Slumber

Something definite about winter is that it has this particular darkness about it. What with the fog and grey enriching the green of the land it may appear beautiful and mysterious, but the reality is quite opposing. Bad choices are made in the darkness of winter. Irrationality is taken on in an attempt to find familiarity, warmth, love. And lust prevails.

Oh! Into this slumber I have fallen.

Against my greater will I have behaved.

Oh! Winter you have tricked me

And set me in this slumber.

Oh Spring come! Awaken my better judgement.

Or if you be delayed,

A freak of nature would be okay.

Oh! Freak of nature wake me from this sleep!

Instead I do what I hate

A thicket of cloud has settled over the land, matching the mood of our heroine. Yet something changes in Evelyn and she acts impulsively. She feels a stranger to her own body. "I do not understand what I do;  for I do not do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate" (Romans 7:15).

My left hand brandishes a knife

Whilst my right arm cradles the weak.

My left hand throws a punch

Whilst my right arm settles to sleep.

My left hand creates a barrier

Whilst my right arm invites a guest.

My left hand causes chaos

Whilst my right arm cleans up the mess. 

My left hand slaps my sister

Whilst my right arm holds my brother.

My left hand hates my father

Whilst my right arm loves my mother.

Darkness

Okay, I think it's high time for another teaser. I hope this snippet whets your appetite for some blogging to come about winter:

The nights drew long and bitter. The wind continued to whip at the windows so that they rattled long and hard, day in, day out. The skies knew nothing but grey, and a chill had settled over the land that denied any relief. 

Yes indeed, the cold, dark winter has settled itself over Evelyn. There will be no escaping.

Cold.

Dark.

Nothingness.

I find myself wondering if it will ever end.

The winter takes its stronghold.

Sigh

Sigh. For the busyness of life! I would love nothing more than to have something to blog about... but I suppose when you blog about writing and you haven't done any writing for almost a month, it leaves little to say. Sigh face.

The difference a day can make

I realise the irony of my previous post. Today is the first day of spring and I've only just reached winter. It will definitely be a challenge to write about the cold dark days of a white winter whilst the sun is shining through my window and the birds are chattering as they fly by.

I don't know about you but I've already felt the difference in temperature. To quote Evelyn, "it's amazing the difference a day can make".

Winter is here

You may recall in early June I posted that Evelyn (and I quote) "is about to enter into her coldest and darkest [winter]." While I was truthful in saying that she was about to, it just happened that it has taken a further "two months" for it to come to fruition. And so I excitedly exclaim that WINTER HAS ARRIVED in the land of Evelyn. Not to say that this is an excitable thing for her. Quite the contrary. It is, however, excitable for me, as it means that we have stepped into another season full of unknown beauty to be explored. It also means that I am that much closer to completing Evelyn's story- a project seven years in the making.

Creative Genius

In my recent research, I stumbled upon a fantastic poem about autumn. Further reading found me a gold mine of creative genius. John Updike, you are my new hero. 

The stripped and shapely

Maple grieves


The ghosts of her

Departed leaves.

The ground is hard,

As hard as stone. 


The year is old,

The birds are flown.

And yet the world,

In its distress, 


Displays a certain

Loveliness.


- John Updike A Child's Calendar (1965)

He wrote one poem for each month of the year and compiled it as a children's book with illustrator Nancy Ekholm Burkert. The book was later edited, re-illustrated and reprinted in 1999 with illustrator Trina Schart Hyman. 

I'd love to get my hands on a hardcover first edition.