Saturday, December 01, 2007

Conversations with Calliope


JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. You're up early this morning.
JOE: Don't be sly. You know you woke me up at three this morning.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: When I woke up at that hour, my mind was filled with images for my novel as well as for my column on life's mysteries. More images seemed to be fighting to get into my mind.
CALLIOPE: I thought you were struggling a bit lately to find ideas so I decided you needed a new supply. What do you think we muses do all night?
JOE: I appreciate it but I was a little surprised. What made you realize I needed some help.
CALLIOPE: Watching you struggle to write your current chapter of Marital Property. I saw the research you did on the fast ferry to Hyannis and your description of Cynthia getting across Nantucket Sound only to realize that she wasn't headed for Hyannis and that the sister she planned to visit lived in Scituate even though you did research on Scituate earlier that day. You seemed to be working so hard you confused yourself.
JOE: I'm glad someone noticed. It's hard for anyone to know what happens in my mind sitting here at the computer.
CALLIOPE: In the past, you have sometimes written longhand. Maybe that would be a good idea once in a while to give you a change of pace and get away from the pressure you put on yourself.
JOE: I tink you are right. I will try to pay more attention to my level of stress. I don't feel any this morning and couldn't wait to discuss last night with you.
CALLIOPE: You couldn't?
JOE: A figure of speech. Obviously I didn't bound out of bed in the middle of the night to talk with you although it did occur to me.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad you did this morning. Do you think you have all the ideas still in your head.
JOE: Most of them. I was a bit lazy and should have at least taken some notes last night.
CALLIOPE: You might want to try it next time.
JOE: I might indeed.

(Mill Wharf Restaurant- Scituate, MA)

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