Linda Mitchell

IMPERFECT II poet Linda Mitchell explains:

Writing has always been my refuge in the early morning before my world wakes up. My cat and I sit at the kitchen table and work out the words piled up in my head either in a journal of hand-written notes or on my laptop or both! As much as I enjoy prompt chasing, I'm happiest when I'm up to my neck in a writing project. Last year, my one-little-word was 'ox' and I loved finding interesting ways to write about the four-legged work animal. This year, I'm writing about stars.

This year has been challenging for me. I tend to feel events in my household, school, community, nation, and world deeply. I find myself irritable and "wound-up" much more than I like to admit...Right now, our world is suffering on a larger scale than it has in my lifetime and this weighs on me. This is how and why writing is my refuge. I've noticed I'm writing "darker" these days." I just have to do that for now. Hopefully, my natural positivity will return soon. Hopefully, good cheer will return to our world with peace soon. I remain in hope.

Linda Mitchell, a Teacher Librarian, writes when she can get a word in edgewise which is the name of her blog: A Word Edgewise. She says, "Blogging for Poetry Friday is a discipline for me when the rest of my life is crazy and full of all other kinds of deadlines. Some weeks I really don't know how I'm going to get a post ready and then, it happens. I appreciate blogging for its discipline."