

(Mini Magnum by hobvias sudoneighm via CC)

1. Alliteration. This is one of the easiest go-to devices to use. Alliteration involves the quick repetition of the first letters, and therefore the first sounds, of words. 
• The white witch wanted to write a new spell.
• New aunt Anita aimed to avoid annoying her tired sister.
2. Personification. Giving inanimate objects and other phenomena human traits.
• The leaves danced in the wind, twirling round and round before bowing out and resting on the cold ground.
3. Simile. Comparing two unrelated things to creating new understanding and meaning. They are marked by the use of "like," "as,"or "such as."
• She ran like the wind.
• His eyes were as blue as the sky.
4. Foreshadowing. Words, phrases, or events that hint or suggest to the reader what's going to happen in the story.
• In To Kill a Mockingbird, finding the presents in the oak tree foreshadows the truth about Boo Radley.
• Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" foreshadows the narrator's actions from the start of the story: I can't say how the idea first entered my brain, but once it was there, it haunted me day and night. There wasn't any reason for it. I liked the old man.
5.  Satire. Using humor, wit, or sarcasm to expose human vice or folly.
• In television, the creators of South Park have built their success on satire.
• My favorite example is Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal."
6. Symbolism. Using objects or action to mean something more than what appears on the surface.
• The dawn of a new day often is used to symbolize a new beginning.
• The albatross in in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" symbolizes a burden: Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks / Had I from old and young ! / Instead of the cross, the Albatross / About my neck was hung
• In daily life, people often associate colors with ideas. Black with death. Red with love. White with purity or peace.
7. Onomatopoeia. Words whose sound mimics natural sounds or sounds of an object. These words help bring the reader into the scene by working on the senses.
• Bang! Flutter. Buzzzzz! Hum.
• The birds tweet in chipper chatter outside the window.
• A loud bang jarred me from sleep.
8. Metaphor. A device that asserts that one object is another, bringing new meaning to the original subject for a fresh understanding.
• A common metaphor: it's raining cats and dogs.
• From Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet": But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
• Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket. - George Orwell
9. Hyperbole. Exaggerating a statement or idea to emphasize a point or emotion.
• If I take another step, my feet will fall off.
• She's so thin she could thread a needle.
• If his teeth were any whiter, I'd be blind.
10.  Oxymoron. A device that puts two contradictory ideas together to create complex meaning. (See top photo)
• Their relationship was an open secret.
• The sight of the living dead shuffling below sent a blazing chill down her spine.
• It's hard to explain that comforting pain to those who don't understand.

What are some of your favorite literary devices? Do you have a favorite example of one of these? Please share in the comments!

A Spark of Inspiration

As a teenager I coddled her, fearful her shining smile and passionate presence would fade until I could no longer remember the outline of her face.  We used to ponder and whisper well into the night, laughing, quarreling, and reminiscing like old friends until sleep finally won its battle.  Eventually every day life came between us as often happens when friends age and leave the simplicities of youth behind. Years later, I found myself missing the beauty of our friendship, so I began a journey to reconnect with my old friend, the missing muse that once plagued my waking hours with endless chatter and enthusiasm.

After five years of mind-numbing work, I finally began the creative writing courses for a M.A. in English and Creative Writing.  Two weeks into the course we began writing poetry.  Initially, I panicked.  My muse was long gone!  She took the first train out in the face of years of academics she knew would steal our time together.  Hours passed.  Days flew by.  Although it always flowed freely in the past, my riverbed was dry, and I dug until my fingers bled to find a source of nourishment to lead me from the Sahara.  It was me and the tumbleweeds watching the clouds pass by without a drop of thirst-quenching rain.


A week later I got a call from an unknown number.  So busy with work and class, I didn't answer; however, I knew the voice as soon as the message played.  A few days later she was at my doorstep.  Sure, she'd aged a little just like me-a frown line, a couple of bags under her eyes, and maybe even a grey hair or two-but she was as familiar as I remembered.  With age came knowledge and wisdom we lacked in our youth, and despite our time apart, we drifted off that evening just like old times.

I don't mean to insinuate that there haven't been any bumps in the road.  We're still learning from each other and that will never change.  We're steadily rebuilding our relationship, and I couldn't be more thrilled to have my muse by my side once more.  This is our journey, and I hope it serves as inspiration when you fear your muse has said goodbye.