Creativity Project Year Two-Day 145

Journal entry:

Hoke took this picture of the group at the meeting today with my camera. I am on the right. I don’t do pictures well… Probably should hide away from photographers…

Not A Stranger

You do not know me
Like I wish you knew me or
You would understand,
I have too much going on
To convince you to love me.

My heart is laid out
Bare upon the page for you
To make your own choice,
If you only take the time
To read a few of my lines.

I am not hiding
Myself away from you or
Anyone else who
Wishes to learn about me,
I am highly visible.

Make yourself at home
Inside my virtual world,
Explore what you like,
Maybe you will then decide
I am someone worth knowing.

I beg you only
Do not judge me without you
Take time to know me,
I am more than my surface
Can fully convey to you.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, June 2, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I chose to get some sleep last night.
2.   Mom bought me some beautiful clothes that make me presentable to go to meetings.
3.   I did not have to drive to the conference today.
4.   I got home before too late and fixed Mom’s supper.
5.   Mom is always interested in my endeavors.

This is an artistically rendered photo of me taken and processed by my mentor, Richard Nichols.

I enjoyed my Sunday a great deal. I hope your day was equally pleasant. I encourage you to spend a few minutes exercising your creativity. There is much in your experience worth sharing with the world. Your imagination, your vision, can contribute so much to the perceptions of others. I am convinced you are uniquely talented in amazing ways. Believe in your ability to make a difference.

As a prompt, write about how others perceive you. You can share a link to your poem, story, or journal entry in the comments below. The exercise could be very revealing to you.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will return to visit often, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles for updates by email. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, please leave a comment below. Your feedback helps me know how to better reach you and others.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 130

Journal entry:

Roses Bring Memories

The roses in bloom
Remind me of days when you
And I were walking
Hand in hand with little thought
Of what our futures might hold.

We were innocent
Youngsters with our lives stretching
Out in front of us,
No cares had yet arisen
To blight our beautiful days.

Love lightened our hours
With such welcome emotion
And happiness washed
Away any tears we shed,
We were best friends in Summer.

We are older now
Life has taught us hard lessons,
We fell in love with
Others who consumed our time,
But we still remain good friends.

The roses in bloom
Smell all the sweeter because
Of the time we spent,
Little girls with such big dreams
Loving life and sharing smiles.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, May 18, 2013

My mentors, Richard and Norma, in their tent at Taste of Douglasville Arts.

I am grateful:

1.   I was able to do a lot of work overnight.
2.   Penny ate well.
3.   I helped Mom with breakfast and left her food for lunch.
4.   It stopped raining on my way to Douglasville.
5.   I enjoyed my day out.

A hand-made musical bronze carousel.

I had a fantastic Saturday. I hope you enjoyed your day as much. I encourage you to engage in creative activity so that you will reap the awesome rewards of your effort. You have the tools and the ability, just apply yourself. What you share with the world can make it a richer place and it will also enrich your life.

As a prompt, write about the memory of a childhood friendship that you cherish. Your poem, story, or journal entry can be shared by leaving a link to your work in the comments below.

I am so glad you chose to spend some time reading my blog. I hope you will return often, but you might also like to subscribe to Chronicles by email. Any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism you wish to share are very welcome, so please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 128

Journal entry:

Recollection

I tried to collect
My thoughts, making sense of all
The clamor within
My restless soul, but my mind’s
Attention moved endlessly.

No respite found I
From the jostling images
Invading my brain,
No idea brought me relief
From such an intense struggle.

My wayward thoughts kept
Me in an incessant state
Of indecision
With no refuge from the storm
Raging wild within myself.

Even prayer did not
Bring me any lasting peace,
I was awash in
Feeling inadequacy
Of all my tireless effort.

I tried to collect
My thoughts, preparing to
Do something worthwhile,
But no successful pathway
Presented itself to me.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, May 16, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   Mom had a little while today that she was in less pain.
2.   We did not have to go to any doctors.
3.   My son, Alex, is a successful adult.
4.   I finished reading The Sanctuary by Ted Dekker last night.
5.   I was able to write a poem this evening.

This Thursday was not a demanding day and I got to relax some, which was nice. I hope your day was good. Take some time now and dedicate yourself to doing something creative. You can do great things if you set your mind to it. I am convinced each of us has much to contribute to the world through our creativity, and you are no exception.

As a prompt, write about a time you attempted to collect your thoughts. You may have been successful, or you may have failed. Share the details with us by leaving a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you will visit often, but also encourage you to subscribe to Chronicles by email if you would like to receive future updates. Any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism you care to share is welcome, so please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 127

Journal entry:

Open Hands And Heart

Come with me, I said
Without a reservation,
I only wanted
To be followed much further
Than ever I had before.

I needed to have
His full cooperation,
His full intention,
To share my life and my love
Though I knew it might not last.

I took his hand in
Mine and led him much deeper
Than I had allowed
Anyone’s reach within my
Heart in all the years before.

Possibilities
Surrounded us with questions,
But we held answers
To life, love, and existence
Inside our relationship.

Come with me, I said
Full well knowing I could be
Hurt and left behind,
But love was worth sacrifice
Of all my complacency.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I decided to go to bed at 3:00 this morning instead of staying up all night.
2.   I got up feeling quite rested at 7:30am.
3.   Mom’s procedure went well with no complications.
4.   We ate at IHOP.
5.   I took a nap this afternoon.

This Wednesday was a good day. I hope you accomplished much of what you planned today. Now I encourage you to busy yourself with creative work. No doubt you can make something wonderful if you apply yourself. Creativity enriches the world, and yours is vital to enhancing the lives of those you touch. Do not discount your gifts. You have amazing talent and I know you can make a contribution to the global community. You may feel you have a small reach, but every person you touch influences others and your words or art may drive them to achieve more than they could without your prompting.

As a prompt use the words, “Than ever I had before,” in a poem, story, or journal entry. See where it leads you. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you have enjoyed your visit and encourage you to return often. You might also want to subscribe to Chronicles by email. I am very interested in any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism you may have to share, so please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 124

Happy Mother’s Day! Here is my journal entry:

The Mother’s Day Card I made my Mom in pages:

A short poem:

My Mom

She wipes
The tears away
And reminds me I have
Many reasons in life to smile,
She encourages me to do my best
When I feel I have not the strength
To continue in my
Pursuit of joy,
Such love.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, May 12, 2013

Our Mother’s Day Dinner:

I am grateful:

1.   I was able to make a nice card for Mom.
2.   I even got my writing pretty straight without guidelines.
3.   I heard from Alex, if only briefly.
4.   The meal turned out better than I expected.
5.   I took a refreshing nap.

My Mom, not today because her pain is so bad…

This Sunday was very special because I spent Mother’s Day with my Mom. I hope you made some beautiful memories today. I encourage you to busy yourself doing some creative work. It will enrich your day and give you something to share with others in your life.

As a prompt, write about your mother or a woman who had a significant impact on your life. Please leave a link to your work in the comments below should you use this prompt.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed what you found here. Please come back often, and subscribe to Chronicles by email to receive future updates. I would love to know what you think, so if you care to share, leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 123

Journal entry:

The following poem evolved into a revelation of personal truth. It tells a story and I hope you like it.

Where Memory Leads

He does not know, and
I suppose that is better,
I thought of him once
Again today, as happens
Often when I am alone.

I really should not
Let him linger taking space
Within my thoughts, but
Occasionally I miss
Him still, though I ought not.

He moved on, and so
Did I, but his memory
Haunts me at times when
Loneliness overtakes me
With its cruel clutching claws.

I am prisoner
Of the love we shared in days
That still glow brighter
Than they have permission to
Within my wayward conscious.

He was always much
Better in my brain than in
Reality, so
I will just compare the truth
With the image and forget.

It was my success
Which imposed a golden hue,
For I was doing
So much better then than now,
Money flowed without restraint.

I made those times my
Own perfect fairytale days
Because I was on
Top of the world with reason:
My grand outstanding efforts.

That experience
Can be mine once again if
I will only try
And go beyond the edges
Of my dissatisfaction.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, May 11, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I was once a publisher in my own right.
2.   I have the ability to do that work again if I so choose.
3.   I have the equipment to do most processes.
4.   I have the software to complete many vital tasks.
5.   I can usually accomplish what I set out to do.

My Saturday went very well. I hope your day was filled with smiles. Now I want to encourage you to lay aside your other concerns and make an effort to do some creative work. You have a vivid imagination and that is all required to make something wonderful.

As a prompt, write about a personal truth that you rarely reveal to yourself or others. You might do this in a poem, as I did, or you could write a story or journal entry. If you use this prompt, leave a link to your work in the comments below. I would love to read what you create.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoyed your stay and will come back often. If you have comments to share don’t hesitate to leave them below.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 119

Journal entry:

Cuteness cannot be avoided sometimes, so here is Hope in all her grandeur.

Detained

We are
Prisoners of
The many beliefs we
Hold dear and characters we have
Developed throughout our years of living,
They hold us willing captives just
As surely as cold steel
Holds convicts in
Their cells.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, May 7, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   Although I woke up in pain, it subsided so the day was not unbearable.
2.   Wal-Mart has begun carrying Cream of Asparagus soup, my favorite.
3.   The pound cake I bought at Sam’s Club yesterday is very good.
4.   I took my complete camera kit to my class tonight.
5.   Penny is still here.

My Tuesday was a typical day, nothing extremely good or bad happened. I hope your day was what you hoped for. Now I encourage you to take a few moments to engage your creativity. This should not be difficult, because each of us is blessed with the gift of imagination. You can accomplish much if you only make an effort.

As a prompt, write about imprisonment. You may handle this in any way you choose. I have had the line “We are all just prisoners of our own device” running through my head and it seemed like I should write about it. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog, please come back again. Any comments you care to share would be welcome here.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 118

Journal entry:

Beyond Bearing

Could it be magic?
This feeling uncontained by
My normal restraint,
Running wild across my nerves,
Shaking up my sheltered life.

I glance so quickly
At you and then away with
Eyes that cannot bear
More than just momentary
Contact with your fair visage.

Your voice causes me
To tremble with deep longing
Consuming every
Vestige of my strong resolve,
Making me completely melt.

I am overcome
By overwhelming feelings
Of desire and love,
I want you within my arms
Cradled to my beating heart.

Could it be magic?
This feeling uncontained by
My normal restraint,
Running wild across my nerves,
Shaking up my sheltered life.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, May 6, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I was able to stay up all night.
2.   Mom was able to have her procedure even though somehow the office had not scheduled it.
3.   She did well despite us not having proper preparation.
4.   I went to Sam’s Club and picked up a few things we needed and got a sample that made me want to prepare a recipe.
5.   I remembered to renew my library books.

I had a decent Monday and hope your day also went well. There were moments when I thought the whole thing was going to fall apart, but it held together. I encourage you to engage your creativity and make something wonderful to share with the world. You never know all you can accomplish until you put forth effort.

As a prompt, write about your hidden talent. I hope yours is more pleasant than mine! Write a poem, story, or journal entry and leave a link to your work in the comments below so we can enjoy your revelation.

Thank you very much for reading my blog. I hope you will visit often, but you might also wish to enter your email address in the space provided above and subscribe to Chronicles. I welcome any comments you may have to share, so please leave one.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 116

Journal entry:

Reading

When you
Enter the world
Created by the work
Of a writer between covers
Of a book, you experience a great
Adventure designed to take you
Deep within your vivid
Fantasies, so…
Please read.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, May 4, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I am here to help Mom when she needs me.
2.   There is purpose to my life.
3.   We have the ability to keep the house at a comfortable temperature.
4.   I finished reading The Legend Of Broken by Caleb Carr.
5.   I watched the Kentucky Derby.

Mom has been in a great deal of pain, so my Saturday has been touched with sadness. I hope your day was better. While you have the opportunity, I encourage you to engage your creativity. You never know what delights you can bring to life until you delve into your imagination. If you believe it impossible, read what I wrote today again. I was totally without inspiration, but I managed to write. You can do meaningful work if you only make an effort.

As a prompt, write about reading. This is something magical that we do, and you no doubt have a poem, story, or journal entry about it within you. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I hope you will continue to visit often, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles. If you have anything to share with me, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 110

Journal entry:

The following poem is in answer to the prompt at Poetic Asides. I linked four shadormas together rather than only doing one… but that is just my typical mode of operation with short syllabic forms.

Shadormas…
With Apologies
To The Rolling Stones

Maybe he
Is not the lover
She dreams of,
But he is
The one who is convenient
To share this moment.

Maybe she
Is not as pretty
As he would
Like for her
Quite assuredly to be,
But she meets his needs.

They are not
Completely happy
Because they
Have not met
Each other’s expectations,
But they are content.

You cannot
Always get what you
Want, but do
Sometimes get
Exactly what it is you
Actually need.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, April 28, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I was already coming out of sleep when Jeremy called and got me up today.
2.   I was able to fix lunch for Mom because she was in too much pain to do it herself.
3.   The thunderstorms did not do damage to our house.
4.   Power remained on despite nearby lightning strikes.
5.   Hope finally settled down, after being terrified by the thunder.

It was a good Sunday for me, although I hate that Mom was still in pain. I hope your day went well. Take a few minutes to create now. There is no limit to the inventiveness of your imagination so put it to work. What you make might be exactly what someone needs to brighten their day, and it might also enrich yours.

As a prompt, write about meeting needs through imperfection. Your poem, story, or journal entry can be shared here by leaving a link to the work in the comments below.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you will return to visit often, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles by entering your email address in the space provided above. If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

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