Happy 4th of July Weekend, friends. The first Friday of each month is Random Journal Day Weekend. This month the link is open through Tuesday night at 11:00 PM since many will be busy with family fun and festivities. Meanwhile I decided to take a look back on just one year ago. This weekend is so full for me as it has a few of my favorite things happening simultaneously. In humility, humor and love we have most obviously, Independence Day; Shark Week and most significantly to me personally (rating slightly above shark week by the skin of the teeth!) our Wedding Anniversary. I can barely focus with all the excitement!
BUT, I am sharing with you a very short snippet from last year’s journal as it gave me a giggle when I reread it and realized it was, the birth of a poem, and not at all unlike my creative process which so often is born in my journal and journaling process…
Before I share the lighthearted side of my journaling process this month, I want to add that this time last year our family was experiencing serious trials. Some of the poetry and prose in this journal show my battle with discouragement, despair, and depression pressing in from every side. All that to say, writing continues to keep me.
This process, gift, endeavor with words is a powerful, life-giving, life saving tool. If you don’t journal yet, I pray you start. It has kept me and allowed me to connect with myself, others and God in a way that is extraordinary. It fuels my creativity, nourishes my sensitivity and compassion and deepens my relationship with God profoundly. Pen, paper, keypad and keys…touch points on a soul’s journey.
I give you the birth of a poem:
Please note: Notice the lack of any punctuation…I write as prompted and moved by thoughts and occurrences. Initially punctuation is secondary to capturing the thought, emotion or incident. The beauty of journaling is this freedom which allows one to simply write. Revision, editing, refinement come after for writing that is shared. As far as other ramblings, editing is unimportant as my eyes are the only eyes that will see most of the journal entries.
July 8, 2014
A bee landed on my knee perhaps he was confused by my lavender lotion
After my initial reaction which quite effectively whisked him away
I returned to my chair hoping he’d not stray
to my lavendered lap
anymore this day.
I’m pretty sure that lavendered is not a word, but it was to me at this moment. Not only does journaling produce new poem babies, sometimes it also produces new words!
In the Blog Post The Bee on Knee and Listlessness Defined I share some of what is going on in my heart and mind as I sat writing in my journal on this particular morning. So much of what I share in my writing is seeded in the pages of my journal. As I prepare words for sharing, I am further blessed as I seek for clarity in my communication.
Below you can see how the words in the journal give birth to the words of the poem The Bee on my Knee:
The Bee on my Knee
A bee landed
on my knee…
Perhaps he,
confused by my Lavender lotion,
was as surprised as I.
After my initial reaction-
which quite effectively
whisked him away
I returned to my chair,
hoping he’d not dare
on my lavender-ed lap
again.
I wonder pain, and what is it’s gain?
I wonder who has the strength to endure
the startling reality
of the unexpected turn.
Who escapes without wounds,
when He whom we call our own
did not avoid the pain
but suffered it
securing our freedom.
Our freedom is not found
in avoiding pain
or suffering
but in knowing
in the end
is a greater glory.
As we endure,
we become part of His story
and leave a trail of grace.
Thanks to a bee on my knee
at that early hour
who reminded me
of eternity,
when he mistook me for a flower.
©2014 Dawn Paoletta
I hope this peek into my journaling process has encouraged you in some way. Pick up your pen and write. The life you save might be your own…or the life of another. Either way, you never know until you start or start again.
Come and peek into the journals of a few faithful Journal Keepers this weekend, as we quietly open our pages to the world. I would love to see you there!
Linking with Create with Joy!
Enthusiastically, Dawn 
Loved this look into your journal!! Sometimes my poems start out in my journal as well…then I move it to another notebook (or on the computer) for “unfinished poems”…and perhaps one day they get finished and moved yet again to my finished works!!
Always love reading your words, Dawn!! You inspire me to continue my journals and to continue to write! I’ve read a couple of others’ RJD posts and look forward to reading more.
As always, thank you for giving us this opportunity to share our journals.
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OH, girl you are so fast! lol. I am barely squeezing everything in this weekend. Will be catching up with reading and commenting, in the wee hours. THanks for being such a beautiful addition to our community here! I am grateful for you. Keep on writing, lady!
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Dawn, I work so much better if I have a scheduled time to be done with something – like the 3 projects that are needing to be done in July – the 17th and then the next weekend! You just enjoy your weekend and your family and friends and the 4th of July and your anniversayr; even “enjoy” the sharks!! Hahaha!!!
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Dawn: Happy Anniversary. I loved the trip into your journal, I first wrote in a notebook in order to gain perspective on an extended period of depression I was going through. It helped me( who I was then.)
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Thank you Cecelia, and writing is such a gift to we who is the Living Word..no wonder He rescues us from the pit with our own pens empowered by His grace.
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Thank you for the lovely peek into your journal & your poetry. Generally, I don’t read, much less write poetry;however, I’ve got this very sudden itch to attempt to write a bit of poetry. . .
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Yahoo…scratch that itch…just write anything and good things will happen. Confession: I don’t read poetry either.I am trying to make myself read it to grow as a poet. 😉
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Dawn! I’m not a poet, but I LOVE this. RT’d. Your encouragement for journaling as not only a creative incentive but also to help clarify my own thoughts and feelings is needful and hopefully others will follow the path you are sharing with us. Thanks again!
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THank you ! AND YES- no one needs to be a poet to benefit from the gift writing is!
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Very cool! Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your creative process. Stopping by from the Inspire Me Monday hop, come say hi!
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Congratulations Dawn!! I especially loved the Bee poem. Thanks for being present in that moment to what God had for you….and now, for us!
Blessings of BEaUty, Jody
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Dawn- I love how writing helps us process life! I thought of you often as I was reading a memoir this week by a woman who kept a journal and then published it as her memoir…also she loves poetry and has great quotes about poetry, which I wrote in my journal…I will send them to you via email…thanks for hosting us…I love the shares and the joys of being a journal keeping community
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Dawn, your writing process is so similar to my own; much of what ends up ‘in public’ starts out on my personal pages, poetry in particular. (did you like that alliteration?) the lives we save are clearly our own….at least I feel like that.
Kel encouraged me to stop by and I’m glad I did. She mentioned something about ‘linking up’ but I don’t see a linky button….No matter.
I liked your ending lines here, “Thanks to a bee on my knee
at that early hour
who reminded me
of eternity,
when he mistook me for a flower.”
God bless you!
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I loved that alliteration! Thanks for joining us here. The linky is here:https://enthusiasticallydawn.com/2015/07/03/random-journal-day-52-with-featured-journal-keeper-christine-miranda/ but closed on Tuesday- maybe next time you might give us a peek?
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