Free Write: Harlot's Shame

This piece of prose started as an exercise in my creative writing in class in high school. We had to think of some struggle, I think is how it went. This is about a teenage girl who ran away from home for some reason or another and ending up in a life that she never wanted. I was trying to see how those girls feel, the inner thoughts that they have. It almost made it into our Lit. Mag (Tabula Rasa), but the Editor in Chief and I had some disagreement about the title. Since then I've been revising it and trying to make it better. It's not quite how I want it, but I think it's getting there. And here it is, Harlot's Shame:


I live a life of shame. I know they cross the street so they don’t have to walk by me, that they whisper and gossip about my shame to their neighbors. I try to remember why I did it, how it happened and I want to blame it all on you. But . . . I can’t. I can’t because you just wanted to do what was right. I did it. I’m sick and alone and cold, and I did it. I’m always alone, even when I’m with someone. I sit by this wall all day and all night, and everyone who passes ignores and judges me and I feel like that guy in the bible, the one who got robbed. Except no one ever stops to help me and I can’t do it on my own.

Free Write: Title Pending

I've dabbled in the art of creative writing, and while I realize that I'm not that good, it's enjoyable to me and helps me share my emotions. I don't know how good this is, but I hope that it's enjoyable enough. This particular poem started as a telling of Don Quixote from Cervante's famous novel. Then I was thinking about David and Goliath and I noticed a similarity between the two--they were both fighting something so huge that no one thought they would come out victorious. In David's case, he was, but Quixote wasn't. And yet Quixote keeps fighting; "Fighting my windmills everyday." And the whole point is that we should keep trying to defeat what our own personal windmills might be, no matter what anyone else says. So, I tried to draw a parallel between the two; I hope you like it!


Fighting my windmills everyday
they call me crazy
I take up my rusty sword
and set that golden helmet
upon my silver head
and go to

Face my giant,
five perfect stones in my hand
His breath ruffling sandy hair
There is no faith in me
a child

Arms wave in the air
round and round
impossible to pass

Armor covers him
and I have only five stones
five chances

One!

I turn my broken horse
toward my demons

Two!

Knowing the danger I face
I ride

Three

I raise my lance

Four, with one more chance
I aim

The windmills stand still
beckoning me; come closer

Toward the one unarmed spot
on his body

Keeping my lance steady

Raising my arm
I release

Five! He crashes,
and lays still

His arms unhorse me
taking me around with them

No longer a boy

A crazy old fool

Sales Pitch for a Specific Audience

Wasn't that an exciting title?

Washing the dishes does a number on your hands; believe me, I know. And if you’re like me, you have a plethora of different lotions and moisturizers as you try to get back that “baby soft skin” of days gone by. All that will change now that Dawn has introduced it’s new dish and hand soap! Specially formulated so now you don’t dry out your hands with harsh soap, you hydrate them with our gentle formula while washing the dishes. You’ll be volunteering to wash the dishes from now on as you moisturize in three delicious scents—Spring Rain, Citrus, and Apple Blossom! Your hands will feel and look better every time you clean. And you won’t be the only one to notice the difference! Try Dawn Dish and Hand Soap (in three scents!), and you’ll be on your way to a more happy you! (This product was not tested on animals. No lotions were harmed in the writing of this commercial.)

Nicole, this is my experiment of something that we have learned this week (if that wasn’t obvious). I decided to create an ad targeted to a specific audience—in this case a young married woman, probably still a student since she needs to wash her dishes by hand. Hope you enjoy!!

And so it begins....

This is the beginning of a blog, one that may or may not be exciting. Most likely, this could be the most boring blog you've ever read. I'm in a first year writing class and this is an assignment. Every week I will be required to write three times, with only one post being something creative. I hope you don't have any expectations of grandeur. This blog will not contain much. Enjoy, if you think you can.