Changing the Message on My Answering Machine

13 Asma 164 B.E. - August 31, 2007 about 10:15 PM PDT

I'm going to change the message on my answering machine. The one on there now is getting rather old and I want something a little more creative. I'm not sure what I'm going to put on there yet. I thought of a couple of different messages, two of them I used before, but it's been several years.

These I've used before (1) "You have reached [phone number], we are out hunting rainbows. When we've bagged our limit we will return your call." (2) "You have reached [phone number]. We are either in the green room or the pink room and cannot come to the phone right now. Please leave a message and we'll get back to you when we get out."

The one I like best at the moment is a poem

"Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
If you don't leave a message,
We can't get back to you."

On the other hand I could always say

"I'm creating a homemade post card to send to PostSecret, please leave a message and when I've mailed the card I'll get back to you."

Then again I can be completely honest and say

"I have a carry around phone. I've either laid the phone down and put something on top of it or I've left it out of it's port too long and the battery is dead. I'll get back to you as soon as I find the phone or it's battery has charged."

Writers' Block

12 Asma 164 B.E. - October 30, 2007 about 7:50 PM PDT

I think I'm coming down with writers' block. There are four poetry readings coming up in September that I'm wanting to attend. The second is on Friday, it's an open mic First Friday reading. I've got a lot of new poems, but I want to write one specially for each reading. I haven't attended First Friday before, but that is on one of my list to do either in the next 1001 days or in my 6th decade.

My inner critic is attempting to talk me out of attending any of the readings. The excuse is that Mom's been sick and part of the problem seems to be returning. I don't think that's a good excuse at this point. Maybe after Monday when I take her for her blood test and take the other stuff the doctor wants tested. I know Monday is a holiday and in most cities you can't get blood test done because the places that do them are closed. However, this is Las Vegas and the one of Quest Diagnostic locations is open 24/7. I like that, we can go as early in the morning as we want and get in. It's nice to live in a city where you have options.

Back to the poetry readings. The first poetry reading is a Labor Day open mic. I have one or two Labor Day poems that I haven't read, but I want to write something new. A different approach to Labor Day than is usually taken. I've already written a Labor Day poem from a woman's point of view. It talked about giving birth rather than other Labor Day issues. I might read that, but poets can usually read two or three poems at the open mics, so I still need a new poem.

The third open mic is a remembrance of 9/11, which is being held on 9/11/2007. I have two poems about those events. Still I want to write a new one, but I want to take a different approach. I seem to want to take a different approach on everything this year not just writing poems. Well I have a while to consider the occasions and maybe something will come up this weekend, besides rains storms.

I'm not sure if it will rain here. There are clouds, but I haven't heard any thunder and considering what happened to a couple of areas in Las Vegas the last time it rained, maybe not having any rain isn't a bad idea. Still the clouds make it humid here and I seem to have a problem with heat rash this year. Maybe I'll write a poem about heat rash. I don't think I've covered that subject, although I did cover ring worm in a poem.

Male Pattern Poems

10 Asma 164 B.E. - August 29, 2007 about 2:55 PM PDT

I know I was supposed to write this yesterday after I got home from the poetry reading. However, when I arrived at the house I was just too tired to do anything but go to bed.

There were 11 men, of various ages, reading last night. They read everything from zombie poems to love poems. There was even a poems about PEEPS. I have written a poem about PEEPS yet, although I think I did write a zombie poem. I'll have to find it.

This was the 9th annual men's poetry night. This year it was held at the reJAVAnate, 3300 E. Flamingo Rd. This is a nice coffee house to go to, they have entertainment almost every night of the week. There are two poetry readings a week. One reading is on Tuesday and the other is on Sunday, I believe they both start at 7:00 pm. Any one who comes to Vegas ought to visit the reJAVAnate. It's a nice place with a lot of atmosphere and good coffee.

Up coming poetry reading in September are two themed open mics on Tuesday night and women's night. On Sept. 4 is the Labor Day Open Mic, although it has a theme any one can read any poem they like. On Sept. 11 is Remembering Sept. 11, 2001 open mic. Then on Sept. 18 (I think that's the day) is women's night.

The Rain and Other Subjects

9 Asma 164 B.E. - August 28, 2007 about 4:20 PM PDT

It rained here either late Sunday night or early Monday morning. I'm not sure which day, all I know is that when I woke up Monday and looked out there were puddles of water in my driveway. Monday I took Mom up to Quest to get a blood test. She enjoyed riding in that car because it was so cool.

It apparently rained worse in some sections of town, which isn't unusual. There was flood damage. I have to start looking at the news of a morning to see what happen in this town the night before. I usually get my national news off the internet, so the only reason to look at the news in the morning is for local stories.

Today I took Mom to see her doctor. I'm going to have to take her next Monday for another blood test. The Quest location I go to is open 24/7 so a holiday doesn't effect getting the blood test. Driving home the clouds looked like it might rain again, but it hasn't yet. I'm going to a poetry reading tonight. Tonight is men's poetry night, the name of the reading is Male Pattern Poems. That is the name I suggested for the reading and it was chosen.

I'm going to enjoy this reading, even though I'm not reading. It's been along time since Mom and I attended a poetry reading. I have a tank full of gas so I don't have to worry about getting back home. There are other things I have to worry about, but I'm not going to worry about it tonight. Going to a poetry reading once a week is one of items on my 101 things in 1001 Days lists. After I get back from the reading I'll make another entry in this blog.

Day Zero

9 Asma 164 B.E. - August 27, 2007 about 7:35 PM PDT

It's begun! Today I started working on the 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge. I'm going to enjoy this. The first thing I thought of this morning was Post Secrets. I made a list of secrets in my pen and paper journal that I could send. Now I have to either buy a post card or find one here to decorate. I may end up sending in four different secrets at different times. I also set up the poem document and wrote the poem for today. It started out slow, but I'll get there if I just keep trying. Keep plugging along as my grandfather used to say.

An Interesting Challenge

7 Asma 164 B.E. - August 26, 2007 about 4:00 PM PDT

I encountered an interesting challenge on one of my yahoo groups. It's to complete 101 things in 1001 days. If you click on the title of this entry, you'll be redirected to the web site. The goals you set must be specific and you have to track them. At least, that was my understanding of the challenge. Since I've been feeling a bit stressed and can't seem to meet some of the goals I've set lately (I think some of them are too broad) I've decided to list 101 things I want to complete in a 1001 days. At the very least it should give me something to put in this blog on a daily basis.

001. Post the scifi books I took out of the trunk in the dinning room on Vegas Trader for $5.00 a box.
002. Take box of 18 coffee mugs to Saint Vincents Dinning room.
003. Post box of craft books on Vegas Trader for $5.00.
004. Change message on telephone answering machine to one that is poetic.
005. Plan layout of altered book.
006. Post to this blog every day.
007. Write a poem every day (I think this counts as 1 item even though it is 1001 poem.
008. Go to Terrible's and have a prime rib dinner.
009. Get a colored and a black printer cartridge for my printer.
010. Get a digital camera.
011. Pay off my debts.
012. Ride the Las Vegas Monorail.
013. Get the book Come be My Light.
014. Finish rewriting Scavenger.
015. Finish The Story of Earth's Desire.
016. Read The Tablets of the Lord of Hosts.
017. Go to a movie. (I have free tickets to any movie I want to see.)
018. Get a solar oven and use it.
019. Get a new pair of shoes.
020. Ride on the New York New York roller coaster.
021. Have a picture taken of me beside a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle.
022. Go to a poetry reading once a week for the rest of the year.
023. Memorize the Teaching Prayer for the Western States.
024. Submit 1001 items to writing.com contests.
025. Go to the Red Lobsters (I have a $10 gift card I need to use this year).
026. Clean off the glass bricks I have in my garage, so that I can paint designs on them and sell them.
027. Sell the soda machine I have in my garage.
028. Send a thank you note to my sister each time she sends a check.
029. Write a minimum of 2,500 words everyday.
030. Get a new non-sponge mop.
031. Take all the recyclables in the garage out in September.
032. Complete the poem chapbook The History of the Divine Feminine.
033. Get my own website.
034. Become a premium member at writing.com.
035. Increase my income by at least $100 a week for the next year.
036. Mail a secret to post secrets.
037. Make money off one of my blogs.
038. Complete my Ivillage courses before the end of the classes in September.
039. Compile a book of my mother's poems.
040. Have spiritual services in my home and invite the neighbors.
041. See the complete Star Wars series of movies.
042. See the complete Lord of the Rings movies.
043. Get published in a magazine.
044. Use my library card once a week by checking out a newly released book.
045. Meditate for 30 minutes every morning on one of the Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah.
046. Get the drive way fixed.
047. Get the shower stall in my Mom's bathroom fixed.
048. Sell the K & E Ivorite Slide Rule I have for at least $50.
049. Put a penny in my Mom's cast iron Saint Bernard bank with the birth year of every one in my family including my grandparents.
050. Go on pilgrimage.
051. See the northern lights.
052. Ride on a Harley-Davidson.
053. Go to a writing conference.
054. Go to the Utah Shakespearean festival.
055. Get a new stove top.
056. Go to the Cowboy poetry festival.
057. Stay in a Bread and Breakfast for a weekend by myself.
058. Mention the name of Baha'u'llah to one new person a week.
059. Memorize the Fire Tablet.
060. Memorize the Long Healing Prayer.
061. Say the Long Obligatory Prayer every day.
062. Organize the family photos and burn a CD with them.
063. Participate in Novel Writing Month writing a fantasy novel.
064. Visit the Grand Canyon.
065. Read the Dawn Breakers.
066. Get a new mouse for my desk top computer.
067. Visit the Little A'lie Inn.
068. Perform at a First Friday Poetry Reading.
069. Open a saving account.
070. Ride in a hot air balloon.
071. Ride in a helicopter.
072. Complete 6 things on my 6th decade list a year.
073. Set a schedule and follow it for 19 days.
074. Get the oven fixed.
075. Bake something I've never baked before.
076. Write down my recipe for Hobo Stew.
077. Visit a haunted house or hotel.
078. Go to a doctor and find out what's wrong with my right knee.
079. Get a new pair of glasses.
080. Ask for what I want.
081. Buy myself a designer dress.
082. Buy my mother a designer dress.
083. Host a poetry reading.
084. Order something I've never had before of a restaurant menu.
085. Perform a random act of kindness once every 19 days.
086. Complete all 302 creative writing prompts http://creativewritingprompts.com/ and post each prompt to a different blog.
087. Write my will.
088. Write down the songs and poems I want played and read at my funeral.
089. Visit my father's grave.
090. Write a letter of forgiveness once a month.
091. Make an entry in my gratitude journal every day for 1001 days giving the reason I'm grateful.
092. Drink a different type of coffee each time I go to a coffee house.
093. Read completely through the Sacred books of each of the major religions.
094. Write a blog entry about every pet I have ever owned and put in in Snow Melt, my writing.com blog.
095. Trace my family tree.
096. Get DSL or a high speed modem.
097. Complete my faith book.
098. Make a blog entries in my Yahoo 360 blog about the joys of housework. Take each chore separately.
099. Research and create an art project in 19 days.
100. Create a personal gift for each family member for Ayyam-i-Ha
101. Complete this list, with comments on each item, before starting another 101 items list.

Date Begin: August 27, 2007
Date Completed: April 23, 2010

A Hole in the Universe

6 Asma 164 B.E. - August 25, 2007 about 7:40 AM PDT

There is a hole in the universe,
a huge gaping hole about 10 billion light years across
and some 6 to 10 billion light years from Earth.

An unnatural hole in the universe,
devoid of both stars and galaxies,
of visible and invisible matter.

A hole that cools microwaves passing through it;
a void of proportions never encountered before;
is there a spiritual significance,
what caused this hole the fabric of the universe?

This should give science fiction writers an interesting opportunity. How can this hole be used in flash fiction, a short story or novel? A hole that size sounds more like a novel, but it can be used in other types of science fiction.

What would it be like for a star ship to pass through it? What if a colony ship passed through it? What if a person in a space suite passed through it? Is a hole this size really unnatural or do we need to reevaluate our views and theories of the creation of the universe itself? This is something that should make interesting investigation.

I write science fiction, so I'll have to think about how I would approach this subject in a story. A void like this can't be just a side note in a novel, it's part of the plot. I'm looking forward to see what other science fiction writer's come up with. I'm looking forward to see what I come up with.

Being on The Inside

5 Asma 164 B.E. - August 24, 2007

Daily Writing Prompt Write about being on the inside.

I'm on the inside looking out watching the breeze blow through the stone pine tree. It's not much of a wind today. The limbs sway gently above the open garage door. It's cool in the house, but when I go out it's a bit warm. I haven't listened to the news today so I don't know how warm it's suppose to get.

I like sitting on the inside looking out. When I was a child in Oklahoma I always sit in my Grandparent's living room and looked out the window into their front yard. They didn't have a picture window like one the I'm looking out now. It was just an ordinary old fashion window that one raised to open. I like looking out that window in winter.

I remember sitting on the inside looking out at the snow that covered the front yard, the road and the airport across the street. It was always so warm in the living room in winter. Warm and safe, nothing dangerous ever came into my Grandparent's living room.

That's how I think of being on the inside warm and safe. However, you can't stay warm and safe forever. Sometimes one has to get out into the cold dangerous world and take a chance on living life to the fullest. Warm and safe is alright when you're a child, but when you get to be an adult it's different. You can't achieve your goals if you remain on the inside looking out. If you remain warm and safe.

An Overheard Remark

2 Asma 164 B.E. - August 21, 2007

Daily Writing Practice Prompt: Write about an overheard remark.

Spoken in confidence whispers
no one else was supposed to hear
it wasn't meant to be mean or vicious
just a comment about his fears.

He said it to a friend of many years
one who would never repeat
a secret whispered into his ears,
but her best friend heard the words.

Then repeated them to someone else
now the whole wedding party think they know
the reason for her sudden collapse
and why the wedding date was moved up three months.

Stealing Time

1 Asma 164 B.E. - August 20, 2007

Daily Writing Prompt for Today: Write about stealing time.

I wish I had time to steal. As it is I don't have enough time in the day to do everything I need to do, much less want to do. When I finish this I have to finish, or at least attempt to finish, mopping the dining room floor. Not that it's used as a dining room. There is a hospital bed in there, a television and a black table. The dining room table is in the living room.

Stealing time is something you do when you have lots of time. Stealing time is something to do when you want to procrastinate and put off. I don't want to put off any more, I just want to get it done. I resigned as the president of procrastinators anonymous. I want to get things done, I have the urge to get things done. I have no time to steal from anything. If I did believe me I would steal it.

There isn't enough time in a 24 hour day to steal time from anything. That's the problem. I have to go make a pot of coffee to stay up and get everything done. It's a good thing I'm typing my entries directly into my blogs rather than copying and pasting from Word the way I used to do. Now all I have to do is get the e-mail under control.

If I steal time from one thing, it means I'm not completing a job. As it is mopping is becoming a problem, because I have a sponge mob and they don't work well. I don't like sponge mops. They don't get the dirt up. OK, so if I'd mop everyday there wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately that isn't an option.

The Silent Treatment

19 Kamal 164 B.E. - August 19, 2007 about 1:00 pm PDT


Daily Writing Practice Prompt: Write about the silent treatment.


The silent treatment leave everything to the imagination, which means it either doesn't work at all or it works too good. If it doesn't work then the person one is using it on just goes on talking to you not noticing and probably not caring. If it works too well then the person's imagination has kicked in and that person has decided that the silent treatment is a two way street.


It's better to tell someone if you're upset with them. You have to do it in a way that lets the person know how you feel without offending. The silent treatment doesn't lead to communication, rather it has the opposite effect. When no one is talking nothing is achieved. Silence may be good for meditation, but it's not good for communication.

I Went to the Antiques Roadshow

18 Kamal 164 B.E. - August 18, 2007 about 5:50 pm PDT

I went to the Antiques Roadshow in Las Vegas, Nevada today. It was held at the Las Vegas Convention center which is next door to the Hilton Hotel. This was one of those time when being in a crowd didn't bother me because I was having fun. True we stood in a long line waiting to get into the apprasers, but there were so many different people waiting with their treasures that I didn't think of anything, but what was going on around me.

There was one woman with an antique hat box that had the names of several different railroads, many of which aren't running today. One man had a Dale Evens doll and another had an intriguing painting. It looked like string formed into a human shape or a robot. I took two items to have appraised. One is a family heirloom and the other a slide rule I bought at a garage sale for a $1.00.

The family heirloom was a cast iron Saint Banard coin bank that belongs to my mother. I remember Grandpa telling us that he and Grandma got the coin bank when the opened an account at their local bank. When Mom was born my Grandparnts give it to her. The bank was made around 1900 and my mother was born in 1921. The people working at the road show sent me to the Metal Work & Sculputer table with this. The man there sent me to another table, where they appraised the bank.

The other items I took was a K & E slide rule. This item I took to the Science & Technology table. The slide rule was made between 1950 and 1960. The slide rule is worth between $50 and $100, way more than I paid for it. I'll probably find someone to buy it. The bank was appraised at a lot more than the slide rule, but the bank has a family history so I probably won't sell it. Instead I'll give it to one of my nephews or nieces.

Getting Out of My Comfort Zone

17 Kamal 164 B.E.

I've decided to get out of my comfort zone and change the way I compose entries in this blog. Normally I create my entries in a word processing program and then copy and paste into the blog. However, I think its time I started typing the entries directly into the blog itself.

The advantage to this is that I can compose a rough draft of an entry in my pen and paper journal (yes, I still have a pen and paper journal) whenever I'm waiting line or in a doctor's office and then type the entry in the blog. Alternatively, I can type the entry directly into the blog, which means I can set aside a specific time to make an entry. There are disadvantages as well one of them being my creative spelling, but I'll learn to handle that, beside this blog has a spell check.

I actually composed a rough draft of this entry yesterday. I didn't type it in then because I drove across town to make a car insurance payment. After I made the insurance payment, I stopped to see Mom at the Rehab hospital and then came home. My mistake was thinking I'd be able to type the entry in when I got back. When I arrived home I was tired, probably from driving in the heat and humidity. It's monsoon season her in Vegas and the humidity is up with the heat. OK, so I should have thought to takes some water with me.

Getting back to leaving my comfort zone. Comfort zones are ruts and ruts are terrible places to be, even if the are comfortable. Also, they are cluttered. This method of blog entries will not only help me out of my comfort zone rut, but it'll help unclutter my life.

At this point, this is the only one of my three blogs I'm using this method. The entries in my other blogs will be composed the same way they've always been for about the next 19 days (although I reserve the right to change my mind in the next week, if I find I like this method better then the other method). It takes two weeks to acquire a new habit, this will give me a chance to get used to making entries this way. It will also give me time to see if this helps my muse. I'm having trouble coming up with entries, so I think my muse is in a rut as well.

The Name of this Blog

16 Kamal 164 B.E. – August 15, 2007 at 11:10:11 PM PDT

I’ve changed the name on this blog. It used to be My Thoughts on Spiritual Poetry and devoted exclusively the spiritual and mystical poems. However, I’ve gone through some changes recently which resulted in the desire to expand my creative efforts. I still write mystical and spiritual poetry, but I also write science fiction, fantasy, personal essays, bitter love poems, etc. I strongly suspect this blog will contain a number of entries that, at first, appear to have vary little to do with writing. Don’t be fooled by appearances.

Writing is a central part of my life. It is the way I express myself. Not that I write letters, because I don’t. I’m not a letter writer, I’m a journal writer, a poet, an author of flash fiction, short stories and novels. Those are the ways I express my soul. Blogging is just another journal method. The intriguing thing about blogging is the potential for hundreds, thousands or millions of people to read the blog. With an ordinary journal, few people other than the author ever read it. That’s not the way it is with a blog and that’s what makes blogging so attractive to me.

When I was growing up, I was shy. I didn’t like to state my opinion. I didn’t even like to speak up in class. As I got older, I learned to speak up and answer question in class. However, there are still subjects I prefer not to discus. I won’t discus politics, if I’m asked who I’m voting for I’ll usually answer the question, but I won’t argue about it. I will discus religion, but I won’t argue about it either.

Since I began blogging, my writing has improved. It’s still not perfect, but it’s improving. That’s why everything I write has to do with writing and creativity. Everything I write is practice and helps me improve. This brings me to the new name for this blog: Poet999’s Thoughts about Writing and Other Stuff.

A New Approach

12 Kamal 164 B.E. – August 12, 2007

I’m taking a new approach to housework
it’s becoming a spiritual experience
I’m doing it for the beloved
and this makes all the difference in the world.