Unfamiliar Territory

I have four days to get my slicing muscles back into shape before the March challenge begins. And let me tell you, they are most definitely out of shape. I must remember that it is a marathon and not a sprint because slicing is not something that I have kept up with. At the end of each March, I always say I am going to keep on slicing throughout the year after writing for 31 days.

But then I don't.

I am dragging out the "equipment" in the form of my blog, prompts, notebooks, memories, and whatever else it is going to take to turn writing a slice back into muscle memory.

Today I went to Gary Anderson's blog to look at his long list of prompts while I begin my training. This one caught my eye:

"Tell about unfamiliar territory."

A word popped into my thinking this week. A word that is unfamiliar to me. A word that I don't think I have given much thought to nor even had a discussion about.

Retirement.

That word does not roll off my tongue easily and leaves a taste in my mouth that I don't quite recognize. 

I began to think and question. How many more years do I have in me? Do I want to leave the classroom while I am still somewhat on top of my game? Do I wait until I no longer enjoy it? Am I ready? What would I do? How will I know when I am ready? Is it retirement or just a wanted/needed change?

I am unsure of these answers as of right now. But what I do know, is that I have never thought about retirement until recently. Maybe it's a sign. 

Whatever it may be, it is certainly unfamiliar territory.

Middle School Love Note #PoetryFriday

My one little word for 2020 is commit. I have made "10 Commitments" and one of them includes participating, supporting and engaging with my social media communities. Poetry Friday is one I have participated in, yet not very consistently. When I saw that Linda's round-up post was all about hearts and love and Valentine's Day, I decided to share the poem that I wrote for Sarah Donovan's 5-Day Poetry Challenge.

The poem prompt was from "Twenty Questions" by Jim Moore. I wrote about the innocent yet anxious time of middle school love. 

Middle School Love Note

Do you like me?

Do the butterflies begin to flutter the minute the bell rings?

Or does your stomach rumble because your breakfast is already gone?

Do you quickly glance to see if I am looking as we pass each other in the hall?

Or do you avoid my gaze?

Does your arm tingle when our elbows innocently touch while shutting our lockers?

Or do you think the bump was clearly an accident?

Do you write my name in the middle of your notebook so no one will see it?

Or do you even know my name?

                Or how to spell it?

Do you wish you had my scrunchie around your wrist?

Or do you wish I had short hair?

Does the teacher call on you when she catches you daydreaming about holding hands in the bleachers of the high school basketball game?

Or are you dreaming about making the last second shot?

Does your face turn red when I walk into the classroom?

Or are you too busy messing around with your friends to even see me?

Does your heart skip a beat when you read “write a poem” on the objective board?

Or do you roll your eyes disgusted with thought of writing about your feelings?

                Or do you even have feelings?

Do you like me?

Or did I already ask that?

© Leigh Anne Eck, 2020