Post No. 031: For Carol Lynn Pearson's play "Mother Wove the Morning," which truly inspired me!

(Image from Mother Wove the Morning)

Sixteen Women
(Or, "An Ode to 'Mother Wove the Morning'")

If you listen,

you can
hear sixteen
women

singing
through her

and
sixty billion
humming along.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: After I first saw Carol Lynn Pearson's one-woman play "Mother Wove the Morning" (in Salt Lake City, Utah), I was so moved by her play about "sixteen women throughout history in search of the female face of God" that I wrote this poem!

And then went to see her play, for a second time, in order to give Carol Lynn the poem. So, after her performance—when she was talking to the audience, one-by-one, in order to get feedback about her play—I gave her the poem handwritten in calligraphy with my contact information on the back of the poem...

...Later on, she contacted me by phone and asked me permission to use my poem as a "thank-you gift" for the many volunteers who had helped Carol Lynn to put on her play! Thus, she asked me to make several copies of the poem for her volunteers; so, I volunteered to make a copy of the poem for each one of her volunteers handwritten in calligraphy.

Also, one of Carol Lynn's volunteers suggested a better wording for the last part of the poem, which I have utilized ever since!

You see, I originally wrote "...and sixteen billion humming along," so that the number of women 'singing along' with Carol Lynn's characters were the same number as the "sixteen women throughout history in search of the female face of God" in her play; but the volunteer pointed out that number of women 'singing along' with Carol Lynn was too few! So, she suggested that I use "sixty billion," instead...

...And I have "Utah-lized" (ha, ha) that idea ever since!

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mother Wove the Morning" from Carol Lynn Pearson:

Much of my life has been devoted to the search for the feminine divine, a search that culminated in writing Mother Wove the Morning, a one-woman play in which I perform sixteen women throughout history in search of the female face of God.

In 1989 I rented our local community theater in Walnut Creek for two weekends, sent out press releases, sold tickets, and opened the play, believing at least my friends would show up. They did. And lots of other people. The event sold out and I extended again and again. Subsequently I played across the country and abroad, ultimately doing over 300 performances, one on Crete for the International Partnership Conference, invited by Margarita Papandreo, first lady of Greece, and author Riane Eisler. I learned that the hunger in my own heart for the Mother was matched by the hunger in the hearts of thousands of other women and men.

https://carollynnpearson.com/store/mother-wove-the-morning-book-dvd

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This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 031 was edited on May 3rd, 2024.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 030: For Barbra Streisand — "Her Voice, It's Like Autumn!"

(Image from PRWeb)

Her Voice
(Or, "A Voice Like Autumn!")

There is autumn in
her voice—so cool
and colorful.

She breathes

through her trees—
the notes swirling
all around her!

Showering down,

they dance to the
ground, anticipating
her next breath.

Then—suddenly—

they're dizzy!

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: There is a lot to the story of this particular poem!

You see, what inspired this poem was a conversation that I had with my sister, which was many years ago in Salt Lake City, Utah... We were discussing poetry (as I recall) and she described to me this poem that she wrote in school (I think that it was for a school assignment), where the last line of the poem that she wrote was "...and, suddenly, they're dizzy."

Now, I don't remember exactly what the "they" that my sister wrote about in the poem were, which became "suddenly dizzy" (it may have been snowflakes?); however, I was so impressed by that poetic phraseology of "...and, suddenly, they're dizzy" that I wrote this poem about Barbra Streisand's voice, which to me is like autumn!

And when Barbra Streisand sings, her breath is like the wind that swirls the notes that she is singing—all around her—like they are autumn leaves... So, when she stops singing, the notes, like autumn leaves, are "showering down" as "they dance to the ground, anticipating her next breath..."

"...Then—suddenly—they're dizzy!"

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 030 was edited on September 8th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 029: My First Gay Friend, Part 5 — Though (and) Still

(Image from Globe Views)

Though...

...I would never again look
so long, my friend—
for when being friends took
so long, my friend,
feeling that I had known you
so long, my friend,
carried me along through
'so long, my friend.'

Still...

...You have been cold for
so long, my friend, that
I can only endure
so long, my friend.
I have been 'dumb' for you
so long, my friend,
that before I am 'numb' too
so long, my friend.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I had a huge crush on my first gay friend Greg, but he already had a boyfriend! And I let go of Greg as a friend, because I felt like he wasn't good for me, which is why I wrote this poem but—more than likely—it was probably just me who was at fault!

You see, I had way too many expectations for what our relationship could be, since I had a huge crush on him—although he wasn't interested in me 'romantically.' And I imagine that is why Greg was so 'cold' to me, because he wasn't interested in me 'romantically,' but I still expected more from our relationship...even though I really shouldn't have.

Just so you know, I revised this poem, as I often do with my writing! And I changed how one line of this poem was written when I realized that I should remove the metaphorical comparisons to "deafness" and "blindness," since it is disrespectful toward those who are deaf or blind. So, I wanted to show you how this particular line used to be written, before I revised it as above.

And it used to be written like this:

I have been 'deaf' for you
so long, my friend,
that before I am 'blind' too
so long, my friend.

Thus, I revised this poem to be written as it is above.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 029 was edited on September 7th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 028: My First Gay Friend, Part 4 — The Seducer's Song

(Image from DogChannel.com)

The Seducer's Song

Have I frightened you, my
dearest friend?
Have I scared you from me?
Behind the curtain you spied me,
dearest friend,
a watcher's ruses tumbling.

Though, I meant my quest for a
dearest friend,
The Seducer's Song sings true.
I know you love me as your
dearest friend,
but I'm in love with you.

You embraced me when, my
dearest friend,
my eyes rained confession blue.
And his song you affirmed, the
dearest friend,
who seduced and stayed with you.

Though your kinship is rich,
dearest friend,
my desire spends your wealth.
Still seeking you as my
dearest friend,
think I'll siren someone else!

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I had a huge crush on my first gay friend Greg, but he already had a boyfriend! And I wrote this poem as a way to express my romantic feelings for him—although he wasn't interested in me 'romantically.'

And "The Seducer's Song" is a reference to the way that I felt that I was treating Greg as an 'object of my affection' and how I was "secretly trying to seduce him," which Greg called me out on; so, I decided that I should "siren someone else," because I was making Greg feel really uncomfortable by trying to convince him to break up with his boyfriend—and to date me instead—since I was so attracted to Greg!

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 028 was edited on September 6th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 027: My First Gay Friend, Part 3 — The Herbage

(Image from Gardening Know How)

The Herbage

I can see that you are
sensual, when combing
fingers through your hair.

My learned self (to me
essential) is an awkward
schoolboy when you're near.

Always conducting the
conversation, you lead
me to smile at your notes.

I feel midnight in situations
and pray your sunlight
I could know.

I am humored by the
herbage, who laugh at
your warped view.

How I love to engage in
deep philosophies
with you.

But sometimes my
thoughts are of how
you perceive me.

For, I am August
with a twist of
melancholy.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I had a huge crush on my first gay friend Greg, but he already had a boyfriend! And I wrote this poem as a way to express my romantic feelings for him—although he wasn't interested in me 'romantically.'

And "The Herbage" is a metaphorical reference to all of the houseplants that Greg had in his apartment, since the word 'herbage' actually means "herbaceous vegetation (such as grass) especially when used for grazing."

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 027 was edited on September 6th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 026: My First Gay Friend, Part 2 — One (and) Two

(Image from Gleneden Beach Community Club)

One

You think I am
there—even
expect me to be—
as you extract
the lake from
sodium sand,
with your Keds
ultraviolet
in the moonlight.

Vainly, you look
for me—just like
you search for the
specter terns,
costumed by night,
whose crying
above you
hallucinates
into a noctural sky
of wailing stars.

Two

Moaning seagulls
mock my orgasmic
anthem, as my
exhausted knees
dig into
the gritty linen of
his cool bed,
succumbing to
my flailing muscles.

For, I am there—
just as I have been
the sixty-five times
before—rotting with
the brine fly pupal
casings, breathing
ripples in the water,
making love to
the beach.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: The original "Saltair I" and "Saltair II" Resorts used to be located in Salt Lake City, Utah on the Great Salt Lake, which is west of the Salt Lake International Airport. And, in the late 1980s, it was just "a road," with some old pilings protruding from the lake and from "the road."

And my first gay friend Greg introduced me to Saltair Beach in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the original "Saltair I" and "Saltair II" Pavilions both stood—before fire and fortune destroyed them both! And that is how I came to know and love this place "away from civilization," where I could commune with nature. [Please see "Saltair Beach-Inspired Poem (in Salt Lake City Utah)" in labels for my poems about Saltair.] You can still see the pilings from these once magnificent structures, along with the cement shell of the old power building.

And, way back in the late 1980s, Greg and I used to walk along 'the road' that lead out to the lake where the original "Saltair I" and "Saltair II" Pavilions once stood—and we would go there during storms in order to watch how the weather would interact with the Great Salt Lake!

And so, Greg told me this one time that he had been at the beach and he said that he could feel my presence there—as if he practically expected to see me there too! So, I wrote this poem with the "One" representing the time Greg was there (and expected me to be there also) and with the "Two" representing that time that I was actually there "relieving sexual tensions," so to speak, at the beach, while I was fantasizing that I was making love to another male.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 026 was edited on September 6th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 025: My First Gay Friend, Part 1 — The Road To...

(Image from Gleneden Beach Community Club)

The Road To...

At the beach in a night-time
storm, we lithograph
sand with our formerly-white
shoes and travel the fossil
of Saltair Resort toward
shaking gray waters.

Wisdom pours forth from
two Socratic men—with
no less fluidity than the
deluge—spawning the surf
to surge against the rocks
in resounding appeasement.

You—defying the ebony abyss—
and I—longing to dilute into it—
simmer to wishes of Earl Grey tea,
as we a cappella that Simon and
Garfunkel theme, delighting the
brine fly pupal casings beneath us.

Of coconut incense taste your
words—spoken warm and swift
as the ivory tern slicing
through the sable rain, yet
certain like the waves coursing
toward us in the wind—

when you call me your friend.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: The original "Saltair I" and "Saltair II" Resorts used to be located in Salt Lake City, Utah on the Great Salt Lake, which is west of the Salt Lake International Airport. And, in the late 1980s, it was just "a road," with some old pilings protruding from the lake and from "the road."

And my first gay friend Greg introduced me to Saltair Beach in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the original "Saltair I" and "Saltair II" Pavilions both stood—before fire and fortune destroyed them both! And that is how I came to know and love this place "away from civilization," where I could commune with nature. [Please see "Saltair Beach-Inspired Poem (in Salt Lake City Utah)" in labels for my poems about Saltair.] You can still see the pilings from these once magnificent structures, along with the cement shell of the old power building.

And, way back in the late 1980s, Greg and I used to walk along 'the road' that lead out to the lake where the original "Saltair I" and "Saltair II" Pavilions once stood—and we would go there during storms in order to watch how the weather would interact with the Great Salt Lake!

And, after Greg and I had been spending time together for a few months, one night along "The Road To..." he told me, for the first time, that he considered me to be one of his closest friends! It really meant a lot to me, since I am such an introvert, which is why I wrote this poem.

Anyway, that particular night, during a storm, we were singing the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water," by Simon and Garfunkel, for obvious reasons... And we were also fantasizing about being back at his apartment drinking Earl Grey tea. (I still lived with my parents, since I was in college, which is where I met Greg.)

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 025 was edited on September 6th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 024: What Stirs in Me, Part 4 — Your Breath

(Image from Flickr)

Your Breath
(Or, "God's Breath")

Salted air woven like cotton
that is worn comfortably at the
beach; though it's too thin to
insulate, it still embraces me.

Night angels illuminate
this inverted weave.
Their rubber soles wailing
as they sixty-five by.

Your spirit shawls me this
quilted night-tide, like
the afghan vapors that
blanket the shivering moon.

The veil between You
and I is merely thread.
Sanity may obscure You—
but I know Your Breath.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: The original "Saltair I" and "Saltair II" Resorts used to be located in Salt Lake City, Utah on the Great Salt Lake, which is west of the Salt Lake International Airport. And, in the late 1980s, it was just "a road," with some old pilings protruding from the lake and from "the road."

And my first gay friend Greg introduced me to Saltair Beach in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the original "Saltair I" and "Saltair II" Pavilions both stood—before fire and fortune destroyed them both! And that is how I came to know and love this place "away from civilization," where I could commune with nature. [Please see "Saltair Beach-Inspired Poem (in Salt Lake City Utah)" in labels for my poems about Saltair.] You can still see the pilings from these once magnificent structures, along with the cement shell of the old power building.

So, I used to drive out to Saltair Beach during the day, and at night, in order to be at one with nature and to go for solitary walks. Then, this one time, I drove out to Saltair Beach at night in a fog! And, as I was walking around in the fog, while I was hearing the cars on the freeway driving by, I felt like I could practically reach out and touch God, if I could just—somehow—get past the fog! It was such a spiritually moving experience that I wrote this poem...

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 024 was edited on April 15th, 2024.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 023: What Stirs in Me, Part 3 — My Children From Inside Me

(Image from Wikipedia)

My Inner Darkness
Turned Into My
Outer Light
(Or, "My Children From Inside Me")

Intelligences well inside,
Nourished in my ebony soul.
Engorging me like moonless skies,
Grow my aesthetic embryos.

They consume the juices decidedly,
Provided by Mother Earth's womb.
Sister stars gather unabashedly,
To protect while they consume.

On thoughts deliciously learned,
They are raised in my midnight mind.
Brother Mountains are so concerned
That morning will strain their eyes.

They drink the well of hazel springs,
Getting nourished on all I know.
Cousin thunder would cease to sing,
Should summer bid them to go.

Their passion then ejaculates
And erupts my darkened psyche.
Like sunlight from the night escapes,
Come my children from inside me!

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: This poem conveys the way that feel about the Birth Of Creativity from inside of myself, which is "My Inner Darkness Turned Into My Outer Light."

Thus, the "aesthetic embryos" are my 'creative ideas,' or my 'creative children,' so to speak, that are inside of me, which are much like the "manly seeds" that are inside of all males. And when my creative darkness is feeling passionate, it erupts—just like a male ejaculates—as creative light, or as "My Creative Darkness Turned Into My Creative Light!"

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 023 was edited on September 6th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 022: What Stirs in Me, Part 2 — Without Name

(Image from Good News for a Weary World)

Without Name

In my spirit chamber of roasted stone,
the only worth I truly own,
there fashions fire.

Prism to its light, compassion to me
known; its vision is my sight;
its passion my desire.

To the flame I am no boundary,
burned into me, around me,
without name or Sól expired.

Taught to soul, this sun I've learned;
its flesh from mine can't be discerned;
its breath is all that I require.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I wrote this poem as a way to describe a meditative visualization that I used to do.

You see, I would imagine a circular chamber made entirely of stone, covered by a rounded ceiling, with a hole at the top that acts as a chimney, just like an igloo. And in the center of this stone chamber, I visualized that there was a round fire pit also made of stone where The Light Of God was always burning, with a kind of shining, shimmering, dancing, aurora borealis-like flame.

And the title "Without Name" is a reference to me imagining that "God doesn't necessarily have a specific name." And I performed this simple visualization in order to feel more peaceful and closer to God! By the way, the term "Sól" (which is pronounced just like the word soul) is the sun personified in Germanic mythology.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 022 was edited on September 5th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 021: What Stirs in Me, Part 1 — I Am No Barrier

(Image from The Center For Joyful Living)

I Am No Barrier
(Or, "The Light And I Are As One")

I am no barrier to its sun;
the light and I are as one.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I wrote this poem in order to convey how close that I felt to "The Light Of God," once I finally understood what that light is for us humans: it is "God's Inner Light!"

You see, I was always taught by my upbringing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("The Mormon Church") that you should be close to God; but they didn't really explain how to be close to God, they just said that you should be close to God! And it wasn't until faced my fears of being gay and I came out of the closet—and felt "The Inner Light Of God"—that I finally understood the how and the why of being close to God: "Total Emotional Honesty With Yourself!"

And this poem was also published on my "Three Dark Horses" and "Small All White in the Forest" blogs (please see the hyperlinks below for the blogs), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message I am trying to convey through "Three Dark Horses" and "Small All White in the Forest." Plus, I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message I am trying to convey through my new "The Oneness Of God" spiritual practice!

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://threedarkhorses.blogspot.com

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 021 was edited on May 6th, 2024.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 020: My Only Girlfriend, Part 12 — To Be Entered In

(Image from dreamstime)

To Be Entered In

When the fortresses
are felled—
until
the walls
come down—
and towered
doubts
erode
thin,
we
conceal
our
inner selves
like
barriers
that
surround
gardens to be
entered in.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: This is one of my favorite poems for Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—though, to be totally honest, I can't remember why I wrote it!

But, after we were engaged to be married, Sandra and I broke up since I was trying to be "straight" through my relationship with Sandra and she was trying to help me be "straight"; and after we took a vacation together to California, we decided that I was never going to stop being "gay" no matter how hard I tried! However, we both kept our engagement rings (she bought me a solid gold band and I bought her a one carat diamond solitaire) as a way to symbolize the love that we did share...

...Anyway, I wanted to talk about this romantic part of my life—through our relationship—with the thought that we really do "conceal our inner selves" so often to everyone around us because we are oftentimes guarded. Thus, the phrase "until the walls come down" encompasses this idea, because I was trying to convey the concept that we honestly are "gardens (of love) to be entered in," but our 'true beauty' can only be known by everyone around us "when the fortresses (which guard us) are felled."

And this poem was also published on my "Three Dark Horses" and "Small All White in the Forest" blogs (please see the hyperlinks below for the blogs), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message I am trying to convey through "Three Dark Horses" and "Small All White in the Forest." Plus, I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message I am trying to convey through my new "The Oneness Of God" spiritual practice!

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://threedarkhorses.blogspot.com

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 020 was edited on May 6th, 2024.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 019: My Only Girlfriend, Part 11 — I Cannot Reach You

(Image from Wikipedia)

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: "If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States." Dial 988

I Cannot Reach You

You have sentenced yourself to death
and cannot see beyond your cell.

Tomorrow, I may find you lifeless and
not my art, nor my poetry, nor even
my love could wake you.

Prayer only tempers the symptoms,
because God is a methodic physician.

I am powerless to stop your suffering;
only you can grant the pardon,
or throw the switch.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: This poem is really, really difficult for me to talk about, because the reason that I wrote it was to try and prevent Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—from ending her life...

...Because, by the time I wrote this poem, we had broken up since we both realized that I was never going to be able to "overcome" being gay and so there was no point in continuing our relationship, due to the fact that we only started dating after I came out of the closet as gay to her! You see, I was trying really hard to not be gay—and she was trying really hard to "save me" from being gay.

And Sandra was going through a very difficult time in her life, due to our breaking up, along with having a lot of difficulties with her family, mostly due to our relationship and the way that her family—but mostly her parents—felt about me. Sandra's relationship with her parents had gotten so bad that they had kicked Sandra out of their house and she had moved in with my family!

Thankfully, Sandra sought a therapist for counseling to work through her issues and she went on to study the culinary arts in New York and—eventually—she became a chef. Plus, she eventually reconciled with her family! Anyway, this is one of the last poems that I wrote for her toward the end of our romance... And it will always be a poem that calls up a great deal of intense emotions for me!

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP):

Welcome!

The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is dedicated to: preventing suicidal behaviour, alleviating its effects, and providing a forum for academics, mental health professionals, crisis workers, volunteers and suicide survivors.

Founded by the late Professor Erwin Ringel and Dr. Norman Farberow in 1960, IASP now includes professionals and volunteers from more than fifty different countries. IASP is a Non-Governmental Organization in official relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) concerned with suicide prevention.

If you are feeling suicidal or know of someone who needs help, browse Help (https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/) to find a crisis center anywhere in the world.

https://www.iasp.info

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (please see the hyperlink below for the website):

988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. While some areas may be currently able to connect to the Lifeline by dialing 988, this dialing code will be available to everyone across the United States starting on July 16, 2022.

Talk To Someone Now

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.

What Happens When I Call The Lifeline?

First, you’ll hear a message telling you that you’ve reached the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

We’ll play you a little hold music while we connect you.

A skilled, trained crisis worker who works at the Lifeline network crisis center closest to you will answer the phone.

This person will listen to you, understand how your problem is affecting you, provide support, and share any resources that may be helpful.

Remember, your call is confidential and free.

Should I Call The Lifeline?

No matter what problems you’re dealing with, whether or not you’re thinking about suicide, if you need someone to lean on for emotional support, call the Lifeline.

People call to talk about lots of things: substance abuse, economic worries, relationships, sexual identity, getting over abuse, depression, mental and physical illness, and loneliness, to name a few.

https://988lifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: "If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States." Dial 988

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 019 was edited on September 5th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 018: My Only Girlfriend, Part 10 — Dear Brother

(Image from Rainbow Light Foundation)

Dear Brother

Please recognize my prayer,
Dear Brother,
charred black as knowledge
onto this oblivious white.
For, someone
as thoughtful
as umber (though, passionate
with auburn, like her hair
in April light)
needs to understand that
I love her so.
But the thermostat in my soul,
Dear Brother,
is much like the fire
which men think they own.
Quickly as sunsets pass you by,
Dear Brother,
the reassuring sunlight fills me,
but the fearful midnight
then swells;
and—yet—I appear as indifferent
as the twilight.
I beseech you,
Dear Brother,
to please let her know
that the flowers
blooming from me
come from the loving
that she sows.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: It's kind of difficult to talk about this poem because of what I was going through at the time that I wrote it. I was fighting with Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—mostly because of me, and I penned this poem, literally overnight, explain to her why I was so very difficult to "read" emotionally.

And I used a metaphor about praying to Jesus ("Dear Brother") in order to explain to Sandra how I thought and felt. Looking back now, I realize that the qualities about myself which I was describing could be thought of as "bipolar." And in the phrase, "I appear as indifferent as the twilight," I was trying to describe the way I usually dealt with the emotional rollercoaster upon which I very often found myself riding! Anyway, I was really just trying to convey to Sandra why I was usually so "totally unemotional" on the outside: it's because I was usually so "totally emotional" on the inside and was trying to maintain a "socially acceptable decorum" at all times!

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 018 was edited on September 5th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 017: My Only Girlfriend, Part 9 — Fiancée

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Fiancée

I shall not
be thwarted by her.

Instead,
I may be flustered under
the polished moon
who wishes
that I would not chew
my food so loudly.
Perhaps,
I will be dumfounded
by the cool sable
pavement
who desires
that I not criticize all
of existence.
Furthermore,
I could be muddled by
a cluster of
emerald reeds
who requests
that I cease any attempts
to save her
from the pond
in which she grows.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: How this poem brings back memories!

The reason that I wrote this poem is because I was engaged to Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—to be married. (Although, I seriously don't recall how I proposed to her! Ah, what romance...) And she was seriously bothered by some of the things that I did: I would chew food loudly with my mouth open, and she actually had to teach me how not to do that; and I was always being so critical of everything and everyone; plus, I was trying to "save her" from her family, even though they were "the pond in which she grows."

Therefore, the phrase "I shall not be thwarted by her" was really code for "I can barely handle having to do all of this changing!"

Just so you know, I revised this poem, as I often do with my writing! And I changed how this poem was written when I was editing it on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" and "Small All White in the Forest" blogs. So, I wanted to show you how this poem used to be written, before I revised it as above.

And it used to be written like this:

Fiancée

I shall not
be thwarted by her.

Instead,
I may fluster under
the polished moon
that wishes
I would not chew
so loudly.
Perhaps,
I will be dumfounded
by the cool sable
pavement
which desires
I not criticize all
existence.
Furthermore,
I could be muddled by
a cluster of
emerald reeds which
requests that
I cease any attempts
to save her
from the pond
in which she grows.

Thus, I revised this poem to be written as it is above.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 017 was edited on September 7th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 016: My Only Girlfriend, Part 8 — Instead of Shopping

(Image from UCAR Communications)

Instead of Shopping

Diamonds can wait.
They aren't
nearly as
temporary
as the summer
thunder
and
only half as
precious.

Procrastinating
over the deep
lilac
skies of a solstice
storm,
I lean softly
across
her
watching
Prussian
clouds
voyage by
through a
prismed window.

We fascinate over
draping rain
that
brushes
the valley,
like mosquito
netting
caressing
the unmade bed
of
eight o' clock lovers.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: This poem memorializes one of my most poignant memories from when I was younger, around the age of twenty, and it still moves me to this day...

...I was going with Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—to downtown Salt Lake City, Utah to shop for her engagement ring. (Although, I seriously don't recall how I proposed to her! Ah, what romance...) And, while driving along Wasatch Boulevard (a road that overlooks the Salt Lake Valley, which runs along the end of the Rocky Mountains), we saw the most beautiful summer thunderstorm! So, we decided to skip shopping and we just watched this "solstice storm" unfold before us over the valley below.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 016 was edited on September 5th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 015: My Only Girlfriend, Part 7 — Just Us Two

(Image from Estudio Espana)

Just Us Two

We listen—intently—
to the clouds outside
crying,
as we sigh
in the washed indigo
light.

We murmur, under
a downy scrumptious
blanket,
seductions in the blue
with hushed friend's
breath.

We quietly
dialogue, after passions
consumed.
Talking—
lovely, soft talking,
just us two.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I feel like this poem "needs no introduction," however, it does "need some clarification." The references to the color indigo, or blue, had to do with the quality of the light in her bedroom while I was cuddling with Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—"after passions consumed." And the other thing that I attempted to describe was our conversation, which I tried to capture with the phrase "Talking—lovely, soft talking, just us two." You know, it is so funny how important details like that are when looking back on a particular memory...

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 015 was edited on September 5th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 014: My Only Girlfriend, Part 6 — Warm Portal

(Image from FineArtAmerica.com)

Warm Portal

Let me enter in
through
your warm portal
eternally, as
a welcomed
friend—
not merely
mortal,
as a
wet guest
slipping in to sin.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I feel like this poem has a great sensual connotation about it that I just love! And I wrote it because I was relating to Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—"in a special way," even though we weren't even married! And I wanted to convey the idea of being with her romantically and not just to "get off..."

Just so you know, I revised this poem, as I often do with my writing! And I changed how this poem was written when I was editing it on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" and "Small All White in the Forest" blogs. So, I wanted to show you how this poem used to be written, before I revised it as above.

And it used to be written like this:

Warm Portal

Let me enter in
and pass
through
your warm portal
eternally as
a welcomed
friend
not mortal
as a
wet guest
slipping in to sin.

Thus, I revised this poem to be written as it is above.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 014 was edited on September 7th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 013: My Only Girlfriend, Part 5 — To That Valentine of Mine

(Image from Free All Pictures)

To That Valentine of Mine

To that Valentine of mine,
my friend, my godsend:
with you it’s fine to entwine
and spend all the day’s end!

Please say you’ll stay
and be by the side of me,
to make sane my crazy days;
for, your company is my revelry!

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: Obviously, this poem was written for Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—for Valentine's Day! And being the gay man that I am, "Romance" is my middle name; sadly, however, my last name is "Cake Boy" and that really throws the "trying-to-be-straight" thing for a loop...

...You see, I was trying really hard to not be gay—and Sandra was trying really hard to "save me" from being gay; but, that is what I was taught by my upbringing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("The Mormon Church"): that all gay men should totally deny their homosexual feelings—then get married and have children! Anyway, this poem is still one of my favorites, since it is short and sweet.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 013 was edited on September 5th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 012: My Only Girlfriend, Part 4 — On The Christmas of Our Nineteenth Year

(Image from Hammacher Schlemmer)

On The Christmas of
Our Nineteenth Year

Of all the people on this
azure planet I can
laugh with, cry with
and love with,
I am most grateful to
have your accompaniment
through my seasons.

With you, I have discovered
a sanctuary in your arms—
safer than a newborn knows;
a taste upon your lips—
sweeter than the nectar a
hummingbird savors;
a softness upon your skin—
more pure than goose
down could ruffle up;
and a wisdom from your heart—
which wise men can
only strive for.

Of all the people on this
sapphire planet you can
talk to, depend on
and be forever loved by,
I am thankful to be
the friend who accompanies
you through your seasons.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I really like this image of an upside-down Christmas tree that I found on online to illustrate this poem! It reminds me a lot of how I felt when I was growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah: like everything was perfectly normal on the outside, but completely ass-backwards on the inside...

...Anyway, I wrote this poem to Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—because I really wanted to convey how much I truly cared about her! At the time I penned this, we had been dating (as I recall) for about a year. And the funny thing is that we only started dating after I came out of the closet as gay to her! You see, I was trying really hard to not be gay—and she was trying really hard to "save me" from being gay (which, again, is ass-backwards). But that is what I was taught by my upbringing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("The Mormon Church"): that all gay men should totally deny their homosexual feelings—then get married and have children—and spend the rest of their closeted lives pretending like everything is "normal."

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 012 was edited on July 23rd, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 011: My Only Girlfriend, Part 3 — A Bunch of Balloons

(Image from Balloon Elegance)

A Bunch of Balloons

When life gets to be
blue much,
try to
green and bare it.

If that doesn't work to
grey-t and you
want to
yellow lot,
white not pick up
the phone and
orange to be
with me.

We can put our
reds together and
pink of all the
great reasons
for being alive!

Remember, as God
works in strange
and mysterious
beige, our
purple in life
isn't always
apparent.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I was feeling really silly when I wrote this poem! And I gave this poem to Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—as a way to say "Call me if you are ever feeling 'down and out!'" Also, this poem is a testament to my love of color as a visual artist.

By the way, this poem's title is not the original title (although, I can no longer remember what that first title was), because someone who read this poem commented to me, "It reminds me of a bunch of balloons." In fact, Sandra may have been the one who made the comment about this poem reminding her of 'a bunch of balloons'—after I gave the poem to her—however, I don't recall specifically who said that.

Anyway, whomever made the comment about 'a bunch of balloons' (which, again, may very well have been Sandra), also suggested that I use "A Bunch of Balloons" as the title, instead of the original title which, as I recall, wasn't nearly as descriptive. And the rest, as they say, is history!

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 011 was edited on July 23rd, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 010: My Only Girlfriend, Part 2 — Those Damn Glands

(Image from birth.com.au)

Those Damn Glands

Pale sapphire street lights counterfeit the moon,
diffusing through translucent white windows.
We snuggle-bunny, bathing in the blue
and smile at lightning reflected from snow.
Softly, you speak love through a silken touch
and whisper passions with lips moist as dew.
I am fast submerged into a warm hush,
soaking in thoughts of making love to you.

But whatever endeavors run in my blood,
my love is too grand to rush this man so much.
So whenever those damn glands unleash a flood
let us "batten down our hatches," as such.
Thus, this ounce of precaution may prevent
the arrival of an eight pound event!

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I don't know what it is like in the rest of the world, but in Salt Lake City, Utah, there is such a thing as thunderstorms, with lightning, when there is snow on the ground, which is funny.

And the funny thing about heterosexual sex is that women can get pregnant! Then, the "eight pound event" wants to be raised by loving parents, they want to get an education, they want to get a job and their own housing so that they can live independently, and they want to have their own life and relationships.

So, as parents, you have nurture them, you have to raise them, and educate them, and you have to support them until they can support themselves. Clearly, the original inventor of this whole system did not understand how much responsibility it takes to raise children!

Seriously, what was God thinking?

Thus, upon discovering the joy, and the wonder, of heterosexual feelings for Sandra—who was my first and only girlfriend—I also discovered the joy, and the wonder, of worrying about pregnancy!

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 010 was edited on January 17th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 009: My Only Girlfriend, Part 1 — Just Friends

(Image from Gilt Groupe Eligible Magazine)

Just Friends

My dear companion, there've been many times
that I've fancied us as more than just friends.
How I have wished to deliver a kiss of mine,
but the feelings never came enough to send.
When I vowed to caress your skin so fine,
no fire ever inspired this gentleman.
I've cursed myself to show you love sublime,
but the passion wasn't professed again.

But wait...maybe...if I listen carefully...
from deep inside...like an adrenaline rush...
I hold still...and, suddenly, I am feeling it
all over me, like basking in a warm hush.
I ponder, is it love, just possibly?
Oh yes, I'm feeling heterosexuality!

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: This poem is about my struggle with my homosexuality: because being gay has its "ups and downs," since you "can't get it up" with women and that is what "brings you down!" (Ha, ha.) And I wrote this poem for Sandra, my high school sweetheart—who was my first and only girlfriend—since I loved her so much that I was able to "get it up."

Now, understand that—technically—I am bisexual, but mostly gay. Therefore, being sexually aroused by women is not that far of a "stretch" for me (pun intended), but it happens very rarely...unless I am totally in love. Anyway, at the time I wrote this poem (which was just out of high school, since I graduated in 1985), I was pretty much astounded at my ability to have sexual feelings for Sandra, which was due to the fact I loved her so much!

Just so you know, I revised this poem, as I often do with my writing! And I changed how this poem was written when I was editing it on my "Small All White in the Forest" and "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blogs. So, I wanted to show you how this poem used to be written, before I revised it as above.

And it used to be written like this:

Just Friends

My dear companion, there've been many times
that I've fancied us as more than just friends.
How I've wished to deliver a kiss of mine,
but feelings never came enough to send.
When I vowed to caress your skin so fine,
no fire ever inspired this gentleman.
I've cursed myself to show you love sublime,
but the passion wasn't professed again.

But wait...maybe...if I listen carefully...
from deep inside...like an adrenaline rush...
I hold still—don't breath—feel it suddenly
over me, like basking in a warm hush.
I ponder, is it love, just possibly?
Heck yes, I'm feeling heterosexuality!

Thus, I revised this poem to be written as it is above.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 009 was edited on September 7th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 008: Nowhere To Be Found, Part 7 — Moonset

(Image from Astro Bob)

Moonset

Watching
the almond
slivered moon
slice quietly
through
night,
like a
Ginsu knife into
devil's food
cake,
I hold
audience
beneath a
coven of
stars
conferring
above
the boulevard.

Through a
tainted skyline,
the lunar mistress
descends
midnight;
her ivory
negligee
tarnishes
to beige,
then
to ocher,
then to
umber,
like a
croissant
overbaking
in the oven.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I was inspired to write this poem based upon one of the many times that I used to spend driving in my car for "personal solitary time." And, sometimes, I would drive to Wasatch Boulevard (which is a road that overlooks the Salt Lake Valley—and that also runs along side a small stretch at the end of the Rocky Mountains) and I'd park there just to enjoy the view.

And—one night—I saw the most incredible crescent moon that I had ever seen! So, I watched transfixed as the moon was setting, until it had totally disappeared behind the horizon. And the moon changed color, while descending, as "The Lunar Mistress" passed through the many layers of atmosphere near the horizon. And I was so moved by the moon's beauty that I wrote this poem.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 008 was edited on January 17th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 007: Nowhere To Be Found, Part 6 — I Lost My Receipt

(Image from Air Plant Design Studio)

I Lost My Receipt

What will I do with my creative gifts?

I don't think I can exchange them
for a videocassette recorder,
or even a microwave oven.
They might clash with the wallpaper,
even framed in full museum mounting.
Most likely, they will fade in the
window sill under the suburban sun.
They probably won't look good on
the coffee table with a nice plant.

Damnit! Guess I'll have to haul them
out into the world and use them...

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: This poem discusses how my entire life, I have had a difficult time not knowing what to do with my "gifts" as a writer and artist. For some reason, I have always felt that being an artist was being a kind of "failure."

My guess is that this has a lot to do with what is considered normal in our culture: getting a "regular job" (which you probably don't really like anyway) and then retiring after so many years, without necessarily having expressed your "True Desires in Life!"

By the way, for those of you who are familiar with what a videocassette recorder (VCR) is, this poem should be like a walk down 1980's memory lane! Plus, microwave ovens had just become popular, so that's another stroll down 1980's memory lane...

...It's time to put on your sweatbands and excercise in your spandex to a video, starring some celebrity health guru, that you bought on television from an infomercial. (Woohoo!)

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 007 was edited on January 15th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]

Post No. 006: Nowhere To Be Found, Part 5 — Toasting Quietly

(Image from Complete Electrical Solutions)

Toasting Quietly

Toasting quietly under
midnight's citrus sun to
graceless bats singing
their hunter's song, while
I am trying to learn from
the chattering lights
the words to flood from
my eyes some night.

-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"

My Writing Notes:

The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: I wrote this poem while I was really struggling with coming out of the proverbial closet as being gay to my dad! So, I would spend a lot of time driving in my car, trying to "process the feelings" that I was having.

In fact, I would often spend time in parking lots at night under those orange-colored sodium lights ("Toasting quietly under midnight's citrus sun..."), where I could hear bats flying overhead, while they were eating the insects that were circling around the parking lot lights ("...to graceless bats singing their hunter's song..."), while I was hearing Barbra Streisand's album "Yentl" play on my car stereo and, specifically, while I was listening to the song, "Papa Can You Hear Me?"

And while I was listening to the music, the sodium parking lot lights would buzz, like they were talking—or, "chattering," so to speak—as I was imagining how I was ever going to tell my dad that I was gay ("...trying to learn from the chattering lights..."), and as I was imagining that I would be crying profusely when I finally did tell him that I was gay ("...the words to flood from my eyes some night..."), since my dad was really homophobic—until he finally found out, years later, that I was gay.

Just so you know, I revised this poem, as I often do with my writing! And I changed how this poem was written when I was editing it on my "Small All White in the Forest" and "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blogs. So, I wanted to show you how this poem used to be written, before I revised it as above.

And it used to be written like this:

Toasting Quietly

Toasting quietly under
midnight's citrus sun to
graceless bats singing
their hunter's song;
trying to learn from the
chattering lights, the
words to flood from
my eyes some night.

Thus, I revised this poem to be written as it is above.

And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."

This poem was written in Salt Lake City, Utah.

-Paulee

https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com

This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 006 was edited on September 7th, 2023.

"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]