Poetry Dump

~True World~
By 
Edna Pellen

I am not disappointed in the world

I do not find it ugly or cruel

I am not disappointed in man,

For I am man too

And if I were disappointed in the world

And if I were to think it ugly and cruel

I would forsake all the good in the world

And all the beauty that I know is true

And if I were to be disappointed in man, 

Who would I be to speak,

When I myself make mistakes

When I myself fall weak





~A Productively Unproductive Day~
By 
Edna Pellen
{Dedicated to my friends at the Fortress}

A productively unproductive day
I have perfectly and predictably had
With my pleasantly preposterous people that I keep in my
Plainly personal parade

We have had a laugh lighter then the air in our lungs
And talks deeper then the darkest depth did dare to dream
And still in all our enjoyment we did not do a thing

Justly, joyfully, jabbering,
We wagered we had won a right to relax
And tentatively tip toeing around the tight concept of tomorrows' tasks,
We sat down to work out ourselves at last

And what we came to learn was that
just because you're talking and not walking and not working away,
Your thigh-slap laughs and emotional rafts
Are not time wasting
And it's not a shame to, every now and then, sit and
To not do a thing




~Starry Starry Night~
By
Edna Pellen

Starry, starry night

What a fright,

Yet delight,

To be alone, gazing

At this sky

In the dead of night

All alone,

Near or far from home

No matter where I roam

The stars remain aglow

Wherever I go

With company, or alone

In the heat or the cold,

To both the young and the old

They remain the same, I’m told

Shining bright and bold

On this night, so clear,

On this night so cold

They unite the then and now,

And though I couldn’t tell you how,

Their light, their pictures, bring history back around

To tie together, to bend and bow,

Generations with each other

The then, and the now

Starry night,

Guiding light,

Old and new now unified

As we gaze into the cold,

Starry, starry night

Social Distancing Support Tag

Please note: As of November, 2021, this post does not necessarily accurately described my opinions in the present day, but does accurately portray what they were at the time of this being written back in 2020. 

I would like to amend a few things: After much research and time to consider this whole thing, I've concluded that masks are unnecessary and useless in the context of a virus, and indeed cause more harm than good (which I did experience), that people have had an absurd reaction to the virus, and that while the virus is of a strange and questionable nature, it itself is not and was not the great danger it was made out to be.  

Some of this opinions may be reflected in my post "The Sound of Silence and how it applies to today." 

Salutations,

I suppose it was only a matter of time before I posted something in relation to the corona virus.

Today, I'm doing a blog tag, started by Ariel from the blog Within the Static, to give people a way to talk about their ails and issues with this virus.

Let's get into it.



Rules:



1. Thank the blogger who tagged you. Link back to both that blog and Within Static

Thank you again, S.J. from When Ice Sings and Stars Fall

2. Answer the tag questions
Aye-aye

3. Tag 3-5 bloggers

Will do.




Questions:

1. What's your current attitude toward COVID-19 (honestly)?

Basically what I've thought from the beginning. It is a bad, and maybe frightening, thing, but the media should not be fear mongering.
The citizens' hoarding isn't good and has only made more issues, but I understand why they're doing it. And I think of it this way:

I would not hoard food or bathroom products, but I have a large family and already need a large amount of groceries and general supplies for day-to-day life.
I know that people are going to panic and raid the stores.
If people raid the stores, I won't get what I need.
So I need to beat them there, I need to get what I need first.
But wait, I realize, everyone else probably has this same mentality.
And if everyone else doesn't want to risk not acting on it because they know that no one else will and they don't want to take that chance, the stores will certainly be empty.
And so they raid the stores anyway, because they fear what'll happen if they don't.

It's wrong, and on the surface level irrational, but when you look a little deeper like that it makes more sense.

As for the virus itself, I'm not personally afraid, because I know I have no need to be. Not because the virus isn't a big deal, and not because on the scale of danger I am basically as safe as they come. I'm not afraid because I know that whatever happens, God is in control. Whatever He allows to happen, I trust that there is good reason behind it, and I know that I, as a Christian, don't need to fear death or life because to live is Christ, but to die is to be with God.
It's a win-win.

On a "how this effects humanity" note, I think we should be more prepared for an economic crisis than the virus. The virus is here now, people are acting now, it is present and being handled as best as it can be. But people need to be prepared for how the lack of jobs, the increase of jobs, the bills, the borrowing of money from the government, the bulk-buying and store raiding, will effect the economy when this passes.
Note, they shouldn't be worried, just be prepared. I wouldn't be surprised if, at least in America, there was another Great Depression on the rise.
However, it would seem that we have had our "panic mode" by buying everything from the stores, so maybe we'll be over it when/if financial challenges present themselves. I hope so.
But if not, I thoroughly look forward to studying humanity through such a thing, as well as the virus. This is history, and I'm living in it. I am recording it, I am remembering it, and I am excited for it.
Yes, they are tragic things, and I'm not happy about all the casualties that have and will happen through this all, but I am glad to be living this part of history.

And I, again, am not afraid. Not of the virus, not of the economy. I am simply observing. I'm praying, too. But whatever happens, I know it'll be okay.

2. Has your schedule become busier or more open as a result of social distancing?

My schedule has been more open.

3. If you were public schooled before COVID hit, how has your experience with homeschooling been (whatever that looks like for you)?

N/A

4. If you were already homeschooled, how has COVID affected you or not?

It hasn't effected me much. For a while, I was making masks, which I suppose cut in to schoolwork a little bit, but that's pretty much it.

5. How are you staying connected with people?

Same as always. My closest friends are already online, and my in-person friends already communicated with me through email and whatnot.
The only real difference is that my church live streams service every Sunday instead of me being able to go to church in person.

6. How do you wish people would connect with you?

Sending hand written letters. I already loved receiving and sending them, and now I have more of an excuse to do that. I also love putting together care packages for my friends. So really, just let me send you stuff, and send some letters in return. ;)

Video calls from friends may be nice as well, if I could get over my awkwardness and actually engage in such a thing. But that isn't because I'm going crazy in quarantine. Actually, quarantine is suiting me quite well. I just wouldn't mind "hanging out" with my friends more.

7. What has been the most difficult part of social distancing?

1. Not seeing my second niece. I used to see her every week day, and now I don't see her at all.
I miss her a lot, we seemed to be growing really close before this pandemic cut it off.

2. Because I can no longer babysit due to social distancing, I'm not earning any money, and so I can't buy books (and I was in the middle of some really good series), and have had to halt my super secret mission that I've been teasing.

3. Lastly, I haven't been able to have my hair cut. Which isn't difficult, but it is a mild nuisance. My hair had been past my tailbone in length, but it was hard to maintain, and because of how thick and heavy it was I constantly had neck aches. So I planned to cut it to a bob, but my mother suggested I get it cut at a salon instead of having her do it, but then this quarantine happened and I can't do that.
So, my mother cut it to a couple of inches past my shoulders, until I can have it cut the rest of the way.

8. Have any blessings come out of it?

A few. I've been writing a lot more, talked to my friends more often, and I've had more free time and been able to sleep later than normal, which is nice.
Also, several of my friends started blogs almost at once, and because I haven't been busy, I've been able to keep up with them fairly easily. And, this tag was made, which said friends are all doing, and have tagged me in. So, this tag is helping content creators, old and new alike, simply by providing something quick to post.

9. What’s been most encouraging to you through social distancing?

There's been a few things that I thought were cool, inspiring, sweet, etc, but I myself haven't been in need of encouragement when it comes to social distancing and whatnot.
But to name a few of those things...

- My church has reacted in wonderful ways, and its members have been supporting each other a lot through this.

- Seeing my writing community pull together.

- Seeing my friends pull together.

10. Have you learned anything new or made any accomplishments during this time (even small ones)?

I have been writing a lot. You may have noticed on my WIP page that my story Roslyn has finally reached (and gone beyond!) 50k words.
This probably wouldn't have happened without my sudden extra hours of free time.

I also learned how to cheat something in Blogger's format, which made me very happy, even though I haven't used the said knowledge. I'm just glad I figured it out all on my own.

11. Is there anything you want to achieve or learn or do before social distancing ends?

At first I was going to say "no", but I suppose there actually is. 
This is the list:

Finish the first draft of Roslyn
Finally have my "resin day" to knock out some projects
Learn a bass solo


The tagged bloggers:

Mary from Wild Writing Dreams
Julia from Julia's Creative Corner
Jane from Jane Maree


The questions:

What's your current attitude toward COVID-19 and social distancing (honestly)?
Has your schedule become busier or more open as a result of social distancing?
If you were public schooled before COVID-19 hit, how has your experience with homeschooling been (whatever that looks like for you)?
If you were already homeschooled, how has COVID affected you or not?
How are you staying connected with people?
How do you wish people would connect with you?
What has been the most difficult part of social distancing?
Have any blessings come out of it?
What's been most encouraging to you through social distancing?
Have you learned anything new or made any accomplishments during this time? (Even small ones)
Is there anything you want to achieve or learn or do before social distancing ends?



Closing:

This was fun, thanks again to S.J. for the tag, and to Ariel for making it!
This is mostly unrelated to the tag, so if you're just here because I tagged you, feel free to skip this. ;)

I had a thing that I thought would be fun to include here, but couldn't think of where to put it, so I figured I'd just stick it here at the end.

When my sister, mother, and I were making masks, Liana made one for me, and I love it. It is absolutely fantastic.
Well, I came down with a cold the other day, and until we figured out what to do about it I was wearing said mask around the house (we soon after decided it wasn't a big deal and I don't have to wear it anymore).
And then I noticed that my mask matched my fedora and suit-jacket, and so I put it all on and took a picture, then showed Liana, who edited it and made it look really cool despite its comedic intention.

(If you didn't know, I've always quite liked mustaches, so it only seemed
fitting to have one on the mask.)

Well, that's all, folks. I hope you enjoyed this post.
Make sure you check out the blogs mentioned here, S.J., Ariel, Mary, Julia, and Jane are all great bloggers.


Until we meet again, I remain,

~ Edna Pellen

Happy Resurrection Sunday

Death, Hope, Victory, Life
by
Edna Pellen


Hope is born

As sin is slayed upon a cross

But few understand the Bearer's loss

Darkness floods all in sight

As we don't yet understand

The eternal pain that we've been spared

But then at last

The sun has dawned its light

Putting an end to a dark and painful night

For when it shines

It reveals the cross and tomb to be bare

And we see that, like the Body, out sins are no longer there

With the sun

Victory is born

putting aside the time of weeping

Life no longer is mourned

Victory has been made

As life has been reclaimed

And an old wrong made right

Completed in just a few nights

So it is known

that by the willingness of a Son,

And the love of a Father,

That the world was saved

And death holds the earth no longer

Classic Authors: Jane Austen

Jane Austen, December 16, 1775 - July 18 1817

Hello, dear reader,


One never knows what will happen when they've died.
They can't see the effect they will have on the world. They might even think they'll go unnoticed.
Maybe they will. Or maybe, they'll change humanity.

Jane Austen lived the life of a writer, and I think she is one of the perfect people to think of when you decide to pursue it yourself.

Her first love would not marry her because she had no dowry to offer. She refused the only recorded proposal of marriage that she received, partly because she didn't love the man, and partly because she was wanting to pursue the life of a writer and author in a time where a woman was little more than a house keeper.
Four of her novels were published anonymously while she lived (she received little profit), and two were published after she died with a biographical note that identified her for the first time in her career.
She died unmarried, in poor living conditions, dependent on her family for money, in her early forties. Her last words were "I want nothing but death", said to her sister, Cassandra.
Doesn't sound like a very glamorous life, does it?

And yet, over two hundred years later, her work is now classical literature loved by thousands and has been adapted into films and television shows at least thirty times (and then there are all of the plays!), and she has a dozen or so statues and monuments.
Her brilliant heroines set examples for women, and her charming heroes set ideals.

I'd say Jane Austen has left quite an impact on the world.
But she didn't know she would come this far after her death, and now she never will.

I say all of this to remind you of something that you surely know already; the pursue of writing as a career does not promise a shinning life. Surely, it is easier to become published now then it was for Ms. Austen, we have many more options now, and equality has allowed women more careers and roles than in Jane Austen's day. But that doesn't mean you'll earn anything from your stories.

However...

Who knows what will happen to your work in ten, twenty, or even two hundred years? Surely, someone will find it. And surely, someone out of the millions of people on this earth will love it.
Your stories may impact thousands of people. Or, maybe they will impact just one person. Either way, isn't it worth it?

And then there is what writing itself brings to you.

When it isn't being a pain in the rear-end, and even when it is, writing brings so much to your life. Discipline, encouragement, it teaches you about yourself, it is a outlet for strong emotion, and for so many writers (and I daresay that this very strongly includes Jane Austen), it is a escape from reality. Something to turn to when you've reached your dark hours.
Though it won't relieve you of hardships, it can help you get through them.


I think Jane Austen is a wonderful example of this.
Her setting in Pride and Prejudice is my main source for such a thing.  A small (for the standards back then) farm house packed with people, a withdrawn father, and just enough money to get by, and a head-strong heroine, are all attributes of both the story and Ms. Austen's early life.

But similarities end around there.
One thing missing from the scene, is the fact that Jane Austen's family was so poor, that they gave their son to a wealthy family to raise him, because they could not.
Also missing is the events of her later life, which aren't the most uplifting.

Yes, Jane Austen and Lizzy Bennett's lives separate from there, and Lizzy goes on to do something Jane did not.


Jane Austen was considered to be a head-strong, witty, intelligent woman. The books that were published in her life time were well liked (even if she didn't get the recognition that she deserved), and her lover was not exactly well off himself and couldn't afford a marriage that didn't offer financial aid to him and his family (you see, it would be his job to care for his mother and siblings because he was the eldest, so by the standards of the day, marrying Jane was unacceptable).

Lizzy, on the other hand, goes on to first refuse the hand of a second-class man, the nephew to a noblewoman, and then to marry him after falling in love (despite still being poor), with lots of sass and pride (and prejudices, due to social standings and propriety and whatnot) in between.and are now adored by thousands of people.
Her work has effected many, it set the stage for bold heroines, it protested romance despite wealth, or lack there of, and it gave sweet and happy endings.

And it is worthy of note that the first draft for Pride and Prejudice was written within the year that Jane didn't receive the expected proposal from the man she, to some extent, loved.

So, through her fiction, Ms. Jane Austen was able to live the life she wanted but never received.


Jane Austen was incredible.
I'm sure her life wasn't terrible, she surely had sweet seasons and who knows, maybe she thoroughly enjoyed her life, poverty and all.
But she didn't get romance, wealth, or very much recognition, all of which most people can agree she was deserving of.

And yet,  Jane Austen lasted past that season and age when all was pinned against her, and is now thriving in the modern day and culture.
So, when you weigh the odds of pursuing the career of an author, consider Jane Austen's life, circumstances, and success. And decide what matters more, writing, or recognition.



I hope you enjoyed this, and found it informative or inspiring.
This is the first post of a series I'm working on, called Classic Authors. In it I summarize the classical authors, their inspiration, their lives, their views.
Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Mary Shelly, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Agatha Christie are some on the list of authors I'm going to cover.
This is a huge and slow moving series, as I have to research each author individually, so I'm unsure of when the next post in it will come out, but I didn't want to wait to post this one anymore



Until I write to you again, I remain humbly,


                      ~ Edna Pellen


P.S. Here's a wonderful documentary about Jane Austen

Christian Music

Hello there,

This may seem off topic, but considering it is on the subject of song writing I'll count it towards the subject of writing.

Christian music nowadays is known for being un-creative, repetitive, theologically incorrect, and generally shallow.
And I was wondering, why is that?
And why is it that so many deeply talented musicians follow the frame that Christian culture has made?
And why is it that when I sit down, wanting to write a out of the box worship song or general Christian music, I can't?
Well, I've been thinking, and I've come up with a few thoughts.
So I wrote them down, and here they are if you care to read them.


1. Christians took away creativity so we don't "show off"

It's true that worship is not a concert. It simply isn't. It is a time between man and God, and it's important that Christians don't get that confused or let selfish desires get in the way of worship
But, things like musical talent are gifts from God, and we are to use our gifts and talents to praise Him.

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given us, let us use them..."
- Romans 12:6

If practically anyone can pick up a instrument, be taught four chords, and then be able to play practically every worship song... talent, or effort, are lacking greatly.
And that isn't good.

And I'm not saying that every Christian song should be near impossible to play, or that it being so easy to play is bad. The problem is why it's so simple, not the fact that it is.

So please, do not think me to be of the devil when I say this;
Things like guitar, bass, drum, and piano solos, complex rifs, complex vocals, "extra" instruments, and deeply thought out lyrics, or even no lyrics, are perfectly acceptable in a Christian song.
And if you are a Christian musician and you are more concerned with the people listening to the music you are making as opposed to God, the problem is where your heart is, not your instrument or song.

And I do not say this while claiming to be guiltless. I play in a praise team, and often lose the reason that I am playing and focus instead on hitting the next note, or thinking of the congregation instead of God, or even just letting my mind wander, while I am supposed to be praising and helping my fellow believers praise by playing music.

And on the note of writing uncreative music, as I said I do the same with worship music. It all comes out like every other Christian song.
Repetitive chords and lyrics, passionless words, and general uncreative things litter my songs when I try to write a worship or general testimonial/encouraging song.

Which leads me to my next point...

2. Christians are forcing music out of themselves 

For many Christian artists, making Christian music is their job. It's how they put bread on the table, so if they want to get payed, they need to produce music.
And as is the case with any career artist (or general artists, really), forcing art out of yourself drains you and produces passionless and meaningless art. The words grow hollow.
That isn't normally a big deal, moral-wise, but for a Christian career artist, it is. Because hollow, inaccurate, meaningless words, when spoken to God, are best left unsaid.

"But I say to you that for every idle word men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." 
- Matthew 12:36 NKJV


3. Christians need to be careful of their intent

If you are writing a worship or Christian song just to do it (like I mentioned I did), or just to make money, or for your image, or for attention and popularity... you shouldn't write the song.
Or, you shouldn't play the song.

And that's a hard and scary concept for career Christian artists, because, as I said, words lose meaning when they're a source of income.
But, Christian, God will be with you and provide for you.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"
 - Matthew 6:25-30 NKJV

I'm not saying you need to do this. I don't know you or your circumstances. Maybe you truly mean every word you speak in your songs.
But if you need to step back for a bit, especially to reconnect with God, don't let fear for you or your family stop you.

3 (1/2). Other stuff

Other things I don't really have enough to talk about, are...

- Christians mimicking secular music in attempt to make their music better
- Christians not knowing or noticing the theologically incorrect and/or complacency in our modern music
- The fact that hymns, which often directly quote the Bible, are amazing and we should have more revamped versions of them



I didn't write this post to guilt or insult anyone. Goodness knows, I'm plenty guilty of the above, so I do not hold myself higher than anyone else for having these thoughts.

I made this post because the fact that Christian music has grown so shallow, complacent, and uncreative is not good, and is undeniable.
It's especially disturbing when you think of the fact that secular, and even satanic, music is often more creative than Christian music, when we are the ones who have something truly amazing to be passionate about

It is my hope that this post makes us Christians to stop and think for a bit, and maybe spark a passion that causes some Christian out there to write a genuine, thought out, and creative song for God. Goodness knows He deserves it.

I hope you found the above thought provoking and insightful.
If not, I'm thankful that you read it anyways (assuming you didn't just skim through, as I am often guilty of) and hope that you at least liked it.

Until I write to you again, I remain most humbly

 ~ Edna Pellen


P.S. Here's a wonderful cover of a wonderful Christian song, you should check it out: Heart Of Worship, cover by Tommee Profit