Friday, March 07, 2014

A bit of flesh in the inkpot


Writing by candlelight during a power outage.
One ought only to write when one leaves a piece of one's own flesh in the inkpot, each time one dips one's pen.  ~Leo Tolstoy

I have a lot of writing going on these days:  talks, a series on praying with the desert fathers and mothers, a book review, short essays for a book project, a scriptural reflection.  I have pieces in draft, proofs, edited pieces, pieces still hatching.  

It's also been an intense couple of weeks at work.  This morning I didn't actually make it to my office until 10, my first meeting of the day was on another campus.  I plopped my bag on the floor, dumped an armful of papers on my desk --- and that was it until 5 pm, when I picked up the papers and my bag and left.  I never actually sat down at my desk.

I had a good day writing yesterday, but it was almost physically painful to set aside the work at the end of the day, knowing I wouldn't be able to return to it today.  I definitely left a piece of flesh in the inkpot.  I can see the shape this piece is going to take now, and I was finding such pleasure in fitting the pieces together, like a puzzle.  And I long for the silence that writing wraps around me, a deep well into which I can settle.

4 comments:

  1. This sentence speaks to me: "And I long for the silence that writing wraps around me, a deep well into which I can settle." Your gift for writing is a gift to those of us who are privileged to be touched by it. Blessings.

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  2. "And I long for te silence that writing wraps around me, a deep well into which I can settle." Words of deep and wonderful wisdom especially for those of us who are constantly on the "go" even if we do not move from behind out desks. Thank you for the reminder that SILENCE is a blessing we can find comfort in at any moment...and one we can sink into and drink of deeply. Loved your entire piece. Keep writing!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you...particularly for the reminder that we can find silence when we reach for it!

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