Unpolished and Incomplete
Internal Suspension
My love of coffee is borderline religion, and with that comes ritual. I like things to be a certain way, so when she asked, “Would you like coffee?” I panicked. There are too many things that can go wrong and so little that can go right.
Being as gentle as I could, I asked, “May I make my own cup of joe?”
She replied, “Sir, this is a Dunkin’ Donuts.”
I did not get coffee that day.
Hello! Welcome back to your Cup of Joe.
In this month’s cup, I want to share some poetry. Poetry has been an integral part of my development. It’s rescued me from less productive outlets of expression. It has comforted me, guided me, and given me space to explore.
I will also have a one-page story, of course.
I hope you enjoy this issue’s amalgamation of words.
I call it, Me
There’s a way of writing
That I call meIt’s a little rough
And a bit uncleanButt that writing
Makes me, meIt comes in waves
And it comes in drovesIt’s writing,
But it has no homeIt rhymes, sometimes,
And tells a story, sometimesMost of the time
It’s just incompleteBut without those things,
It wouldn’t be me
For a long time, I’ve had this insecurity that my writing is not “polished” or “put-together” enough to call myself a writer. It’s often unfinished and unfocused. So every so often, I write a story or a poem that’s offbeat and maybe a little obscene to remind myself — it’s okay to be me.
If you like that poem, maybe you'll like my other post!
One Page Story
One of the greatest advice I’ve heard was, Dare to be dull. It refers to an artist's nature to strive for uniqueness and believing we are “dull” if we don’t add some color to ourselves, without realizing that we are already one of one. Be yourself, be dull, and you’ll find that you are interesting enough. With that being said, here is a dull piece of writing that will serve no purpose to you.
Internal Suspension
His attention focused on the little things in life: how the trees look as if they are waving to him through the windowpane, how the teacher brings lunch but always eats it before lunch, and how each of the desks in the classroom is unique depending on the student who sits in it.
Mary’s chair is practically perfect. If they sent the chair back to the manufacturer, nobody would be able to tell the difference. The metal arm bar on Anthony’s chair is broken because he leans to that side when he sleeps. My chair has the most character, literally and figuratively. Some people call me a doodler, some call me a fidgeter. I like to call myself a thinker.
“Ethan!” Ms. Johnson yells across the room.
He looks up as if woken from a sleep.
“If you’re not going to pay attention, you can not pay attention somewhere else.”
Two things frustrate me about what just happened. One, I’m not going to finish the doodle I started today, and two, I could have written a better line than that.
She could have said: while you’re doodling, doodle yourself a map to I.S. (Internal Suspension), or I don’t mean to interrupt your note-taking, but there is a gift waiting for you in I.S.
I don’t know… those are just off the top of my head.
If you like my one-page story and would like me to expand on the story, just comment “more”. I’ll be sure to add it to my list, and I’ll tag you when it's complete.
What did I just read?
When I tell people I write and they ask to see what I have written, I get stumped about how exactly to show them a single scene — a random conversation, someone observing their surroundings, or my favorite: a man pondering nothing. Now, I have my space to share it.
This story is actually a self-portrait. I was always distracted in thought, and the doodles were a mindless activity while I was lost in daydreams. It was never that I was uninterested; I just never wanted to lose the opportunity to be part of the story. It has yet to come in handy, but this is a step toward that.
A Note
Thank you for completing yet another cup of Joe! We are just scratching the tip of this iceberg. Stay tuned to see if the boat sinks!
What Now?
Follow along for the ride! My goal is to build my community so that when my bigger projects are complete, I have a family to share them with. So, subscribe and share! And if you couldn’t care less, thank you for reading this far.
Most appreciative,
Poor Joe
More please !