There's so much in my life that goes better if planned. That includes teaching, of course--if I walk in without having thought through what we're doing, how and with what materials and on what microschedule, it's bound to be a bit of a train wreck... except when I wing it and glorious teachable moments unfold. (These are almost never quite in line with the prescribed curriculum. Hmmmm.)
And family activities and obligations: it's good that I enjoy the role of scheduling secretary, because even with an ordinary four of us, someone really does need to keep track of it all, BOTH electronically and on paper, in order for everyone to get where they're expected on time.
But this blog is one place where pinning things down isn't necessary. Some weeks I know what I'll write, come late Thursday or early Friday, and it develops amid the mundane tasks all week. Other weeks I have no idea what I'll feel like writing until I sit down to type, and I've learned that usually works too. Here's a bit more evidence that I can take faith in the laissez-faire, low-effort approach, found in my Inbox this morning:
INSTRUCTIONS | dmmg
hello the document is here
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d=sharing
if you press print
you get to this new window
and then you press
"current sheet" as well as "fit to width"
and then print
and then it takes you to a new window
and you should know this part
i need it on two separate pieces of paper
(aka not back to back)
thank you so much
<3***********************************
Yes, this poem came to me almost exactly this way--I only deactivated the link and put in one extra line break...et voila. In the comments, friends, I invite you (perhaps with reference to my long consideration of the art of language and novels-in-verse a couple of weeks ago) to remark on whether you also find a poem here and precisely why. That should make for an interesting discussion--one that I could PLAN to round up next Friday!
Thanks to Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect for hosting today. Wing on over there to see what gloriously unfolds.
What a perfect find! You clearly have a poet's eye.
ReplyDeleteHi, Liz--sometimes they're just hanging there, ripe for the plucking, right? I think fondly of your found MS poems...
DeleteLove. And I am glad to know that I am not the only person who doesn't pin everything down on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI love the instructions. It reminds me of today when I realized with the number of subs in the building it would be helpful to have instructions on using Safari Montage, a movie library.
"Scheduling secretary" -- such an accurate description! Charming poem. I like the <3 at the end.
ReplyDeleteFunny...when you least expect it, poetry (or something like it) pops up!
ReplyDeleteI'll say YES, it's a poem, but as for the why...maybe because you say so, even if it wasn't written so. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteI'm going to take a shot. I think it's a poem because of the sounds of the words. They sound like the clicking of the keyboard keys. Words like press, print, part, paper. Of course, It's also a poem because you are a poet and you see things like that.
ReplyDeleteYour post showed up in my inbox while I was thinking about what to write on my blog today. I love blog writing because it can be planned or not, and most of the time no one can tell the difference.
It definitely sounds like a poem to me! And also way too much like most of my experiences with these types of websites. I have to renew my teaching license today! AARGH!
ReplyDeleteI hear poetry in the repetition of "and then...and then...and then." Because you're a poet, you know that poetry is everywhere. It's all a matter of perspective.
ReplyDeleteWe've had a pretty long and involved discussion about the nature of prose and novels-in-verse and how different it is from verse novels at the AFCC here in Singapore. Glad to see you raising it here as well, with a perfect example too! :)
ReplyDelete