Hardly crafty and Rat

This is hardly craftly, but I needed two pen holders. So I used two cans and some cool scrapbook paper and made these in about 10 minutes. They work, and I like them.

I love pens and paper. Since I was quite young, I've been fascinated by writing and painting. I never showed any talent at art -- which is a great regret of mine -- so I turned to writing so I could be near paper. I've even made paper and loved the texture I was able to create with different materials. Texture isn't good to write on, so my paper wasn't functional, but I liked to touch it. It was tactile and varied, some pieces so rough that you could feel the ridges and bumps easily.

I have a huge collection of specialty paper in my hallway on book shelves. I'm forced myself to not buy any more until I use up the ones I have. Which would take years even if I used them all the time, and I don't. In fact, the paper I use most isn't colored or textured or cotton or rag -- it's just plain paper. I use it to print out the drafts of my books and stories. Otherwise, not much paper gets used. But maybe someday, there will be some sort of emergency where my paper will save the town or even the nation from destruction. Not sure how that would be, but it comforts me as I move the boxes of paper around to try to make room for this coolest paper I couldn't resist...

Oh, the above is also the picture for today. Yeah, I waited until last the minute so that's the photo I could take. Tomorrow I will take photos sooner so that I have more choices to choose the day's photo from. I moved slowly this morning. I couldn't sleep last night. Made me draggy this morning, so I didn't get much done and played catch-up all day.

Rat

Run far, run fast,
my little, little rat.
Hope you've got
your story pat.

God only knows
what you're running to
or even if your desires
will benefit you

But that's how it goes
lost in the maze
where bad ever wins
and good never pays

So keep running fast,
my little, little rat
maybe one day reach
where happy hides at

Did you ever imagine how
broken your schemes
would be when you traded
your precious dreams?

Here's the secret of it all:
the only trap in the path
you brought with you
and marked on your map

Rage little, little rat
rage at the uncaring sky,
and run far, run fast
run until you finally die

Or you could choose
to not run, to not die
to instead grow wings
and leap into the sky

So that's the crux:
why choose to be a rat
when sky is where
your happy is at?

Can you be anything other
than a little, little rat?
I hope you choose to change.
I hope you can do that.

(Copyright 2013 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without express written permission. Thank you for reading.)