Friday, April 26, 2013

Fireblossom Friday: Not Feeling Like Yourself?



Hello, dear Toads and visitors. Fireblossom here with another Fireblossom Friday challenge. Let me ask you a question: do you ever just not quite feel like yourself? Ever feel like someone handed you the wrong script, or have a moment when you just don't recognize your own life? Goody! That will make my work here easier. Get ready to give your imaginations a work-out.

Native Americans believed that each creature possessed its own "medicine", and that this power, or mojo, could be transferred. I want to take that idea a big step further. Suppose you woke up one morning, and your body was just the same as always, but that the spirit of an animal, or bird, or some other creature, had taken you over from within. 

I don't mean that you wake up wishing you were a bird (for example), or feeling metaphorically like a bird. I mean you wake up and you ARE a bird, but you are still physically human, and can talk, and move in the world that way. The transformation is inner. Imagine how frustrating it would be not to be able to fly. What feelings might you have, looking at ordinary birds? How might your behavior and relationships be altered? 

You can be a tiger or a snake or a mouse or anything you like. Just remember that this is inner reality, not metaphor. To illustrate, if I am an crocodile, I might write something like this:

My children look at me, expecting something.
What?
I slip into the pool, and feel it on my strange soft human skin;
I could sun myself here but my children stand at the edges, calling.
Why?  I can't remember what I am supposed to do.

or, as an elephant:

I am so small, and my nose is useless for the most part.
I have an overwhelming urge to be with my sisters and daughter.
I can smell the water in the tap, three rooms away, and want to lead us to it.
Instead, I drink coffee from a cup, held in these odd human hands.

See? NOT "I wish I was a bird and could fly". No. ZZzzzzzz. 

Not to put too fine a point on things, but experience has taught me this next part is necessary. Fireblossom Friday is a challenge, not a prompt. It isn't a loose suggestion, it's a specific thing, so please either take on the challenge as I have laid it out, or don't link to this challenge. Please don't say, "well, I felt like doing something else", or "I didn't get the memo." Here's the memo. Explore your inner reality of being some kind of non-human creature, and what that would be like. 

One more thing. Minimum of seven lines, which means no haiku. Please link a NEW poem written for this challenge. Thanks, and enjoy! I'll be around to read everyone's entry. Now stretch those imaginations!  



27 comments:

Helen said...

... challenge full of magic, I like it.

Kay L. Davies said...

Oh, good, minimum number of lines, not maximum.
I'm going to think about this overnight, Shay, because I seem to have flubbed yesterday's challenge. Maybe while I'm asleep I'll find out what kind of animal I am inside this old-lady body.
K

Janine Bollée said...

This, dear Toads, is a 3-pipe problem. I shall now hop away and mull it over.

Rita Odeh said...

In hokku, we call this process: becomingness. For example, become the sparrow, see what it sees and feel what it feels etc... This is a real challenge !

Fireblossom said...

I don't know what hokku is (enlighten me?), but I like that idea of becomingness!

Lolamouse said...

Aren't we quite the taskmistress?!! Is it ok if I write a haiku about feeling like an old pair of socks? That's sorta like what you said....
LOL. Now to figure out what a mouse should wake up to become...

Fireblossom said...

Ms. Mouse, ever the smart butt! :-)

Margaret said...

No haiku. Ha. And a minimum! Ha. I have a swamped day and evening = will be posting this baby on Monday as it will take some thought.

Kerry O'Connor said...

No haiku. I am me and not me - I am animal and not animal. Got it!

Helen said...

Did it, not sure I got it (right)!

Gail said...

Today I am a free form deer

Unknown said...

What a fun challenge!

Ella said...

Love this FB! I am reading about Animal Medicine right now~ The owls were out last night and I called to them and they called back- ;D
Though I wouldn't mind be a cuddly bear either....
Off to gain further insight...
I love your challenge!

Fireblossom said...

You are all writing such fantastic poems! I'm thrilled.

hedgewitch said...

Yeesh. I had to sweat some witchy blood for the ink on this one, Ms Haiku-Hater. (And I had planned on a spiffy tanka and three senryus! But no, I *had* to write long, so no whining at the thirty two lines.) ;_)

Fireblossom said...

Read my fukyu, Ms. Hedgy! *laffin*

Ella said...

so fun! Thanks FB-sorry Miss Mouse!
lol

Fireblossom said...

As I type this, there are 11 responses, and all 11 are just marvelous. Toads rule!

Maude Lynn said...

I have composed a series of brilliant, interlocking fukyu for the occasion!

Seriously, this is a very cool challenge, I adore that picture, and I hope that I didn't screw this up too badly.

Maggie Grace said...

My first time here. Found you through "Beaver, Damn" post on Trifecta. Rarely write this kind of prose but really related to the prompt. Nice to find you!

Kerry O'Connor said...

Hi Maggie! Welcome. I just want to mention that your link does not take us to the page on which your new poem is posted. I found it by going to the home page. If you would like to relink, we can delete the incorrect one.

Susie Clevenger said...

I let my inner animal speak. Great challenge Fireblossom!!

Susan said...

Channeling.

Jinksy said...

An hour ago, this was the top post, but now I've written something and come back to link, I see I'm already out of date! Ho hum...I shall stay put, nevertheless! :)

Fireblossom said...

Maybe not, Loredana. What's lost can sometimes reappear again! Thanks for taking part in the FBF challenge!

Hannah said...

Weird...Mr. Linky's not letting me play!!? Wahhh!!!


http://wordrustling.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/robbed-of-freedom/


LOVE your challenge Ms. Fireblossom!! ♥

Hannah said...

Oop...there I am...whined too early there...it wasn't showing up before. :)