Slice of Life Tuesday -Inkblot Memories





Memory of times gone by emerge from time to time prompted by words, images, thoughts and people. For my recent birthday I was given two pens, both of them special in their own way. One was a fountain pen, beautifully balanced with just the right feel in my hand. The other a finely shaped ball point pen, also possessed of subtle feel when held. I am enjoying having both of them to call upon when I write. 

 Upon receiving these gifts, I found myself pondering my life journey from a handwriting perspective. Much has changed across the years. The tools we use for writing have evolved, expanded and improved.  I began to think back to my early handwriting experiences as a left hander in a predominantly right handed world. My response takes the form of a poem. A poem titled appropriately 'Inkblot,'


Related imageInkblot

 I was born into a world of blotting paper
Ink wells and fountain pens
A left handed writer
Living in a writing minefield

Ink wells and fountain pens
Held the magic indigo liquid
Providing shape to letters and words

A left handed writer
Forever wary of smudges
Afraid of blots and blobs on pristine pages

 Living in a writing minefield
I remained forever trepidacious
-And then along came the ballpoint pen


Alan j Wright

 *This poem is a Trimeric Poem



Comments

  1. Terje 29 May 2018 at 23:45

    Even for a right handed person the ink blotches were a headache. How much more so for a left handed child. Distant but vivid memory to inspire a poem.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright30 May 2018 at 09:42

      Thank you Terje. These days are long behind us but the memory lingers, no doubt about that.

      Delete
  2. elsie30 May 2018 at 00:18

    I know your pain as a left-handed person. I found the spirals on notebooks incredibly painful to use. Somehow I could never get the right pressure or angle to make the nib on the fountain pen flow nicely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright30 May 2018 at 09:45

      The angle of the fountain pen nib is a continuing concern Elsie. I always like to check it first on a piece of paper prior to launching into writing/ signing etc. Spirals are a pest.

      Delete
  3. https://wordpress.com/home/mukhamani.wordpress.com30 May 2018 at 01:00

    Writing with a fountain pen or ball pen is a joy. I write first in my diary then type in my laptops 😊

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright30 May 2018 at 09:47

      I agree with you Lakshmi. Like you my notebook entries are all created using my pens of choice, before being lifted out, expanded and revised on my computer.

      Delete
  4. jlcjbuzz30 May 2018 at 08:12

    Great post. I am a right hander born into an entirely left handed family - taught to do things "backward" for me. My grandmother (also right handed) had to show me how to tie my shoes because my mom "thought something was wrong" with me. Your title had me thinking of Rorschach test inkblots.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright30 May 2018 at 09:51

      What a unique family situation for you to grow up in. Mind you, my family was split between left and right handedness. My inkblot title was inspired by memories of splodges rather then something esoteric. Thank you for your feedback.

      Delete

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