Write in the Shower

Letter Box

Photo by Amy LV

Students - The first line of today's poem came to me in the shower. Well, almost. What actually flashed across my mind in the shower was, "Lizzie kept her letters in a lovely letter box." Later I added "Ludwig" since it was her real name and continued the repetition of "L." 

The title of today's post - Write in the Shower - does not mean that we need to bring paper and pencil into the shower (though bathtub crayons DO exist). It simply means that we can think about our writing when we are not actually writing: in the shower, while walking alone or with a dog, sitting in a vehicle, swinging on a swing, eating a meal. Daily activities that do not requre focus can be good times to allow our creativity to take over. Many people have some of their best ideas in the shower, so it's worth a try.

This box of Lizzie Ludwig's letters came to me when my father passed away, and I have plans to read them all. They were written by many different people, and sorting through them and reading all of the different cursives is a bit of a puzzle. I am excited to learn more about my family at that time and a bit daunted by the task as there are a lot of letters.

This poem is about something old. Old objects (and people too) are fascinating to me because they hold many, many stories. If you are not sure what to write about, consider writing about something old. It may be a real something that you have held or seen in your daily life. It may be an object from a museum or in a book. Or it may be an old object that you make up in your mind. Garage sales and flea markets and thrift stores are interesting places to find such old things. 

Here are a few "old object questions" you might think about as you write or shower:

• What does this object make me feel?
• What do I wonder when I think about this object?
• If this object told me a secret, what might it say?
• Who did own or might have owned this object?
• What is the shape and design of this object?
• How is this object different from modern versions of it?
• What does my interest in this object say about me?

Lizzette Heilman Ludwig was my father's father's mother...my great grandmother. I feel fortunate to get to know a bit about her life through this box (and other things) that she left behind and that generations after her kept safe.

Rose is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup at Imagine the Possibilities with all kinds of poetic goodness. Please know that all are welcome each Friday as folks share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship.

May you look at old things with new eyes this week...

Lizzette's Headstone

Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY

xo,

Amy

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