The Liebster Award Nomination!

May 28, 2016May 29, 2016 / Ajmorse / Leave a comment

Thank you to Dainelle Hunter for nominating me for the Liebster Award! It means a lot to me that you thought of me. 🙂 I hope this gives readers more of an insight into my writing and what this blog is about.

The rules are as follows:

1: Thank the blog who nominated you and link back to them.
2: Make a blog post telling 11 facts about you.
3: Answer the 11 questions from the blog who nominated you.
4: Prepare 11 questions for those you will nominate.
5: Nominate 11 new bloggers (those who have less than 200 followers) by commenting in one of their blog posts.

11 Facts About Me:

~My favorite TV Show of all time is Firefly. (The fact that it only had one season is an atrocity.

~I only write with one with kind of pen. (Gel pen, black ink, pilot G-2 07.)

~I hate memes where the sentences are deliberately spelled wrong, drives me nuts! (Like: ‘he’s doin me a hurtin’….grrrraaggh)

~I like to write movie and TV show reviews.

~I love libraries and books stores.

~I am a tea drinker, love tea.

~I love being outdoors; the trees, the quietness.

~I have an obsession with nicknames. A lot of my characters have nicknames. I think its interesting how people/characters are much more than the names they are given, and the ones they’ve grown into.

~I am a dog person. I like cats, too. But if I were to have one pet it’d be a golden retriever, lab, or a mix.

~My favorite color is now purple. (It used to be blue but my grandma passed recently and that was also her color.)

~I own about five different Star Wars t-shirts.

Answering 11 Questions for being Nominated:

1. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging to get myself to write an least something a day. I wasn’t writing anymore and it worried me. I would go weeks without writing anything. I started blogging just to get back into writing.

2. What do you love/ hate about blogging?

I love how freeing blogging is. It really is like writing in a diary, you can feel free to be yourself and that’s that. I hate that I don’t have the time to write daily or more quality posts.

3.What is your philosophy?

I’d say…Live life to the fullest, no regrets.

4.What career are you pursuing/ What is your occupation and why?

I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Ideally a writer, who actually makes money. 😛 Right now I’m in data entry.

5.Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hopefully published! And working on other projects.

6.Who is your favorite fictional character?

I’ve always loved Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He is supposed to be the bad guy, but by the end of the show you can’t help but love him. He’s so pathetic and amusing.

7. What is your favorite movie?

I have a lot. Inception, Star Wars (of course), Princess Bride, Guardians of the Galaxy are probably the top faves though.

8.What is your favorite book/ quote?

I am a big fan of Maggie Steifvater. All of her words are great. But I really loved this one from The Dream Theives:

“There are three kinds of secrets. One is the sort everyone knows about, the sort you need at least two people for. One to keep it. One to never know. The second is a harder kind of secret: one you keep from yourself. Every day, thousands of confessions are kept from their would-be confessors, none of these people knowing that their never-admitted secrets all boil down to the same three words: I am afraid.”

9. What is your zodiac sign?

Gemini.

10. What is your biggest fear?

Fear of failure is a big one for me.

11. Describe the strangest dream you’ve ever had.

I had a dream I was a dolphin once. I was leaping in and out of waves, it was so much fun and exhilarating…and then I woke up.

Questions for Nominees:

What is your favorite book of all time?
Why did you start blogging?
What is your biggest fear?
If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?
What is your favorite kind of food?
What is your favorite movie?
What is your favorite thing to do during the Summer?
What is your Zodiac sign?
Do you believe in the supernatural? (Vampires, werewolves, ghosts?)
Describe your strangest dream.
What would you say is the best thing about you?

And that’s that! I can’t wait to read what you guys come up with!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 🙂

Poem: Uninspired

May 24, 2016May 24, 2016 / Ajmorse / 2 Comments

Want to write a poem
And not sure what to say
Feeling uninspired
Exhausted from the day

Should I tell a story?
Should I make it sad?
Lies and disappointments
That’s all I ever had

At least for today with
Work and fewer smiles
Don’t do this you slaves!
Yeah, I’ll think on that awhile

Good to know I matter
I love to see the praise
Yeah and guess what?
Where’s my f**king raise?

Ah, but I digress
Not the point of this poem
Writing relieves the stress
With the comforts of home

So go forth and write!
Be lovely, fun and crazy!
(But don’t be like me,
I’m so f**king lazy!)

Bahaha…I miss rhyming, it’s so silly and fun! Hope everyone has a great night!

Happy writing!

Happy Mother’s Day, Grandma…I Miss You

May 8, 2016May 8, 2016 / Ajmorse / Leave a comment

I’ve been sitting here for the last half an hour on Wikipedia reading about Reba McEntire, about her recent divorce, her relationship with Kelly Clarkson, and the plot to Reba’s show, Malibu Country, which got cancelled about three years ago.

I haven’t suddenly become obsessed with Reba McEntire, (although I’ve always liked country music,) I’m stalling.

A year ago today, May 8th, we lost someone special to us in our family. My grandmother, Dorothy, passed away from cancer. Today is Mother’s Day, but I’ll never get to say hello to her again.

Which is why…the stalling. I know I want to write something to honor her, but I don’t know where to begin. With all the poems I wrote about her in the past year? With our last conversation? The words of Reba McEntire’s song, “What Do You Say” keeps repeating itself in my head.

“What do you say in a moment like this? When you can’t find the words to tell it like it is?”

My heart breaks a little. What do you say?

Dear Grandma,

I miss you.

Love, Amanda

There really isn’t much more to say. I said it all before in the poems I wrote for her: For Grandma, Not Goodbye, Baseball Memories, Up and Up, and Big Picture.

My sister, Anna, me and Grandma in the back seat of the car on some road trip, over ten years ago; laughing and being goofy.

P.S. I remember the last time we spoke, Grandma, I made you laugh. I told you something that Lilly had said, and I made you laugh. You were in pain, but my last moment with you…I made you laugh. One day, I’ll type out that conversation. I’ll put it in a memoir and tell everyone how much your house smelled like you, how it felt so quiet, and cold with you down for the count, and everyone wondering, “Is it time?”

But no, one spring afternoon at the end of April, while you were lying on the couch, too weak to get up, I made you laugh. And it warms my heart like nothing else.

I love you, Grandma. Happy Mother’s Day.

Poem: Saturday Night

April 30, 2016 / Ajmorse / Leave a comment

Pirated Deadpool
Ate pasta
Bread and sauce
And goodness
Broke the fourth wall
And eachother’s
Energy
Dead like Deadpool
But still got limbs
And hearts
And loneliness
Crawl into bed
With a good book
A book friend
Waiting to be held

:p This one is silliness! In case you didn’t catch it, we watched some Deadpool tonight. I love Ryan Reynolds, so great. The movie was awesome… Totally inappropriate for young ones, but still great.

Hope you guys are having a great night!

Silly Haikus and Pain Meds

March 24, 2016 / Ajmorse / Leave a comment

Sore, hurt, shoulder pain

I wonder what will happen,

at work tomorrow…

Bones ache, and head dreams

of something soft and fluffy

flying clouds and pain

If I were a cloud

and you were something tasty

I’d eat you for lunch

sick and eating junk

they don’t taste like pills I know

sleepy drunk pain meds

I strained a muscle in my back/shoulder region on Wednesday, so today was spent in a sleepy drunk stupor…never taken those muscle relaxers before. Boy, do they make for an interesting time. Thought I’d try to express it in some haikus tonight.

Happy Writing!

Poem: Hold/These Arms

November 25, 2015November 25, 2015 / Ajmorse / Leave a comment

This was meant to be something else entirely. I’ve been watching some of Bindi Irwin’s dance routines from dancing with the stars. I don’t normally watch the show, but I’ve been cheering her on from the beginning. She’s such a wonderfully positive person, and I guess I was inspired by her.

Hold/These Arms

These are my arms
Every freckle, every scar
The heel of my hand
Bony, creased and wrinkled
These hands have been
Sanded down by desktops.
See the blue veins,
The purple, the red
Several tiny waterfalls
Sliding down
The pulse of my wrist

Further down
And inside
The skin is pale
A flick of the wrist
Some hair
And more freckles
These ones burned on
By the sun

These arms are thin
And always moving
Weakened by heavy loads,
Low blood sugar
And the flu.

Hold a candle to them
They burn
Hold a lamp
And the skin lightens
But put them up
Against life’s little troubles:
A broken down car, a
Sickness, a work drama

And show me someone
Who is suffering
And these arms will fold,
Beat back
and hold up the world
So they can rise above it

My Likes and Dislikes, an Amelie-Inspired Post

August 1, 2015August 3, 2015 / Ajmorse / Leave a comment

I recently watched Amelie again, which is an adorable french film about a very shy young woman, who appreciates the small things in life and how she finds love. Although socially awkward Amelie should be miserable and lonely, she takes joy in small pleasures like:

‘Dipping her hand in sacks of grain, cracking creme brulee with a teaspoon, and skipping stones at St Martin’s Canal.’

It’s both simple and beautiful in an unsuspecting way, and I just love it. On the opposite spectrum are other characters dislikes: like puckered fingers in the bathtub, wet bathing suit shorts that stick to the skin, and the touch of someone you don’t know.

There is a lot of focus on the detail and that’s what makes it so great. I thought I’d make a list of my own just for fun:Amanda is a shy yet passionate writer. She likes when men give their girlfriend’s flowers, running her fingers through the scruff on her boyfriend’s cheek, and driving down a long stretch of road with the sun on her face.

She likes listening to songs that make her cry, and the sweet yet, chewy taste of a warm chocolate chip cookie when you bite into it. Amanda likes when the colors of her food compliment each other, but she hates it when restaurants use too much salt.

She dislikes long lines at the grocery store, scraping ice off her car windshield in the early morning, and when parents yell at their children in public.

She likes the smell of old books when you first open them and the crunch of potato chips after drinking a nice, cold Pepsi.

I think this is something that I could go on and on with, but why not try one of your own? It’s fun, trust me!

Happy Saturday everyone!

Poem: Freedom and the 4th

July 4, 2015 / Ajmorse / Leave a comment

I kept thinking yesterday was Saturday because I had the day off, but today IS Saturday and it is also the 4th, and to me, that means family, freedom and fireworks! Oh, and hotdogs. I make sure I consume at least one hotdog around this time of year. Usually at a cook out. With pasta salads. And watermelon. And cupcake desserts.

Source: deviantart.com

Anyway, we wouldn’t be here celebrating the 4th, if it weren’t for the brave soldiers many years ago, who made that dream a reality.

Free our troops

Really free them

Each sacrifice is sacred

Each life is special

Don’t forget the lives

Our soldiers give up, but

Mostly: Pray they come home

Pray they come home safe!

I am eternally grateful to the men and women in service and the sacrifices that they have made and continue to make on a daily basis. Without them, we would not be here to celebrate the freedom we so desperately love on this independence day. Thank you all!

Happy July 4th everyone! 🙂

Poem: “For Grandma”

May 20, 2015May 20, 2015 / Ajmorse / 5 Comments

My family and I lost someone very special to us this month; my grandma of 88 years, passed away Friday, May 8th. While words don’t really do her justice – (I’ve never had this problem before!) It certainly doesn’t hurt to try.

So, I wrote a poem to honor her, which I read at her memorial service. Afterwards, everyone came up and told me how great it was, how “perfect” it was and fitting for her. But inside I felt empty. A part of me was pleased that everyone liked it, but I didn’t feel like I deserved it; it wasn’t good enough, it didn’t feel complete. But I think it was because, in this case, words can never really express how someone was in life, how much they mean to you, how much you ache and feel sorrow because they are gone.

I think there comes a time (even for a writer) when words just aren’t enough. No matter how much you try. Regardless, my grandma was a beautiful woman inside and out…and I did it to honor her.

(Or if you click on my beautiful picture you can see a larger image and read the poem there.)

It reads:

The woman who loved the color purple

had laughter on her lips

and everywhere she walked and talked

there was a purpose to her quips

She was always there to lend an ear

no judgement in her mind

She was always there for everyone

hard-working, mischievous and kind

The woman who loved to laugh and camp

had compassion in her eyes

She didn’t have to do everything

but by golly, she did try!

She was a woman of many names

and as busy as can be

But no matter what you called her

she was always “Grandma” to me.

Poetry: I can write haiku, can you?

January 16, 2015January 16, 2015 / Ajmorse / 2 Comments

It’s snowing outside, tiny flakes coming down from the sky in all directions, swirling chaotically around cars and the pavement outside my window.

View from my office window.

Naturally this makes me want to write, of course. I don’t know what it is…maybe because it’s warm in our apartment, I woke up refreshed (finally) after a good nights sleep and I have the day off from work.

Maybe there’s something in the way that snowy sleepy days naturally put me in a thoughtful mood, and thoughtful moods generally lead to writing…if I were a painter, I’d paint the heck out of a glorious snowy day, but alas, the best brush I have, is the brush of words on blank, blank paper.

And of course, the last sentence I just wrote had me thinking about haiku poems. It’s been ages since I’ve written one…not since college three years ago. I found a refresher at this website, here.

(From the website:) The haiku is a Japanese verse in three lines. Line one has 5 syllables, line 2 has 7 syllables and line three has 5 syllables. Haiku is a mood poem and it doesn’t use any metaphors or similes.

View of the moon and snowy trees at my Grandma’s house, the evening of Thanksgiving.

I don’t usually think of myself as a poet. My advance poetry teacher in college said to me once, “You are definitely a fiction writer.” And that seemed to cement the idea in my brain. He didn’t mean to say that I was inept at poetry, just that eventually all writers make a choice, and I am a lover of stories and so naturally fiction was my style of choice.

But lately, I am constantly reminded by poetry why writing descriptive, lyrical words are so important. Why some fiction is just poetry in an extended form. In a single poem, an image is created in just a few words. I think poetry is a great way to remind fiction writers how important it is to show, not tell what is happening in the story, but to focus on the concise, and descriptive words.

Here’s some haiku of my own. Some silly, some serious, some not really haiku poems at all, but all poetry:

The bright yellow sun shines

through icicles hanging

on the windowsill

icicles remind

us to mind the cold weather

bundle up you beasts

dogs don’t like the snow

wagging their tails between gusts

shivering snow and wind

the snow swirls around the pavement

children walk by with parents

hands howling in their gloves

So much depends upon a red wheelbarrow…

(Just kidding! haha…can’t get this poem out of my head for some reason! For those that don’t know this is the start of a poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow,” by William Carlos Williams. I remember there were those that either loved it or hated it in my poetry class. There was a great debate that followed about it.)

And lastly, another haiku of my own:

The dead of winter

snow falls down on black pavement

eat lunch, eat sunlight

This has been a lot of fun for me this afternoon. Feel free to comment with your own, if you like!

Happy Writing!

A. J. Morse

Some fiction, some poetry, and a lot of writer's block.

poem