So, this week how did I do on my challenges?  As I noted last week, I have almost finished my next chapbook: edited the poems, formatted and put everything into the template I have. Designed my cover and played with fonts. Now I am waiting to decide whether or not I will keep the poems that are out on submission or change the title and remove those two. I can wait a bit longer, see if I hear back.

But in the meantime, gave myself some eyestrain, so

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have to watch how many hours at the keyboard and glaring screen.  I did, however, make an appointment to have my annual eye exam. (YUCK!)  I hate those because I am always afraid of “failing the test.” Yes, I know. I can’t fail it. But I can make mistakes about what I can see and how well. I suppose I imagine myself doomed to walk around in glasses that

Pinhole glasses, a kind of eyeglasses. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

skew my vision. Sometimes I just have to laugh about how silly my phobias and fears are.

In the meantime, I have submitted four poems to the Rattle Poetry Prize contest, and selected another four for my next magazine submission. I thought I knew where they were going but they don’t match the theme coming up for Room, so I will get them off to a different place, and work on others for Room.

I think I’ve figured out why getting submissions out is so difficult for me. I was thinking about it yesterday. It is sort of like going someplace I’ve never been before. I research and mapquest and used to even drive there if I could the day before just so I would know where I was going.  So here, submitting, is like that. My poems are going to go someplace they haven’t been before. My old fear about “doing things right”.  Silly, when I look at it that way, isn’t it? Well, let’s see what insight does for me. (Yeah, I just looped back to the fears and phobias, didn’t I?)

Tangles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cheers,  till next time!

Carol