December 1: Revising Again, Poetry Again, "Web" Dip Again

Well, I spent the afternoon and a good portion of the evening revising my Christmas memory piece.  I submitted the original last night, and the editor wrote back and basically said, "I really like it, but it's 198 words.  Could you trim 50 words?"  My initial reaction was, "Are you kidding me?"  Then I took out my red pen and went to work.  I think it was poet Natalie Goldberg who called this process, "Being the samurai."  Or something like that.  It's a tough practice.

Now, the piece is 159 words long.  I've trimmed about as much fat as I can.  It's like the Angelina Jolie of Christmas memory pieces now.  I just e-mailed the revised version to the editor.  We'll see what he thinks.  If he doesn't take it now, I can live with that.  I've done my best.

My next writing project is my annual Christmas poem.  I've given it a little thought.  Very little.  I have a vague notion of my subject.  That's about it.  That notion is so vague it's practically non-existent.  I guess I have to get some Christmas music cranked and get to work.  Decking them similes.  Stringing them metaphors.  Hanging them shining images.  Fa-la-la-la-la.

This evening, I have a simple question for my Web dip:

Will the year 2015 be better than the year 2014 for me?

And the answer from the pig and the spider is:

"Did you have a good time at the Fair?" [Mrs. Arable] asked as she kissed her daughter.

Fern nodded.  "I had the best time I have ever had anywhere or any time in all of my whole life."

I will take that answer.  I am going to have the best time I have ever had anywhere or any time in all of my whole life in 2015.


Saint Marty hopes he doesn't have to ride the Ferris wheel with Henry Fussy.

You tell 'em, Steve-O