Dear Readers,
Have you ever tried to imagine a scene only to discover you couldn’t? Have you ever looked at a common word and suddenly it looked foreign to you, or like it wasn’t spelled correctly, or you wondered “how the heck is this word spelled?” even though you have been writing it for all your life, or maybe especially because you have been writing it your entire life? You will want to share Anne Jeffries experience.
Every Monday night, a group of women called Women Writers of the Well, meet for about an hour and a half to respond to prompts, read what we have written, and feel like we are a part of something larger than ourselves. As writers, words are important. But sometimes words are coyotes, tricksters, puzzles to brain and sanity.
Anne is one of those rare writers whose written word is truly authentic. That is why when she shares her prompt response during our group time, the rest of us say to ourselves, “Oh yeah. Been there, done that,” or “My gosh. I wish I was that alert.”
During the week she tends to children in need either virtually or in a physical classroom. Monday nights she joins us to get away from that, but does she? I can’t tell you how many Monday nights I have walked away from our meetings marveling at how much I have learned about spirit, authenticity and…quite frankly, prose. She is a poet, a story-teller, and a sharer of life. Words come from somewhere deep in her soul, crawl out of her psyche, or simply escape before she can catch them. We are so lucky she doesn’t catch them.
She has published a book, filled with heart-based writing called Crossroads. Check it out. You can find it here:
Please keep reading. Her poetry shows up on this blog site after this graphic.
In the meantime, I present her offerings from the prompts of March 29, 2021. The first was a meditation. Anne connected with the word “Imagination” in a unique way, but perhaps you have experienced the same. The second was a simple one-word prompt, “Vision.” Perhaps, you identify with this dilemma. As usual, I walked away enchanted. I asked her to share them with you and she lovingly agreed.
Imagination by Anne B. Jeffries, March 29, 2021
Why don’t we say, Image -In-ation?
Because imAgine is the verb?
Imagine…from ‘image’.
When I think of the concept of imagination,
Visual imagery doesn’t come up.
It is essence, and story, and texture, and movement.
For instance,
If I actively try to see a chicken in my mind,
It’s like a broken projector:
Flashes of clawed feet,
a smooth white back,
Maybe the uneven ground and dirt clods underfoot
But not the whole chicken.
And if I REALLY try to will an image,
There is nothing.
It’s like an imprint of “chicken”;
What it leaves behind.
My Image -in-ator is stubborn.
Vision by Anne B. Jeffries, March 29, 2021
Here we go again.
What Vision are we settling on?
20-20 Vision?
A Vision of Jesus?
What is your vision of the future?
As I repeat it in my head
What vision do I have for the word?
While I close my eyes and feel,
See what words come,
What concept drops in place most prominently?
Which one wants to speak?
It’s less of a vision and more of an experience.
Ever say the word, “the” enough times that you wonder if it is a real word at all?
And that it cannot possibly be spelled like THAT?
What the hell?
How does my mind categorize “the” and pull it up without any conscious effort?
But, then to LOOK,
Really look at it,
Use your conscious vision,
Your actual retinas and corneas.
The word
-Vision-
Looks like a jumble.
My God, early onset Alzheimer’s?
Probably not far off.
Like a ViewFinder (that toy),
I turn to a new picture,
A new Vision.
Thank you, Anne, for this moment and for sharing this week’s blog space. And thank you Readers for visiting my blog and allowing me to share one of my favorite authors.
May your week be peaceful,
AnaValarie
Connection 