In October, I participated in a wonderful poetry celebration known as OctPoWriMo. One of our early prompts was to write a poem inspired by the word “eccentric.” The creative process remains a mysterious one to me (and probably always will), but through whatever machinations of imagination and muse, “The Dangerous Weird” is the poem that emerged.
I wrote it thinking of all the wonderful people I know in my life who have weathered the storm of being seen as different, odd, less-than-normal. It’s a celebration of that amazing, dangerous weird within all of us, something I think that my online community of creative folk can appreciate.
This community is one that inspires me and encourages me towards all sorts of mischief, like rambling about my love of Hugh Jackman and sloths, or dancing around on tabletops with a lampshade on my head (as seen at the last #myWANA Twitter party). The chance to be fully myself, knowing that I’ll be accepted, is an incredibly rare one, and one for which I am truly grateful.
So this one’s for you, gang. Enjoy!
“The Dangerous Weird”
i am eccentric you say because color tastes of sound because history is my dwelling place i was a child with a calligraphy pen my mother's borrowed cameos a collection of teapots a girl enchanted by amulets faerie unicorns imagined elven revelries worlds that exist only in my head acne-cursed chubby sally-jesse-raphael-bespectacled awkward child too smart too ambitious teased and tormented for the dangerous weird (because idiot child bullies can't pronounce "eccentric" and don't trust the abnormal) but i am a forward-thinking girl despite the obsession with dusty antiques adulthood was my ticket to survival and i waited honed and polished my weird shined it up like the best silver serving set to put on display for rare souls that understood (password: "kindred spirit") today i find the peculiar ones those grownup off-beat children catch them running through the rye together we make a mountain of weird a paradise of strange to us, the song of color the taste of word is to be savored time is neither linear nor measurable and the world is our playground eccentrics one and all
January 14, 2013 at 8:07 am
I’ve always admired people who can write poetry. I, sadly, am not one, LOL. Awesome poem Lena! I relate to so many of your statements. Thanks for sharing that.
Raelyn Barclay recently posted..Week 1 of #ROW80 Down
January 18, 2013 at 11:27 pm
Raelyn, thank you! It’s been such a pleasure for me to learn that there are so many other people in the world who can relate to these sentiments. I’d say people like us definitely make the world a more interesting place. 😀
January 14, 2013 at 9:56 am
I’ve always admired people who can write poetry too 🙂
And wow! You could be an audiobook narrator!
Marcy Kennedy recently posted..Should We Bother Making Resolutions?
January 18, 2013 at 11:30 pm
Thanks, Marcy! And I admit, narrating my own audiobooks, or doing some sort of voiceover work, has been one of my dreams for ages now. Maybe eventually I will be able to make it happen. 😀
January 14, 2013 at 3:52 pm
Love this! And yes, I can soooo relate. 🙂
You sound just like I imagined! And a lovely reading, too.
Jennette Marie Powell recently posted..You’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached
January 19, 2013 at 10:15 am
Whoo-hoo, another weird one! 😀
Thanks for stopping by and listening/reading, Jen!
January 14, 2013 at 3:56 pm
I love your poem! And I love your video! Way to take an assignment or a challenge and totally nail it!
You have beautiful eyes and you are adorable with that lamp shade crown.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Patricia recently posted..To Infinity and Beyond!
January 19, 2013 at 10:16 am
Jansen, you are so awesome. Thanks a million!
January 14, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Oh, wow! Such an awesome, brilliant poem! I’m also of the weird and quirky clan, so we must be kindred spirits. My log line is: Random Acts of Weirdness! I’m so glad you read your poem in a vlog! It’s wonderful to hear your voice. Go, Lena! Woot! Woot!
Lynn Kelley recently posted..Am Recharging
January 20, 2013 at 10:02 am
You rock, Lynn, and I LOVE your log line. Thanks so much for stopping by!
January 20, 2013 at 8:40 pm
Lena! Beautiful! The poem, the delivery and your gorgeous blue eyes. I see (… hear?) audiobooks in your future. Thanks for the gift.